8-10 September 2014- Istanbul, Turkey Proceedings of SOCIOINT14- International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities 904 ISBN: 978-605-64453-1-6 IDENTIFYING THE ISSUES FROM HISTORY TEXTBOOKS RESEARCH Mar Aswandi Mahadi 1 and Masitah Shahrill 2 * 1 Mr., Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Darussalam, aswandi.mahadi@ubd.edu.bn 2 Dr., Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Darussalam, masitah.shahrill@ubd.edu.bn *Corresponding author Abstract The textbook is one of the important resources in the process of teaching and learning. The textbooks, specifically for the history subject, not only transport factual knowledge but also historical images, notions of space and time, and social values in which society needs to convey to the next generation. In Brunei Darussalam, the most common teaching materials are textbooks and worksheets. The primary focus of this study is to analyse the upper primary history textbooks that was previously used in the country. The impetus for research in this area arose from the recent educational reform changes in Brunei Darussalam where the teaching of history in the upper primary level has been replaced by social studies. This study undertook the design of descriptive and content analysis research. It is descriptive because investigations were conducted on the content of the three upper primary history textbooks. The content analysis on the other hand was used to examine explicit and implicit objectives and aims of the previous primary history curriculum portrayed in the textbooks. There were two main issues identified from the textbook research study. Firstly, the aims and objectives were not evenly distributed in the content of the textbooks and secondly, the lack of relevant facts and evidence showed in the content of the textbooks. One of the interesting observations in all the textbooks studied was on the profound emphases of the Monarchical system. This may perhaps be a unique way of approach in setting the aims and objectives of history curriculum by reflecting the national ideologies of Brunei Darussalam. Based on the above findings, it is recommended that further research study in history textbooks should be made in order to align it with the current teaching of social studies in the upper primary school level. Future study should center on gaining a better understanding on how to develop appropriate textbooks and how to improve the use of textbooks in the social studies lessons. Keywords: Textbook research, history, Brunei Darussalam 1 INTRODUCTION There are different perspectives towards textbook research by researchers worldwide. According to Marsden (2001), the three types of reaction to textbooks identified were, the first „bemoans their presence and campaigns for prohibition‟, secondly, „accepts their necessity, but demands measures for effecting reform‟, and finally, is „to ignore the textbook as a subject worthy of serious study‟. It is assumed that the existence of anti-textbooks was due to the aims towards an innovative school environment. The commitment to change in which the teacher would function not as employee but as a true or extended professional, and the believe that such innovation would not happen when a teacher is dependent on textbooks (Marsden, 2001). However, there are researchers who viewed the relevance in textbooks research (such as Gopinathan, 1983; Whitley, 1988; Wakefield, 1998). Similary, UNESCO, since 1992, in co-operation with Georg-Eckert Institut fur international Schulbuchforschung in Germany has been developing the UNESCO International Research Network with 322 experts from 51 countries from all regions around the world. The network provided information on new approaches, institutions and projects carried out in various countries with regard to researches into textbook development and revision of history, geography and social science textbooks (UNESCO, 2003). In addition, Watts (2000) pointed that one of the instances of the abiding concerns of the Council of Europe from the 1950s has been over history textbooks. There has been anxiety over a range of issues, such as the emphases on political and national, even nationalistic,