Textbook Analysis Methodology
"Based on page-by-page scrutiny of the books under study singling out each reference to the Other and to peace, be it in a form of text, photograph, illustration, map, chart or graph. Special attention was given to cases of non-reference, which are no less important in textbook research. The evaluation of the specific method of messages of each reference (or non-reference) was made according to UNESCO recommendations and principles. This way a clear picture had been drawn of the general attitude to the Other and to peace in this region.”
George Eckert Institute for international textbook research (GEI) on IMPACT-se research
IMPACT-se's research goal is to provide an accurate and comprehensive assessment of a national system's school curriculum, by analyzing a large quantity of textbooks using international standards based on UNESCO and UN declarations as well as other international recommendations and documents on education for peace and tolerance.
During research, the textbooks are read thoroughly and individual examples are selected on the basis of relevance to research and criteria. The examples are then analyzed as is, without interpretation or paraphrasis, by trained experts and linguists, in terms of both their content and their didactic significance. Finally, the examples are generalized to establish the examples' significance in the overall narrative, determining the curriculum's adherence (or lack thereof) to international standards of peace and tolerance education.
IMPACT-se research uses both methods simultaneously and in a complementary manner, thus allowing to reliably uncover the significance of the text and how it may be perceived by the intended reader, i.e. the student, and minimize the observer bias on the part of the researcher.
The diverse nature of textual analysis necessitates clearly defined scope and parameters. As such, the methods of textual analysis mentioned above are employed with a focus on pre-defined topics and themes. To assess compliance with international educational standards, textbooks are approached with attention to the conceptualization of the “Self” and the “Other” in environments of conflict, and messages involving violence and incitement to violence; hate and intolerance; and peace and peaceful conflict resolution. These issues may be identified with the help of research questions, which serve as suggested leads and prompts for the researcher in exploring the context, aspects, significance and potential ramifications of a specific content example.[1] Also explored are issues that arise from the source material itself, such as culture- or nation-specific issues. For example, the identity of the “Other” differs from one society to another, and in many cases there are multiple groups of people labeled as such; the “Other” may be ethnic, religious, racial, national, socio-economic, gender, sexual, or any combination of the above. As such, each corpus of textbooks requires a unique set of criteria for identifying and collating content examples.
To ensure accuracy, research is conducted while taking into account known limitations and constraints. Since the contents of school curricula are created by multiple individuals and inconsistencies may occur even within a single textbook, the sample of textbooks to be researched is generally aimed to be as large as possible, encompassing multiple school grades and subjects. Favoring large samples also allows for a more accurate analysis of discourse and narrative that can only be perceived on a macro level, to pinpoint gaps and oversights, reach meaningful conclusions and facilitate actionable recommendations. Textbooks are selected for research after a preliminary study, on the basis of their verified use within the national education system and their assessed potential for relevance to pre-defined research topics.
In its assessment of educational materials, IMPACT-se employs UNESCO and other UN declarations, as well as international recommendations and documents on education for peace and tolerance. The use of internationally-recognized standards allows for an objective, empirical and fair analysis of a wide range of educational materials from diverse societies, mitigating political, national or religious biases on the part of the researcher and preventing prejudice towards any particular group of people. The use of these standards for evaluating educational content has been endorsed by bodies of the European Union, among others. [2]
9 Core Evaluation Standards
Respect
The curriculum should promote tolerance, understanding and respect toward the “Other,” his or her culture, achievements, values and way of life.[3]
Individual Other
The curriculum should foster personal attachment toward the “Other” as an individual, his or her desire to be familiar, loved and appreciated.[4]
No Hate
The curriculum should be free of wording, imagery and ideologies likely to create prejudices, misconceptions, stereotypes, misunderstandings, mistrust, racial hatred, religious bigotry and national hatred, as well as any other form of hatred or contempt for other groups or peoples.[5]
No Incitement
The curriculum should be free of language, content, and imagery that disseminate ideas or theories which justify or promote acts and expressions of violence, incitement to violence, hostility, harm and hatred toward other national, ethnic, racial or religious groups.[6]
Peacemaking
The curriculum should develop capabilities for non-violent conflict resolution and promote peace.[7]
Unbiased Information
Educational materials (textbooks, workbooks, teachers’ guides, maps, illustrations, aids) should be up-to-date, accurate, complete, balanced and unprejudiced, and use equal standards to promote mutual knowledge and understanding between different peoples.[8]
Gender Identity and Representation
The curriculum should foster equality, mutual respect, and should aim for equal representation between individuals regardless of their gender identity. It should also refrain from language, content, and imagery that depicts limiting and/or exclusionary gender roles.[9]
Sexual Orientation
The curriculum should be free of language, content, and imagery that promulgates violence or discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.[10]
Sound Prosperity and Cooperation
The curriculum should educate for sound and sustainable economic conduct and preservation of the environment for future generations. It should encourage regional and local cooperation to that effect.[11]
UNESCO Guidelines
The above mentioned standards are applied by the researcher in conjunction with specific guidelines for textbook development promoted by UNESCO itself. These include the following:
1
Treating textbooks as a tool for facilitating teaching and learning processes that foster peace, equality and mutual understanding.[12]
2
The integration of human rights principles and pedagogical processes that teach peaceful conflict resolution, non-discrimination and other practices and attitudes for “learning to live together”.[13]
3
Incorporation of content that is free from harmful gender, religious and other stereotypes,[14] or generalizations that may oversimplify the representation of other groups or set one group against the other,[15] with the recognition that hate speech can be particularly dangerous in conflict situations, as it fuels violence and atrocity crimes.[16] Instead, educational materials should actively aim to challenge and eradicate underlying prejudices and stereotypes and contribute to overcoming their consequences,[17] and confront essentialist, generalizing ascriptions to entire populations.[18]
4
5
Avoiding a dominant narrative voice associated with one particular ethno-racial or national structure, but critically question dominant narratives by means of counter-narratives and present the perspectives of different groups on current affairs and historical controversies;[22]
6
The promotion of peace, with attention to the emotive level of words, attitudes to different groups of people and nations, identifying and countering hate speech, and managing conflict through dialogue,[23]
7
The promotion of peace-building, that is, a broader concept of “positive peace” that is an expression of the fundamental dignity of and respect for life;[24]
8
Recognition of past violence and crimes, both local and global, such as the Holocaust, and discussion of the dynamics of identity-based hate that caused them;[25]
9
The use of tools such as literature to foster tolerance and empathy, helping students to see the world from the perspective of other people and to experience how others feel;[26]
Additional Criteria
In addition to UNESCO recommendations, IMPACT-se takes the following two criteria into consideration when assessing educational materials’ compliance with international standards:
International law and agreements
Educational material should respect international law, relevant resolutions, previous agreements and obligations. This may include, for example, the principle of a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Antisemitism (IHRA definition)
Educational material should be void of antisemitic content, which is to be evaluated on the basis of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.[31] While UNESCO has not adopted this nor any other single definition of antisemitism,[32] it has recommended teaching about contemporary (post-1945) manifestations of antisemitism,[33] with specific examples including Holocaust denial and the characterization of Western support for the State of Israel in that context,[34] asking Jews to disavow their connection with Israel,[35] and criticism of Israel in cases where it is informed by antisemitic assumptions and beliefs that are simply applied to Zionism, Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.[36] UNESCO has also recommended teaching about the Jewish Holocaust,[37] local Jewish heritage,[38] the diversity of Jewish beliefs, commonalities with other communities, and positive contributions of Jewish individuals, as well as using a multi-perspective approach to teaching about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.[39]
References & Sources
[1] Arnon Groiss, "Researching Schoolbooks of Societies in Conflict: Suggested Study Questions," 2013. impact-se.org/research-questions-2; Georg Eckert Institute, "Inception Report for a Study on Palestinian Textbooks," 12 April 2019. depositedpapers.parliament.uk
[2] European Parliament, Resolution 2023/2129(DEC), 11 April 2024, item no. 198. europarl.europa.eu
[3] Declaration of Principles on Tolerance, UNESCO, November 16, 1995, Articles 1, 4.2. UN Declaration on the Promotion among Youth of the Ideals of Peace (1965), Principles I, III. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).
[4] Declaration of Principles on Tolerance, UNESCO, Article 6. UN Declaration on the Promotion among Youth of the Ideals of Peace (1965), Principles IV, V.
[5] Declaration of Principles on Tolerance, Articles III.6, IV.7, VII.39; Integrated Framework for Action on Education for Peace, UNESCO, 1995, Article 18.2.
[6] Article 4, International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), 1965. Article 20, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), 1966.
[7] Integrated Framework for Action on Education for Peace, UNESCO, 1995, Article 9; Declaration of Principles on Tolerance, 1995, Article 5.
[8] UNESCO recommendation on education for international understanding, cooperation and peace, 1974, Article V.14.
[9] Declaration of Principles on Tolerance, UNESCO, 1995 — Convention on the Elimination of Any Form of Discrimination against Women.
[10] UN Human Rights Council Resolutions 32/2 (2016) and 17/19 (2011); numerous UN General Assembly resolutions.
[11] UNESCO recommendation on education for international understanding, 1974, Articles III.6, IV.7; Declaration of Principles on Tolerance, 1995, Article 4.2.
[12] Textbooks and Learning Resources: Guidelines for Developers and Users (UNESCO, 2014), p. 12. unesdoc.unesco.org
[13] A Comprehensive Strategy for Textbooks and Learning Materials (UNESCO, 2005), p. 11. inee.org
[14] Textbooks for Sustainable Development: A Guide to Embedding (UNESCO, 2017), p. 29. unesdoc.unesco.org
[15] Making Textbook Content Inclusive: A Focus on Religion, Gender, and Culture (UNESCO, 2017), p. 13. unesdoc.unesco.org
[16] Addressing Hate Speech through Education: A Guide for Policy-makers (UNESCO, 2023), pp. 13–14. unesdoc.unesco.org
[17] Recommendation on Education for Peace and Human Rights (UNESCO, 2023), p. 11. unesco.org
[18] Unmasking Racism: Guidelines for Educational Materials (UNESCO, 2024), p. 27.
[19] Making Textbook Content Inclusive (UNESCO, 2017), pp. 15–16.
[20] Addressing Hate Speech through Education (UNESCO, 2023), pp. 32–33.
[21] Recommendation on Education for Peace and Human Rights (UNESCO, 2023), p. 9.
[22] Unmasking Racism (UNESCO, 2024), pp. 53, 61.
[23] Textbooks for Sustainable Development (UNESCO, 2017), p. 166.
[24] Textbooks and Learning Resources: A Framework for Policy Development (UNESCO, 2014), p. 21.
[25] Addressing Hate Speech through Education (UNESCO, 2023), pp. 33–34, 42, 45–46.
[26] Textbooks for Sustainable Development (UNESCO, 2017), p. 175.
[27] Textbooks for Sustainable Development (UNESCO, 2017), pp. 37–42, 67–100.
[28] Recommendation on Education for Peace and Human Rights (UNESCO, 2023), p. 9.
[29] Brugeilles & Cromer, Promoting Gender Equality through Textbooks (UNESCO, 2009). unesdoc.unesco.org
[30] Recommendation on Education for Peace and Human Rights (UNESCO, 2023), pp. 8, 10–11.
[31] IHRA, Non-Legally Binding Working Definition of Antisemitism. holocaustremembrance.com. Endorsed by European Commission (2021), European Parliament (2017), Council of the EU (2018).
[32] Addressing Anti-Semitism through Education: Guidelines for Policymakers (OSCE/ODIHR, 2018), p. 13. unesdoc.unesco.org
[33] Strategies to Counter Antisemitism: A Handbook for Educators (UNESCO, 2025), pp. 14–15. unesdoc.unesco.org
[34] Addressing Anti-Semitism through Education (OSCE/ODIHR, 2018), p. 22. unesdoc.unesco.org
[35] Addressing Anti-Semitism through Education (OSCE/ODIHR, 2018), p. 81.
[36] Addressing Anti-Semitism through Education (OSCE/ODIHR, 2018), p. 24.
[37] Addressing Hate Speech through Education (UNESCO, 2023), pp. 14, 33, 34, 46.
[38] Strategies to Counter Antisemitism (UNESCO, 2025), pp. 21–23.
[39] Addressing Anti-Semitism through Education (OSCE/ODIHR, 2018), p. 41.