Comparative analysis of 8th grade English textbooks based on gender inequality (Sample of Turkey, Iran and Germany)

In this study, 8th grade English textbooks taught in Turkey, Iran and Germany in the 2024-2025 academic year are analyzed comparatively in the context of gender inequality. The aim of the study is to comparatively analyze gender representations in 8th grade English textbooks in Turkey, Iran and Germany on the basis of gender inequality and to describe the factors that cause inequality in the presence of gender stereotypes, sexist visuals and expressions. In this study, the textbooks are analyzed using the categories created by the researcher based on the studies of Helvacıoğlu (1996), Arslan (2000), Sivaslıgil (2006), Mustapha (2012) and Akın (2023) using document analysis, one of the qualitative research methods. The categories used in the analysis are the rate of gender representation in visuals and texts, family roles and responsibilities attributed to genders, domestic activities performed by genders, occupations attributed to genders, leisure activities of genders, adjectives used to describe genders, distribution of genders according to the areas they are located in, and distribution of genders according to the objects they are depicted together. As a result of the study, in all the analyzed textbooks, it was determined that male representation is high in visuals and texts, women are given more space in family roles, men are described with more adjectives than women, and women are represented quite limitedly compared to men in representations such as domestic activities, occupations, leisure activities, areas they are located in, and objects they are depicted together in Iranian textbooks.