| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this mixed methods study is to analyze how three distinct publishers portray African American history in English Foreign Language (EFL) textbooks for Norwegian lower secondary schools (8th- 10th grade) and how the content aligns with the aims of the current national curriculum (LK20). The previous national curriculum, LK06, contained a competence aim concerning history in the UK and US, which was excluded in the revision to LK20. The purpose is to explore how African American history is presented in EFL textbooks after the exclusion of a history-focused competence aim and how it aligns with LK20.
The competence aims apply to the entire lower secondary school, so the publishers can choose which year to prioritize a given aim. Therefore, the number of analyzed textbooks from each publisher and the grade level they targeted varied. A total of seven textbooks are included in the analysis.
The mixed methods feature a qualitative approach to evaluating the content based on a theoretical background, including semiotics, multimodality, and CRT. In addition, the study utilizes a quantitative approach to measure the frequency of African American history content in the analyzed textbooks to provide further dimension and a more comprehensive analysis.
The results reveal that the publishers prioritize different aspects of African American history in their respective textbook series. All the publishers cover some aspects, whereas certain publishers entirely exclude others. Despite differences, they all align with the competence aims of LK20. Additionally, the findings revealed an occurrence of attributing African Americans with otherness in one of the textbooks. The implications point to the importance of teachers’ professional judgment when considering the selection of learning material, integrating African American history into their practice, and how educational sources portray people. | |
