1. Introduction

1.1. Introduction

With the improvement of China's comprehensive national strength and the progress of social civilization, gender equality has penetrated from policy advocacy to all fields of social development, and has become an important indicator to measure the degree of social modernization. In the education system, as the core carrier of students' exposure to systematic knowledge and social values, textbooks are the "first-hand information" for shaping adolescents' gender awareness, which directly affects students' cognition of the social division of labor, ability boundaries and value contributions between men and women, and is related to the transmission and deepening of the concept of gender equality between generations. As a special carrier with both language teaching and cultural penetration functions, the gender images in English textbooks are not only visual auxiliary elements, but also implicitly carry the expectations and norms of society for gender roles. As the mainstream textbook in Beijing, the annual use of high school English textbooks (2019 edition) published by Beijing Normal University Press covers hundreds of thousands of local high school students. However, the current research on the gender representation of textbook illustrations in China mostly focuses on the national general versions such as the People's Education Press and the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, and the attention to other mainstream textbooks is seriously insufficient. Based on this,this study, integrating Van Leeuwen's visual analysis framework and Washington State's bias assessment model, conducts the first empirical analysis of gender stereotypes in Beijing Normal University Press textbooks, aiming to reveal gender representation characteristics in textbooks and provide pathways for improving gender equality in local textbook compilation.

1.2. Gender stereotype and english textbook illustrations

Gender roles in textbooks reflect societal and cultural stereotypes about the roles of men and women. Since the 1940s, psychologists have consistently explored this topic, finding that male characters not only outnumber females in reading materials but also exhibit distinct gendered patterns: women are portrayed as weak, dependent, and in need of help, while men are depicted as strong, creative, and often as leaders or heroes [1]. Studies have similarly identified gender stereotypes in illustrations of primary and secondary school textbooks. Research on gender representation in textbook illustrations is well-established, focusing on visual symbol analysis, cross-cultural comparisons, and digital textbooks. Mechanisms of occupational gender segregation in textbook illustrations have been explored [2]. An increase in non-traditional female roles in East Asian textbooks has been noted, though women still undertake 100% of household chores in family scenarios [3]; More severe gender imbalance in digital textbooks has been found [4]. Developed countries have implemented policy review and quantitative evaluation intervention. Research in China is limited and scattered across disciplines. Female minors accounted for only 24% of illustrations in Beijing Normal University Press junior high school mathematics textbooks, mostly depicted as seekers of help [5]. A 61% absence rate of father figures in family illustrations of ideological and moral textbooks has been observed, reinforcing the traditional notion of "maternal child-rearing" [6]. In English textbooks, People's Education Press and Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press versions have been extensively studied due to their wide use, while regional textbooks remain underexplored. A comparison of 2007 and 2019 editions of People's Education Press senior high school English textbooks shows increased female illustrations and diverse occupational roles (e.g., environmental leaders, researchers), but persistent occupational segregation with men dominating high-status, authoritative roles [7]. Despite recent progress in quantitative and cross-version analysis, research in China faces limitations such as narrow focus and neglect of regional textbooks. While studies suggest increasing female role illustrations, no specific design guidelines are proposed. Regarding teachers' role as intermediaries, 55% of teachers recognize gender bias, without addressing teaching transformation strategies [8].

2. Research design

2.1. Research questions

This study examines three 2019 compulsory English textbooks published by Beijing Normal University Press, focusing on all gender-identifiable character illustrations. It addresses two questions: (1) What are the differences in the distribution of numbers and frequencies of male and female illustrations? (2) What are the characteristics of gendered role distribution (occupational roles, behaviors, and outstanding figures)?

2.2. Research dimensions and methods

Drawing on Xu & Mo's analytical framework [9], Van Leeuwen's visual character analysis [10], Brugeilles & Cromer's content on gender stereotypes [11], and Washington State's 2009 bias assessment model [12], a four-dimensional framework was constructed (see Table 1). Content analysis was adopted: quantitative analysis focused on counting and analyzing numbers or frequencies of gendered illustrations (distinguished by appearance, clothing, etc.; ambiguous or mixed-gender illustrations were excluded; repeated appearances of the same character were counted). Qualitative analysis examined role behaviors and outstanding figures (judged by context, behavior, and attire; vague figures like passers-by were excluded; dual-identity figures were counted separately).

3. Results

3.1. Differences in number and frequency of male and female illustrations

Table 2 shows a total male-to-female illustration ratio of 0.9:1, with more female illustrations overall. Volumes 1 and 2 had nearly equal numbers (0.9:1 and 1.1:1), while Volume 3 had more females (0.7:1). In terms of frequency, males appeared 110 times and females 90 times (1.2:1), with males dominating Volumes 1 and 2 (1.4:1 each) and females slightly more in Volume 3 (0.7:1).

3.2. Gendered occupational roles

Occupational roles represent behavioral patterns society ascribes to individuals in specific professions [13]. These roles involve both external expectations and internal motivations, with gender being a key influencing factor. Research indicates that occupations exhibit gender-specific attributes and segregation, where gender serves as the primary criterion for assigning roles to different genders. This leads to occupational characteristics marked by gender differences, resulting in inequalities in economic income and social status between men and women [14]. Furthermore, biased portrayals of women's occupations may reinforce gender discrimination against women [15]. Given the scattered distribution of gender-related occupational roles depicted in teaching materials, this section analyzes occupational role categories and workforce representation across genders. Based on existing research [16], we categorize occupational roles into nine types (see Table 4) to examine gender disparities across these professional groups.

Table 3 shows the number of male occupational roles is the same more than female in each textbook with the total number of 37 male roles versus 27 female roles (1.4:1). The illustrations in textbooks show horizontal segregation and vertical segregation. Horizontal segregation refers to the imbalance of distribution of male and female roles in different types of career, while vertical segregation refers to the imbalance of distribution of male and female roles in the same career [17].

Table 4 reveals horizontal segregation (males dominated government services [14 :0] and sports [51:12]; females dominated education [25:10] and art [22:12]). From the perspective of vertical segregation, males held authoritative roles in politics and sports; females concentrated in teaching and life services.

3.3. Gendered role behaviors

Gender stereotypes primarily manifest in role behaviors such as family dynamics, occupational roles, behavioral patterns, clothing choices, and personality traits [18], with their effects persisting throughout life stages. While role behaviors themselves lack inherent gender attributes [19], which shows that overemphasizing the connection between specific behaviors and gender creates gender stereotypes in role behaviors. For instance, research on four English textbooks in Malaysia revealed that three editions predominantly portrayed female domestic roles compared to male counterparts [20], demonstrating the persistence of traditional gender roles like "men working outside and women managing the home." To investigate gender role behaviors, this study analyzes and statistically describes the behavioral patterns and situational contexts of both genders across different activity scenarios.

Tables 5 and 6 show females dominated family scenarios (11:2), art, and school scenarios, while males dominated politics (8:0), sports (41:13), and production. Behaviors reflected the traditional "male role as breadwinner, female role as homemaker" stereotype.

3.4. Outstanding figures

Illustrated textbooks featuring exemplary figures not only motivate students but also help them develop proper values. However, when these figures exhibit gender stereotypes, they may mislead students' gender perceptions. Through analyzing descriptions and statistics of male and female role models in textbooks, the illustrations demonstrate the following characteristics:

Table 9 shows male outstanding figures outnumbered females (11:7). Table 7 ,8 and 10 show most male roles are pre-20th-century figures (e.g., Confucius, Beethoven) and females are more contemporary (e.g., Tu Youyou, Jane Goodall).

Table 10 shows that most outstanding male figures emerged before the 20th century. Given their historical distance from modern contexts, students may struggle to relate to these characters, potentially diminishing the influence of role models and affecting learning outcomes. In reality, since the 21st century, women have increasingly assumed diverse social roles. Across various industries, contemporary female exemplars with modern relevance continue to emerge. Their rise helps break down gender stereotypes, thereby playing a positive role in fostering healthy gender perspectives among high school students.

4. Discussion

Combined with the research results of sections 3.1 and 3.3 above, the contradiction between the number and frequency of textbook illustrations in men and women, as well as the implicit power imbalance reflected by this, can be observed. Despite more female illustrations (64/120), males appeared more frequently, dominating authoritative scenarios (100% male in politics). This aligns with Van Leeuwen's visual power theory: high-frequency roles are subconsciously perceived as "scene leaders" [10]. Even in Volume 3's female-majority illustrations, behaviors (e.g., note-taking, ballet) remained low-authority, revealing hidden power imbalance.

In the context of gender power imbalance, the distribution of occupational roles in the textbook illustrations further confirms the solidification of gender segregation, which is highly consistent with the occupational data presented in Section 3.2. Horizontal and vertical segregation persisted: 100% male representation in government services reflected Anker's "male authority space construction" [17], while education showed "male leadership vs. female execution," echoing Brugeilles' observation of gender hierarchy in the same occupation [11].

In the context of gender power imbalance, the distribution of occupational roles in the textbook illustrations further confirms the solidification of gender segregation, which is highly consistent with the occupational data presented in Section 3.2. Females dominated family behaviors, with males only shown "throwing garbage." Pre-20th-century male figures reduced relevance, while missing historical female figures created a narrative gap.

In summary, Beijing Normal University Press textbooks, as regional representatives, exhibited contradictions: (1) Progressive yet conservative (non-traditional female roles coexisting with exclusion from government); (2) International but locally biased (many foreign figures without referencing global gender equality models); (3) Lack of teacher intervention (no critical teaching guidelines despite 55% of teachers recognizing bias) [8].

5. Conclusions

To address gender stereotypes, textbook compilation should adopt some strategies. Government and departments should establish national gender review standards, integrating equality indicators into textbook evaluation and use Beijing Normal University Press textbooks as a pilot to develop local female role models (e.g., female engineers from the Winter Olympics) with dedicated revision funds. Textbook authors should deconstruct "authority-subordination" symbols: increase frequency of female roles in government or science (e.g., female mayors, lead scientists). Besides, editors should portray family collaboration with males actively participating in childcare or housework and elevate contemporary female role models to balance historical narratives.Relevant teacher training can incorporate gender critical thinking into teacher training, developing an "Illustration Equality Teaching Guide," and involve students in creating equitable illustrations for textbook revisions. Eliminating gender stereotypes in textbooks requires reconstructing traditional power cultures through policy, narrative innovation, and educational reform, ensuring textbooks become tools for gender equality enlightenment.