Gender stereotypes in school textbooks: research and teaching intervention in the English textbook of the second grade junior high school

Textbooks are internationally considered an important field for research on gender inequalities, as they are carriers of the prevailing social and cultural values. In Greece, the research on school textbooks has shown that regardless of their subject and the level of education they are written for, they show common characteristics, such as the under-representation of women and their limitation to traditional activities. This paper examines the illustration of the textbook used for teaching English in the second grade of junior high school, concerning the appearance of men and women. Taking into consideration the research findings, a modification of an activity by the students themselves, is suggested, in order for them to raise their awareness towards gender equality in the educational process, but also in the wider social and professional life. .