Gender Disparity in English Language Textbooks in Nigeria: Bridging the Gap for Literacy Development

Abstract

The study investigates gender disparity in English Language textbooks. Four major English Language texts are selected and each of them runs into six series giving a total of twenty four books used for the study. Content analysis is used as it helps to determine the gender that is under-represented or overrepresented in the books. The content in this study is divided into the activities assigned to males and females: Characterization, leisure activities, professional/occupational stereotypes, domestic activities and undesirable qualities ascribed to males and females. The general findings indicate disparity against both males and females although females are largely discriminated against in the areas of domination in characterization, undesirable qualities, representation, invisibility, occupational/professional and domestic stereotypes. This discrimination would affect the reading psychology of the students and subsequently not permit meaningful literacy development especially among the females. Based on the findings, it is recommended, above all that there should be orientation/sensitization training and workshops frequently organized for students, teachers/teacher trainers, authors and publishers on gender issues and, gender education courses should be introduced in our institutions of higher learning. There should be policies/guidelines made by the government to guarantee gender balance in authorship/publication of textbooks and the implementation monitored.

DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n7p19