Preparing Students for the Future in Iran, Turkey, and Malaysia as Indicated by the Occupational Preparation Indices Identified in the High School Chemistry Textbooks

To assess the status of Iranian high school graduates’ occupational preparedness in comparison to that of Turkish and Malaysian students, the high school Chemistry textbooks used in these three countries were content analyzed in terms of the job preparation indices contained in the instrument. The instrument used was deemed valid by experts. The results show both similarities and differences between the three groups based on which Malaysians rank first and Iranians last. In all three sets of textbooks more emphasis is given to “knowing and exploring job opportunities” than other indices, while “hands-on practice” was the least emphasized index. Malaysians are second to Turks only in “exhibiting appropriate behavior while working”, although they rank first in terms of attending to critical thinking, creative thinking, and group work.