feminism.

Please read and use this! Your task is to conduct the qualitative content analysis of
the texts and transcripts. See the proposed structure- you only need to focus on Chapters
1,2 and 3. I have included a pdf of all the texts used in all the examination boards. It would
be useful to mention them, like how many male/female authors there are; how many
female/male characters there are and how many of them are the protagonists/secondary
characters. The theoretical framework is feminism. (unless I change this as we go along)
Working title: Gender Bias in Secondary Education: An investigation of GCSE English
Literature Curriculum
Primary Research Question:
• Does the GCSE English Literature curriculum favor male experiences and perpetuate
gender-biased stereotypes?
Secondary Research Questions:
I want to contribute to the existing literature on gender-biased stereotypes found in
secondary classrooms by focusing especially on the role and relevance of GCSE English
Literature texts. In order to achieve this, my research will include the following questions:
• Why are women underrepresented in GCSE English Literature?
I am particularly interested in the marginalized role of women, both as authors and
as literary characters that lead to entrenched, male-centered literary experiences.
• Do teachers of English perceive a gender bias?
If the teachers perceive a gender bias, how do they handle it in the classroom? Do
English teachers foster or hinder the proliferation of gender bias? I wish to explore teachers’ perspectives on gender bias in relation to the GCSE Literature texts and their teaching
approaches on the gender issue.
Research Methodology
The research project will involve a combination of research methods.
1. Use of content analysis as a qualitative research technique to interpret the genderbiased messages of the literary texts
2. Primary research: semi-structured interviews
This thesis examines the GCSE English Literature curriculum as a vital component within
secondary education. The qualitative analysis of the GCSE Literature curriculum will
enable the interpretation of the underlying context and under the prism of feminist
literary criticism emerging gender-bias themes will be revealed, contrasted and
analyzed accordingly.
Regarding the semi-structured interviews, I want to interview teachers of English who
are teaching GCSE English Literature texts in order to gain detailed insight into teachers’
perspective of gender biases in the GCSE Literature curriculum and their teaching
methods in identifying and tackling the issue. The role of the teacher will be addressed
for it is possible that teachers can compensate for gender bias within the curriculum.
Proposed Structure of Dissertation
• Introduction (1,000 words)
Background and context of research, aims of research, outline structure and key
arguments of the dissertatio