Representations of Gender in English Textbook Super Minds: A Critical Discourse Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30762/jeels.v12i1.3600Keywords:
Critical Discourse Analysis, Super Minds, genderAbstract
Gender stereotypes that are developed in the society influence people’s thoughts and behavior. Schools contribute the socialization of gender through textbooks or interaction between teachers and students. Textbooks are extremely important in forming students' values, ideologies, and social norms. They are also acknowledged for having a major impact on how students' gender roles develop, especially in elementary school. Language use and social lives of pupils may be impacted by gender representation. The textbook material they study accounts for half of the influence. Children have access to a wealth of knowledge regarding behavior, characteristics, and social roles that are proper for each gender that are portrayed in textbooks. This research was aimed to see how gender represented according to the three social context parameters such as family, occupation, and leisure activities were used to perform Examining the gender portrayals of male and female characters in the Super Minds 6 English textbook. This research used qualitative and quantitative research methods and employed Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) theory as the method of analysis. In conjunction with CDA, Giaschi's Visual Grammar theory is also used as an analytical tool to explain the depiction of gender representation in the textbook. Based on the findings, there are more male pictures than female pictures.
Downloads
References
Aini, W., Yanto, E. S., & Fitriyana, W. (2021). Gender representation in the English textbook for grade ninth in Indonesia. Interaction: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa, 8(2), 201-218. https://doi.org/10.36232/jurnalpendidikanbahasa.v8i2.1334
Al-Qatawneh, S., & Al Rawashdeh, A. (2019). Gender representation in the Arabic language textbook for the ninth grade approved by the Ministry of Education for use in schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Studies in Educational Evaluation, 60, 90-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2018.12.001
Ary, D., Jacobs, L.C., & Sorensen, C. (2020). Introduction to resesarch in education (8th ed). Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Berezecka, N. K., Jurek, P., Besta, T., Korzeniewska, L., & Seibt, B. (2018). De-gender them! Gendered vs cooperative division of housework–cross–cultural comparison of Polish and Norwegian students. Current Psychology, 39, 2276-2284. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-018-9915-6
Çiftçi, G. E., Bülbül, S. F., Bayar, M. N., Çamur, D. G., & Yılmaz, A. (2011). Factors in selecting a university and career among students studying in the faculty of health sciences (Kirikkale University). Journal Kartal TR., 22(3), 151-160. https://doi.org/10.5505/jkartaltr.2011.98704
Clark, I. (2016). A qualitative analytic case study of subliminal gender bias in Japanese ELTs. SAGE Open, 6(3), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244016653437
Cunningsworth, A. (1995). Choosing youre coursbook (handbooks for the English classroom). Oxford University Press.
Curaming, E. M., & Curaming, R. A. (2020). Gender (in) equality in English textbooks in the Philippines: A critical discourse analysis. Sexuality & Culture, 24, 1167–1188. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-020-09750-4
Erol, A., & Erol, M. C. (2023). The relationship between attitude towards STEM education, self-efficacy in STEM education, and constructivist beliefs of early childhood teachers. Journal for STEM Education Research, 7(3), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41979-023-00111-y
Fithriani, R. (2022). Gender portrayals in Indonesian and international English language textbooks for primary students: A critical image analysis. MEXTESOL Journal, 46(4), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.61871/mj.v46n4-12
Gebregeorgis, M. Y. (2016). Gender construction through textbooks: The case of an Ethiopian primary school English textbook. Africa Education Review, 13(3), 119–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/18146 627.2016.1224579
Giaschi, P. (2000). Gender positioning in education: A critical image analysis of ESL text. TESL Canada Journal, 18(1), 32-46. https://doi.org/10.18806/tesl.v18i1.898
Goyal, R., & Rose, H. (2020). Stilettoed damsels in distress: The (un) changing depictions of gender in a business English textbook. Linguistics & Education, 58(3), 1-9.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2020.100820
Kayed, M. A., Al_Khawaldah, S. K., & Alzu’bi, M. A. (2020). Critical discourse analysis of gender representations in EFL textbooks. International Journal of English Language & Literature Studies, 9(4), 244-254.
https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.23.2020.94.244.254
Kelley, J., Pullen Sansfaçon, A., Gelly, M. A., Chiniara, L., & Chadi, N. (2022). School Factors Strongly Impact Transgender and Non-Binary Youths’ Well-Being. Children, 9(10), 1520. https://doi.org/10.3390/children9101520
Kuhn, A., & Wolter, S. C. (2022). Things versus People: Gender differences in vocational interests and in occupational preferences. Journal of Economics Behavior & Organization, 203, 210-234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2022.09.003
Lee, J. F. K. (2014). Gender representation in Hong Kong primary school ELT textbooks: A comparative study. Gender and Education, 26(4), 356–376.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2014.916400
Lee, J. F. K. (2018a). Gender representation in Japanese EFL textbooks: A corpus study. Gender and Education, 30(3), 379–395. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2016.1214690
Lee, J. F. K. (2018b). In the pursuit of a gender-equal society: Do Japanese EFL textbooks play a role? Journal of Gender Studies, 28(2), 204–217.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2018.1423956
Lee, J. F. K., & Chin, A. C. O. (2019). Are females and males equitably represented? A study of early readers. Linguistics & Education, 49, 52-61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2018.12.003
Lee, J. F. K., & Mahmoudi-Gahrouei, V. (2020). Gender representation in instructional materials: A study of Iranian English language textbooks and teachers' voices. Sexuality & Culture, 24(4), 1107–1127.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-020-09747-z
Lestariyana, R. P. D., Widodo, H. P., & Sulistiyo, U. (2020). Female representation in government-mandated English language textbook used in Indonesian junior high school. Sexuality & Culture, 24(4), 1150-1166.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-020-09752-2
Levant, R. F., Slattery, S. C. & Loiselle, J. E. (1987). Fathers’ involvement in housework and child care with school-aged daughters. Family Relations, 36(2), 152-157. https://doi.org/10.2307/583945
Marques, F., Hernandez-Leo, D., & Castillo, C. (2024). Measuring gender bias in student satisfaction in higher education: A cross-department study. Cogent Education, 11(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2375183
Meeussen, L., Laar, C, V., & Grootel, S. V. (2020). How to foster male engagement in traditionally female communal roles and occupations: Insights from research on gender norms and precarious manhood. Social Issues & Policy Review, 14(1), 297–328. https://doi.org/10.1111/sipr.12060
Muenks, K., Peterson, E. G., Green, A. E., Koolvoord, R. A., & Uttal, D. H. (2020). Parents’ beliefs about high school students’ spatial abilities: Gender differences and associations with parent encouragement to pursue a STEM career and students’ STEM career intentions. Sex Roles, 83, 570–583. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-019-01072-6
Muzdalifah, A., Noorman, S., & Gunawan, W. A. (2022). Gender representation in English textbook: A visual grammar analyis. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan, 21(3), 85-95. https://doi.org/10.17509/jpp.v21i3.43093
Noviandri, H., & Mursidi, A. (2019). Relationship of self concept, problem solving and self adjustment in youth. International Journal for Educational & Vocational Studies, 1(6), 651-657. https://doi.org/10.29103/ijevs.v1i6.1599
Orfan, S. N. (2021). High school English textbooks promote gender inequality in Afghanistan. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2021.1914148
Padilla, L. V., & Vana, R. (2019). Ideologies in the foreign language curriculum: Insights from textbooks and instructor interviews. Language Awareness, 28(1), 15–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658416.2019.1590376
Purwaningtyas, T. (2020). Didactic symbol of visual images in EFL textbook: Multimodal critical discourse analysis. Pedagogy: Journal of English Language Teaching, 8(1), 51–63. https://doi.org/10.32332/pedagogy.v8i1.1959
Sanmugam, N., Ismail, H. H., & Azizan, M. (2023). Between goddess or homemaker: A riview of portrayal of women in Malaysia ESF textbook. Creative Education, 14: 1269-1283. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2023.146081
Santika, P. (2023). The representation of gender in English textbook. Journal of English for Specific Purposes in Indonesia, 2(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.33369/espndonesia.vli2.25787
Sengul, K. (2019). Critical discourse analysis in political communication research: A case study of right-wing populist discourse in Australia. Communication Research and Practice, 5(4), 376–392.
https://doi.org/10.1080/22041451.2019.1695082
Setyono, B., & Widodo, H. P. (2019). The representation of multicultural values in the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture-endorsed EFL textbook: A critical discourse analysis. Intercultural Education, 30(4), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/14675986.2019.1548102
Shume, T. J. (2020). Conceptualizing disability: A critical discourse analysis of a teacher education textbook. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 27(3), 257–272. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2020.1839796
Smith, A., & Evans, T. (2024). Gender gap in STEM pathway: The role of gender-segregated schooling in mathematics and science performance. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, 59, 269-287. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40841-024-00320-y
Sulistiyo, U., Khairunnisa, Derniza, Y., Inayatillah, N., Munaroh, Dharma, A. D. D., & Tungga Dewi, I. D. P. (2021). Developing an English textbook for early childhood education program students: A need analysis. Proceedings of the 3rd Green Development International Conferences, 205(3), 91-100. https://doi.org/10.2991/aer.k.210825.018
Wajcman, J. (2010). Feminist theories of technology. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 34(1), 143-152.
https://doi.org/10.1093/cje/ben057
Warner L. R. (2016). Gender identity, theories of. In The Wiley Blackwell encyclopedia of gender and sexuality studies (pp. 1–6). Wiley-Blackwell.
Widodo, H. P. (2018). A critical micro-semiotic analysis of values depicted in the Indonesian Ministry of National Education-endorsed secondary school English textbook. In H. P. Widodo, M. R. Perfecto, L. V. Canh, & A. Buripakdi (Eds.), Situating moral and cultural values in ELT materials: The Southeast Asian context (pp. 131–152). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63677-1_8
Widodo, H. P., & Elyas, T. (2020). Introduction to gender in language education. Sexuality & Culture, 24, 1019–1027. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-020-09753-1
Wodak, R., & Meyer, M. (2008). Methods of critical discourse analysis (2nd ed.). Sage Publications
Xiong, T., & Peng, Y. (2020). Representing culture in Chinese as a second language textbooks: A critical social semiotic approach. Language, Culture & Curriculum, 34(2), 1–20.
https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2020.1797079
Yang, C. C. R. (2016). Are males and females still portrayed stereotypically? Visual analysis of gender in two Hong Kong Primary English Language textbook series. Gender & Education, 28(5), 674-692.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 JEELS (Journal of English Education and Linguistics Studies)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.








