Exploring the Representation of Gender Equality in the Indonesian Elt Textbook for Senior High School Students

Abstract

This study examined the representation of gender equality in the Senior High School English textbook issued by the Department of Education and Culture. This study was intended to support the development of education in Indonesia and to give more information toward the discussion of gender equality. Trends in today's language teaching textbooks are very important for the teachers of foreign languages. It was also stated by Kizilaslan (2010) that in the last two decades of the twentieth century, researchers place great importance on assessing the various manifestations of sexism in foreign language textbooks, mainly English language teaching (ELT) textbooks. What is rarely considered is that these textbooks present values or ideologies based on a certain curriculum of any nations that teachers should consider. Teachers of foreign language have the responsibility to present students with gender equality and the textbooks that teachers rely upon are the basis of education, including in Indonesian context. On reference to the curriculum, teachers should consider the values of what the government tries to promote and analyze whether or not the values have been there. The results of the analysis should be taught to respect diversity in achieving gender equality. This study analyzed visual artifacts and verbal texts which gave information and was related to gender discourses by using critical discourse analysis based on Leeweun (2008). The researcher focused on using textual and micro-semiotic analysis to see whether or not gender equality in the textbook is adequately presented. The findings showed that gender equality in the ELT textbook was found almost equally represented. Yet, stereotype expressions were still used in some pictures and dialogues for both genders. In some reasons, the writers might have considered these values based on the Indonesian society which is mostly based on Islamic values. In this case, the writers can give more portrayal of gender equality by reducing stereotypes of both genders.