本研究旨在檢視國小自然與生活科技領域教科書（簡稱為科學教科書），探討其語句類型，以及使用科學解釋的數量與分布情形，包括：因果性解釋與預測性解釋。以98學年的A、B與C三個版本的科學教科書為研究樣本，從國小三至六年級，內容涵蓋物理、化學、生物、地球科學與生活科技等學科，共16,616句。採用科學解釋編碼系統，將句子分為：因果性解釋、預測性解釋、參與、事實描述，以及與科學內容無關等五種類別，由三位評分人員分別進行編碼，評分者信度為.98。研究發現教科書中有半數的句子屬於事實描述，因果性解釋和預測性解釋僅占四分之一。大致上，高年級教科書比中年級教科書較常使用因果性解釋的句子，但各版本間中、高年級的百分比差距不同。各學科中，物理和化學較其他學科使用較高比例的預測性解釋句子，而生物的事實描述句子比例較高。

Textbooks are regarded as valuable resources by teachers. The purpose of this study is to examine the mean percentage of scientific explanations, including causal explanation and predictive explanation, in science and technology textbooks in elementary schools in Taiwan. We analyzed three of the most widely used versions of elementary school science and technology textbooks (grades 3-6), covering physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, and technology, for a total 16,616 sentences. The coding system places sentences into five categories: causal explanation, predictive explanation, fact and description, engagement, and irrelevant. Interrater reliability is .98. We found that half of the sentences belonged in the fact and description category. Only a quarter of the sentences were causal explanation or predictive explanation in nature. Textbooks for grades five and six had higher percentages of causal explanation sentences than grades three and four. All subjects had lower percentages of causal explanation. The percentages of predictive explanation sentences in physics and chemistry were higher than those in other subjects. More fact-like statements were adopted in biology.