This study examines the impact of gender representations in English language textbooks for high school students in Hungary and Morocco, exploring the influence of depicted gender roles, stereotypes, and perspectives on students’ gender identity, cross-cultural understanding, and educational outcomes. Previous research reveals that educational materials, especially language textbooks, often reinforce traditional gender roles that may hinder gender equality efforts. Using Feminist Theory and Gender Studies as frameworks, this study aims to uncover how gender representations shape students' learning environments and perceptions. It also incorporates Intercultural Communication theory to address how cultural context affects students’ interpretation of gender roles, considering both Hungary’s European setting and Morocco’s North African context.

1. How are gender roles and stereotypes represented in EFL textbooks in Hungary and Morocco ? 
2. What are the key similarities and differences in the gender representation found in English student textbooks in both countries?
3. What are the potential impacts of gender representations in English student textbooks on students'  academic attainment?
4. What strategies can be implemented to enhance the integration of gender-inclusive content in English language textbooks and curricular documents in Hungary and Morocco?

Studies on English language textbooks have shown significant gender biases. For example, women are often associated with nurturing and social traits; while these traits are valuable, the issue lies in textbooks' tendency to limit women to these characteristics, failing to represent them in a broader range of roles and attributes; meanwhile men are depicted with traits of intellect, power and authority. Images and language used in textbooks frequently reinforce these ideas, creating a hidden curriculum that shapes students’ gender perspectives (Esteves, 2018; Şeker & Dinçer, 2014). These biases manifest in various ways, including unequal visibility in imagery and text, stereotypical adjectives used to describe gender, and lack of representation of women in leadership or technical or high-position roles. 

Gender-biased educational materials can have detrimental effects on students, particularly girls. Limited and stereotypical depictions of female roles can lower self-esteem, reduce engagement, and hinder academic attainment and performance. The representation of gender in textbooks impacts students’ perceptions, attitudes and aspirations. Biased portrayals of women and men can reinforce stereotypes, limit students’ understanding of gender equality, and negatively impact female students’ self-esteem and academic performance as well as attainment (Mustapha, 2013; Lee & Mahmoudi- Gahrouei, 2020). In addition, This exposure encourages students to critically rethink and move beyond traditional gender norms, helping them develop a more equitable understanding of gender. Over time, such representations can contribute to the normalization of diverse gender roles, fostering a more inclusive and balanced view of gender in society. 

Feminist Theory, this theory offers a critical lens to examine how educational materials either challenge or reinforce traditional gender norms, particularly those that limit women’s roles to the domestic ones or portray men in dominant, leadership positions. This theory helps to uncover the ways in which textbooks can reinforce gender inequality by framing certain roles as “appropriate” for one gender over another. 

Gender Studies, this theory offers a crucial lens for examining how gender roles and identities are socially constructed rather than biologically determined. This framework highlights that gender is not fixed but shaped by cultural, historical, and social forces, which vary across different societies and contexts (Butler, 1990; Lorber, 1994). 

Intercultural Communication, this theory can help us understand how cultural values shape the way gender roles are communicated and interpreted. It focuses on how communication practices including language, visual representations, and social behaviors are influenced by cultural norms and values (Gudykunst, 2004). 

Quantitative Data Collection/ Analysis Document Analysis: Analyze English student textbooks used in high schools in Hungary and Morocco to identify gender representations, themes, and potential biases. Database Analysis: Utilize databases containing student academic performance data in English to examine the relationship between gender representations in manuals and educational outcomes, and to identify any correlations between gender representations and educational outcomes. Questionnaire: Conduct questionnaires with students in both countries to discuss their perceptions of the gender values conveyed in English student textbooks and their impact on their gender identity, cross-cultural understanding, and overall educational experiences. ( Descriptive Statistics) Qualitative Data Collection/ Analysis Teacher Interviews: Interview English teachers in both countries to gather their perspectives on the gender representations in the student textbooks and how they address these issues in their classrooms. Thematic Analysis: Thematic analysis of the qualitative data from teacher interviews to identify key themes and patterns related to gender values and their impact. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA): This approach was used to identify and understand the underlying messages and social implications of the language and images in the textbooks. It aimed to reveal how these materials might perpetuate gender stereotypes. Draft Coding Categories: The researcher developed clear categories to classify the data. These categories included: Representation of women and men in various activities. The adjectives used to describe both genders. The portrayal of real people and their contributions, especially focusing on women's achievements Comparative Analysis Cross-Cultural Comparison: Compare the findings from Hungary and Morocco to identify similarities and differences in the gender values portrayed in English student textbooks and their potential impact on students. Best Practices: Extract best practices from both countries for incorporating more gender-sensitive and inclusive content into English language teaching materials.

Anticipated results suggest that traditional gender portrayals may negatively affect students’ academic engagement and self-perception, while textbooks featuring inclusive representations could enhance student motivation, self-esteem, and cross-cultural understanding.

Şeker, M., & Dinçer, A. (2014). An Analysis of Gender Stereotyping in English Teaching Course Books. Cukurova University Faculty of Education Journal, 43. Mustapha, A. S. (2013). Gender and language education research: A review. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 4(3), 454-463. Benattabou, D. (2020). Developing Students’ Intercultural Competence among Moroccan EFL Students: Focus on Raising their Cross-cultural Awareness. International Journal of Language and Literary Studies, 2(3), 43–56. Esteves, M. (2018). Gender equality in education: A challenge for policy makers. Portuguese Journal of Social Sciences, 42(8), 8939-8950. UNESCO (2011). Priority Gender Equality Guidelines. UNESCO Publications Board. Lee, J. F. K., & Mahmoudi-Gahrouei, V. (2020). Gender Representation in Instructional Materials: A Study of Iranian English Language Textbooks and Teachers’ Voices. Sexuality and Culture, 24:1107–1127. Gill, R. (2007). Gender and the Media. Polity. Vaughan, R. (2016). Gender equality and education in the Sustainable Development Goals.UNESCO: Global Education Monitoring Report http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002455/245574E.pdf Benaissa, H. (2024). Gender representation in 'GateWay to English 2': Perceptions of teachers and students. , 2(1), 79-86.