A Multimodal and Critical Discourse Analysis of Gender Representation in an Indonesian Grade 4 Science Textbook

Barli Kifli; Isli Iriani Indiah Pane; Muhammad Aswin Rangkuti

doi:10.14710/parole.v15i1.27-37

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/parole.v15i1.27-37

A Multimodal and Critical Discourse Analysis of Gender Representation in an Indonesian Grade 4 Science Textbook

Barli Kifli¹

, Isli Iriani Indiah Pane¹

, Muhammad Aswin Rangkuti²

¹Department of English and Literature, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan, 20221, Indonesia, Indonesia

²Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Department of Physics, Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan, 20221, Indonesia, Indonesia

Received: 27 Aug 2025; Revised: 5 Oct 2025; Accepted: 2 Nov 2025; Available online: 23 Jan 2026; Published: 23 Jan 2026.

BibTex Citation Data :

@article{PAROLE73208,
    author = {Barli Kifli and Isli Pane and Muhammad Rangkuti},
    title = {A Multimodal and Critical Discourse Analysis of Gender Representation in an Indonesian Grade 4 Science Textbook},
    journal = {PAROLE: Journal of Linguistics and Education},
  volume = {15},
    number = {1},
    year = {2026},
    keywords = {Gender Representation; STEM Education; Multimodal Discourse Analysis;	Critical Discourse Analysis; Science Textbook; Primary Education},
    abstract = { Textbooks play a central role in shaping learners’ perceptions of social roles, including those related to gender in science education. This study investigates how gender is visually and discursively represented in the  Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam dan Sosial  (IPAS) Grade 4 textbook issued by the Indonesian Ministry of Education. Using a qualitative content analysis approach, the research integrates Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA) and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to examine 44 illustrations from the natural science chapters. The analysis focuses on how agency, authority, and scientific roles are distributed across male and female characters in both visual (e.g., posture, salience) and verbal (e.g., speech functions, cognitive authority) modes. The findings indicate that male characters are more frequently depicted and are often positioned in dominant scientific roles, while female characters appear less frequently and are generally portrayed as passive, supportive, or non-expert. Although a few scenes offer inclusive representations, these are limited and do not significantly alter the prevailing gender asymmetry. The study concludes that despite policy emphasis on equity, the textbook continues to reflect traditional gender norms, particularly in STEM-related contexts. It highlights the need for intentional alignment between visual and verbal elements to support inclusive and equitable science education. },
   issn = {23380683},   pages = {27--37}  doi = {10.14710/parole.v15i1.27-37},
    url = {https://ejournal.undip.ac.id/index.php/parole/article/view/73208}
}

Citation Format:

Abstract

Textbooks play a central role in shaping learners’ perceptions of social roles, including those related to gender in science education. This study investigates how gender is visually and discursively represented in the Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam dan Sosial (IPAS) Grade 4 textbook issued by the Indonesian Ministry of Education. Using a qualitative content analysis approach, the research integrates Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA) and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to examine 44 illustrations from the natural science chapters. The analysis focuses on how agency, authority, and scientific roles are distributed across male and female characters in both visual (e.g., posture, salience) and verbal (e.g., speech functions, cognitive authority) modes. The findings indicate that male characters are more frequently depicted and are often positioned in dominant scientific roles, while female characters appear less frequently and are generally portrayed as passive, supportive, or non-expert. Although a few scenes offer inclusive representations, these are limited and do not significantly alter the prevailing gender asymmetry. The study concludes that despite policy emphasis on equity, the textbook continues to reflect traditional gender norms, particularly in STEM-related contexts. It highlights the need for intentional alignment between visual and verbal elements to support inclusive and equitable science education.

Fulltext View|Download

Keywords: Gender Representation; STEM Education; Multimodal Discourse Analysis; Critical Discourse Analysis; Science Textbook; Primary Education

Funding: This research was supported by Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat (LPPM), Universitas Negeri Medan (UNIMED), Indonesia, through its Pusat Unggulan Iptek (Center of Excellence) — the Center of Excellence for Future Innovative Science Education.

Article Metrics:

Article Info

Section: Research Article

Language : EN

In Vol 15, No 1 (2025): Volume 15 Number 1 April 2025

Recent articles

Presupposition in the Documentary Ice Cold: Murder, Coffee, and Jessica Wongso: A Forensic Linguistic Study Analyzing Media Bias in Support of Government Policies: A Critical Discourse Analysis in a Newspaper ASSESSING WORTHINESS IN BOOK REVIEW ARTICLES: AUTHORS’ STRATEGIES IN EVALUATING THE REVIEWED BOOKS More recent articles

Most cited articles

Illocution on Speech Acts of Foreign Students in Indonesian Learning Interpersonal Metadiscourse pada Tagline Iklan Poster World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Interruptions and Silences in Conversations: A Turn-Taking Analysis Frontmatter COMPLAINING IN EFL LEARNERS: DIFFERENCES OF REALIZATIONS BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN (A CASE STUDY OF INDONESIAN EFL LEARNERS AT THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT OF THE INDONESIAN UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION) More cited articles

Apple, M. W. (2004). Ideology and curriculum (3rd ed.). Routledge
Archer, L., DeWitt, J., Osborne, J., Dillon, J., Willis, B., & Wong, B. (2012). Science aspirations, capital, and family habitus: How families shape children’s engagement and identification with science. American Educational Research Journal, 49(5), 881–908. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831211433290
Blumberg, R. L. (2008). The invisible obstacle to educational equality: Gender bias in textbooks. Prospects, 38(3), 345–361. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-009-9086-1
Brugeilles, C., & Cromer, S. (2009). Promoting gender equality through textbooks: A methodological guide. UNESCO Publishing. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000158897
Cahyono, B. Y., & Widiati, U. (2022). Gender representations in Indonesian ELT textbooks: A critical review. Studies in English Language and Education, 9(2), 752–770. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v9i2.22737
Chambers, S., Kashefpakdel, E., Rehill, J., & Percy, C. (2018). Drawing the future: Exploring the career aspirations of primary school children from around the world. Education and Employers. https://www.educationandemployers.org/drawing-the-future/
Chikunda, C., & Makonye, P. (2021). Gender representation in secondary school science textbooks in Southern Africa. International Journal of Science Education, 43(7), 1037–1059. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2021.1882105
Chiu, M. M., Price, J., & Almeida, P. (2021). Students’ science identity: Evidence from international large-scale assessments. International Journal of Science Education, 43(10), 1580–1602. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2021.1933357
Curdt-Christiansen, X. L., & Weninger, C. (2015). Language, ideology and education: The politics of textbooks in language education. Routledge
Fairclough, N. (1995). Critical Discourse Analysis: The Critical Study of Language. Longman
Given, L. M. (Ed.). (2008). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods. SAGE Publications
González-Pérez, R., de Cabo, R., & Sáinz, M. (2020). Girls in STEM: Is it a female role-model thing? Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 2204. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02204
Jewitt, C. (Ed.). (2009). The Routledge handbook of multimodal analysis. Routledge
Kementerian Pendidikan Kebudayaan Riset dan Teknologi. (2022). Kurikulum Merdeka dan perencanaan pembelajaran. Kemendikbudristek
Kizilcec, R. F., & Saltarelli, A. J. (2019). Psychologically inclusive design: Cues impact women’s participation in STEM education. Proceedings of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1145/3290605.3300704
Koca, S. A. (2020). Gender representation in science textbooks: A global analysis. International Journal of Science Education, 42(8), 1335–1356. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2020.1755794
Kress, G. (2010). Multimodality: A social semiotic approach to contemporary communication. Routledge
Kress, G., & van Leeuwen, T. (2006). Reading images: The grammar of visual design (2nd ed.). Routledge
Lee, J. F. K., & Collins, P. (2008). Gender representation in Hong Kong English language textbooks. Sex Roles, 59(1), 127–137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-008-9484-z
Makarova, E., Aeschlimann, B., & Herzog, W. (2019). The gender gap in STEM fields: The impact of the gender stereotype of math and science on secondary students’ career aspirations. Frontiers in Education, 4, 60. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2019.00060
Master, A., Meltzoff, A. N., & Cheryan, S. (2021). Gender stereotypes about interests start early and cause gender disparities in computer science and engineering. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(48), e2100030118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2100030118
Rusznyak, L., & Moodley, P. (2024). Textbook representations of power and participation in South African classrooms. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 56(2), 256–274. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2023.2294479
Sadker, D., & Zittleman, K. (2016). Still failing at fairness: How gender bias cheats girls and boys in school and what we can do about it (2nd ed.). Scribner
Saputra, B. E. (2022). Gender representation in Indonesian elementary school textbooks: A content analysis. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 12(1), 10–22. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v12i1.36713
Sleeter, C. E., & Grant, C. A. (2007). Making choices for multicultural education: Five approaches to race, class, and gender (5th ed.). Wiley
Sunderland, J. (2006). Language and gender: An advanced resource book. Routledge
Sussex, R., & Tsui, A. B. M. (2022). Gender and power in textbook dialogues: A critical discourse analysis. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 43(5), 675–692. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2021.1877266
UNESCO. (2020). Global education monitoring report: Gender report—A new generation: 25 years of efforts for gender equality in education. UNESCO Publishing
UNESCO. (2021). STEM education for girls and women: Breaking barriers and unleashing potential. UNESCO Publishing
Zulfikar, T., Andini, S., & Ningsih, Y. (2022). Visual and discursive agency in multimodal science textbooks: A gender analysis. Journal of Educational Media and Design, 11(2), 91–108

Last update:

No citation recorded.

Last update: 2026-01-23 13:21:14

No citation recorded.

As a journal Author, you have rights for a large range of uses of your article, including use by your employing institute or company. These Author rights can be exercised without the need to obtain specific permission.

Authors publishing in Parole: Journal of Linguistics and Education have wide rights to use their works for teaching and scholarly purposes without needing to seek permission, including: use for classroom teaching by Author or Author's institutionand presentation at a meeting or conference and distributing copies to attendees; use for internal training by author's company; distribution to colleagues for their reseearch use; use in a subsequent compilation of the author's works; inclusion in a thesis or dissertation; reuse of portions or extrcats from the article in other works (with full acknowledgement of final article); preparation of derivative works (other than commercial purposes) (with full acknowledgement of final article); voluntary posting on open web sites operated by author or author’s institution for scholarly purposes (follow CC by SA License).

Authors and readers can copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, as well as remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially, but they must give appropriate credit (cite to the article or content), provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. If you remix, transform or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.

A Multimodal and Critical Discourse Analysis of Gender Representation in an Indonesian Grade 4 Science Textbook

Editorial Office of Parole Journal of Linguistics and Education