Male bias in science and ways to counter it: gender imbalance of images in a science textbook in Irish secondary education

Abstract

There has been a steady decline of student take-up of physics as a Leaving Certificate subject, from 19% in 1991 to 13.6% in 2021. This comes in the backdrop of a projected increase in the international demand for STEM workers, which makes STEM education the bedrock for securing Ireland’s economic future. The gender bias in science textbooks is well documented and enduring. The lack of female representation in science textbooks’ images is exacerbated by the scarcity of female figures that would be broadly accepted as role models. This paper examines the gender balance of a science textbook used widely in the Irish junior cycle. For this purpose, the Gender Bias 14 Tool was chosen as the data collection instrument, which was developed by Parkin and Mackenzie. A clear majority of the 38 chapters of the book contain more images/illustrations with male than female figures, more images/illustrations that improve the image of men and more images/illustrations of male role models. Potential interventions are outlined including working closely with publishers to include more women in the textbook’s images, especially important and influential female figures, and working with teachers to help them enhance teaching with supplementary material that include more female representation through images.