Gender Representation and Intercultural Competence in Iranian EFL Coursebooks from the 1960s to 2020s

Document Type : مقالات علمی پژوهشی

Author
Visiting lecturer at Sirjan University of Medical Sciences
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the representation of gender and intercultural competence in the images and texts of 15 Iranian secondary school English coursebooks, published over six decades. Gender representation was investigated using the framework proposed by Dahmardeh and Kim (2020), and the scale developed by Solhaug and Kristensen (2020) was used as the criteria for investigating intercultural competence. The data were coded and counted using manifest content analysis. The results showed that Iranian English coursebooks mentioned males and females unequally in their texts across different decades, with one gender being represented more in each decade. Regarding gender representation in the images, males were represented more than females in almost all decades. The representation of males and females in the books published in the 1970s was almost equal, followed by extreme and sudden changes in gender representation in the 1980s. However, the books published in and after the 2000s presented a balanced picture of males and females. The coursebooks dealt with intercultural competence in their texts and images very rarely, limiting this concept to religious issues and neglecting other aspects. In fact, the coursebooks addressed only one category out of the 11 categories. Finally, the study ends with implications for coursebook authors, materials designers, teachers, students, and teacher trainers.

Keywords

Subjects


Ahour, T., Towhidiyan, B., & Saeidi, M. (2014). The evaluation of "English Textbook 2" taught in Iranian high schools from teachers’ perspectives. English Language Teaching, 7(3), 150-158.
Andarab, M. S. (2014). Calling for English for specific cultures-based coursebooks in English as an international language era. International Journal of English Language Education, 2(2), 279-294.
Ayu, M., & Indrawati, R. (2018). EFL textbook evaluation: The analysis of tasks presented in English textbook. Teknosastik, 16(1), 21-25.
Azad, M. T. (2020). Gender representation in Iranian high school textbook images. Language Teaching Research Quarterly, 15, 50-70.
Babaii, E., Yazdanmehr, E., & Atai, M. R. (2019). Critical discourse analysis of gender representation in Iranian high school English textbooks. Journal of Gender Studies, 28(3), 351-366.
Baghdadi, M., & Rezaei, A. (2015). Gender representation in English and Arabic foreign language textbooks in Iran: a comparative approach. Journal of International Women's Studies, 16(3), https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol16/iss3/2
Barrett, M. (2011). Intercultural competence: Statement series. Oslo, Norway: European Wergeland Centre.
Barrett, M. (2018). How schools can promote the intercultural competence of young people. European Psychologist, 23(1), 93-104. doi:10.1027/1016-9040/a000308
Ben-Amar, W., Bujaki, B., McConomy, B., McIlkenny, P. (2021). Gendering merit: How the discourse of merit in diversity disclosures supports the gendered status quo on Canadian corporate boards. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 75, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpa.2020.102170
Borjian, M. (2013). English in post-revolutionary Iran: From indigenization to internationalization. Multilingual Matters.
Bose, P., & Gao, X. (2022). Cultural Representations in Indian English Language Teaching Textbooks. SAGE Open, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221082102
Brahimi, B. (2017). The representation of gender in ELT textbooks: A critical analysis of Austrian ELT textbooks from 1976 to 2013 [M.A thesis, University of Vienna].
Brown, H. D. (2019). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy. Pearson.
Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and Assessing Intercultural Competence. Multilingual Matters.
Byram, M. (2021). Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence. Multilingual Matters.
Byram, M., Gribkova, B., & Starkey, H. (2002). Developing the intercultural dimension in language teaching: a practical introduction for teachers. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.
Cunningsworth, A. (1995). Choosing your Coursebook. Oxford: Macmillan Publishers
Limited.
Dabbagh, A. (2016). Gender representation under critical image analysis: The case of Iranian ELT textbooks. International Journal of English Language and Translation Studies, 4(4), 39–52.
Dahmardeh M. & Kim S. (2020). An analysis of the representation of cultural content in English course books. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 13(14).
Danielsen, M. (2020). Intercultural competence in English language textbooks: A qualitative study of the promotion of intercultural competence in two English language textbooks for upper primary level in Norway (Master's thesis, LRU-3902 English Didactics, UiT The Arctic University of Norway).
Demir, Y., & Yavuz, M. (2017). Do ELT coursebooks still suffer from gender inequalities? A case study from Turkey. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 13(1), 103-122.
Derakhshan, A. (2018). Investigating the representation of cultural elements in Iranian EFL textbooks. Iranian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 21(1), 123-144.
Derakhshan, A. (2021). ‘Should textbook images be merely decorative?’: Cultural representations in the Iranian EFL national textbook from the semiotic approach perspective. Language Teaching Research, 28(1), 79–113.
Dypedahl, M., & Bøhn, H. (2018). Intercultural competence and culture pedagogy. In H. Bøhn, M. Dypedahl, & G.-A. Myklevold (Eds.), Teaching and Learning English (pp. 158-177). Oslo: Cappelen Damm AS.
Esmaeili, S. Z., Kuhi, D., & Behroozizad, S. (2022). Developing intercultural sensitivity
through interculturally-laden tasks: Male vs. female Iranian EFL learners. Teaching English Language, 16(1), 95-126
Fahriany, F., Alek, A., & Wekke, I. S. (2018). Gender representation in English textbooks for Islamic junior high school students, Kafa’ah: Journal of Gender Studies, 8(2), 149-168.
Frant, J., & Wong, S. (2018). Coursebooks and intercultural communication. In J. I. Liontas (Ed.), The TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching (pp. 1–7). Wiley-Blackwell.
Gallagher, M. (2001). Women and gender. In H. Giskin & B. S. Walsh (Eds.), An introduction to Chinese culture through the family (pp. 89-105). Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
Garton, S., & Graves, K. (2014). International perspectives on materials in ELT. Palgrave Macmillan.
Ghasedi, P. & Azizi, A. (2020). Intercultural communicative competence in ELT textbooks: The case of Iranian high schools. International Journal of Comparative Literature & Translation Studies, 8(4), 14-20.
Goodarzi A., & Weisi H. (2020). Deconstruction of cultural, racial and gender dominance in iranian senior high school ELT textbooks. International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Research, 8(32), 11-20.
Graves, K. (2000). Designing language courses: A guide for teachers. Heinle & Heinle Publishers.
Healy, D. (2009). The representation of women and men in a modern EFL textbook: Are popular textbooks gender biased? Memoirs of the Osaka Institute of Technology, Series, 54(2, 91-100.
Hosseinzadeh, M., Heidari, F., & Choubsaz, Y. (2021). A comparative analysis of the cultural contents and elements in international and localized ELT textbooks. International Journal of Society, Culture and Language,10, 109–124.
Hutchinson, T., & Torres, E. (1994). The textbook as agent of change, ELT Journal, 48(4), 315-328.
IBR (2020). Women in business (2020): Putting the blueprint into action. Grant Thornton Report (pp. 1–7). Retrieved from https://www.grantthornton.global/globalassets/1.-member-firms/global/insights/women-in-business/2020/women-in-business-2020_report.pdf
Jannati, S. (2015). Gender representation in EFL textbooks: A case of ILI Pre-intermediate series. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research, 2(3), 211-222.
Jorfi, L., Amerian, M., Dowlatabadi, H. R., & Yazdani, H. (2022). A comparative intercultural analysis of two English school textbooks from Iran and Egypt. Teaching English as a Second Language Quarterly (TESL), 41(1), 33-67. https://doi.org/10.22099/JTLS.2021.40338.2989
Kayed, M. A., Al_Khawaldah, S. K., & Alzu’bi, M. A. (2020). Critical discourse analysis of gender representations in EFL textbooks. International Journal of English Language and Literature Studies, 9(4), 244–254.https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.23.2020.94.244.254
Kazemi, S. A., & Yarian, M. (2014). A gender analysis of new Iranian English textbook in grade seven English for Schools, prospect one. International Journal of Language Learning and Applied Linguistics World, 5(4), 2289-3245.
Keshavarz, M. H., & Malek, L. A. (2009). Critical discourse analysis of ELT textbooks. The Iranian EFL Journal (5), 6-15.
Khoo, H. S., & Knight, P. (2015). Teachers’ evaluation of KBSM form 4, 5 English textbooks used in the secondary schools in Penang, Malaysia. Advances in language and literary studies, 6(4), 128-150.
Khurshid, K., Gillani, I. G., & Hashmi, M. A. (2022). A Study of the representation of female image in the textbooks of English and Urdu at secondary school level. Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences, 30(2), 425-437. Retrieved from https://pjss.bzu.edu.pk/index.php/pjss/article/view/86
Kobia, J. M. (2009). Femininity and masculinity in English primary school textbooks in Kenya. The International Journal of Language Society and Culture, 28, 57-71
Kress, G. & van Leeuween, T. (2006). Reading Images: The Grammar of Visual Design. (2nd Ed.). London & New York: Routledge.
Kumaravadivelu, B. (2003) Beyond method: Macrostrategies for language teaching. Yale University Press, New York.
Lee, J. F. K. (2014). Gender representation in Hong Kong primary school ELT textbooks: A comparative study. Gender and Education, 26(4), 356–376.
Lee, J. F. K. (2018). Gender representation in Japanese EFL textbooks: A corpus study. Gender and Education, 30(3), 379–395. DOI: 10.1080/09540253.2016.1214690
Lee, J. F. K., & Collins, P. (2008). Gender representation in Hong Kong English textbooks. Retrieved from https://www.eoc.org.hk/eoc/upload/2006711112336211184.pdf
Lee, J. F. K., & Mahmoudi-Gahrouei, V. (2020). Gender representation in instructional materials: a study of Iranian English language textbooks and teachers’ voices. Sexuality & Culture, 24, 1107–1127. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-020-09747-z
Lund, A. (2019). The representation of culture in Norwegian EFL textbooks. Nordic Journal of English Studies, 18(3), 257-276.
Maghsoudi, M. (2020). Intercultural communicative competence in high school English textbooks of Iran and India: A comparative analysis. Iranian Journal of Comparative Education, 3(4), 874-892. https://doi.org/10.22034/IJCE.2020.250406.1220
Malik, M. A., Rind, I. A., & Qayyum, A. (2021). gender representation in English textbooks: A content analysis about public sector middle school textbooks in Punjab. Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, 8(1), 118-126
Mburu, D N. P., & Nyagah, G. (2012. Effects of gender role portrayal in textbooks in Kenyan primary schools, on pupils’ academic aspirations. Problems of Education in The 21 Century, 47(1), 100-109.
McDonald, S. (2013). Boys play cricket, girls play house: Examining the gender binary in Pakistani public schools in Islamabad, Pakistan. Sustainable Development Policy Institute.
Mirzapour, F. (2020). A comparative study on the potentiality of ILI books and Rise and Shine series in terms of intercultural competence development. Journal of English Language Pedagogy and Practice, 12(25), 170-196.
Mishan, F., & Timmis, I. (2015). Materials development for TESOL. Edinburgh University Press.
Mlambo, C., Kapingura, F., & Meissner, R. (2019). Factors influencing women political participation: The case of the SADC region. Cogent Social Sciences, 5(1), 1681048. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2019.1681048.
Mofidi, M., & Hashemi, M. (2019). Intercultural competence in Iranian EFL textbooks: A critical discourse analysis. Teaching English Language, 13(2), 1-26.
Moghaddam, M. M., & Tirnaz, M. H. (2023). Representation of intercultural communicative competence in ELT textbooks: Global vs. local values. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 52(2), 191–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/17475759.2022.2152076
Mohammadi, M., & Abdi, H. (2014). Textbook evaluation: A case study. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 98, 1148-1155.
Mozaffarzadeh, S., & Ajideh, P. (2019). Intercultural competence: A neglected essential in the Iranian ELT textbooks. The Journal of Applied Linguistics and Applied Literature: Dynamics and Advances, 7(2), 167-183.
Mukundan J. (2012). Evaluative criteria of an English language textbook evaluation checklist. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 3(6), 1128-1134.
Mukundan, J. & Nimehchisalem, V. (2012). Evaluative criteria of an English language textbook evaluation checklist. Journal of Language Teaching & Research, 3(6), 1128-1134.
Munden, J. (2019). Engelsk på mellomtrinnet. Oslo: Gyldendal Norsk Forlag AS.
Nafissi, Z., Karimi, F. & Sotoudehnama, E. (2019). EFL students’ views on L1 culture through English texts with L1 and L2 cultural content. Iranian Journal of Applied Linguistics. 22(1), 73-109.
Ozkan, R. (2013). The women in primary school textbooks. The Journal of Academic Social Science Studies, 6(5), 617-631.
Prince Edward Island Department of Education (2008). Evaluation and selection of learning resources: A Guide. Retrieved from http://www.gov.pe.ca/photos/original/ed_ESLR_08.pdf.
Qayyum, A. (2021). Board gender diversity and stock price crash risk: Going beyond tokenism. Borsa Istanbul Review 21(3), 269-280.
Rachmijati, C., & Cahyati, S. S. (2018). Gender Representation in Textbook Bahasa Inggris Grade X, ELTIN Journal, Journal of English Language Teaching in Indonesia, 6(2), 59-69.
Rashidi, N., & Ghaedsharafi, S. (2015). An investigation into the culture and social actors’ representation in summit series ELT textbooks within van Leeuwen’s 1996 framework. Sage Open, 5(1), 1–10.
Rezai, A., Farokhipour, S., & Azizi, Z. (2021). A comparative study of gender representation in Iranian English high school books and Touchstone series: A critical discourse analysis. Iranian Journal of Comparative Education, 4(4), 1459-1478.
Richards, J. C. (2001). Curriculum development in language teaching. Cambridge University Press.
Richards, J. C. (2010). Approaches and methods in language teaching. Cambridge University Press.
Roohani, A., & Molana, E. (2013). An investigation into cultural representation in interchange textbooks. Issues in Language Teaching, 2(2), 113-136.
Sadeghi, B., & Sepahi, Z. (2017). Intercultural communication in ELT: An analysis of English language textbooks in Iranian high schools. International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature, 6(7), 27-34.
Setiarin, R., Supiastutik, S., Kusumayanti, D., Sampurna, H., & Cahyawat, E. (2021). Gender representation in Perpustakaan Intan: When mother is gaining attention, is father losing power? Pioneer 13(2), 243 –259.
Shallaita, B. A., Nawawi, & Amin, M. (2021). Analysis of English language teaching materials on gender representation. International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding, 8(2), 419-434.
Sharif, M., & Yarmohammadi, L. (2013). Culture, national identity, and globalization between the lines of reading comprehension texts in Iran. Linguistic and Translation, 56, 13452-13455.
Siddiqie, S. A. (2011). Intercultural exposure through English language teaching: An analysis of an English language textbook in Bangladesh. Journal of Pan-pacific Association of Applied Linguistics, 15(2), 109-127.
Skjelbred, D. (2019). The role of the teacher in adapting textbooks to the needs of learners. In J. I. Liontas (Ed.), The TESOL encyclopedia of English language teaching (pp. 1-7). Wiley-Blackwell.
Soleimani, H., & Dabbaghi, A. (2012). Textbook evaluation: A reflection on the New Interchange Series. International Journal of Research Studies in Language Learning, 1(2), 19-32.
Solhaug, T., & Kristensen, N. N. (2020). Gender and intercultural competence: Analysis of intercultural competence among upper secondary school students in Denmark and Norway. Educational Psychology, 40(1), 120-140.
Tajeddin, Z., & Bahrebar, S. (2017). Sociological and aesthetic senses of culture represented in global and localized ELT textbooks. Journal of Teaching Language Skills, 36(3), 119–143.
Tajeddin, Z., & Enayat, M. J. (2010). Gender representation and stereotyping in ELT textbooks: A critical image analysis. Journal of Teaching English Language, 4(2), 51-79.
Thiyagu, K. (2008). Gender, school, society and inclusive school. Microbiology, 3, 1-20.
Tomlinson, B. (2011). Materials development in language teaching. Cambridge University Press.
Tomlinson, B. (2012). Materials development for language learning and teaching. Language Teaching, 45(2), 143–179.
Vahdat, S., Anai Sarab, M. R., & Ghobadi, S. (2020). Evaluating the cultural appropriacy of
commercial English language teaching textbooks in the Iranian context. Teaching English
Language, 14(2), 111-144.
Vidari, V. (2021). An analysis of gender representation in English textbooks for tenth grade students. (Unpublished BA thesis). Raden Intan State Islamic University.
Yang, C. C. R. (2014). Gender representation in Hong Kong primary English language textbooks: A study of two widely-used textbook series. [Doctoral dissertation, Lancaster University].

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 13 July 2025