How are religious traditions and exchanges between them constructed in textbooks used in Quebec? Through a critical discourse analysis of History and Citizenship Education, and Ethics and Religious Culture textbooks, we find that the Abrahamic monotheistic tradition is valorized, while non-Abrahamic monotheistic traditions and polytheism are…

The report opens with detailed summaries of historical background information for each of the groups involved and with a review of the literature on bias in textbooks in Canada, the United States, and other countries. Over a time span of six months, 211 readers evaluated 1,719 textbooks. Readers located 104 biases in 78 textbooks. The 23 biases…

This report contains a description of the first part of the Curriculum Branch's audit of the program of studies, curriculum guides, textbooks, and other learning resources in Alberta, Canada, which was undertaken for three purposes: (1) to determine the adequacy of the ways in which tolerance, understanding, and respect for minority groups and…

Discusses steps taken to eliminate bias and misrepresentation from history textbooks and examines how descriptions of historical events can be affected. Describes how groups can question textbook material and states that, if the goal of textbook writing is to offend no one, then history will cease to exist in the schools. (GEA)

I examine how science curricula are complicit in maintaining the dominance of knowledge production by major powers, particularly the USA, through their efforts to tell the "truth" about certain topics, and whether resistant counter-discourses are being mounted, especially in "peripheral" states such as Canada, Australia, and…

This paper examines how the idea of "race" is represented in high school Canadian history textbooks. It looks at textbooks authorized by the Province of Ontario between 1940 and 1960 and those authorized after 2000. It is argued in this paper that even though historical racisms have increasingly made their way into Canadian history…

An examination of characters, narrative content, and context of two Canadian primary level reading series reveals a fictional world populated almost exclusively by white, nuclear families all living the same kind of life, with values of upwardly mobile, achievement-oriented individualists. (MJB)

Sex-role stereotyping in Canadian textbooks is discussed and curriculum changes as a solution to the problem are suggested. (JMF)

Current U.S. policies toward Central American nations motivated this examination of the presentation of the region in 12 social studies textbooks. In order to determine if each text's treatment of Central America was representative of the entire book, three regions, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean were selected for comparison purposes. The…

United States-based publishing firms dominate the Canadian learning materials market; their business and editorial practices suppress Canadian viewpoints and undermine Canadian publishers. Provincial and federal measures intended to strengthen domestic publishing have been adequate only in central Canada. As information technology advances,…

Reports on a pilot survey of the authors of three sets of textbooks used in Australia and Canada, which have previously been shown to include a relatively high proportion of Indigenous and other minority groups' knowledges, cultures and sciences. Explores issues of voice and power in the production of textbooks. (MM)

Analysis of three Canadian grade 10 social studies textbooks illustrates how the discrimination and persecution endured by Japanese Canadians have been marginalized. As long as textbooks present perspectives of the dominant social group, inequalities embedded in society will remain hidden. Using textbooks critically to interrogate biases inherent…

This documentary study postures Canadian school textbooks as barometers of corporate faith and prevailing world view, tracing the shift toward secularization in 150 years of publication. A perusal of textbooks suggests that the current secularism of school curricula is not neutral and highlights the need to teach about Christianity. (SM)

Considers the ubiquitous use of textbooks in social studies classrooms and recommends constructing critical-thinking exercises revealing textual bias. Suggested exercises concern issues of emotional or ambiguous language, geographic and cultural inclusion/exclusion, and accuracy of data. Includes several examples of critical-thinking activities.…

The media selection guidelines in this booklet have been developed to further emphasize fairness and respect for all individuals in Saskatchewan (Canada) schools. The six forms of bias that may appear in learning materials include: (1) invisibility--underrepresenting certain groups; (2) stereotyping--assigning rigid roles or attributes to a group;…