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The “Biology” educational kit for eighth grade from the “Ranok” publishing house has made it onto the final list of nominees for the Best European Learning Materials Awards 2026, which focuses on identifying the highest-quality educational materials. Each year, the award recognizes the best educational products on the continent, and this time the biology textbook was the sole representative from Ukraine among 75 nominees from 23 European countries. A creative team of education specialists from the “Ranok” publishing house worked on the book, including Olga Taglina, Andriy Samoilov, Olga Utevska, and Lyudmila Dovgal.
However, the key advantage lies not so much in the international recognition of the Ukrainian product as in the rigorous criteria by which experts evaluate educational materials. Experts are convinced that modern textbooks must not only convey dry facts but also actively engage students in research activities, critical analysis of information, and the practical application of acquired skills in real life. This approach takes on particular significance in light of the large-scale international PISA-2025 assessment of educational quality. The results demonstrated by Ukrainian teenagers showed that they are quite successful at providing scientific explanations of natural processes, but face certain difficulties when interpreting the accumulated data and critically evaluating the conducted research. That is why fostering research skills and the ability to confidently work with large amounts of information has been identified as a priority for the entire spectrum of natural science disciplines.
Entries for the BELMA Awards are evaluated by a prestigious international jury composed of university professors, educational media analysts, experts in pedagogy and linguistics, representatives of the publishing industry, and specialists in digital teaching methods from many European countries. The jury members conduct a comprehensive analysis of the entries, going far beyond a mere check for the accuracy and completeness of the content. They thoroughly examine the material’s alignment with the developmental psychology of school-age students, the effectiveness of the educational process, the extent to which essential competencies are developed, and the potential for practical application of the acquired knowledge. For this reason, the experts examine the entire set of materials as a unified system, encompassing print textbooks, workbooks, teacher’s guides, digital platforms, and other related components.
Among the strengths of the 8th-grade “Biology” textbook highlighted by the BELMA judges are a harmonious blend of classical and innovative educational methods, a clear pragmatic focus, simplicity and accessibility of presentation, a wealth of high-quality infographics, interactive exercises, and research tasks, as well as a close connection between theoretical topics and everyday experience. Many European criteria align with Ukrainian standards for the evaluation of educational literature. Within the country, experts also review books for compliance with the curriculum and the State Standard, consideration of age-specific needs, content and language accuracy, as well as methodological soundness. The piloting procedure allows textbooks to be tested directly in schools to evaluate the logic of content organization, the clarity of wording, the appropriateness of the workload, the availability of tools for differentiation, and the ease of use during lessons.
The application of these principles in the high school biology curriculum is achieved through a close integration of theory and practice, as well as project-based and research-based tasks. Students do not simply memorize textbook sections; instead, they independently analyze data, conduct hands-on observations, draw conclusions, and seek solutions to challenging problems. Complex natural mechanisms are conveyed through clear diagrams, summary tables, and visual infographics, which make it easier to organize the information. Abstract biological concepts are always tied to real-life situations through examples that demonstrate the practical relevance of this knowledge beyond the classroom. Seamless integration of print and digital formats is ensured through integration with the iZZi platform from the “Ranok” publishing house, where additional video materials and interactive exercises are available via QR codes. This provides teachers with a flexible tool for organizing a wide variety of lesson formats.
This marks the third consecutive year that Ukrainian publications have been included on BELMA’s list of award winners. In 2024, the top gold award went to the “German Language. 2nd Grade” series, created by the author duo of Svitlana Sotnykova and Hanna Gogoleva. The following year, in 2025, the textbook “Chemistry. 7th Grade,” authored by Oleksiy Hryhorovych and Oleksandr Nedorub, won the silver award. This year, “Biology” for 8th graders is competing in the third category of the award, where its competitors include educational materials from Germany, Italy, Croatia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, the Faroe Islands, and other European countries. All three successful Ukrainian projects were produced by the “Ranok” publishing house.
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