Prospects or Projects, Which Is More Gender-biased: A Comparative Study in Critical Discourse Analysis [In English]

Sexism in textbooks can have terrible repercussions and a variety of detrimental effects on students. Leaning toward one sex can reinforce sexual stereotypes, which is why many researchers have been scouring books to look for any indication of gender favoritism. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the degree of gender bias in the Project series, a popular EFL textbook, and the Iranian EFL textbooks (Prospect series). It was investigated whether education in English-language textbooks was devoid of any form of discrimination or whether it took a systematic approach to a particular gender. The student books from the two series were carefully examined for any indications of preference for one gender. The quantity and gender of the staff members involved in the various stages of the creation of these series were verified. In the end, the frequency of all visual and textual items related to gender was checked and counted in light of content analysis. The results of this study demonstrated that gender bias was a problem in both series of books, but it was much more evident in Iranian textbooks. As in the previous generation's books, sex inequality was still present in the Prospect series, and it was clear that more thought needed to be given to this issue. In addition to some suggestions for resolving this problem, the study's conclusion also had some implications for those in charge of developing instructional materials, educating teachers, and formulating policies.