Gender Representation in School Textbooks: Patterns, Implications, and the Path Forward
This research examined gender representation in the Portal to English Workbook for Grade 10 (Semester 1) school textbook, undertaken through a quantitative content analysis of seven categories: gender firstness, images, names, pronouns, adjectives, jobs and occupations, and the overall gender balance of the textbook. The study demonstrated a clear male bias across all categories. This bias was particularly pronounced for pronouns, images, and names. Furthermore, the Chi-Square test confirmed that this was a statistical reality, χ^2 (5) =31.27, p<.001. In other words, the Chi-Square test indicated difference between males and females in the school textbook. The findings suggest that similar to previous studies of Arabic textbooks and other studies beyond the Arab region, the textbook does not present a balanced gender representation but rather reproduces a male-centered pattern. The researchers of the study suggest that the textbooks must be revised in a gender-sensitive manner to ensure more equitable audio-visual and linguistic representation of males and females.