Textbooks for diverse learners: a critical analysis of learning meterials used in South African schools

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of 61 textbooks widely used in South African primary schools. In a complex analysis of diversity and representation, the study shows that although there has been improvement in the representation of black male learners in Grade 1 texts, girls as well as poor and working class characters, particularly in rural settings, feature less often. Disabled people are virtually invisible. While there are signs that publishers are taking steps to address the situation, there is room for improvement.

A vital resource for departments of education, publishers and teachers, this study alerts us to the ongoing need for attention to the stereotypes that continue to people South African schoolbooks. This study is part of a wider, cross-disciplinary School Integration research project initiated by the Human Sciences Research Council. Broadly, the aims of the project are to investigate the unfolding role and character of integration in South African schools, the connections to historical, international and contemporary social patterns and how teachers, texts, managers and policy-makers understand and address these challenges.