Gender Representation in The English Textbook for Grade Ninth in Indonesia

Abstract

This study aims to examine how different genders are represented in Indonesia's grade eight English textbooks. The primary goal of this research is to ascertain the various gender representations and how language and images are used in the English textbook "Think Globally Act Locally." The study employs Fairclough's (1989) Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) frameworks, specifically the description, interpretation, and explanation. Analyses are divided into five categories: Authors' genders, character genders, issues centered on men or women pictures and visibility, and linguistic traits. Additionally, the images have been subjected to a critical image analysis using the Critical Image Analysis program. The investigation's findings reveal that gender prejudice or stereotypes persist in the English textbooks used in Indonesian schools, despite the government's efforts to promote equality and fairness in education through the country's educational policy. Lastly, the study offers some pedagogical implications and recommendations for resolving gender inequality in the educational materials used in English classrooms.

Analyzing Gender Inequality and Stereotypes in Foreign-Sourced ELT Textbooks at an Indonesian School: A Mixed-Methods Content Analysis

“…This study confirms a gender imbalance in the depiction of occupational roles in ELT textbooks, a trend that aligns with findings from prior research (Aini et al, 2021;Ariyanto, 2018;Rohmawati & Putra, 2022;Setyono, 2018). For instance, "My Pals are Here English 1A" contains 40 images of men in various professional roles, compared to 19 women.…”

“…Previous research on gender representation in ELT textbooks, particularly in Indonesia, has primarily focused on materials published by domestic entities, including government and non-governmental publishers (Aini et al, 2021;Saputra, 2019;Setyono, 2018). However, a notable gap exists in analyzing ELT textbooks from foreign publishers used within the country.…”

Between Goddess or Homemaker: A Review of the Portrayal of Women in Malaysia ESL Textbooks

“…The researchers explain that the failure of illustrating strong women role models in textbooks is a setback to the younger generation considering the importance of apprising such role models starts from textbooks. Another research that also supports the claim is by Aini et al (2021) which was carried out in Indonesia. The researchers examined how gender is represented in three 8 th -grade English textbooks to fulfill their aim of investigating the differences in gender representation in the textbook.…”