The analysis of the visual language used in educational textbooks distributed by the Turkish Ministry of Education (MEB) regarding gender bias in household chores

Gender bias in domestic labour representation has been widely examined in educational research. This report aims to examine whether the English textbooks distributed by the Turkish Ministry of Education (MEB) at schools visualise men and women doing household chores equally in terms of gender bias. 3 books distributed by MEB, which are all written based on the same curriculum and which share the same theme and learning outcomes about chores in unit 8, were analysed. Visual depictions of males and females engaged in household chores were systematically counted and categorised. Statistical analysis revealed that all three publishing houses adhere to non-discrimination principles, maintaining a gender-balanced distribution of visual representations. It is concluded that MEB evaluates the books according to some criteria to avoid gender bias, and it is effective in keeping the number of visuals balanced quantitatively. Illustrative observations in written materials suggest directions for future systematic research.