Content Analysis of Language Textbooks (English, Urdu, Sindhi) for Inclusivity

Abstract

Education plays an important role in preparing children to embrace diversity in the society with particular reference to accepting people with physical disabilities as equal contributors to the growth and development of the society and a textbook is an effective tool to achieve this objective (Kivirauma & Laitinen, 2014). The main purpose of this research is to study the representation of people with disabilities in the textbooks (text and illustrations) published by provincial and selected private publishers. This study uses content analysis method to analyze the content of the selected textbooks used at primary school level. Analysis of 58 textbooks (English, Urdu, Sindhi) indicates that people with disabilities are overlooked. Their representation in these textbooks is not only minimal but they are portrayed as being dependent and unproductive members of the society. This study highlights the importance of including texts about people with different disabilities and their achievements in school textbooks. The students, teachers, teacher educators and parents will understand better disability and how able-bodied and differently-able people share a lot together.

Do The Textbooks Reflect the Curriculum? A Comparative Analysis of Social Studies Textbooks Taught in Public and Private Sector in Pakistan

“…On the other hand, NGO led schools and self-governed schools are independent in their approach to pick the curriculum subject after being approved by ministry of education (Barber, 2010). After the 18th Amendment, the education sector has attained grand autonomy as provinces are free to design their curriculum according to their own needs and now the Ministry of Education of all provinces, is custodian of the curriculum, coursebooks and learning stuff (Siddiqui, 2010).Whereas, other school systems such as NGO based and private schools are using textbooks by other publishers such as AFAQ and Oxford textbooks with the inclusion of concerned educators in devising the curriculum (Gulab & Khokhar, 2018).…”