In this study, we analyzed energy and climate change concepts in elementary and middle school science textbooks. A conceptual map drawn up by specialists was chosen as the criteria for locating relevant concepts in textbooks. It was composed of 52 main concepts and some supplementary concepts divided by experts into elementary and middle school learning levels. We recorded grade levels, chapters, and paragraphs containing relevant concepts in textbooks. The recorded concepts were then examined to determine whether they conformed to the correct levels. Three textbook versions, including the Kang Hsuan, Nan-I, and Han Ling versions, were analyzed.
　　At the elementary school level, findings showed that the Kang Hsuan version needs to increase content on climate change more than the other versions. At the middle school level, all three versions were similarly deficient of content, but the number of concepts was lower than that suggested by experts. We also analyzed continuity and sequence of five subject concepts presented in different versions. The Nan-I version presented better on the subject of energy. None of the three versions met the criteria on the impact of climate change. Han Ling presented better on the rest of three subject concepts.

　　Content analysis was used to investigate statistical cognition and graph comprehension of two textbooks edited according to 2003 curriculum guidelines. We found that the two textbooks provide substantial learning opportunities for statistical literacy; however, they provide almost no learning opportunities for statistical reasoning and thinking. Furthermore, both of the textbooks provide learning opportunities to interpret graphs by recognizing components and information displayed in graphs, but provide almost no learning opportunities to infer from graphs or choose proper graphs for different situations. This may be because the guidelines only focus on knowing statistical knowledge, drawing graphs, and retrieving information directly. To enhance the ability of students to apply statistical graphs and concepts for making inferences, it is recommended to provide students with tasks for reasoning and thinking statistically, selecting graphs and making inference by analyzing information of graphs.

　　This study compares how often the role of students appeared in Mandarin textbooks used in elementary schools after the implementation of the opening up policy. Using the content analysis method, the role of student was identified a total of 1916 times in these textbooks. The data were subsequently analyzed by frequency and Chi-square test and calculated on SPSS for Windows 14.0. The findings of this study are summarized as follows:

1. Although each version is unique in its own way, all the textbooks after the opening up policy were identical in ranking in three dimensions of student role. This study clearly indicates that the knowledge map in student role was not reconstructed after the implementation of the opening up policy for textbook.
2. The number of times three student-role categories were not significantly different among the versions published in the 1990s. Posterior to publishers’ revision, however, different versions published between 1990 and 2010 had different frequencies to describe three student-role categories.

　　Recommendations from this study are also offered.

　　The purpose of this study is to examine the use of metadiscourse in seventh-grade English textbooks in Japan and China in the context of calls for more learner-friendly textbooks. Four textbooks were selected for metadiscourse analysis to determine what kinds of metadiscourse are used to facilitate or affect learner understanding of propositional content. Focusing on metadiscourse’s pedagogical function, Crismore’s (1983) metadiscourse typology for textbooks and other relevant elements were taken into account. The findings imply that although both Japan and China are categorized as EFL countries, their English textbooks display different characteristics in terms of metadiscourse usage, reflecting the different ways in which learning materials are designed and developed. In order to interpret these findings, the impacts of national curricula are discussed.