AN ANALYSIS OF IDEOLOGICAL LOAD IN ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS OF MIDDLE AND SECONDARY LEVELS PUBLISHED BY KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA TEXTBOOK BOARD PESHAWAR

http://dx.doi.org/10.31703/gesr.2021(VI-II).28      10.31703/gesr.2021(VI-II).28      Published : Jun 2021
Authored by : Rashid Mustafa , Faridullah Khan , Muhammad Nisar

28 Pages : 279-291

    Abstract

    This research examines the inclusion of ideological elements in English textbooks for 6th to 10th grades, developed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Text Board Peshawar. The study focuses on assessing whether these ideological elements are suitable for students' linguistic needs. The research design combines quantitative and qualitative methods. Firstly, data on ideological elements in the targeted textbooks is collected. Secondly, the study determines the students' need for ideological content through a pre-tested questionnaire administered to English teachers in District Karak. The selected text from the books is analyzed using Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis Procedure, considering various dimensions required for the research. A significant majority of teachers, 69%, strongly advocate for the transfer of Pakistan Studies and Islamiat ideology information from English textbooks to appropriate curriculum courses. Linguistic analysis of the selected data reveals that the literary text in the courses demonstrates a higher degree of linguistic authenticity compared to the ideological lessons.

    Key Words

    Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), National Ideology (NA) Religious Ideology (RI) Literacy Contents (LC)

    Introduction

    Language not just works with admittance to information yet additionally intercedes support in and commitment to the social world. Language is 'personally connected with the circulation of social power and hierarchical structures in the public eye. Reading material typically doesn’t stay restricted to the domain of a particular subject. Being delegates of instructive talk, they can give huge data about the perspective, socio-social practices, and support in the public eye in more extensive terms (Cadime et al., 2017). Such data cannot be utilized exclusively to shape the students' attitudes; it can likewise work successfully for opening the individuals from a general public into various social classes. It fundamentally analyzes the English course readings being instructed in the lower, center and exclusive class schools at the optional level for example tenth grade, to find the philosophical subjects inserted in their talks about native and Western societies. For the most part, the lower, center and exclusive classes have to pick any of these schools for instruction because of different monetary, social, and social reasons. The youngsters from the initial two classes generally go to the government Urdu medium schools and  the English-medium schools for the middle-class community separately; while high-class community generally and gladly picks the posh English-medium school which, dissimilar to their state-run and non-world class partners, charge a high expense design to give Western environment and present-day principles of instruction. Of course, similar norms avoid the regular workers and for the most part the individuals from the working class from the first-class instructive circles (Zubair & Yaqoub, 2009).

    English language education in Pakistan is highly valued due to its significance in the context of globalization, mobility, and its association with prestige and influence. English's pervasive use across all societal domains has led to its significant influence. The rise in interest and eagerness to learn English has led to an increase in the number of exclusive educational institutions that provide English language instruction using English creative texts as examples (Baker, 2008; Nunan, 2012; Ur, 1996). Skutnabb-Kangas and Phillipson (2010) suggest that the philosophical themes in creative literature may lead to subtractive bilingualism among a significant number of non-native students. ELT experts should consider the potential benefits of Critical Language Awareness (CLA) for non-native English speakers in questioning the philosophical foundations of their reading material. Pakistan's education system offers equal opportunities to both the affluent private schools that cater to the Westernized elite and the less well-off Urdu medium schools that serve the majority of children. These schools adopt a moderate approach, with practices, tuition, and English language emphasis that fall somewhere between the two extremes. This study aimed to investigate the potential impact of English language instruction methods in Pakistani schools on the character development of students. This study utilized the framework to investigate alterations in the linguistic proficiency and academic inclinations of students. 

    Pakistan is a federation with an administrative structure of government in the capital city of Islamabad. The combining units are the four areas, in particular Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab. Also Pakistan has questioned regions of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). The training branch of the nation is controlled by the central government and instruction services of individual areas. According to the most recent protected revision instruction is a commonplace subject. The public language of the nation is Urdu while; English partakes in the situation as a second language (L2). In addition, there is an assortment of provincial dialects spoken in different districts of the country. The public education program of Pakistan has gone through numerous changes because of different political and different reasons previously. At present the National Educational program, 2006 has been executed in the state-run schools and universities. Likewise, these regions have been assembled with Punjab territory for the effortlessness of information aggregation of the quantitative piece of this review. Public Curriculum for the English language 2006 (Grades I - XII) gives capabilities, principles, benchmarks, and understudy learning results. Different capabilities depicted in the educational program are; understanding abilities, composing abilities, oral relational abilities, and fitting moral and social improvement. The skill of moral and social advancement contains orientation uniformity as one of its parts (Waqar & Ghani, 2019). 

    Previous studies have been carried out globally and regionally, as evidenced by (Richardson & Wodak, 2009). (Hodge, 2012) posit that ideology aims to present reality in a more organized and efficient manner, according to research on ideological discourse. In essence, the truth is. (Mehdi, Arafat, Abdullah, Zainab, & Abbasi, 2021) found significant differences in cultural examples between the native and target languages in the "Step Ahead 1" textbook. Byram et al.'s ideological theory model should be considered.Van Dijk has substituted "thought" for "ideas" in philosophical contexts as used by Tracy.  Van Dijk defines ideology as a belief system.The 2013 study by Tariq and Bilal Shah was based on Van Dijk's Socio-Cognitive Model (Van Dijk, 2003).  Mehdi et al. (2021) conducted a review of the English Step-1 textbook in 2012. In addition to (Yumitro, Abdelsalam, & Shukri) qualitative research, a quantitative assessment was conducted on the Urdu textbooks used in grades 5 and 6, as well as in grades 9 and 10 for matriculation. The investigation's theoretical framework. Bilal, Ahsan, Gohar, Younis, and Awan (2012) have analyzed and discussed the development and representation of ideology in the pragmatic approach to teaching English as a foreign or second language. Yaqoob and Zubair (2012) conducted a critical discourse analysis of English textbooks utilized in Punjab as part of their PhD program dissertation. Some other researchers like (Blommaert & Bulcaen, 2000; Dant, 2013; Deroo & Ponzio, 2019; Herzog, 2018; Kress, 1990; Lazar, 2005; Van Dijk, 2006) have also did the research on the discourse analysis in relation to between ideological base.

    The Pakistan’s ideology relates to the political struggle made for the creation of the country. The Ideology has its foundations in the differences of two nations i.e. Hindu & Muslim, living in Indo-Pak, a joint state ruled under British Imperialism at the time. Teaching of the ideology aims to strengthen the ideological foundations of the country and teach the history of the country to the students thereby creating patriotism in the fresh minds of the country.

    K. K. Aziz in his book, The Murder of History has observed that the load of idealogical contents is narrowing the students’ perception of the world and the thoughts apparently different than those of our own. Aziz opines that "t is time our books imparted some knowledge rather than continuously concentrating on indoctrination and creating a hostile world-view among our students"(6). Reflecting upon the same issue in question, Shoaib Suddle remarks that “anything related to Islamic teachings should be taught only under the subject of Islamic Studies. Syllabus and textbooks of Urdu, English and General Knowledge/ Social Studies should not contain any Islamic Content”. 

    This study hypothesized that the English textbooks of middle and secondary levels published by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Textbook Board, Peshawar do not contain sufficient and balanced literary text, underpinning contents suggesting ideological load directly related to the domains of the subjects of Pakistan Studies and Islamiat, substituting the otherwise literary text that is more suitable material for language learning. The attempts to answer the following three questions: 1) To what extent do the English textbooks of middle and secondary levels published by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Textbook Board, Peshawar contain sufficient and aproportionate literary text? 2) To what extent do the English textbooks of middle and secondary levels published by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Textbook Board, Peshawar contain contents suggesting ideological load directly related to the domains of the disciplines of Pakistan Studies and Islamic Studies? 3) To what extent do the contents of English textbooks of middle and secondary levels published by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Textbook Board, Peshawar directly related to the disciplines of Pakistan Studies and Islamic Studies can be used as substitute for the literary contents as language learning material?

    Significance of the Study

    This study is significant in many respects. It attempts to highlights the issue of irrelevant and undue ideological contents included in the English textbooks published by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Textbook Board, Peshawar. It attempts to foreground the concerns of the English teachers and learnrs who intend to learn language in a relatively more interesting manner. 


    Content Analysis and English Text Books 

    Textbooks play a crucial role in the classroom because they encourage students to take a methodical approach to learning. Textbooks play an integral role in the educational process for both students and instructors since they provide a comprehensive resource that helps both groups succeed. Despite their obvious importance, our educational system pays little attention to the selection and evaluation of textbooks. Over the past half-century, Content Analysis has been successfully used to the task of enhancing educational materials. Content analysis is a qualitative research method that examines written and verbal human communication systematically rather than collecting data from actual people. Documents, which can be anything from written text to images, audio recordings, videos, etc., are the focus of this field of study. Researchers in the field of media condense vast amounts of information into manageable chunks. Instead, they use codes to convert the raw data from the text and visuals into a coherent conceptual framework. The term "coding" refers to the method through which the meaning of a piece of text or an image is extracted and then organized into discrete categories called "themes." These are then arranged in classes that share common characteristics, such as subject matter or historical background.

    Significance of the Study

    This study is significant in many respects. It attempts to highlights the issue of irrelevant and undue ideological contents included in the English textbooks published by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Textbook Board, Peshawar. It attempts to foreground the concerns of the English teachers and learnrs who intend to learn language in a relatively more interesting manner. 


    Content Analysis and English Text Books 

    Textbooks play a crucial role in the classroom because they encourage students to take a methodical approach to learning. Textbooks play an integral role in the educational process for both students and instructors since they provide a comprehensive resource that helps both groups succeed. Despite their obvious importance, our educational system pays little attention to the selection and evaluation of textbooks. Over the past half-century, Content Analysis has been successfully used to the task of enhancing educational materials. Content analysis is a qualitative research method that examines written and verbal human communication systematically rather than collecting data from actual people. Documents, which can be anything from written text to images, audio recordings, videos, etc., are the focus of this field of study. Researchers in the field of media condense vast amounts of information into manageable chunks. Instead, they use codes to convert the raw data from the text and visuals into a coherent conceptual framework. The term "coding" refers to the method through which the meaning of a piece of text or an image is extracted and then organized into discrete categories called "themes." These are then arranged in classes that share common characteristics, such as subject matter or historical background.

    Methodology

    This study is crucial for examining the ideological content of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Textbook Board, Peshawar's (KPTBP) English textbooks for middle and high school students. It falls under the category of descriptive research. The study examines the textbook's ideological content, referred to as 'ideological load,' in relation to the national ideology and religion. The course "Pak Study and Islamiat" is mandatory for graduation and covers these topics. This study aims to assess the efficacy of conveying ideological content in standard English textbooks. The research project's design serves as its conceptual foundation. Effective study design is crucial for obtaining reliable and valid data that aligns with the researcher's objectives. 

    The English textbooks for grades 6-10 in Government Schools in Karak will undergo quantitative and qualitative analysis based on data collected from English teachers. The second phase of the study entails analyzing the portrayal of Pakistan's ideology and Islamic ideology in the lesson plans.  CDA was developed based on the idea that language is a social practice. Social practices have historical roots and serve as a means to promote or uphold individuals' interests and power structures. It pertains to your areas of interest. What is the precise location of the text? Whose interests are being advanced by this position? Whose interests are being harmed by this action? What are the implications of this configuration that associates communication with authoritative connections? Critical discourse analysis examines how language is used to establish and maintain authority hierarchies. 

    Fairclough and Kress (2001)  suggested that CDA model involves three cyclical processes of analysis that correspond to the three cyclical dimensions of discourse. These axes consist of three components. 

    An object of analysis, which could be a text in written, graphic, or mixed-media form.Human actions such as writing, speaking, designing, reading, listening, and watching lead to the production and reception of an object. The activities are situated within social and historical contexts. Fairclough suggests that unique investigative methods are required for each of these factors. The methodology involves three steps: textual analysis, data processing analysis, and social analysis. This approach is beneficial as it enables the identification of the text's constituent signifiers, such as the chosen words and phrases, their placement within the paragraph, and their sequence.  

    The English Text Books of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Text Book Peshawar for Class 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th is the population of the study. Data has also been collected from Secondanry School Teachers teaching English to the above classes on questionnaire regarding the contents of the texts books. Therefore, all the teachers of English teaching English in secondary schools in District Karak is also part of the population. 

    The study is based on mix method i.e. Qualitative and Quantitative method and as per the demand of the research two types of sampling methods has been adopted for collection of data.  

    Firstly, convenient mode of sampling was used to collect data from the teachers teaching English from Class 6th to Class 10th in the Government Schools of District Karak. Convenient mode of sampling was used because researcher cannot reach all the teacher teaching English Text Book in all the schools of District Karak. Therefore, the researcher has relied on convenient mode of sampling for collection of data regarding the presence of ideological elements in the English Course of Class 6th to Class 10th.  

    Secondly, purposive method of sampling was used to sellect paragraph from the text of ideological lessons included in the course of English text book of class 6th to class 10th.  Purposive Sampling technique was used to select text and brought at par with each other to analyze the linguistic usefulness regarding the needs of the students. 

    Two types of tools were used for collection of data for during the research. Firstly, approved and proposed letters were collected for text analysis. Secondly, data was collected through pre-tested questionnaire. The research is a descriptive cum analytical study. The study is a mix type of research using qualitative and quantitative methods. Two tools has been used in the research i.e. questionnaire and text selected for analysis from the text books of class 6th to class 10th.

    Data Analysis

    The data on one hand has been collected through a pre-tested questionnaire developed for the purpose for collection of data from Secondary School Teachers in District Karak Teaching the subject of English. The data collected through the questionnaire is quantitative therefore requires its own pattern of analysis. On the other side, the text of the books has been viewed and analyzed qualitatively as per the demand of the research. The The data was collected from the 80 government teachers of district Karak who taught at different levels. The data was tabulated and then analyzed through descriptive statistics frequencies, and percentage, and then the result was interpreted. In the very first question of the questionnaire, the respondents, who were teachers teaching English to various classes, from Class 6th to class 10th, were asked to tell, whether they agree that English text books, they teach from class 6th to class 10th contain topics/contents related to Pakistan studies and Islamiat?Beolw Table 1 indicates frequency and percentage of responses of all 80 respondents (teachers) to the questions asked by the researcher regarding ideological load in the contents of 6th to 10th grade students


     

    Quantitative Data Analysis       

    Table 1

    S. No

    Question

    Response Categories

    Total No of Teachers

    Strongly Agree

    Agree

    Undecided

    Disagree

    Strongly Disagree

    Q. 1

    Do you agree that English Text Book for-- contain topics/contents related to Pakistan studies and Islamiat?

    55 (69%)

    11 (14%)

    3 (4%)

    5 (6%)

    6 (8%)

    80 (100%)

    Q.2

    Do you think that these topics/contents are not necessary in English Text Books?

    50 (62.5%)

    11 (13.8%)

    5 (6.3%)

    6 (7.5%)

    8 (10%)

    80 (100%)

    Q.3

    Do you think that these topics are helpful for Teaching of English to the students?

    8 (10%)

    8 (10%)

    6 (7.5%)

    10 (13%)

    47 (58.8%)

    80 (100%)

    Q.4

    What do you think it is necessary to replace these topics/contents by topics/contents related to language and literature?

    52 (65%)

    15 (8.8%)

    5 (6.25)

    4 (5%)

    6 (7.5%)

    80 (100%)

    Q.5

    Topics/contents of English compulsory should include texts related to various genres of literature?

    45 (56.3%)

    13 (16.3%)

    7 (8.8%)

    6 (7.5%)

    8 (10%)

    80 (100%)

    Q.6

    Literary texts/contents are more suitable, more interesting, and more useful for language skills as compared to the topics/contents of Pakistan studies and Islamiat?

    51 (64%)

    14 (17.5)

    3 (3.8%)

    5 (6.25%)

    7 (8.8%)

    80 (100%)

    Q.7

    Do you think that the syntactic structures of the topics/contents of Pakistan studies and Islamiat are more difficult than those of the topics/contents of the literary text of English Text Book of ------- for teaching of English?

    48 (60%)

     

    20 (25%)

    3 (3.75%)

    4 (5%)

    5 (6.3%)

    80 (100%)

    Q.8

    Topics/contents other than literary text are prosaic (lacking flavor) for student?

    46 (57.5%)

    20 (25%)

    5 (6.25%)

    4 (5%)

    5 (6.25)

    80 (100%)

    Q.9

    Topics/contents related to the disciplines of Pakistan studies and Islamiat need to be removed from English Text Book for -------?

    55 (68.7%)

    10 (12.5%)

    5 (6.25%)

    5 (6.25%)

    5 (6.25%)

    80 (100%)

     


    Qualitative Data Analysis

     In this section of the report, the text of the English Books for Class 6, Class 7th, Class 8th, Class 9th and Class 10 has been analyzed to view that whether the lessons included in the text book of English being thought in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government Schools carry the load of the Ideological Contents or otherwise. For the purpose of analysis, Critical Discourse Model 2003 (CDA) of Norman Fiarclough has been selected draw to authentic results at the end of the study. As per the requirement of the model, the data has been analyzed as blow:


     

    Table 2. Text Analysis of English Text Book of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Text Board Peshawar for Class 6th.

    Text of Religious Ideological Contents

    General Literary Text Contents

    “There have been many prophets in history. In fact, Allah sent a Rasool for very age and every nation of the world to guide the people to the right path. Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W) was the greatest and the last of all the prophets of Allah. He was for all people and for all ages. There will be no Rasool after him.” P.2 Hazrat Muhammad Rasool of Mercy

    “When I was in 5th grade, one day my teacher said, “A new boy Naseebullah is coming to our class tomorrow.” I was glad. I hoped the new boy Naseebullah would be someone really good. Then my teacher said, “Our new student is a very special kid. He can’t walk, so he uses a wheelchair. I want you all to be very kind and gentle towards him to make him feel at home.” P14 New Boy in Class.

     


    The above text has been selected from the lessons included in the English text book for Class 6th. In the above table, text containing religious ideological contents have been brought at par with the text containing general literary contents. While analyzing both the texts, the researcher finds the text of general contents is far better in providing contents which may improve the linguistic ability of the students in day today life. The phrases are highlighted on both the sides make it evident that general literary contents may better improve the linguistic ability of students rather than ideological contents. 


     

    Table 3

    Text of National Ideological Contents

    General Literary Text Contents

    “Our country, Pakistan, also has democracy. It is known as the Islamic republic of Pakistan. According to the law of our country, elections are to be held after every five years. In the elections the people elect a certain number of persons as their representatives for the National Assembly of Pakistan.” P.45 Democracy

    This is my plan. “Mowgli briefed the bulls on his plan of attack against Cheeto. They followed their predetermined route around the mountain without waking the sleeping tiger. When they got to the peak, they saw a clearing down below where Tiger was resting. As Mowgli put it, “Once I give you the signal, charge together.” P 114  The wolf cub

    “The earliest city, Bhir Mound, dates back to the sixth century B.C. It had irregular streets and cramped houses. The newer city is Sirkpa on the opposite side of the Tamara Stream. It was built in the second Century B.C. Sirkap was a well-planned City.” P.81 Taxila

    I have always had a passion to serve the sick and ailing. I shall work day and night to bring joy and comfort to the sick and the suffering. I hope you will agree with me. Please let me know whether you like my choice. I have also convinced my family and they have agreed.” P.92 A letter about choice of profession

    “As late as 1920, these professional story-tellers used to come into this bazaar early in the morning. They would start singing their story poems before the shops opened. Children an even the grown-ups would gather round and listen to them with respectful attention.” P.162 Qissa Khwani Bazar

    “I think you should talk to your son and tell him about the dangers of smoking. Many teenagers think that they are very strong and think very little of the long term health issues associated with smoking. But it may still be useful to tell him how smoking causes serious health problems, such as cancer, heart diseases and lung diseases.”  P.153 Hazards of Smoking

     


    The text extracted from the lessons having National Ideological themes too have a low degree of linguistic variety of day today use. On the other hand the text of having general themes have a rich variety of pronouns and helping verbs, use of verbs as nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives. What we mean by teaching English is to enable our students be proficient in the use of language. The language of the last paragraph selected in ideological themes is comparatively better and relates to the day today life however, it can’t compete the text of general linguistic ideologies.


     

    Table 4. Text Analysis of English Text Book of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Text Board Peshawar for Class 7th

    Text of Religious Ideological Contents

    General Literary Text Contents

    Raised the cry from the heart of the Rasool and mingled with the vast expanse of the desert of Arabia”. P.02 The Last Sermon of Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W)

    I think you are forgetting the fact that good health is the greatest blessings of Allah and a treasure. A healthy person excels in every field of life”. P:48 Health is Wealth

    “His family is traced back to Hazrat Ismail (A.S) and Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) P.02 The Last Sermon of Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W)

    Exercise helps People lose weight and lowers the risk of some diseases. Games like football, cricket, table tennis etc. are good for health”.  P.49 Health is Wealth

    “As a grown-up man, he was so honorable and trust worthy that people would call him Al-Sadiq and Al-Amin. P.02 The Last Sermon of Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W)

    “The old man and his son got off the donkey and stood thinking of what they could do now. They thought and they thought, till at last they cut down a pol”. P.72 Whose Pleasure shall we seek?

    “O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I Know not not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again.” P.04 The last Sermon of Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W)

    “Reading is an exercise of the brain which keeps it active and healthy. It reduces stress, increases knowledge, expands vocabulary, and improves focus and concentration”. P.83 Encouraging Reading Habits

    “Islam emerged as a religious movement in 622 AD when Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W) migrated to Madina. One hundred and fifty years later this religion grew and established an empire. P.91 The Golden Age of Islam

    “The royal barber was a talkative little man. He came immediately. “Barber, I am about to show you something, but if you talk about it to anyone, I will have you beaten and hanged.” The king slowly removed the pillow from his head. P.110 The King and the Tamarind Drum…

     


    The above four paragraphs, extracted from the Text book of English for class 7th, have language used in theological books and it seems very difficult that a student of class 7th may get some idea from it. Even if the main idea is made clear to the students, it would be hard for them to use it in their day today lives. The text of the religious content focuses on information and has less to do with the language to be used in the day today life.


     

    Table 5

    Text of National Ideological Contents

    General Literary Text Contents

    “The history of the Khyber Pass as a strategic gateway dates from 326 B.C, when Alexander the Great and his army marched through the Khyber to reach the plains of India. P.17 The Khyber Pass

    “A tortoise and two storks were good friends. Storks often told stories about different places to the tortoise. The tortoise felt sad that he could not travel along with them.” P.11 The Talkative Tortoise

    “Khyber Pass had been a famous trade route. Formerly camel caravans passed through it. They Carried bales of cotton, silk and spices from Sub-Continent and China to Afghanistan and beyond…… The British constructed a road through the pass in 1879 and converted it into a highway during the 1920s. It was laid to carry arms and supplies for the British Army.” Khyber Pass P:18

    This is a magical millstone,” said the demon. “Make a wish and then say,” Grind, my millstone!’ when you have enough and want the millstone to stop, say ‘Enough, the work is done! Use it wisely.

    “Allama Iqbal was greatly influenced by the philosophical teachings of Jalalud Din Muhammad Rumi. He wrote poetry under his inspiration. He had written poetry in Urdu and Persian. Allama Iqbal left valuable and voluminous treasures of poetry and prose after him.  P.127 Allama Iqbal

    Once there lived two brothers, the elder one was rich, while the younger poor. The elder brother was very selfish and arrogant. But the younger brother was kind hearted and generous”. P. 137 Myth of Why the Sea is Salty

     


    The extracts of lessons in table No.13, containing the National Ideological elements, have information regarding places and personalities and facts of history. The extracts of the general contents brought at par are parts of stories. Children studying in class 7th have more interest in reading stories and contents consists of myths. The language of the national ideological contents just narrated the facts and history and thus has less variety of language day today life. 


     

    Table 6. Text Analysis of English Text Book of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Text Board Peshawar for Class 8th

    Text of Religious Ideological Contents

    General Literary Text Contents

    “The Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) abided by Allah’s commands, even before he was entrusted with the duty of apostleship. Justice was instilled in him as nucleus as a result of divine training.” P.2 The Prophet’s Justice

    “I had inherited considerable wealth from my parents but being young and foolish, I wasted it carelessly. Finding that riches speedily take to themselves wings if managed badly, I began to think of how I could make the best of what still remained to me.” P13 The Strange Voyage of Sindbad

     


    The paragraph extracted from the lesson included in the book of class 8th with ideological contents has phrasal verbs and adjectives which are difficult to be grasped and used by the students in their production. On the other hand, the verbs, adverbs and adjectives used in the selected paragraphs of general contents make these easy to be understood by the students and its further use in the daily life.


    Table 7

    Text of National Ideological Contents

    General Literary Text Contents

    “The historical resolution was passed on 23rd March 1940. It was in Lahore in a huge public gathering that the Muslim League demanded the division of India into two parts.” P.56 The Founding Father of Pakistan

    “On the second day, we got up at about 11:00 am, had breakfast at PTDC restaurant and left for Lake saif-ul-Malook. Lake Saiful Malook is 10 KM away from Naran and since the road is rough we hired a Jeep to get there.”P144 A Family Trip to Naran

     


    The paragraph, selected from the lesson of National Ideology in Table No. 15 describes a historical event in the history of Pakistan and has very less to teach English Language. On the other hand, a paragraph of same length describing a general event of day today life has variety of language teaching how a student can describe to he gets up in the morning and his onward daily routine as highlighted in the same table.


     

    Table 8. Text Analysis of English Text Book of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Text Board Peshawar for Class 9th

    Text of Religious Ideological Contents

    General Literary Text Contents

    “By tolerance we mean a fair and objective attitude towards those whose lifestyle differs from ours. Tolerance is the virtue which enables a person to forebear the attitude, negative remarks and action which patience and calmness. The life of Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W) is a superb example of tolerance.” P.2 Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W) the Model of tolerance

    I first met him in my youthful days in the holy month of Ramzan when my father took me to his shop for ordering a pair of new shoes for the coming Eid.  His shop was in a small but busy street of Qissa Khwani Bazar. A monstrous size black “Peshawari Chappal” overhung on the faint colored wooden door of this shop.” P.85 The Fantastic shoe maker

    “In order to create harmony and co-operation, the Rasool (S.A.W) first abolished the tribal distinction and grouped the inhabitants of Medina under one general name, Ansar or Helpers. He knew that goodwill and support of all the sections of people were necessary for creation of Islamic State.” P.42 The Madina Charter

    “The importance of technology in our daily lives is undeniable. Technology play a vital role in our life and it has added to our lives. From Kitchen, bedroom, living room, bathroom, to any other place of your home and or office, technological equipment is present in different form of manifestation.” P.95 Technology in Every Day life

     


    The concepts of tolerance, patience, calmness, objective attitude, goodwill and harmony introduced in the lessons of ideological contents in table No.16 taken from the English Text book for class 9th has deep meanings and the concepts of will seem abstract entity for the students. On the other hand the style of Peshawari shoe explained as “A monstrous size black “Peshawar Chappal” creates an image in the minds of the students.


     

    Table 9

    Text of National Ideological Contents

    General Literary Text Contents

    “Iqbal is one of the most outstanding Muslim poets and philosophers of the Indian subcontinent.  His intellectual genus has reigned supreme in the area of Islamic Philosophy during 20th century and will direct and influence  the Islamic Intellectual tradition in 20th Century as well” P.13 Iqbal’s Message to Youth

    “The media has the power of educating people, the good and the bad. Since it affects the eyes, the ears and the mind simultaneously nothing can overcome the influence of the media. The media should perform a noble mission of enlightening people and discourage sectarian, communal and divisive trends.” P.125 Letter to the Newspaper Editor

    “It was August 7th, 1947, when a silver aircraft circled over the airport at Mauripur, Karachi. It was watched by a vast, excited crowed while smoothly landing. First to step out of the aeroplane was a tall and dignified man wearing a pure white Sherwani.” P.25 Quaid-A Great Leader

    Pakistan is blessed with several natural beauties including indigenous wildlife, beautiful mountains of Himalayas, deserts of Cholistan and Thar, Manmade forests like Changa Manga forest as well as several natural resources from the challenging tourist attraction in terms of mountain climbing.” P.135 Biodiversity in Pakistan

     


    The lessons included in the general literary contents in the English text book of class 9th closely resembles the structure and qualities of text having ideological contents. However, as per linguistic elements regarding the learning point of students, the text of general contents is better that the elements of national ideology. It has also been noted by the researcher that there is very less literary material like fiction and fables in the book of class 9th.  The researcher may recommend the text board to include some fiction to arouse the learning instincts of the students.


     

    Table 10. Text Analysis of English Text Book of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Text Board Peshawar for Class 10th

    Text of Religious Ideological Contents

    General Literary Text Contents

    Humility and simplicity were ingrained traits of Hazrat Muhammad’s (S.A.W) personality. He never made people feel small, unwanted or embarrassed. He urged his followers to live decently and kindly. He would sit wherever there was a place available in an assembly and never sought a prominent or elevate place.” P.2 Simplicity and Humility of Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W)

    “Once there lived at the foot of a mountain a poor farmer and his aged, widow mother. They owned a bit of land that supplied them with food. They both led a happy, peaceful and humble life. Shinano, the town where they lived, was governed by a despotic leader who though a warrior, had a great and cowardly shrinking from anything suggestive of failing health and strength.” P. 64 The Aged Mother

    “Hazrat Umar (R.A) led a very simple life. His standard of living was in no case higher than an ordinary man. Once the Governor of Kufa visited him while he was taking meals comprising of barley bread and olive oil. The Governor said, “Amir-ul-Momineen, enough wheat is produced in your dominions. Why do you not take wheat bread.” P.128 Hazrat Umar

    “One morning, when Hughie came to Trevor’s studio he found him giving finishing touches to a wonderful life-size picture of a beggar-man. The beggar himself was standing on a raised platform in a corner of the studio. He was a wizened old man, with a face like wrinkled parchment, and a most piteous expression. Over his shoulders was flung a coarse brown cloack.” P.137 The Model Millionaire

     


    While analyzing the above two paragraphs selected from the book of class 10, the text of ideological contents may compete the text of general literary contents as per the description, as evident in the below example, “His standard of living was in no case higher than an ordinary man” (Ideological) “He was a wizened old man, with a face like wrinkled parchment” (Literary)


     

    Table 11

    Text of National Ideological Contents

    General Literary Text Contents

    “At the dawn of twentieth century when Pakistan was at formative stage, most Muslim Women led secluded lives within their homes and were not visible on public spaces. A handful of women emerged during the Khilifat Movement (1919-1922” P.75 Women’s Role in the Pakistan Movement

    “I shall probably find him waiting for me when I go home. But of Course you are only joking. Poor old wretch! I wish I could do something for him. I think it is dreadful that any one should be so miserable. I have got heaps of old clothes at home do you think you think he would care for any of them.” P.139 The Model Millionaire


    Contrary to the text of religious ideological contents in table No 18, the text contents containing national ideology is weaker than the text of general literary contents. The general literary text contents have far more better elements for the students of class 10th.  The verbs, adverbs and adjectives of general literary text have beauty and not dry like that of text of the national ideological contents. 

    Discussion

    This research has been conducted a descriptive cum-analytical study, exploring whether ideological contents are included in English text books for 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th develpoed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Text Board, Peshawar. In addition, the research has explored whether or not the ideological elements included in the English Text Books are suitable and that whether or not these elements should remain part of the course or that they are needed to be shifted to the to their main domains, i.e. subjects such as Social Studies, Pakistan Studies and Islamiat. In the first step of the research, a questionnaire has been prepared to collect data from the teachers teaching the subject of English for the targeted classes in Government Schools of District Karak. While analyzing the responses/data collected through questionnaire, more than 80% respondents agreed that ideological contents are included in the English courses they are teaching to the targeted classes. When books of these classes, 76% respondents came to the need of the ideological contents, in the English text did not feel the need of these topics in English Text Books. Similarly, they also declared these not very much helpful in teaching of English Language to the students. More than 70% of the respondents have agreed that these lessons should be replaced by literary topics. While comparing the ideological lessons with the literary texts, more than 80% respondents favored the opinion that literary text should be made part of the English text books being prepared for teaching English to the students of Classes ranged from 6th to 10th in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Similarly, the respondents have strongly agreed that the syntactic structure, vocabulary of the lessons containing ideological contents are not suitable while comparing to that of the literary texts. Therefore, they agreed that these lessons should be removed from the courses being taught ranging from class 6th to class 10th. 

    In the second stage of the research study, text of the lessons containing ideological contents was selected and brought at par with the text containing literary contents. The text was analyzed from different dimensions and the report was generated. The analysis revealed the fact that the text of ideological contents has a low degree of linguistic variety of day today use English. The contents had narration of life and biographies, historical events in the history of Pakistan and abstract topics such as democracy. Such topics fall in the domain of the subject of Pakistan Studies and Islamiat already included in the course. While comparing the text of these lessons with the text of general and literary contents included in the course, it was found that these topics has no variety of language at all but a pure narration. On the other side, the variety of pronouns and helping verbs, use of verbs as nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives was outstanding and up to the mentality standards of the students. On the other hand, the religious lessons have language of theology which could hardly take the place of literary English. Therefore, the researcher has to agree with the opinion of the respondents teachers to remove these lessons from the course of English. 

    Findings of the Study

    1st the English text books for classes ranging from 6th to class 10th published by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Text Board Peshawar have been loaded with ideological texts reflective of contents that mainly falls in the domain of Pakistan Studies and Islamiat. 2nd the books of Class 9th and 10th are totally dominated by ideological loads, ignoring the literary and linguistic needs of the learners of those classes. The teachers teaching English text books are of the view that these idealogical lessons should be shifted to the subjects of Pakistan Studies and Islamiat. 3rd the text loaded with ideological contents cannot fulfill the needs of the literary syllabus that must contain a balanced portion of literary and creative writings relating to the major genres of English literature, preserving the beauty of language.       

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Cite this article

    APA : Mustafa, R., Khan, F., & Nisar, M. (2021). An Analysis of Ideological Load In English Textbooks of Middle and Secondary Levels Published by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Textbook Board, Peshawar. Global Educational Studies Review, VI(II), 279-291. https://doi.org/10.31703/gesr.2021(VI-II).28
    CHICAGO : Mustafa, Rashid, Faridullah Khan, and Muhammad Nisar. 2021. "An Analysis of Ideological Load In English Textbooks of Middle and Secondary Levels Published by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Textbook Board, Peshawar." Global Educational Studies Review, VI (II): 279-291 doi: 10.31703/gesr.2021(VI-II).28
    HARVARD : MUSTAFA, R., KHAN, F. & NISAR, M. 2021. An Analysis of Ideological Load In English Textbooks of Middle and Secondary Levels Published by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Textbook Board, Peshawar. Global Educational Studies Review, VI, 279-291.
    MHRA : Mustafa, Rashid, Faridullah Khan, and Muhammad Nisar. 2021. "An Analysis of Ideological Load In English Textbooks of Middle and Secondary Levels Published by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Textbook Board, Peshawar." Global Educational Studies Review, VI: 279-291
    MLA : Mustafa, Rashid, Faridullah Khan, and Muhammad Nisar. "An Analysis of Ideological Load In English Textbooks of Middle and Secondary Levels Published by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Textbook Board, Peshawar." Global Educational Studies Review, VI.II (2021): 279-291 Print.
    OXFORD : Mustafa, Rashid, Khan, Faridullah, and Nisar, Muhammad (2021), "An Analysis of Ideological Load In English Textbooks of Middle and Secondary Levels Published by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Textbook Board, Peshawar", Global Educational Studies Review, VI (II), 279-291
    TURABIAN : Mustafa, Rashid, Faridullah Khan, and Muhammad Nisar. "An Analysis of Ideological Load In English Textbooks of Middle and Secondary Levels Published by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Textbook Board, Peshawar." Global Educational Studies Review VI, no. II (2021): 279-291. https://doi.org/10.31703/gesr.2021(VI-II).28