Any progress after a decade? Comparing gender representation in government mandated primary education textbooks in Ethiopia

Purpose This study aims to uncover whether there is any difference and/or progress in the portrayal of gender in math textbooks published in ten-year intervals in Ethiopia. Design/methodology/approach Content analysis, a methodological apparatus with both a quantitative and a qualitative orientation, guided the analytical exercise. Grades 3 and 4 math textbooks published in 2012 and 2022 served as a source of data. Findings The overall frequency count results revealed disproportionate female and male character occurrence in the textbooks, with female characters less represented in the previous textbook than in the recent one. In the recent textbooks, we find a relatively fair proportion of female and male characters just in one of the two grade level textbooks. Despite the relative improvement in the frequency count of occurrence of the characters in one of the recent textbooks, our qualitative analysis reveals prevalence of gender bias and gender stereotypic representations in all the textbooks examined. Research limitations/implications As the results reported in this study are based on the analysis of textual data, it is worth exploring views of stakeholders, such as students and teachers – the actual users of the materials as well as curriculum developers – relating to gender representation in textbooks in future studies. Practical implications This study adds to the body of knowledge on how gender is portrayed in educational materials and offers guidance to textbook publishers and educators on how to advance gender equality in educational settings. Originality/value The promotion of gender equality in and through education has been a point of attention, particularly following the launch of the UN SDGs. However, whether there is progress in the portrayal of gender in educational materials across countries remains less clear. This study provides novel longitudinal evidence of grade-level disparities in gender representation within math textbooks in Ethiopia. It contributes to the growing body of research on gender equality in education by identifying both progress and enduring gaps over time, offering evidence-based guidance for curriculum reform and policy interventions.