EFFECTS OF GENDER ROLE PORTRAYAL IN TEXTBOOKS IN KENYAN PRIMARY SCHOOLS, ON PUPILS ACADEMIC ASPIRATIONS
Journal Title: Problems of Education in the 21st Century - Year 2012, Vol 47, Issue 11
Abstract
The researcher aims to investigate the effect of gender role portrayal in selected textbooks in Kenyan primary schools on pupils’ academic aspirations. The study explored participants’ perceptions of what academic levels they wanted to attain and whether their aspirations and expectations were partly a product of the influences in their textbooks. The research was guided by the following objectives; to establish the gender roles portrayed in the pupils’ textbooks and their effect on pupils’ academic aspirations, determine gender attributes suggested through the statements and their effects on pupils’ academic aspirations, and to establish the presence of appropriate textual role models and its effects on pupils’ academic aspirations. The research addresses the following research questions; What are the gender roles that male and female characters are portrayed in?, What gender attributes are suggested through the statements in the textbooks and what appropriate textual female role models are present in the pupils’ textbooks? The paper was based on a study undertaken in Dagoretti District in Nairobi County, Kenya. The target population was 88 pupils and 60 teachers. The sample was selected through random sampling for the teachers and stratified random sampling for the pupils. Descriptive statistics was used in data analysis. The data was collected by use of interview guide, a questionnaire and content analysis of 40 text books in class one to three. The results show that gender stereotypes had an effect on pupils’ academic aspirations as pupils tended to mostly identify with characters of their gender in the textbooks. The study recommends for intervention by the stakeholders in the education sector in order to improve gender aspirations by including a variety of activities and illustrations in the textbooks for both boys and girls.
Authors and Affiliations
David N. P. Mburu, Grace Nyagah
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP35187
- DOI -
- Views 323
- Downloads 0
CLASSROOM CLIMATE AS A PART OF CONTEMPORARY DIDACTICAL APPROACHES
To achieve successful teaching in the 21st century school, teachers must change their didactical approaches in order to create a stimulating pro-activeness in a pleasant classroom climate for better development of studen...
Using MyiMLE systEM for intEractiVE whitEboards in EdUcation
MyIMLE is a multimedia interactive educational environment which makes possible a direct connection of Flash interactive study supports with real systems connected to users’ computers. This way of using Flash animations...
Differences between learning facts anD complex phenomena: a learning stuDy in history baseD on Variation theory
This study has been carried out as part of a project entitled “The Pedagogy of Learning” (Holmqvist, 2002) whose objective is to use theory and practice to extend our knowledge of learning and teaching. The study was i...
SMALL GROUP LEARNING METHODS AND THEIR EFFECT ON LEARNERS’ RELATIONSHIPS
Building relationships in the classroom is an essential part of any teacher’s career. Having healthy teacher-to-learner and learner-to-learner relationships is an effective way to help prevent pedagogical failure, soci...
UniVersal lectUre material: digital technology of creation and aUtomatic modification
The automated technology of the conversion of various materials that are used by a teacher in their activity, into the uniformly issued electronic and further printing (paper) forms is offered. The technology is based o...