ISSN 1017-2548(Print)
ISSN 2234-8530(Online)
Volume 43, Number 3
JKCSEZ 43(3)
June 20, 1999 

This study was to analyze the articulation between chemistry contents of science textbooks at elementary and middle school level, to survey students ? perceptions on chemistry concepts, to establish guidelines for science textbooks that not only meet the needs of learners but also fit in a coherent way. In order to do this, we analyzed links of the aims and the organization of chemistry contents of elementary and middle school science textbooks, we also surveyed students' perceptions on chemistry concepts students had retained. The study revealed that the 6th middle school curriculum was almost a duplicate of the elementary school syllabus. And there was no interrelation between the organization of chemistry contents and the aim of the chapter which built up a logical picture of the world at a molecular level. It was also found that the lack of coherence between science textbooks in elementary and middle school was a major cause of student difficulty.