Gender Analysis of School Ethics Textbooks
Abstract
The article presents the results of a gender analysis of school textbooks on Ethics for grades 5–6 within the framework of the New Ukrainian School educational reform. It emphasizes that modern textbooks should offer significant developmental potential and that their content should include both a knowledge component and contribute to the formation of students' personalities and behavioral practices.
The value potential of Ethics textbooks for grades 5–6 in the context of educational reform and their impact on fostering democratic and universal human values is outlined.
The visual and illustrative materials are examined, including content such as quotations, excerpts from biographies of prominent figures, and the use of gender-sensitive or androcentric language. Hidden narratives and gender stereotypes embedded in the analyzed textbooks are also identified. The study’s methodology is based on the algorithm for gender analysis of textbooks developed by Ukrainian researchers. In addition, a qualitative content analysis approach, commonly used by the academic community in Poland, is applied. This method relies on the Gender Equality Index (GEI), designed to monitor progress in addressing gender equality across European Union member states.
The findings reveal that the Ethics textbooks developed as part of the New Ukrainian School reform generally meet anti-discrimination standards. However, attention is drawn to the presence of gender stereotypes and cultural norms that reflect the influence of the "hidden curriculum" and perpetuate dominant patterns of social interaction between men and women. This includes their portrayal in public and private spheres, as well as socially standardized notions of gender roles and behavior.
The article highlights the need to develop uniform criteria for textbook creation that promote gender-sensitive content and offer a balanced, stereotype-free portrayal of women and men – including their roles, responsibilities, and contributions to society.
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