Gender Representation and Bias in Visuals in Local ELT Course Books: A Critical Discourse Analysis

This study employed Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) within a qualitative research framework to examine the representation of gender stereotypes in state-developed English language teaching (ELT) course books in Iran, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Iraq, and Syria. In this context, "state course books" refers to ELT materials that are specifically developed, sanctioned, and distributed by the Ministries of Education in each respective country. These books are developed in accordance with local educational goals and national curricula, providing a standardized resource for English language instruction across public schools. By analyzing the visual content, the study aimed to uncover how these materials reinforce or challenge gender representation and gender bias. The findings highlighted the subtle ways in which gender bias is embedded in educational texts, influencing students' perceptions of gender norms. The findings indicate that ELT course books in Türkiye and Iraq contain the highest number of visuals compared to those in the other countries analyzed. Across all countries, male-dominated photos were consistently more prevalent than female-dominated photos. The other aspect examined was the illustrative context. All countries have tried to incorporate more modern contexts in their pictures. Among the countries, Türkiye stands out for having the widest variety of visual contexts whereas Syrian course books show the fewest pictorial variations. Similar to the types of illustrative contexts used for females, non-traditional contexts are employed more frequently than traditional contexts for males across all countries.