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Journals / Language Teaching and Educational Research / 2025 / Volume: 8 Issue: 2

Cultural Diversity in Turkish EFL Coursebooks: Analyzing Representation of Race and Identity

Gökçe Nur Türkmen(CANAKKALE ONSEKIZ MART UNIVERSITY)0000-0002-8755-1803
Ece Zehir Topkaya(İZMİR DEMOKRASİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0001-5364-7551
Pages
—
Publication Date
2025-12-23
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

In this context, his research can guide the coursebook improvement process, suggesting ways to enhance representation and ensure diverse perspectives are integrated effectively.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Educational materials assume a crucial role as they serve as guiding resources for teachers and students, shaping their perspectives, beliefs, and thereby playing a pivotal role in cultivating inclusive and culturally responsive educational environments.
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Key Findings & Data:Using a qualitative approach involving image and text analysis, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade coursebooks’ representation of race and identity was investigated by examining the characters’ races, names, nationalities, and famous figures portrayed.
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Conclusion & Impact:In this context, his research can guide the coursebook improvement process, suggesting ways to enhance representation and ensure diverse perspectives are integrated effectively.
🔬Design:Research Article
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:English language teaching · multiculturalism · identity

Abstract

Educational materials assume a crucial role as they serve as guiding resources for teachers and students, shaping their perspectives, beliefs, and thereby playing a pivotal role in cultivating inclusive and culturally responsive educational environments. Thus, this study examines the representation of race and identity in Turkish state high school English as a Foreign Language (EFL) coursebooks and aims to assess the extent to which these coursebooks exhibit an inclusive representation of diverse racial and cultural identities. Using a qualitative approach involving image and text analysis, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade coursebooks’ representation of race and identity was investigated by examining the characters’ races, names, nationalities, and famous figures portrayed. The research reveals a significant overemphasis on portraying White individuals in Turkish EFL high school coursebooks, highlighting potential dominance of Western cultural perspectives and limiting exposure to real-world diversity. The underrepresentation of other racial backgrounds, exclusion of indigenous and multiracial identities, and a focus on fair skin tones underscore the urgent need for more inclusive depictions in educational materials. In this context, his research can guide the coursebook improvement process, suggesting ways to enhance representation and ensure diverse perspectives are integrated effectively.

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Cite This Article

Türkmen, G. N., Topkaya, E. Z. (2025). Cultural Diversity in Turkish EFL Coursebooks: Analyzing Representation of Race and Identity. Language Teaching and Educational Research, Volume: 8 Issue: 2. https://doi.org/10.35207/later.1776934

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