I. Topic

Racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and homophobia are global challenges and have major impacts on societies as a whole and on learning in schools. These tendencies are also increasingly a challenge for ‘global’ civil society. In accordance with the ECER 2022 priority "to take into consideration local specifications", the study uses teaching materials to show national specifications of e.g. racist representations and explains them with contextual factors such as historical developments. Our study also shows what role teaching materials can play in promoting inclusion and thus meeting the global challenge.

During the last years, the implementation of inclusion has been a major challenge all over Europe, the US as well as worldwide. Especially, the situation in different parts of the education systems has been improved for example in education policy, school practise and on an academic level. In contrast, no consideration is found on the level of teaching materials and their importance for equal opportunities in a diverse society and global Education. Academic research about the relationship between teaching materials and opportunities and equity between different student perspectives is lacking (Fuchs 2014).

II. Research questions

The following questions are guiding the research process.

1. Are diverse needs of and perspectives from students equally represented in teaching materials?

2. How do design and content of teaching materials interfere with inclusive Education?

III. Theoretical framework

Our project emphasises attention on teaching materials and inscribed ideas of a “normal child” which excludes children from different ethnic and religious backgrounds as well as gender and socioeconomic backgrounds. Existing research literature shows that racism is frequently part of teaching materials (Grabbert 2010). But it’s also important that the research fields lack international comparative perspectives that show similarities and differences in material learning cultures from different countries and explains them with the political and cultural context. Studies like the one from Markom and Weinhäupl (2007) for example shows that many Austrian textbooks still contain Eurocentric / racist and anti-Semitic representations. Grabbert shows that textbooks mostly describe people with a migration background stereotypically as victims of social circumstances (Grabbert 2010). The study also points out that immigration is often presented from a problem and deficit perspective. Osterloh looked in particular at political books that were used in German schools (Osterloh 2008: 115 f.). One result of the study was that the attribute "being white" was positively connoted in contrast to "being black". It is also said that being black is equated with being alien, a marginalization from one's own imagined community. The studies by Marmer et al. also examined the representation of Africans in German textbooks (see also Marmer 2013). The presentation and focus on phenomena such as poverty and health risks therefore leads to the activation of stereotypes. There is a risk that schoolchildren may not feel they belong to the communities in which they are living and feel excluded. A study by the Georg Eckert Institute, which compared the presentation of Islam in textbooks from history and social studies in five European countries, found that a majority of established textbook representations are not suitable for giving schoolchildren a differentiated picture of Islam (Kamp 2011). This study also suggests a Eurocentric perspective of textbooks. Today, Islam is mainly "associated with social, political and cultural crises and conflicts" (Kamp 2011). While the development process for teaching materials is quite different in various countries there are some similarities, firstly teaching materials are hardly monitored professionally, secondly potentially discriminatory, racist and thus anti-democratic teaching materials can be found in many countries e.g. for North America (Moreau 2004), for European countries (Grabbert 2010).

The project is based on an international-comparative study which compares teaching materials in the US, Sweden, Germany, Italy and Luxembourg. Furthermore, under a comparative perspective differences and parallels between the countries can be detected and linked to culturally and politically related developments. Aside from the partners from Bielefeld University, Luxembourg University, Örebro University, Free University Bozen four Schools participated in the project. The methods which are used are based on a qualitative methodology e.g. symbolic interactionism (Manning & Maines 2003). Furthermore, we are collecting teaching materials from the partner schools and conduct content analysis on them. We conducted a document analysis on the materials, we used also the approach of content analysis based on Mayring (2015) for analysing the materials. Furthermore, we analysed curricula, and documents which are relevant for the context e.g. state regulations regarding the selection of teaching materials and conducted group discussions with primary school teachers. The sources chosen for the project are teaching materials which are used in the partner schools. We are collecting especially material from the third and fourth grade and material which is used in Math, Languages and social sciences.

With regard to the first research question we concluded, that the teaching materials are mostly written for children with high language competencies. We were also able to show that females are underrepresented in the teaching materials and that traditional gender stereotypes about the activities of males and females in the occupational sphere and in the domestic sphere are prevalent as well as traditional European Christian stereotypes about the traits and activities of males and females. The study shows further that Authors, artists, female historical figures and workers from minority ethnic and religious minorities are hardly represented. Teaching materials are influenced strongly by traditional Christian value sets and exclude ideas from other religions or ethnic communities. This is problematic because societies are becoming increasingly heterogeneous due to migration or because children were forced to leave the countries in which they were living. Children from migrated families or refugees need materials which increase their language competencies, and which is sensible for the differences in language skills. With regard to the second research questions we suggest, that teaching material need a more thorough evaluation with regard to discriminating factors. Furthermore, we need an awareness from publishers which develop teaching materials for the needs of students from ethnic minorities and other deprived communities. We also must do more to educate the teachers about prejudices like racism and islamophobia in teaching materials. The current situation in the US suggest that we only at the beginning in the case of teaching materials (Charalambous & Hill 2012). By better evaluating teaching material professionally, it can be ensured that e.g. stigmatization disappears from teaching material, which is an important step towards a more inclusive education.

Charalambous, C. Y., & Hill, H. C. (2012). Teacher knowledge, curriculum materials, and quality of instruction: Unpacking a complex relationship. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 44(4), 443-466. Fetsko, W. (1992). Approaching Textbook Selection Systematically. In: Herlihy, J.G. (ed) The Textbook Controversy – Issues, Aspects, Perspective New Jersey, Norwood. Fuchs, E. (2014). Das Schulbuch in der Forschung Analysen und Empfehlungen für die Bildungspraxis. Eckert. Expertise (1. Auflage.). Göttingen V&R unipress 2014. Grabbert, T. (2010). „Migration im niedersächsischen Schulbuch.“ In: POLIS 3 (2010), 15– 17. Kamp, M. (2011). Keine Chance auf Zugehörigkeit? Schulbücher europäischer Länder halten Islam und modernes Europa getrennt. Braunschweig: Georg- Eckert-Institut. Knecht, P., Schütze, S., Aamotsbakken, B. (2014): Methodologie und Methoden der Schulbuch- und Lehrmittelforschung, Bad Heilbrunn. Manning, P., & Maines D. (2003). Editorial Introduction: Theory and Method in Symbolic Interactionism. Symbolic Interaction, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 497–500. Markom, C. & Weinhäupl, H. (2007). Die Anderen im Schulbuch. Rassismen, Exotismen, Sexismen und Orientalismus in österreichischen Schulbüchern. Wien: Braumüller. Marmer, E. (2013). Rassismus in deutschen Schulbüchern am Beispiel von Afrikabildern. In: Zeitschrift für internationale Bildungsforschung und Entwicklungspädagogik 2, pp. 25 –31. Marmer, E. et al. (2011). Rascism and the Image of Africa in German Schools and Textbooks. » In: The International Journal of Diversity in Organizations, Communities and Nations 10, 5, pp. 1– 14. Matthes, E. & Schütze, S. (2016). Schulbücher auf dem Prüfstand. In: Matthes, E. (ed) Schulbücher auf dem Prüfstand. Beiträge zur historischen und systematischen Schulbuch- und Bildungsmedienforschung. Bad Heilbrunn: Verlag Julius Klinkhardt. Mayring, P. (2015). Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse. Weinheim [u.a.]: Beltz. Mikk, J. (2000). Textbook: Research and Writing Frankfurt am Main, Peter Lang. Osgood, R. (2008). The History of Special Education: A Struggle for Equality in American. Westport: Praeger Publishers. Osterloh, K. (2008). Weißsein in Politikschulbüchern. Eine diskursanalytische Untersuchung. Saarbrücken: VDM Verlag Dr. Müller. Moreau, J. (2004). Schoolbook Nation. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. Vogt, M. & Krenig, K. (2016). Bildungsgerechtigkeit im Schriftspracherwerb – Gestaltungsmerkmale und konzeptionelle Realisierungsmöglichkeiten. In: Sigel, R. (eds.): Diagnose und Förderung von bildungsbenachteiligten Kindern. Bad Heilbrunn. Vogt, M. & Krenig, K. (2017). Entwicklung und Bewertung von Unterrichtskonzeptionen und - materialien für einen inklusiven Grundschulunterricht. In: Casale, R. & Peschel, M. (eds.): Forschung für die Praxis. Reihe Beiträge zur Reform der Grundschule des Grundschulverbandes.