Tittle: Framing Gender: Discourse Analysis of Grade 5 English Textbooks in

Pakistan
Abstract
Textbooks have a big impact on how young people think because they shape their
perceptions of social norms and ideals, such as equality and gender roles. Educational
resources have the power to either support or contradict patriarchal traditions in Pakistan,
since social institutions frequently reflect them. This study uses Fairclough's three-
dimensional critical discourse analysis (CDA) paradigm to critically examine how gender is
portrayed in the fifth-grade English language textbook published by the Punjab Textbook
Board. The study looks at language, visuals, and textual material to reveal the ideological
underpinnings of gender representation. It focusses on how roles are assigned to male and
female characters, how often they appear, and what they do. The results indicate a notable
gender disparity, with male characters predominating in terms of frequency and variety of
roles, frequently portrayed in leadership and professional capacities, while female characters
are limited to domestic responsibilities and a limited selection of occupations. Traditional
gender stereotypes are further emphasised through verbal content and visual
representations. These results demonstrate how students' views of social duties are
influenced by gender-biased narratives in textbooks that uphold patriarchal notions. Gender
equity in educational materials is still a crucial issue, even if women's roles and societal
views are changing in Pakistan. In order to guarantee equitable and inclusive gender
representation, advance equity, and create a more just society, this study emphasises the
necessity of curricular reform. For young students to develop progressive attitudes,
textbooks must address these discrepancies.
 1. Introduction
Textbooks are one of the main ways that young minds are influenced by
education, which is crucial in forming social norms and values. Children's conceptions of
gender roles and equality are greatly influenced by the representation of gender in
textbooks. In Pakistan, where societal structures are frequently dominated by traditional
gender norms, educational materials' content can either support or contradict
preconceptions by advocating for equity and inclusivity. The gender portrayal in the Punjab
Textbook's fifth-grade English language textbook is the subject of a critical discourse analysis
in this study.

The study investigates the representations of male and female characters, the roles that are
given to them, and the wider ramifications of these representations for gender parity. The
study investigates textual content, images, and language to reveal the ideological
foundations of gender portrayal using Fairclough's paradigm for critical discourse analysis.
Whether the text presents a more progressive and balanced picture of gender roles or
perpetuates traditional gender stereotypes is the aim of the investigation.

In Pakistan, where ingrained patriarchal structures frequently mould social dynamics and
impact educational materials, this research is especially pertinent. This study intends to add
to the conversation on gender equity and educational reform by drawing attention to the
subliminal messages that textbooks carry. The results will provide information about how to
enhance textbooks to encourage fair and inclusive gender portrayal, which will ultimately
help create a society that is more balanced and just.

According to Turner-Bowker (1996), the textbooks instruct the students on what conduct is
suitable or wrong for them. Furthermore, the aforementioned works serve as a source for
the learners' acquisition of gender stereotypes. These gender-based preconceptions are
evident in a variety of fields, including politics and the business. Numerous actions have
been taken to close the gender gap. W 4. Ahmad and Shah: A Critical Discourse Analysis of
Stereotypes in an ELT Textbook. However, it is clear from the findings of several gender-
related studies, such as Ram (2008), Samadikhan and Shahrokhi (2014), Shah (2012),
Hamdan and Jalabneh (2009), Khurshid, Gillaniz, and Hashmi (2010), Kobia (2009), Lesikin
(1998, 2001), Blumberg (2008), Durrani (2008), Gharbavi and Mousavi (2012),.

Many elements, including ethnicity, age, class, mental level, gender, and purpose, must be
taken into account while designing a textbook, especially one that is intended for ELT. It goes
without saying, though, that a textbook's contents can be examined to reveal patterns of
inclusion and exclusion that conceal or emphasise certain aspects. This study intends to
investigate how men and women are portrayed in the English language textbook used by
Grade 5 students in the Province of Punjab, Pakistan, in all public and some private schools,
using Fairclough's (1989, 2001) three-dimensional model. This is done in recognition of the
seriousness of the claims based on reliable findings from the aforementioned studies.
It aims to find the answer to the following query for this purpose:

Have both gender been fairly represented in Punjab, Pakistan's state and private fifth-grade
English language textbooks?

The study's concentration on a single textbook is one of its limitations. As a result, its
findings cannot be applied generally. Another study with a bigger sample size would be
necessary for this aim.

2. Literature Review
Numerous studies have examined how gender is portrayed in educational
materials, especially textbooks, as a crucial component in forming societal attitudes and
beliefs. Islam and Asadullah (2018) conducted a quantitative content study on English-
language textbooks used in public secondary schools in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia,
and Pakistan. They used 21 categories of representation and exclusion to identify gender
stereotypes in both quantity and quality. Their research found that textbooks were biassed
in favour of men. The representation of women was found to be of lower quality. Their
professions were seen to be more conventional and less prestigious, and they tended to
exhibit introverted and submissive personality qualities. According to the survey, 40.4% of
women are represented in the textbooks of the aforementioned countries, and they are also
seen to be participating in domestic Critical Discourse Analysis of an ELT Textbook as Indoor
Activities by Ahmad and Shah. The selection of grade-, province-, and subject-specific
textbooks, as well as the kind and variety of categories, were found to have a significant
impact on the under-representation of women in Pakistani textbooks, both in terms of
number and quality. Rehman and Aslam examined the ideological foundations of language
textbooks in 2020 in order to build on these findings. Their study demonstrated how
patriarchal narratives are frequently given priority in textbooks, influencing pupils' early
views of social roles. By using instances of strong female characters and non-traditional
gender roles, the authors argued for a more balanced approach.

One of the most important areas of inquiry worldwide has been how gender is portrayed in
instructional materials. More and more recent research (2021–2023) has highlighted how
crucial it is to examine textbooks for how they influence how society views gender roles.
Textbooks frequently reflect societal views, and the information they contain has a big
impact on young students. Research has shown that gender differences in educational
resources are still present in Pakistan. For example, a research by Khan et al. (2021)
emphasised how Punjabi textbooks frequently depicted males as dominant figures and
females as restricted to domestic responsibilities, highlighting the dominance of traditional
gender norms. Similar findings were made by Ahmed and Ali (2022), who studied English
language textbooks in Pakistan and observed that stories and images usually uphold
patriarchal standards. According to a systematic review by Fatima (2023), this kind of
content reinforces preconceptions and restricts the goals of young students, especially girls.
Addressing gender inequalities in educational materials has not advanced significantly,
despite continuous discussions about curriculum reform.

Together, these findings highlight the importance of critically analysing textbook rhetoric in
order to identify subtle ideological trends. By concentrating on Punjab's Grade 5 English
textbook and assessing current works via a modern lens, this study adds to the corpus of
extant literature.

3. Research Methodology
Two fifth-grade ELT textbooks have been reviewed. The Punjab government is
in charge of publishing them. These books were created in accordance with the curriculum
wing of Pakistan's recommendations. There are thirteen lessons or modules in each volume.
The "Three-Dimensional Model" of CDA developed by Fairclough served as the basis for the
corpus analysis. With minor changes, the process was adapted from American and Esmaili
(2015). They looked into how gender is portrayed in textbooks using Fairclough's (2015)
checklist. Because the remaining five elements "deal with semantic and syntactic gender
analysis," which is outside the scope of this study, the current research focusses on the four
items from the checklist. Four parts of the description stage analysis were examined. These
include the frequency of gender-related activities involving men and women, pectoral
representations, and the social and domestic duties associated with men and women. The
frequencies and numbers were patterned twice to ensure that the collected data was
consistent. The study then switched to a qualitative explanation and analysis of these
"aspects in relation to the social context" after compiling quantitative data for these
qualities.

4. Results and findings

The first step (description) in the Fairclough model is where data interpretation begins. The
two coursebooks that discuss the four previously mentioned features are where the
explanation and description of the corpus start at this point.

4.1 Male and Female Occurrences:

The primary characteristic examined in textbooks was the frequency of male/female

occurrences. Figure No. 1 did not show women as equally represented as men. While 321
occurrences of male occurrence were documented in the textbooks, only 101 symptoms of
female occurrence were. It demonstrates that "more than two out of every three-gender
representation focused on males."

4.2 Ratio of Male to Female Activity:

Another aspect that was looked at was the kind of activities that both sexes engaged in. In
Table No. 1, males were shown participating in activities more often than females. More
over two-thirds of these activities were performed by men. The investigation even found
that the activities were gender-specific. For instance, women took care of the home while
men worked outside, in offices, in the army, building structures, playing sports, etc. These
texts only show teaching and nursing as professions.

4.3 Visual Representations of Men and Women

Seeing all genders represented in pictures was the next factor. as depicted in Figure 2. Both
textbooks have relatively few illustrations or images. There are 20 photographs of women
and 30 pictures of men. In this case, it may be said that there is a ratio difference, but it is
not very noticeable. There were just ten photos with an equal number of each gender.

4.4 Social and Domestic Roles

The final area of investigation was the relationship between male and female roles in the
home and in society. The roles in Table No. 2 were likewise gender-specific. Given that
women were portrayed as "nurses," they were obviously biassed. Males, on the other hand,
were leaders, doctors, traders, and military heroes.

Male and female activity (frequency) is seen in Table 1.

Activity Male frequency Female Frequency

Shopping. 0 2
Work in office 3 0
Playing/Sports 18 1
House chores. 0 12
Watching TV 1 1
Travelling 1 0
Outdoor activities others 187 97
Total 321 101

Table 2: Male and Female Domestic and Social Roles

Domestic and Social Roles Males Frequency Females Frequency

Parents 7 4
Student 9h 3
Doctor 1 2
Children(son/daughter) 5 2
Nurse 0 2
Friend 5 2
Teacher 4 1
The data is explained in "relation to the social context" in the following two phases of the
"three-dimensional model." Two key themes emerged from the main findings: male-
controlled dogma and gender imbalance and bias in textbooks.
In general, women's situation in Pakistan is improving quickly, the government is taking
notice of this significant issue, and as Pakistan is an Islamic state, Islam strongly encourages
harmony for all people. As a result, the process of women's empowerment impeded the
unequal portrayal of gender in textbooks. The choice of textbooks at this level is equally
crucial. The pupils in this age range (10–13) are developing abstract concepts. This is the
critical period when individuals begin to think independently and form concepts, according
to Piaget. The notion of female demoting among female students is supported by gender-
biased texts and ideologies found in textbooks.

3. Conclusion
The current study looked at how gender was portrayed in two Pakistani fifth-grade ELT
textbooks. In order to improve the field of significant evaluation and gender roles, it
suggested understanding gender biases and roles in such schoolbooks. Studies that tackle
the problem in this manner are still extremely rare. The primary goal was to examine gender
disparities in an effort to improve and change them. Fairclough's (2015) "Three-Dimensional
Model" of CDA is applied. In favour of men, the examination of these works revealed gender
inequity. Women are portrayed as prejudiced, limited, and marginalised as a result of this
imbalance. It also highlighted that women's marginalisation could result in a wrong. It also
implied that this kind of marginalisation of women can create a false perception of women
and impede efforts to achieve equality for all living things. It is crucial to address the
limitations of the current study. For instance, examining a large sample would lead to an
oversimplification of the findings to all Pakistani ELT textbooks, which could provide new
conclusions because different topics are covered. Students' direct use of these textbooks
and their position are crucial in determining how these textbooks are perceived. An
intriguing comparative study between "ELT textbooks created for the Pakistani Context and
the international varieties of the same textbooks" could be a fascinating next step.

4. References
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Al Jumiah, A. K. (2016). Language, Power, and Ideology in High School EFL Textbooks in Saudi
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