Gender representation in the public sector schools textbooks of Pakistan

Ullah, Hazir; Skelton, Christine

doi:10.1080/03055698.2012.702892

Cited by 141Gender Studies in LanguageGender, Sexuality, and EducationMedia, Gender, and Advertising

Gender representation in the public sector schools textbooks of Pakistan

Ullah, Hazir, Skelton, Christine·2013·Educational Studies

DOI 10.1080/03055698.2012.702892

Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

This paper examines gender biases in school textbooks after a decade long effort by the ministry of education (MoE) Pakistan and international organisation (IOs) to eliminate all forms of gender inequality in education. The intention underpinning these initiatives was to nurture a view of gender equality based consciousness through the introduction of more positive gendered images into school textbooks in Pakistan. However, the study discussed in this paper discovered that schools textbooks are still embedded with gender-biased messages and stereotypical representations of male and females. Gender biases in 24 textbooks (Urdu, English and Social Studies) from class 1 to 8 were analysed with the help of a qualitative content analysis approach. The paper draws attention to the insouciant approach taken by the MoE and IOs towards the goal of gender equality. The study found that, despite the prevailing claims of achievements, the new textbooks are ideologically invested – and contribute to the perpetuation of gender inequality. In this context, the gender blindness of the curriculum designers and textbook authors is a matter of serious concern.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1080/03055698.2012.702892

Cites

28 of 28 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

This paper’s full text isn’t openly available, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

The overall findings show that professions attached to female characters are traditional, and lower in prestige and income.
“The overall findings show that professions attached to female characters are traditional, and lower in prestige and income.”
From Gender stereotypes and education: A comparative content analysis of Malaysian, Indonesian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi school textbooks (2018) · cites this paper as [108]

Bodies That Matter
Butler, J. (2011) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203828274 · Cited by 10,369 · see citing works
Gender trouble: feminism and the subversion of identity
(1990) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.28-1264 · Cited by 7,747 · see citing works
Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of "Sex".
Turner, B. S., & Butler, J. (1995) · Contemporary Sociology A Journal of Reviews · doi:10.2307/2076481 · Cited by 5,560 · see citing works
Untitled work
(1987) · Cited by 3,394 · see citing works
The Second Shift
Hochschild, A. R., & Machung, A. (1989) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 2,662 · see citing works
Life in schools: an introduction to critical pedagogy in the foundations of education
(1989) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.26-6389 · Cited by 2,376 · see citing works
Untitled work
(1997) · Cited by 1,355 · see citing works
Applications of Social Research Methods to Questions in Information and Library Science
(2016) · Libraries Unlimited eBooks · doi:10.5040/9798400613739 · Cited by 1,109 · see citing works
The Gendered Society
Kimmel, M. S. (2000) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780195125870.001.0001 · Cited by 990 · see citing works
Analyzing brain networks with PCA and conditional Granger causality
Zhou, Z., Chen, Y., Ding, M., Wright, P. K., Lu, Z., & Liu, Y. (2008) · Human Brain Mapping · doi:10.1002/hbm.20661 · Cited by 978 · see citing works
Gender Stereotypes in Children's Books: their prevalence and influence on cognitive and affective development
Peterson, S. B., & Lach, M. A. (1990) · Gender and Education · doi:10.1080/0954025900020204 · Cited by 196 · see citing works
The discursive production of the male/female dualism in school settings
Davies, B. (1989) · Oxford Review of Education · doi:10.1080/0305498890150304 · Cited by 193 · see citing works
“Everybody's looking at you!”: Girls negotiating the “femininity deficit” they incur in physical education
Cockburn, C., & Clarke, G. (2002) · Women s Studies International Forum · doi:10.1016/s0277-5395(02)00351-5 · Cited by 185 · see citing works
Higher education and women’s empowerment in Pakistan
Malik, S., & Courtney, K. (2010) · Gender and Education · doi:10.1080/09540251003674071 · Cited by 169 · see citing works
Exploring Gender: Questions and Implications for English Language Education
Vandrick, S., & Sunderland, J. (1994) · TESOL Quarterly · doi:10.2307/3587572 · Cited by 136 · see citing works
Language, Gender and Children's Fiction
Sunderland, J. (2011) · Cited by 102 · see citing works
Inclusion and Exclusion Through Youth Sport
(2013) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203852392 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
Exclusion, gender and education : case studies from the developing world
Lewis, M. A., & Lockheed, M. E. (2007) · Cited by 90 · see citing works
Gender, Culture and Organizational Change
(2003) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203427965 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Invisible Females, Incapable Males: Gender Construction in a Children’s Reading Scheme
Wharton, S. (2005) · Language and Education · doi:10.1080/09500780508668677 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
Gender Education and Equality in a Global Context
Fennell, S., & Arnot, M. (2007) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203939598 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Pakistan: the State of Education
Khalid, S. M., & Khan, M. (2006) · The Muslim World · doi:10.1111/j.1478-1913.2006.00130.x · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Language, gender, and professional writing: Theoretical approaches and guidelines for nonsexist usage. By Francine Wattman Frank and Paula A. Treichler, with contributions by H. Lee Gershuny, Sally McConnell-Ginet, and Susan J. Wolfe New York: The Modern Language Association of America. 1989. Pp. viii, 341. Cloth $32.00, paper $14.50.
Battistella, E. (1990) · Language · doi:10.2307/415303 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
SEX ‐‐ ROLES IN READING SCHEMES
Lobban, G. (1975) · Educational Review · doi:10.1080/0013191750270305 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Silenced gender: the construction of a male primary educator
Oyler, C., Jennings, G., & Lozada, P. (2001) · Teaching and Teacher Education · doi:10.1016/s0742-051x(00)00063-9 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Girls and boys in primary maths books
Northam, J. (1982) · Education 3-13 · doi:10.1080/03004278285200041 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Revisiting education and development agendas: contemporary gender research
Arnot, M. L., & Fennell, S. (2008) · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Revisiting gender issues in reading schemes
Skelton, C. (1997) · Education 3-13 · doi:10.1080/03004279785200091 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Self-citation

Flagged first, then by citations

1 of the 29 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Sorted by citations

Gender stereotypes and education: A comparative content analysis of Malaysian, Indonesian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi school textbooks
Islam, K. M. M., & Asadullah, M. N. (2018) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0190807 · Cited by 196 · see citing works
The portrayal of women in nationally-endorsed English as a Foreign Language (EFL) textbooks for senior high school students in Indonesia
Setyono, B. (2018) · Sexuality & Culture · doi:10.1007/s12119-018-9526-2 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
“In an attempt at eliminating all forms of gender inequality in education, Ullah and Skelton (2013) elucidated gender biases in 24 school textbooks in Pakistan (Urdu, English and Social Studies) from classes 1 to 8 by employing a qualitative content analysis approach.”
BackgroundMethodInfluential
Discursive construction of hegemonic masculinity and emphasised femininity in the textbooks of primary education: children’s discursive agency and polysemy of the narratives
Kostas, M. (2019) · Gender and Education · doi:10.1080/09540253.2019.1632807 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Dynamics of gender justice, conflict and social cohesion: Analysing educational reforms in Pakistan
Durrani, N., & Halai, A. (2018) · International Journal of Educational Development · doi:10.1016/j.ijedudev.2017.11.010 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
“Ullah and Skelton (2013) report gender biases in 24 textbooks (Urdu, English and Social Studies), implying that over a decade long efforts by the Ministry of Education and international organisations to eliminate gender bias in education have had negligible impact.”
Background
Exploring the representation of gender and identity: Patriarchal and citizenship perspectives from the primary level Sindhi textbooks in Pakistan
Agha, N., Syed, G. K., & Mirani, D. A. (2017) · Women s Studies International Forum · doi:10.1016/j.wsif.2017.11.009 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
“According to Ullah and Skelton (2013), national textbooks of English, Urdu and Pakistan Studies, in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, follow a patriarchal ideology and promote gender inequality.”
Background
High school English textbooks promote gender inequality in Afghanistan
Orfan, S. N. (2021) · Pedagogy Culture and Society · doi:10.1080/14681366.2021.1914148 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
“These categories were adapted from Ullah and Skelton (2013), Barton and Sakwa (2012), Amini and Birjandi (2012), Hall (2014), Lee (2014b), Demir and Yavuz (2017), and Porrecca (1984).”
BackgroundMethod
Gender construction through textbooks: The case of an Ethiopian primary school English textbook
Gebregeorgis, M. Y. (2016) · Africa Education Review · doi:10.1080/18146627.2016.1224579 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Analysis of Heteronormativity and Gender Roles in EFL Textbooks
Cecilia, R. R., Ojeda, J. R. G., & Marín-Macías, C. (2020) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su13010220 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
A critical discourse analysis of gender representations in the content of 5th grade English Language textbook
Ahmad, M., & Shah, S. K. (2019) · International and Multidisciplinary Journal of Social Sciences · doi:10.17583/rimcis.2019.3989 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
“In Pakistani textbooks gender discrimination is prevalent (Azhar, Khalid & Mahmood, 2014; Durrani, 2008; Khurshid, Gillaniz & Hashmi, 2010; Islam & Asadullah, 2018; Mahmood, 2011; Masud, 2017; Mirza, 2004; Ram, 2008; Shah, 2012; Ullah & Haque, 2016; Ullah & Skelton, 2013; UNESCO, 2004).”
BackgroundInfluential
The rise, removal, and return of women: gender representations in primary-level textbooks in Afghanistan, 1980–2010
Sarvarzade, S., & Wotipka, C. M. (2017) · Comparative Education · doi:10.1080/03050068.2017.1348021 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
“Stereotypes, patriarchy, and the presence of extremist Islamic ideology play a part in reproducing traditional gender roles in textbooks from many predominantly Muslim countries (Alrabaa 1985; Shafiq and Ross 2010; Amini and Birjandi 2012; Ullah and Skelton 2013; Bağ and Bayyurt 2015).”
BackgroundResult
Hate Speech, Emotions, and Gender Identities: A Study of Social Narratives on Twitter with Trainee Teachers
Sánchez, D. O., Blanch, J. P., Quintana, J. I., de la Cal, E. S., & Anuncibay, R. D. L. F. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18084055 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
“Results obtained by Mayo [79] report the advantages of these intersections in promoting change in social education and in eradicating a hidden curriculum, gender differences in academic achievement [80] and “gender-blindness” [81].”
Background
A relational perspective on gender equality and mainstreaming
Syed, J., & Ali, F. (2018) · Human Resource Development International · doi:10.1080/13678868.2018.1495406 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Accuracy of consensual stereotypes in moral foundations: A gender analysis
Niazi, F., Inam, A., & Akhtar, Z. (2020) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0229926 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Eliminating gender bias in textbooks: Pushing for policy reforms that promote gender equity in education
Blumberg, R. L. (2015) · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Preserving Abstinence and Preventing Rape: How Sex Education Textbooks Contribute to Rape Culture
Clonan‐Roy, K., Goncy, E. A., Naser, S. C., Fuller, K. A., DeBoard, A., Williams, A., & Hall, A. (2020) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-020-01816-6 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
The Portrayal of Women in Arabic Textbooks for Non-Arabic Speakers
Izzuddin, I., Dalimunthe, R. P., & Susilo, S. (2021) · SAGE Open · doi:10.1177/21582440211014184 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
“In terms of employment opportunities, women’s roles are often only portrayed in domestic matters, such as managing the household (cooking, washing dishes, and cleaning the house) (Agha et al., 2018; Durrani, 2008; Ullah & Skelton, 2013).”
Background
Gender and Sexuality in History Education
Crocco, M. S. (2018) · doi:10.1002/9781119100812.ch13 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Identity and gender in childhood. Representation of Moroccan women in textbooks
Palma, V. C. C.-D., & Llorent-Bedmar, V. (2019) · Women s Studies International Forum · doi:10.1016/j.wsif.2019.03.011 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Representations of women and men in popular chemistry textbooks in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland
Murray, C. A., Anderson, Y., Simms, C. H., & Seery, M. K. (2021) · Chemistry Education Research and Practice · doi:10.1039/d1rp00187f · Cited by 20 · see citing works
“As such, the concerns include but extend beyond gender and extend into issues relating to class (Ullah and Skelton, 2013).”
Background
Textbook Policies in Asia:
(2018) · doi:10.22617/tcs189651-2 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Do visual constructs in social science textbooks evince gender stereotypes and bias? A case study from India
Košir, S., & Lakshminarayanan, R. (2023) · Gender and Education · doi:10.1080/09540253.2022.2144626 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“English textbooks in Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh indicated gender inequality and pro-male bias with females shown in passive and introverted roles (Jabeen, Chaudhary, and Omar 2014; Ullah and Skelton 2013).”
Background
‘The myth that children can be anything they want’: gender construction in Pakistani children literature
Shahnaz, A., Fatima, S. T., & Qadir, S. A. (2020) · Journal of Gender Studies · doi:10.1080/09589236.2020.1736529 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“Through this gendered reinforcement of roles, children are expected to comply with certain appearances, behaviours and roles in society (Ullah & Skelton, 2013).”
BackgroundResult
Male Hegemony through Education: Construction of Gendered Identities
Ullah, H., & Ali, J. (2012) · Multidisciplinary Journal of Gender Studies · doi:10.4471/generos.2012.11 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Self-citation
Gender representation in EFL textbooks used in state schools in Northern Iraq and teachers’ perceptions of gender role stereotypes
Ismael, S. M., & Mohammadzadeh, B. (2022) · Interactive Learning Environments · doi:10.1080/10494820.2022.2029495 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
“…dealing with the analysis of language text-books claim that the importance of textbooks in teaching and learning cannot be denied; they are key components in language teaching (Acheson et al., 2020; Lee & Collins, 2010; Richards, 2009; Ullah & Skelton, 2013; Wells & Moon, 2021; You et al., 2019).”
Background
Analysis of visual presentation of cultural dimensions: Culture demonstrated by pictures on homepages of universities in Pakistan
Hamid, M. A. (2016) · Journal of Marketing Communications · doi:10.1080/13527266.2016.1147486 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
The Representation of Gender in a Popular Primary School EFL Textbook Series in China
Li, L., Xiong, T., & He, J. Y. (2017) · International Journal of Education and Practice · doi:10.18488/journal.61.2017.55.79.87 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Teachers' perspectives on factors of female students' outperformance and male students' underperformance in higher education
Shoaib, M., & Ullah, H. (2021) · International Journal of Educational Management · doi:10.1108/ijem-05-2020-0261 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Self-citation
Teachers’ Perceptions of Gender Representation in Textbooks: Insights From Sindh, Pakistan
Agha, N., & Shaikh, G. (2022) · Journal of Education · doi:10.1177/00220574221097596 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“Textbooks are signi ﬁ cant in shaping children socially and determining their motivations (Lee & Collins, 2009; Ullah & Skelton, 2013).”
Civics and Citizenship Education in India and Pakistan
Kadiwal, L., & Jain, M. (2020) · Global education systems · doi:10.1007/978-981-13-3309-5_44-1 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Gender Representation In Pakistani Print Media: A Critical Analysis
Ullah, H., Khan, A. N., Khan, H. N., & Ibrahim, A. (2016) · Pakistan Journal of Gender Studies · doi:10.46568/pjgs.v12i1.199 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
“On the basis of study’s findings, it can be asserted that the stereotypical representation of men and women in line with essentialist belief ignores the fact that these stereotypical notions are context, time and space specific and have no relevance in 21st century (Ullah & Skelton, 2013).”
BackgroundMethodSelf-citation
Gender Representation in Primary Level English and Urdu Textbooks in Pakistan
Ali, R., & Hussain, L. (2019) · Pakistan Journal of Applied Social Sciences · doi:10.46568/pjass.v10i1.102 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
“…is an area of research that has attracted various disciplines including Sociology of Gender and Sociology of Education for the last few decades and it is an area that is well researched (Clark, & Mahoney, 2004; Fox, 1993; Kohl, 1995; Oyebola, 2003; Plumm, 2008; Ullah & Skelton, 2013; Visser, 2002).”
Inclusion of ‘generations of human rights’ in social science textbooks
Košir, S., & Lakshminarayanan, R. (2020) · International Journal of Educational Development · doi:10.1016/j.ijedudev.2020.102295 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Gender representation in textbooks: a bibliometric study
Dong, Y., & Li, D. (2023) · Scientometrics · doi:10.1007/s11192-023-04834-y · Cited by 16 · see citing works
“…we found that the common denominator among these fields is the emphasis on gender equity in education, not only in terms of parity but also in the quality of education (Barton & Sakwa, 2012; Commeyras, 1996; Mustapha & Mills, 2015; Osler, 1994; Táboas-Pais & Rey-Cao, 2012; Ullah & Skelton, 2013).”
BackgroundInfluential
The Representation of Male and Female Social Actors in the ILI English Series
Sadeghi, B., & Maleki, G. (2016) · Journal of Language Teaching and Research · doi:10.17507/jltr.0702.09 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
“© 2016 ACADEMY PUBLICATION This can be due to what is called “gender blindness” as referred to by Ullah and Skelton (2013).”
Background
‘Are we equal citizens?’: a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of language textbooks and minority faith learners’ insights in Pakistan
Lashari, A., Shah, W. A., & Memon, T. (2023) · Asia Pacific Journal of Education · doi:10.1080/02188791.2023.2270176 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“…various ideologies are identified, including neoliberalism (Gray, 2012, Bori, 2018), gender bias in representations (Ismael & Mohammadzadeh, 2022, Ullah and Skelton, 2013), westernization (Shah & Pathan, 2016), localization of English and its discourses (Mahboob, 2009), and how these textbooks…”
Barriers to Empowerment: Examining the Transition of Pakistani Women from Higher Education (HE) to Professional Life
Rana, M. Q., Lee, A. H.-C., Saher, N., & Shabbir, Z. (2024) · Social Sciences · doi:10.3390/socsci13100514 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“Financial constraints and gender disparities are significant factors affecting female higher education in Pakistan (Ali et al. 2023; Mursaleen and Taimur 2023; Ullah and Skelton 2013; Saher et al. 2023).”
Social reproduction of gender hierarchies in sports through schooling in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Ullah, H., & Skelton, C. (2014) · Asia Pacific Journal of Education · doi:10.1080/02188791.2014.924389 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“Sixth, these are taught to 73% of the total school going children in the province (see Ullah, 2012; Ullah & Ali, 2013: Ullah & Skelton, 2012).”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citation
Educational parlance of equity and inclusivity and students’ gendered national identity constructions in public schools in Islamabad, Pakistan
Qazi, M. H., & Javid, C. Z. (2021) · International Journal of Inclusive Education · doi:10.1080/13603116.2021.1889051 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Gender voices in Afghanistan primary and secondary school English textbooks
Orfan, S. N. (2022) · The Curriculum Journal · doi:10.1002/curj.178 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Gender Equity in Education
Pappu, R. (2020) · Global education systems · doi:10.1007/978-981-13-3309-5_35-1 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Poetry, ideology and heteroglossic realities in language textbooks
Shah, W. A., Umrani, S., & Lashari, A. (2024) · Language Culture and Curriculum · doi:10.1080/07908318.2024.2342899 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
“In this grade 1 poetry text, ‘ man ’ reinforces the patriarchal normative order of Pakistani society as promoted in language textbooks (Agha et al., 2018; Ullah & Skelton, 2013).”
A qualitative content analysis exploring gender representation in language textbooks published by Jammu and Kashmir board of school education
Para, S. A. (2024) · Social Sciences & Humanities Open · doi:10.1016/j.ssaho.2024.100959 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Development model of gender socialization: school textbooks gender analysis in Georgia
Tabatadze, S., & Gorgadze, N. (2023) · Journal for Multicultural Education · doi:10.1108/jme-05-2022-0065 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the schooling of public and private school students in Pakistan.
Ullah, H., & Ali, J. (2022) · Education 3-13 · doi:10.1080/03004279.2021.1931917 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
“‘Many social scientists, policy makers and educationists argue that more than one education systems in Pakistan cater to the requirements of this pluralistic and vertically stratified society’ (Ullah and Skelton 2013; Ullah and Ali 2018a).”
BackgroundSelf-citation
The Silencing of Sexual and Gender Diverse Identities in Middle and High School Sexuality Education
Naser, S. C., Fuller, K. A., Clonan‐Roy, K., Goncy, E. A., Hall, A., DeBoard, A., & Williams, A. (2022) · Contemporary School Psychology · doi:10.1007/s40688-022-00419-3 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“…(n = 3; Van Craeynest, 2015), teacher education methods’ textbooks (n = 3; Draper, 2001), Urdu, English, and social studies textbooks (n = 24; Ullah & Skelton, 2013), as well as a review of high school health textbooks and their coverage of marriage and sex (n = 9; Fehlbaum, 2020), have…”
Background
Hidden in Plain Sight: Gender Bias and Heteronormativity in Dutch Textbooks
van de Rozenberg, T. M., Groeneveld, M. G., van Veen, D., van der Pol, L. D., & Mesman, J. (2023) · Educational Studies · doi:10.1080/00131946.2023.2194536 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“Additionally, in contrast to previous studies (Biemmi, 2015; Lee, 2014; Ullah & Skelton, 2013), we did not find that female characters are less often the main character of the story or take up less space in language textbooks.”
BackgroundResult
Textbooks, Gender, and Conflict in South Asia: Building the Nation
Emerson, A., & Levi, T. K. (2020) · Global education systems · doi:10.1007/978-981-13-3309-5_46-1 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Skepticism, Gratitude, and the Neoliberal Narrative: TFA Teachers’ Conceptualization of Occupational Stature
Kraemer-Holland, A. (2020) · Action in Teacher Education · doi:10.1080/01626620.2020.1825239 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“This has negatively impacted the stature of teaching, due to its connection to domesticity and perpetuation of the stereotype that women tend to be responsible for young children (Drudy, 2008; Ullah & Skelton, 2013).”
Background
If Not in Science, Then Where Are the Women? A Content Analysis of School Textbooks
Gajda, A., & Wołowicz, A. (2022) · Education as Change · doi:10.25159/1947-9417/8926 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Gender Equity in Education
Pappu, R. (2021) · Global education systems · doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0032-9_35 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Occupational Gender Stereotypes in Indonesian Secondary School English Language Textbooks
Rohmawati, S., & Putra, K. A. (2022) · Voices of English Language Education Society · doi:10.29408/veles.v6i1.5334 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Pakistani pre-service teachers’ initial motivation in teaching choice
Shaukat, S., Zhang, S., Garza, T., & Lın, E. (2023) · Teacher Development · doi:10.1080/13664530.2023.2196269 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
“Females value the specific privileges that permit them to play roles as working women and mothers or homemakers (Ullah and Skelton 2013).”
Background
Tale of textbooks: A critical discourse analysis of gender representation in Pakistani elementary English language textbooks
Kumar, A., Kumari, A., McKeown, D., & Syed, H. (2025) · Linguistics and Education · doi:10.1016/j.linged.2025.101441 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Challenging the norms: an exploration of socio-cultural influences and women's agency in shaping female participation in sports within Pakistan
Rind, I. A., & Naz, A. (2025) · Managing Sport and Leisure · doi:10.1080/23750472.2025.2561974 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Gender and class in the imagined educational spaces in Pakistani primary school textbooks: a challenge for inclusivity agenda
Tayyaba, T., Ansari, H., & Bari, F. (2022) · Cogent Education · doi:10.1080/2331186x.2022.2146858 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
“…in textbooks and that too in roles that appear passive and submissive, more often than not related domestic work (Chick & Altoona, 2006; Esen, 2007; Gupta & Yin, 1990; Lee & Collins, 2010; Mem, 1993; Peterson & Lach, 1990; Sajjadi, 2004; Skelton, 2007, 2011; Ullah, 2006; Ullah & Skelton, 2013).”
Influential
Gender Construct for Sustainable Development in Pakistan: Evaluating Alignment of Education System with the Religious Ideology
Mursaleen, H., & Taimur, S. (2023) · Societies · doi:10.3390/soc13100224 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
“…analysis of the curriculum and textbooks in the Pakistani education system was not carried out, as there already exist plenty of such literatures in several subjects at several levels to analyze gender constructs in the education system of Pakistan (see [2,12,15,16,19,28–30], for the reference).”
BackgroundMethodInfluential
Role of desired attitudes in shaping sustainable gender role preferences: A case study of the middle class in Lahore, Pakistan
Mursaleen, H. (2024) · World Development Sustainability · doi:10.1016/j.wds.2024.100136 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Analysis of Gender Representation in English Language Learning Materials: The Case of Grade Ten Textbook in Ethiopia
Bachore, M. M. (2022) · Journal of Curriculum and Teaching · doi:10.5430/jct.v11n5p175 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
“That is why Campbell (2010) and Ullah & Skelton (2012) argue that representation and discrimination in school textbooks is important since it has an impact on learners’ life choices as well as motivation.”
Background
A discursive exploration of gender in primary textbooks of English in Pakistan
Dar, S. R., & Bano, S. (2023) · International journal of comparative education and development · doi:10.1108/ijced-06-2022-0046 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Be a Man, do not Cry like a Woman: Analyzing Gender Dynamics in Pakistan
Channa, A. R., & Tahir, T. B. (2020) · Liberal Arts and Social Sciences International Journal (LASSIJ) · doi:10.47264/idea.lassij/4.2.28 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Representations of girls and women in a Saudi Arabian family education curriculum: a content analysis
Aldegether, R. (2023) · Frontiers in Education · doi:10.3389/feduc.2023.1112591 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
“…expectations, possibilities, and consequences (Green et al., 2021), high school curricula in particular may affect adolescent girls’ life choices (Ullah and Skelton, 2013), career paths, and self-esteem that implies self-worth and accepting oneself, and identity according to the gendered role…”
Background
Gender representation in government-endorsed Arabic language textbooks: Insights from Indonesia
Kuraedah, S., Gunawan, F., Alam, S., Ubaidillah, M. F., Alimin, A., & Fitriyani, F. (2023) · Frontiers in Education · doi:10.3389/feduc.2022.1022998 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“For instance, after examining textbooks used in Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, Uganda, Pakistan, and Morocco, many scholars have found that most of the objects and pictures in those textbooks represent the idea of masculinity (Ullah and Skelton, 2013; Gebregeorgis, 2016; Cobano-Delgado and Llorent-Bedmar, 2019; Lee, 201…”
Background
Asymmetrical portrayal of gender within professional, recreational, and domestic spaces in locally developed Pakistani English Language Textbooks: A multimodal analysis
Mahmood, S., Daghigh, A. J., & Kaur, S. (2024) · Women s Studies International Forum · doi:10.1016/j.wsif.2024.102977 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Civics and Citizenship Education in India and Pakistan
Kadiwal, L., & Jain, M. (2021) · Global education systems · doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0032-9_44 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Visualizing inequality: uncovering gender bias in Islamic textbooks of Indonesia
Fawaid, A., & Handayani, P. (2025) · Cogent Education · doi:10.1080/2331186x.2025.2593342 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
“…& Mujiyanto, 2017), echoing global findings on gendered portrayals in educational materials (Blumberg, 2007; Filipovi (cid:1) c, 2018; Hodges et al., 2017; Ediyanto & Kawai, 2023; Lee & Mahmoudi-Gahrouei, 2020; Paechter, 2021; Shepherd, 2019; Sleeter, 2018; Stromquist, 2018; Ullah & Skelton, 2013).”
Balochi Oral Literature and Gender Construction
Shah, N., Sultan, R. S., & Kaker, B. (2018) · Pakistan Journal of Gender Studies · doi:10.46568/pjgs.v16i1.117 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“Many researches have been conducted on this topic by field experts on different aspects of gender, such as construction of gender through Textbooks (See Ullah and Skelton, 2013, 2016), Gender and Media (see Ullah and Khan, 2014) and so on.”
Gender differentials in academic performance in Pakistani higher education
Shoaib, M., & Ullah, H. (2025) · Educational Research and Evaluation · doi:10.1080/13803611.2025.2542582 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“Parents, from the very outset, instil gendered attitudes and temperament in boys and girls, which later turn them into culturally accepted men and women (Ullah & Skelton 2013).”
Self-citation
GENDER REPRESENTATION IN MATHEMATICS TEXTBOOKS IN AZAD JAMMU & KASHMIR
Ullah, H., Abdullah, F., Ahmad, A., & Ali, R. (2017) · International Journal of Innovation in Teaching and Learning (IJITL) · doi:10.35993/ijitl.v3i2.320 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Self-citation
Gender Representation in EFL Textbooks for Elementary Schools: A Content Analysis
Nisak, W. K., Furaidah, F., & Sulistyo, G. H. (2020) · Jurnal Pendidikan Teori Penelitian dan Pengembangan · doi:10.17977/jptpp.v5i3.13319 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Do textbooks reflect learners’ diversity? A case study of Grade 4 English and life skills textbooks
Sibanda, L., & Herman, T. (2024) · South African Journal of Education · doi:10.15700/saje.v44n2a2328 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“An example of this is portraying men as drivers and women as teachers (Aguilar, 2021; Ullah & Skelton, 2013; Yang, 2014).”
Evaluation of ESL Teaching Materials in Accordance With CLT Principles through Content Analysis Approach
Ahmad, M., Shakir, A., & Siddique, A. R. (2023) · Advances in educational technologies and instructional design book series · doi:10.4018/978-1-6684-5660-6.ch012 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Ethnic and Gender Representation in German, Italian and Dutch School Textbooks
Jehle, A. M. C., van Veen, D., Groeneveld, M. G., van der Pol, L. D., & Mesman, J. (2025) · Journal of Community Psychology · doi:10.1002/jcop.70063 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Participation in Recreational Activities and Stress Management Relationship Among High School Teachers in Lopez Jaena
Nisnisan, S. M. L. F., & Adlawan, H. A. (2022) · American Journal of Arts and Human Science · doi:10.54536/ajahs.v1i3.617 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“The teaching profession has been perceived as a feminine profession because women are considered the natural lovers of knowledge (Ullah & Skelton, 2013).”
Background
Gender representation in the textbook for vocational school students in the Indonesian EFL settings
Yanti, M. S., & Wirza, Y. (2022) · ELT Forum Journal of English Language Teaching · doi:10.15294/elt.v11i3.58723 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“Ullah and Skelton (2013) also did an investigation concerning gender equality in 24 school textbooks in Pakistan by using qualitative content analysis.”
Gender Discrimination in Chinese Primary School Textbooks: Evidence in English Textbooks
Pan, Y. (2022) · Highlights in Business Economics and Management · doi:10.54097/hbem.v4i.3511 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“Gender representation in children's books is important from a number of philosophical perspectives [6].”
Background
Exploring Gender Stereotypes and Sexism in Learning Apps: Insights from Austrian Secondary School Students
Schmidthaler, E., Schmollmüller, M., Wimmer-Furian, P., Hörmann, C., Rottenhofer, M., & Sabitzer, B. (2023) · American Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.11648/j.ajap.20231205.11 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
The Construction of Gender Identities Through Pakistani Curriculum Textbooks
Naz, N., Drew, S., & Beasy, K. M. (2023) · Education for sustainability · doi:10.1007/978-981-99-3802-5_12 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Fuzzy Synthetic Evaluation of the Barriers and Sustainable Pathways for Women During the Transition from Higher Education to Empowerment in Pakistan
Rana, M. Q., Saher, N., Lee, A. H.-C., & Shabbir, Z. (2024) · Social Sciences · doi:10.3390/socsci13120657 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“Courting” the Hidden Curriculum: Depictions of Sexuality and Implications for Heteronormativity in ELT Materials from Taiwan
Brown, C. A. (2025) · Journal of Homosexuality · doi:10.1080/00918369.2025.2475042 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“…documentation of an ageist hidden curriculum in elementary textbooks used in Zimbabwe despite anti-agist educational policy (Hungwe et al., 2023) and gender bias found in text-books from Pakistan despite government policy claiming to promote gender equity in education (Ullah & Skelton, 2013).”
Human rights education in primary school textbooks: insights from Pakistan
Parveen, N., Rodrigues, G., Zainulabidin, N., & Ashraf, D. (2025) · Human Rights Education Review · doi:10.1080/25355406.2025.2536849 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Voicing Sexism: Reflections from the Primary Level English Textbooks of Government Schools in Punjab
Rasool, S., Asif, S. I., & Anwar, B. (2019) · Kashmir Journal of Language Research · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Gender Discourses as a ‘Technology of Power’ in Nepalese Primary Level Textbooks
Paneru, P. (2019) · Molung Educational Frontier · doi:10.3126/mef.v9i0.33593 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“…studies found women underrepresentation in their quantity in texts in illustrations(Lee & Collins, 2009; Barton &Sakwa, 2012;Chick &Corle,2016; Ullah & Skelton, 2013), male nouns leading the female nouns in a paired noun contexts (Lee, 2018), female’s space as indoor settings (Blumberg 2008;…”
Background
LGBT Issues in Norwegian Textbooks
Smestad, B. (2018) · Nordic Journal of Comparative and International Education (NJCIE) · doi:10.7577/njcie.2208 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“(p. 89) In research on gender representation in textbooks, some studies show that traditional gender roles are still the norm (e.g. Hall, 2014; Ullah & Skelton, 2013), while in some localities there has been much progress (Lee & Collins, 2009).”
Background
The Representation of Gender in a Textbook Entitled When English Rings a Bell
Siregar, F. L., Henni, H., & Comara, S. (2021) · Eralingua Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa Asing dan Sastra · doi:10.26858/eralingua.v5i1.13664 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“Most textbooks used outside Indonesia still follow the traditional society by linking professions such as judge, doctor, and military officer to men and occupations such as nurse or teacher to women (Hall, 2014; Ullah & Skelton, 2013).”
BackgroundResult
Gender Disparity in School Textbooks in Jordan: The Case of Arabic and Social Education in Grades 4, 5, and 6
Alkhadra, W. A., Shahzadeh, Y., & Kabarity, A. A. (2022) · Dirasat Human and Social Sciences · doi:10.35516/hum.v49i3.1376 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Semiotic analysis of English books of Punjab Textbook Board (Pakistan) with Gender Lens: Exploring the gender sensitization level of Punjab Textbook Board officers
Malik, R. (2020) · Pakistan Journal of Education · doi:10.30971/pje.v37i1.1485 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“School textbooks have been recognized as a major shareholder for the construction of gender identities, to strengthen gender discernment and to build the prime social structures of a culture and society (Skelton & Ullah, 2013).”
Background
Gender Representation in Education: Critical Discourse Analysis of Urdu Textbooks used in Primary Government Schools in Punjab
Nasir, M. H. (2021) · Pakistan Journal of Education · doi:10.30971/pje.v38i2.1380 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Post 9/11 Higher Education Reforms and the Instruction of International Relations in Pakistan
Aslam, W. (2018) · International Studies Perspectives · doi:10.1093/isp/ekx013 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Diversity and power in the English hotel conversations textbook
Roohani, A., Sheikhipour, A., & Farhang, M. (2020) · International Journal of Research Studies in Education · doi:10.5861/ijrse.2020.5048 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“Another study was done by Ullah and Skelton (2013) in school textbooks of Pakistan.”
BackgroundInfluential
Learner Diversity and Educational Marginality in South Asia
Pappu, R. (2021) · Global education systems · doi:10.1007/978-981-15-0032-9_52 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Being inclusive or reinforcing of social stereotypes
Subramanian, J., & Anagha, S. (2023) · Prometeica - Revista de Filosofía y Ciencias · doi:10.34024/prometeica.2023.27.15363 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Visual Representation of Gender in English Language Textbooks of Bangladesh and Teachers’ Voices
Suchana, A. A. (2025) · Asian Women · doi:10.14431/aw.2025.3.41.1.167 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Exploring the university teachers’ perceptions, practices and challenges about gender-inclusive pedagogy in public sector higher education in Pakistan: a qualitative inquiry
Soomro, A. B., Zamir, S., Khan, R. A., Soomro, R. B. K., & Sahito, Z. (2026) · International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education · doi:10.1108/ijshe-09-2025-1168 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Learner Diversity and Educational Marginality in South Asia
Pappu, R. (2020) · Global education systems · doi:10.1007/978-981-13-3309-5_52-1 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Locating the Social Position of Pakistani Women in Text Books
Badshah, I., Khan, S., & Kamran, M. (2021) · Sir Syed Journal of Education & Social Research (SJESR) · doi:10.36902/sjesr-vol4-iss1-2021(379-387 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Study of human knowledge and attitude toward urban birds in Faisalabad city, Pakistan
Nawaz, M. F., Fatima, R., Gul, S., Rana, N., Ahmad, I., Naseer, J., Afzal, S., Yasin, G., Asif, M., Khan, S. H., et al. (2021) · Brazilian Journal of Biology · doi:10.1590/1519-6984.249229 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“In Pakistan, it is a male dominant society where males are heads of houses (Ullah and Skelton, 2013) and female heads houses are low in numbers with financial instability (Mohiuddin and Alderman, 1989).”
Background
Gender stereotypes in the Single National Curriculum, Pakistan.
Asif, M. (2021) · International Journal of Women Empowerment · doi:10.29052/2413-4252.v7.i1.2021.47-59 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
AN ANALYSIS OF GRADE-VIII ENGLISH TEXTBOOK WITH GENDER DISPARITY PERSPECTIVES IN THE CURRICULUM OF KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA
Rahman, A. U., Muhammad, G., & Jan, A. R. (2022) · journal of social sciences review · doi:10.54183/jssr.v2i1.23 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
UNDER-AGE AND FORCED MARRIAGES: AN ANATHEMA OF PAKISTANI SOCIETY
Nawaz, A. (2023) · Journal of public policy practitioners · doi:10.32350/jppp.11.02 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
GENDER REPRESENTATION IN HIGHER SECONDARY ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS OF KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA AND FBISE
(2023) · Pakistan Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research · doi:10.37605/pjhssr.v6i1.332 · Cited by 1 · see citing works

Gender Representation in Primary Level English and Urdu Textbooks in Pakistan
Ali, R., & Hussain, L. (2019) · Pakistan Journal of Applied Social Sciences · doi:10.46568/pjass.v10i1.102 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
GENDER REPRESENTATION IN PAKISTANI TEXTBOOKS AND SCHOOLS: PERSPECTIVES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS
Shaikh, R. A., Mithani, S. P., Ahmed, S., & Ali, B. (2026) · Contemporary Journal of Social Science Review · doi:10.63878/cjssr.v4i2.2548
AN ANALYSIS OF GRADE-VIII ENGLISH TEXTBOOK WITH GENDER DISPARITY PERSPECTIVES IN THE CURRICULUM OF KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA
Rahman, A. U., Muhammad, G., & Jan, A. R. (2022) · journal of social sciences review · doi:10.54183/jssr.v2i1.23 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Gender Representation in Education: Critical Discourse Analysis of Urdu Textbooks used in Primary Government Schools in Punjab
Nasir, M. H. (2021) · Pakistan Journal of Education · doi:10.30971/pje.v38i2.1380 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
GENDER REPRESENTATION IN HIGHER SECONDARY ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS OF KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA AND FBISE
(2023) · Pakistan Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research · doi:10.37605/pjhssr.v6i1.332 · Cited by 1 · see citing works

Authors: Ullah, H., & Skelton, C.
Affiliations: International Islamic University, Islamabad (PK)
University of Birmingham (GB)
Corresponding author: Ullah, Hazir
ORCID: Ullah, Hazir
Venue: Educational Studies
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Published: 2012-07-04
Volume: 39
Issue: 2
Pages: 183-194
ISSN: 0305-5698 (ISSN-L)
1465-3400
DOI: 10.1080/03055698.2012.702892
OpenAlex: W2001030071
Cited by: 141
References: 29
Citations by year: 2026: 10 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2012: 1
FWCI: 2.36
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Educational Studies (publishedVersion, public-domain)
Topics: Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender Studies in Language
Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender, Sexuality, and Education
Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Media, Gender, and Advertising
Keywords: gender representation, gender bias, school textbooks, gender equality in education, gender stereotypes, curriculum development, textbook authors, gender blindness, Pakistan, public schools

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review

Gender representation in the public sector schools textbooks of Pakistan

Abstract

Integrity signals

Claims the paper makes

Claims other papers make about this one

Cites

Cited by

Related

Record

About these checks