Cultural-Based Analysis in English Textbooks of Secondary Schools: A Comparative Study of Sindh and Punjab Province

Abstract

The current study compared two English textbooks about Sindh and Punjab and examined their cultural dimensions. This study's analysis of the English textbook applied a qualitative methodology. The data source for this research was the English textbooks for secondary schools entitled “Secondary Stage English Book One of 9th from the Sindh Textbook Board, and the other English Book of 9th from the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board, Lahore.” The reading material and exercises in both volumes served as the source of the data for the study. The instrument used for collecting the data was the researcher herself. The data was analyzed using the checklist presented by Byram et al. (1994) to highlight the cultural dimension of textbook evaluation. This study framework comprises an in-depth examination of every unit in both textbooks. In this research, eight cultural dimensions that are included in English textbooks were examined. The findings show that social contact, which is the second category on Byram's (1994) checklist and is more prevalent in the Sindh textbook than the other categories, is the dominant category, while in the Punjab textbook, the 1st category of Byram’s (1994) checklist is a social identity and social group, which is more dominant than the other categories. Additionally, the outcome demonstrated the two textbooks' distinct variances. The textbooks share commonalities in terms of social identity and social group, national identity, belief and behavior, social and political institutions, socialization and life cycle, and stereotypes. Both textbooks undervalue national history. Textbooks varied greatly in the meantime; nevertheless, the main distinction is that national geography is covered in Sindh textbooks whereas it is not in Punjab textbooks.

Keywords: Cultural dimensions, Secondary schools, English textbook.