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How Teachers of English in Central Region of Kenya Perceive Portrayal of Gender in Literature Textbooks
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Date
2020-07
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Publisher
Africa Journal of Media and Communication (AJMC)
Abstract
Textbooks are an important socializing tool and play a crucial role in
determining students’ worldview of gender relations in society. Gender
responsiveness is one of the emerging issues that have attracted major debates
in various forums including in the education system in general and choice
of textbooks in particular. This study examined the responses of teachers of
English to gender issues in the following literature books; The River Between,
An Enemy of the People, The River and the Source and Coming to Birth which
were used as KCSE literature textbooks from 1999 to 2009 . The study applied
the Reader – Response theory which emphasizes the reader’s role in creating
meaning of a text and experience of a literary work. The findings indicated
that the KCSE textbooks all had elements of gender bias, stereotyping of
character and role, unequal representation of male and female characters and
use of gender insensitive language. However, the study also revealed that some
writers had made attempts to make the literature textbooks gender responsive.
The teachers’ responses revealed that the teachers were keen and enthusiastic
about gender issues in textbooks despite the fact that they had no formal
training on how to implement the gender policy in education. The study
recommends closer scrutiny of literature textbooks, in-house training of
teachers on gender responsiveness, sensitizing students on gender responsive
textbooks, training of education stakeholders and providing checklists for
identifying gender stereotypes and other relevant gender issues in textbooks.
In addition, it also recommends the development of a more gender responsive
curriculum in tandem with Kenya’s developmental aspiration where men and
women are viewed as partners in the development of all sectors of society.
Description
Journal Article
Keywords
Teachers of English, Central Region of Kenya, Portrayal of Gender in Literature Textbooks, Gender, Gender responsiveness, Gender responsive pedagogy, literature textbooks
Citation
Gachari, R.(2020) How Teachers of English in Central Region of Kenya Perceive Portrayal of Gender in Literature Textbooks.Africa Journal of Media Communication, 1(1) https://www.daystar.ac.ke/downloads/africa_journal_of_media_and_communication.pdf#page=36