A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF GENDER REPRESENTATION IN AN INDONESIAN 7TH-GRADE MATHEMATICS TEXTBOOK

Abstract

This study analyzes gender representation in a 7th-grade Indonesian mathematics textbook, addressing a critical gap in local research. This analysis is set against a backdrop of global findings on textbook bias and Indonesia's poor performance on national gender equality rankings. Textbooks play a crucial role in transmitting social values, including those related to gender equality, which is a key Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 5). Using a descriptive qualitative content analysis, this study coded content for character presence, activity settings, and professions. High inter-rater reliability was achieved (Cohen’s Kappa = 0.88). The findings reveal significant biases: (1) Male characters (n=233) appeared over 2.3 times more frequently than female characters (n=101). (2) Female characters were disproportionately depicted indoors (n=81) versus outdoors (n=39), while males were more balanced (n=139 vs. n=111). (3) Male professions were overwhelmingly stereotypical (52 traditional vs. 2 non-traditional). (4) While the types of female professions were more balanced (11 traditional vs. 12 non-traditional), this positive aspect was undermined by their overall "invisibility." (5) Notably, zero female mathematicians were featured. The study concludes that the analyzed textbook actively reinforces gender stereotypes, fails to support SDG 5, and requires urgent revision by the Ministry of Education and Culture