Gender Stereotypes in EYL Textbook Visual Imagery: Implications for Inclusive Classroom Learning
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30736/atl.v10i1.2926Keywords:
Critical content analysis, English textbooks, gender stereotypes, inclusive education, visual representationAbstract
This study investigates gender representation in the My Next Words English textbook series, a nationally endorsed resource for Indonesian elementary schools. Using Critical Content Analysis (CCA), 882 human illustrations containing 2,150 characters were analyzed through Harper's Framework of Gender Stereotypes in Children's Literature. The findings reveal that male characters outnumber female characters (54.3% vs. 45.7%) and are more frequently portrayed in diverse occupations, leadership positions, sports, and public activities. Traditional gender stereotypes accounted for 50.6% of all illustrations, whereas gender-sensitive (27.2%), gender-restrictive (19.3%), and gender-neutral (2.9%) representations were considerably less frequent. The study also identifies an invisible gender barrier, characterized by the implicit visual segregation of boys and girls within shared educational settings. By integrating Harper's Framework with Hidden Curriculum, Social Role Theory, and Critical Pedagogy, this study extends current scholarship on gender representation. It offers a new conceptual perspective for advancing inclusive textbook development and equitable English language education.Downloads
References
Adam, H., & Harper, L. J. (2023). Gender equity in early childhood picture books: a cross-cultural study of frequently read picture books in early childhood classrooms in Australia and the United States. Australian Educational Researcher, 50(2), 453–479. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-021-00494-0
Adukia, A., Eble, A., Harrison, E., Runesha, H. B., & Szasz, T. (2023). What we teach about race and gender: Representation in images and text of children’s books. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 138(4), 2225–2285. https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qjad028
Aikman, S., & Unterhalter, E. (Eds.). (2007). Practicing gender equality in education. Oxfam.
Anggraeni, P. D., Wahyuni, S., & Wuli Fitriati, S. (2024). Evaluating contents values of pancasila student profile in the textbook of english “My Next Words” of sixth grade to primary school. 13(1), 2580–7528.
Apple, M. W. (2004). Ideology and curriculum (3rd ed.). Routledge Falmer.
Crawfurd, L., Saintis-Miller, C., & Todd, R. (2024). Sexist Textbooks. Center for Global Development. www.cgdev.org
Eagly, A. H. (2013). Sex differences in social behavior: A social-role interpretation. Lawrence Earlbaum Associates.
EYLC Team. (2021a). My next words grade 2 - Student’s book for elementary school. Pusat Kurikulum dan Perbukuan Badan Penelitian dan Pengembangan dan Perbukuan Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, dan Teknologi.
EYLC Team. (2021b). My next words grade 5 - Student’s book for elementary school. Pusat Perbukuan Badan Standar, Kurikulum, dan Asesmen Pendidikan Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, dan Teknologi.
EYLC Team. (2022a). My next words grade 3 - Student’s book for elementary school. Pusat Perbukuan Badan Standar, Kurikulum, dan Asesmen Pendidikan Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, dan Teknologi. https://buku.kemdikbud.go.id
EYLC Team. (2022b). My next words grade 6 - Student’s book for elementary school. Pusat Perbukuan Badan Standar, Kurikulum, dan Asesmen Pendidikan Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, dan Teknologi.
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Herder and Herder.
Gallerani, M. (2017). Art pedagogy and gender education: The Dialectic between images and consciousness, words and meanings. 1092. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings1091092
Gemala, L. I., Utami, H. D., & Farichah, U. (2021). My next word grade 1: Student’s book for elementary school. Pusat Kurikulum dan Perbukuan Badan Penelitian dan Pengembangan dan Perbukuan Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, dan Teknologi.
Habib, F. A., Putra, B. A. W., & Setyono, B. (2020). Gender stereotypes portrayed in a senior high school english textbook published by Indonesia ministry of education and culture.
Huang, P., & Liu, X. (2024). Challenging gender stereotypes: Representations of gender through social interactions in English learning textbooks. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03293-x
Islam, K. M. M., & Asadullah, M. N. (2016). Gender stereotypes and education: A multi-country content analysis study of secondary school textbooks.
Jackson, P. W. (1990). Life in classrooms. Teachers College, Columbia University.
Jehle, A. M. C., Groeneveld, M. G., van de Rozenberg, T. M., & Mesman, J. (2024). The hidden lessons in textbooks: Gender representation and stereotypes in European mathematics and language books. European Journal of Education, 59(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12716
Johnson, H., Mathis, J., & Short, K. G. (Eds.). (2017). Critical content analysis of children’s and young adult literature: Reframing perspective. Routledge.
Karsena, R. A., Indriyani, E., & Handayani, P. (2024). Gender representation in the English textbook: “My Next Words” for fourth-grade students. Bahasa Dan Sastra, 10(4). https://e-journal.my.id/onoma
Lee, J. F. K., & Collins, P. (2009). Australian English-language textbooks: The gender issues. Gender and Education, 21(4), 353–370. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540250802392257
Master, A., Meltzoff, A. N., & Cheryan, S. (2021). Gender stereotypes about interests start early and cause gender disparities in computer science and engineering. 118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2100030118/-/DCSupplemental
Muzdalifah, A., Noorman, S., & Gunawan, W. (2021). Gender representation in English textbook: A visual grammar analyis. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan, 21(3), 85–95. https://doi.org/10.17509/jpp.v21i3.43093
Nandi, A., Hader, T., & Das, T. (2024). Gender stereotypes and bias in English language school textbooks: Reflection from literature review across different countries. An-Nisa Jurnal Kajian Perempuan Dan Keislaman, 17(2), 133–148. https://doi.org/10.35719/annisa.v17i2.320
Rafli, M., Fahlevi, F. R., Saputra, A., Musyafa, R. A., Mirza, A. A., Widiastuty, H., & Qamariah, Z. (2025). Content analysis of my next words grade 3: An evaluation based on Tomlinson’s criteria. Journal Innovation In Education, 3(2), 92–104. https://doi.org/10.59841/inoved.v3i2.2805
Rahmawati, L., Angrisia, N. F., & Nailufary, L. (2021). My next words grade 4 – Student’s book for elementary school. Pusat Kurikulum dan Perbukuan Badan Penelitian dan Pengembangan dan Perbukuan Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, dan Teknologi.
Rong, J., Xue, G., Zhang, M., & Zhou, M. (2021). Gender bias in the curriculum: A reflection from the English textbook.
Saldana, J. (2013). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (2nd ed.). SAGE.
Setyono, B. (2018). The portrayal of women in nationally-endorsed English as a foreign language (EFL) textbooks for senior high school students in Indonesia. Sexuality & Culture, 22(4), 1077–1093. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-018-9526-2
Syahid, J. J. ;, Khairunnisa, A. ., Luciana, K., Salsabilla, L., Rahim, R. S. N., & Zumiyati, U. . (2024). The positive impact of using “My New Words” textbook in English learning for fifth grade elementary school corresponding author*. 3. https://doi.org/10.56127/jukim.v3i02
Tajeddin, Z., & Enayat, M. J. (2010). Gender representation and stereotyping in ELT textbooks: A critical image analysis Mostafa Janebi Enayat (Vol. 4, Number 2).
UNESCO. (2021). Reimagining our futures together : A new social contract for education. Educational and Cultural Organization of the United Nations.
Yasin, M. S. M., Hamid, B. A., Othman, Z., Bakar, K. A., Hashim, F., & Mohti, A. (2012). A visual analysis of a Malaysian English school textbook: Gender matters. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 69, 1871–1880. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.12.140
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Setyo Utami, Ulya Maulani Subhan, Ahmad Syairofi, Rusma Adam, Ladawan Longsoh
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
The journal allow the authors to hold the copyright without restrictions and allow the authors to retain publishing rights without restrictions. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
The journal allows third parties (readers, researchers, and others) to share and adapt the material in line with the license. In addition, the material must be given appropriate credit, provided with a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. If authors remix, transform, or build upon the material, they must distribute their contributions under the same license as the original.
