Multimodal constructions of gender in EFL textbooks: A critical discourse analysis from global perspective
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(1) * Tanzil Huda
Universitas Muhammadiyah Jember, Indonesia
Indonesia
(2) Nguyen Thi Thuy Loan
Adult Multicultural Education Services (AMES), Australia
Australia
(3) Avinia Prismantikasari Universitas Muhammadiyah Jember, Indonesia
Indonesia
(4) Refianisya Rachmanda Universitas Muhammadiyah Jember, Indonesia
Indonesia
(5) Fatwa Pujangga Aroeboesman Universitas Muhammadiyah Jember, Indonesia
Indonesia
(6) Adrian Arfa Adhinata Universitas Muhammadiyah Jember, Indonesia
Indonesia
(*) Corresponding Author
Abstract
Textbooks play a pivotal role in shaping learners’ perceptions of gender norms and social identities. This study investigates how gendered identities are constructed through multimodal elements – such as text, images, and audio - in a widely used secondary - level English as a Foreign Language (EFL) textbook. Employing a qualitative methodology grounded in Critical Discourse Analysis and multimodal theory, the study reveals recurring patterns in gender representation. While some content challenges traditional stereotypes, subtle yet persistent biases remain, particularly in portrayals of occupational roles, personal agency, and gendered color schemes. Male figures are predominantly depicted as leaders or professionals, whereas female figures are more often shown in passive or domestic roles. These findings emphasize the need for critically informed revisions of educational materials to promote more inclusive, balanced, and equitable gender representations. The study contributes to global conversations on gender and education by emphasizing the importance of critical literacy in language classrooms and the role of pedagogical design in challenging entrenched gender ideologies.HIGHLIGHTS:
- Male characters are primarily represented in authoritative, professional, and leadership
roles, while female characters are depicted in caregiving and supportive roles. - Multimodal elements (text, audio, images) largely reinforce traditional gender stereotypes,
despite some use of gender-neutral language and diverse role assignments. - The textbook includes selective efforts toward inclusivity, such as female environmental
activists and gender-neutral financial scenarios, indicating a move toward balanced gender
representation.
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Álvarez Valencia, J. A. (2016). Meaning Making and Communication in the Multimodal Age: Ideas for Language Teachers. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal, 18(1), 98. https://doi.org/10.14483/calj.v18n1.8403
Amerian, M., & Esmaili, F. (2014). Language and gender: A critical discourse analysis on gender representation in a series of international ELT textbooks. International Journal of Research Studies in Education, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrse.2014.963
Anjarwati, D. (2020). Gender Representation In The English Textbook. Institute Of Islamic Studies Purwokerto.
Charles, M. (2011). What Gender Is Science? Contexts, 10(2), 22–28. https://doi.org/10.1177/1536504211408795
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Method Research Design (Fourth). Sage.
Davis, J. T. M., Robertson, E., Lew‐Levy, S., Neldner, K., Kapitany, R., Nielsen, M., & Hines, M. (2021). Cultural Components of Sex Differences in Color Preference. Child Development, 92(4), 1574–1589. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13528
Esteves, M. (2020). Gender Equality In Education: A Challenge For Policy Makers. PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences, 4(2), 893–905. https://doi.org/10.20319/pijss.2018.42.893905
Gebregeorgis, M. Y. (2016). Gender Construction Through Textbooks: The Case of an Ethiopian Primary School English Textbook. Africa Education Review, 13(3–4), 119–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2016.1224579
Gudjonsson, S., Minelgaite, I., Kristinsson, K., & Pálsdóttir, S. (2022). Financial Literacy and Gender Differences: Women Choose People While Men Choose Things? Administrative Sciences, 12(4), 179. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci12040179
Halliday, M. A. K. & M. C. M. (2013). Halliday’s introduction to functional grammar (Routledge., Ed.).
Hasyim, M., & Arafah, B. (2023). Semiotic Multimodality Communication in The Age of New Media. Studies in Media and Communication, 11(1), 96. https://doi.org/10.11114/smc.v11i1.5865
Haupt, A., & Gelbgiser, D. (2024). The gendered division of cognitive household labor, mental load, and family–work conflict in European countries. European Societies, 26(3), 828–854. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616696.2023.2271963
Hyde, J. S. (2005). The gender similarities hypothesis. American Psychologist, 60(6), 581–592. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.60.6.581
Kaplan, Howard. B. (2006). Handbook of Social Psychology (J. Delamater, Ed.).
Kempe, A.-L., & Grönlund, Å. (2019). Collaborative digital textbooks – a comparison of five different designs shaping teaching and learning. Education and Information Technologies, 24(5), 2909–2941. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-019-09897-0
Kollmayer, M., Schober, B., & Spiel, C. (2018). Gender stereotypes in education: Development, consequences, and interventions. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 15(4), 361–377. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405629.2016.1193483
Lakoff, R. (1973). Language and Woman’s Place. 2(1), 45–80.
McKenzie, R. M., & McNeill, A. (2022). Implicit and Explicit Language Attitudes. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003145844
Meo, M. (2012). Wind Power in Oklahoma. In Environmental Leadership: A Reference Handbook (pp. 685–693). SAGE Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452218601.n72
Mills, K. A., & Unsworth, L. (2017). Multimodal Literacy. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.232
Moya Guijarro, A. J., & Martínez Mateo, R. (2022). Challenging Male Gender Stereotypes in Children’s Picture Books. A Social Semiotic and Multimodal Analysis (K. L. O’Halloran, Ed.; Vol. 44). Routlegde. https://doi.org/10.28914/Atlantis-2022-44.1.10
Pawlicki, C. R. (2020). Women’s Representation In Leadership Theory Textbooks Used In Education Courses . Indiana University.
Peters, H. (2020). Gender-inclusivity and gender-neutrality in foreign language teaching: The case of French. Australian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 3(3), 183–195. https://doi.org/10.29140/ajal.v3n3.332
Ridgeway, C. L., & Correll, S. J. (2004). Unpacking the Gender System. Gender & Society, 18(4), 510–531. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243204265269
Ruiz-Cecilia, R., Guijarro-Ojeda, J. R., & Marín-Macías, C. (2020). Analysis of Heteronormativity and Gender Roles in EFL Textbooks. Sustainability, 13(1), 220. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010220
Salami, A., & Ghajarieh, A. (2016). Culture and Gender Representation in Iranian School Textbooks. Sexuality & Culture, 20(1), 69–84. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-015-9310-5
Simulja, J., Wulandari, E. H., & Wulansari, S. A. (2014). Gender Inequality and the Division of Household Labor: a Comparative Study of Middle-class, Working Married Men and Women in Japan and Indonesia. Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia, 18(2), 109. https://doi.org/10.7454/mssh.v18i2.3466
Suchana, A. A. (2018). Representation of Gender in English Language Textbooks at the Primary Level of Education in Bangladesh . University of Dhaka .
West, C., & Zimmerman, D. H. (1987). Doing Gender. Gender and Society, 1(2), 125–151. http://www.jstor.org/about/terms.html.
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Published
2025-04-30
How to Cite
Huda, T., Loan, N. T. T., Prismantikasari, A., Rachmanda, R., Aroeboesman, F. P., & Adhinata, A. A. (2025). Multimodal constructions of gender in EFL textbooks: A critical discourse analysis from global perspective. JEES (Journal of English Educators Society), 10(1), 56-65. https://doi.org/10.21070/jees.v10i1.1926
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Articles
Copyright (c) 2025 Tanzil Huda, Nguyen Thi Thuy Loan, Avinia Prismantikasari, Refianisya Rachmanda, Fatwa Pujangga Aroeboesman, Adrian Arfa Adhinata
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
