Shaping gender equality through education: a diachronic analysis of occupational roles in German language textbooks in Turkey (1940–2023)

This research investigates how German language textbooks for Turkish foreign language education depict gender roles and occupations during the period from 1940 to 2023. The analysis of 60 officially approved student textbooks (n = 60) used content analysis methods to sort occupational terms by gender and sector through an international classification system. The analysis reveals that male-associated occupational terms occurred 976 times, whereas female-associated occupational terms occurred 435 times, resulting in a male-to-female ratio of approximately 2.24. Textbooks published after 2015 generally show a movement toward more balanced representation, but engineering, management, and security-related fields continue to display substantial gender imbalances. The findings document persistent gender imbalances in the textual representation of occupations and suggest that educational materials may contribute to the symbolic reproduction of gendered occupational expectations. However, because the study examines textbook content rather than learner responses, no direct causal effect on students’ perceptions or career aspirations can be inferred. By covering the period from 1940 to 2023, the study contributes to research on foreign language education, gender representation, textbook analysis, and curriculum policy. It also offers evidence-based recommendations for textbook authors, curriculum developers, and policymakers seeking to promote more balanced occupational representation.