The textbook plays an important role in science education. It has been criticised, though, for several reasons, and therefore it is important to raise the question of whether the textbook is written and used in the most effective way. This article presents a literature review of the different roles of the textbook when used by teachers and students. Research shows that the textbook is important for teachers in planning of lessons and for the classroom activities. However, findings also indicate that students do not appreciate the textbook as much as might be expected by teachers and textbook producers. Finally, it is evident that neither teachers nor students use the textbook according to modern theories of science education, i.e. according to sociocultural and metacognitive theory.