Gender Orientation: Reinforcing Inequalities Through Textbooks

Abstract

A textbook is one of the interlinking components in the teaching learning process. Textbooks are instrumental in transmitting a body of knowledge, skills and attitudes accumulated over time to the next generation. They are therefore powerful instruments for socialization. As instruments of socialization however, these textbooks can be used to perpetuate gender inequalities mirroring those that exist in the society at large if proper care and consideration is not taken into account during their development. Anchored on the social learning theory, the study sought to examine how textbooks in Kenya orient learners into societal gender roles through the gender expressions and depiction of gender roles for male and female characters as used in the primary mathematics textbook for standard eight under the 8-4-4 syllabus. The findings of this study revealed that the mathematics textbook used by standard eight learners in Kenya’s system of education reinforces the traditional and socially existing male and female stereotypes. It is therefore recommended that to create more role models for female learners, female authors should be incentivized to author more school textbooks. Secondly, authors of textbooks should be sensitized on gender biases in textbooks so as to avoid them when authoring books. Teachers should also be trained to identify and counter gender biases in the textbooks. Moreover, the government through the ministry of education and Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) should not approve textbooks for use before they are vetted against the gender parameter in order to ensure egalitarianism in the wider society.