Уџбеник и уважавање различитости: Ослонци у критичком и креативном мишљењу

Abstract

Modern life demands that the individual be open for diversity, multiplicity, complexity in coming across new information or in communication with other people. Educational process presents an important context that prepares the individual to develop such attitude to the environment. Therefore, education should offer conditions and supports for developing appropriate attitude to diver227 sity in new knowledge and situations, and the textbook, as an important teaching aid, may be one of the supports. The author points to the importance of the textbook in our teaching practice since it allows students to build up openness and respect for diversity through their interaction with it. Recognition of diversity is spoken of as a precondition for functioning in contemporary educational process in developing knowledge as well as in everyday social situations and broader social environment. It is also pointed to some shortcomings of textbooks, relevant for the subject of this paper, concerning their content and didactic aspect, and appropriate solutions are suggested how to overcome them. Emphasis is placed on how we can develop openness in students for diversity by Relying upon critical and creative thinking, which should be introduced into the textbook through varied contents and students’ engagement in their interaction with it.