Podręcznik jako narzędzie kształcenia literackiego w szkole średniej

Abstract

The author thinks an analysis of the ideal models of manuals to be a very important starting-point in the dealing with school manuals. This analysis consists in the definition of the indispensable elements of a manual and the connexion between them from the point of vive of the amount of information and the structure of knowledge which are to appear in a pupil’s mind. The author believes that the usable value of a manual depends upon the existence of functional connexions between its didactic assumptions, the substantial contents of the text, and the editorial shape. A manual of literature as a specific kind of communication is placed between the literary work and the readers; it transmits or suggests specific interpretative actions which are more or less aggressive towards the meaning of a piece of work. A conscious choice of constructive solutions permits us to control the metacommunicative intervention of a manual into the process of reading, and to protect the natural character of the pupils’ contact with literary production. From the pedagogical point of view a modern manual must be regarded as an instrument of learning, i.e. of the active stimulation of a pupil’s mental work. This m ay be realized thanks to the steering role of the didactic cover, expressive editorial solutions, and such a construction of teaching material which is able to liberate investigative attitudes, to incite to transformative actions, to evoke the pupils' interests and the wish of self-improvement. The author presents from this point of view some interesting solutions from the past of manuals. Then he demonstrates a model structure and repertoire of a new manual of literature which is to stimulate the competent reading of literary texts and the learning. In his opinion, such a manual must include three parts which complete each other: 1) an anthology of principal texts and literary contexts; 2) methodological direction of reading (questions, answers, instructions, recommendations etc.) ; 3) and outline of information concerning the history of literature and culture.