Feminist Pedagogy

1. Feminist Pedagogy Gender Group I Kathryn moore Kandas Queen Jay WiLdt

2. Personal Beliefs • “Beliefs can be thought of as guiding principles teachers hold to be true that serve as lenses through which new experiences can be understood. What teachers do in the classroom is said to be governed by what they believe, and these beliefs often serve to act as a filter through which instructional judgments and decisions are made” (Khader, 2012).

3. Know Your Filter

4. Definition of Feminist Pedagogy • Carolyn Shrewsbury’s definition of feminist pedagogy: "a theory about the teaching/learning process that guides our choice of classroom practices by providing criteria to evaluate specific educational strategies in terms of the desired goals and outcomes" (1993, p. 8).

5. Purpose of Feminist Pedagogy • Feminist theory attempts to gain understanding of the women’s role in society. • Feminist pedagogy is framed by feminist theory. • Feminist pedagogy seeks to create an inclusive, more democratic learning environment, acknowledging systemic concerns with equity, social justice and access for marginalized groups.

6. Effects of Feminist Pedagogy • Shrewsbury’s four main themes in feminist pedagogy: • Empowerment of the Individual. • Schoolbecomes a Community. • Social action-call to action of Society (change) • Reflexivity- a style of Teaching/Learning along with a curriculum that focuses on allowing participants to actively participate in their own learningby understanding cause and effect of actions

7. Feminist Pedagogy and the Individual • The individual becomes empowered through self refection and awareness of their role in society. • Feminist teaching objectives include developing students' voice and values clarification. • Students begin to view the world through their own stories (schema) and find their place of independence. Students begin to value self worth and the right to personal fulfillment based upon their own interests.

8. Feminist Pedagogy and the Individual • "By focusing on empowerment, feminist pedagogy embodies a concept of power as energy, capacity, and potential rather than domination.... Under conceptions of power as capacity, the goal is to increase the power of all actors, not to limit the power of some" (Shrewsbury, 1993, p. 10). • We facilitate the empowerment of students and teachers through the creation of a democratic environment with shared responsibility for learning. • Students become responsible for their own learning.

9. Feminist Pedagogy and the School • The school becomes a community (of learning) driven by the needs and interests of the individual student. • School community is built on relationships of the participants (teachers and students). • Participants are encouraged to engage freely in the discovery of the topic and rely less on the authority of the instructor. • Creation of knowledge..contribute to the body of knowledge.

10. Feminist Pedagogy and Society • “Feminist pedagogy seeks to engage students in political discussion of gender justice. Not only should students be able to analyze information provided to them about the roles of gender, race and class in determining the positionality of individuals and groups, but to engage in actions to help end oppression” (Zimmerman L., McQueen L., & Guy G. 2007). • Feminist pedagogy addresses all oppressed individuals and calls for change through social action. • The roots of this pedagogy lie in the work of Paulo Freire and the Critical Pedagogy Movement.

11. Feminist Pedagogy and Teaching/Learning • Teaching and Learning promotes social change • Reveals oppression of marginalized groups to all students • Empowers students to think critically about the world • Creates an environment of collaborative learning • Raises awareness about the political structures controlling the world. • Teachers model feminist perspectives and democratic relationships. The teacher becomes a role model of a feminist leader

12. Feminist Pedagogy and Teaching/Learning • Encourages students to find and define their voices through their personal stories and histories • Develops student independence and critical thinking by diminishing teacher authority in the classroom • Exposes the purpose of the curriculum and the Patriarchal nature of the classroom • Reformation of the relationship between professor and student. Power becomes shared as students assume more responsibility for teaching and teachers for learning

13. Feminist Pedagogy Applied in the Classroom • "A classroom based on feminist pedagogy is a community of learners where power is shared and where participatory democratic processes help learners develop independence. It is an active, collaborative classroom where risk-taking is encouraged; where intellectual excitement abounds; and where power is viewed as energy, capacity, and potential, rather than domination" (Christie, 1997, p. 148).

14. Feminist Pedagogy Applied in the Classroom • Students use of first names in addressing teachers to lessen the divide created by teachers having titles and students not. • Use of journaling and self-reflective writing assignments as an avenue for students to challenge their own thinking and explore new ideas. • Use of democratic classroom practices (include the student) in creating learning objectives, evaluations, and classroom procedures/rules. • Use of personal examples and disclosure to encourage students to personalize the material. Material becomes relevant.

15. Feminist Pedagogy Applied in the Classroom • Allow classroom discovery to grow from student interests rather than a following a set agenda. • Allow and encourage more than one, right interpretation of a text. • Utilize small group work to support relationship building among students. • Consider seating arrangements that put students’ focus on other students rather than a professor on a stage. • Challenge gendered language and remain vigilant about the power of words.

16. Feminist Pedagogy

17. References • Christie, A.A. (1997). Using e-mail within a classroom based on feminist pedagogy. Journal ofResearch on Computing in Education, 30, 146-176. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=e8e3a878-ebe4-4e3b-87d7-e611298e504a%40sessionmgr15&vid=2&hid=9&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=f5h&AN=390337 • Khader, Fakhri R., Teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and actual classroom practices in social studies instruction. 2012, American International Journal of Contemporary Research Vol. 2 No. 1; January 2012 • Shrewsbury, C. M. (1993). What is feminist pedagogy? Women's Studies Quarterly, 21 (3&4), 8-15. • Zimmerman, Lynn W.; McQueen, Laura; and Guy, Gwendolyn. 2007. Connections, Interconnections, and Disconnections: The Impact of Race, Class and Gender in the University Classroom. Journal of Theory Construction & Testing. 11 (1) 16‐21

18. Feminist Voice

19. Perspectives (Relationships)

20. Individual • Differences • Madeleine R. Grumet • Pedagogy of lived experiences • Janet L. Miller • Women’s conditioning • Jo Anne Pagano • Acknowledge power • Communication Similarities Connection Community Others Community Students Attachment Relationships

21. Society • Differences • Madeleine R. Grumet • Caring relationships instead of rules • Janet L. Miller • Not sacrifice female traditional roles • Jo Anne Pagano • Symbiotic attachment Similarities Political Feminist Voice Breaking the silence Reproduction

22. School • Differences • Madeleine R. Grumet • Collaboration with students • Janet L. Miller • Shared Community • Building networks • Jo Anne Pagano • Patriarchal culture Similarities Gender issues Policies and practices Research methodologies Integration Curriculum

23. Teaching • Differences: • Madeleine R. Grumet: • Making learning fun • Teaching other people’s children • Janet L. Miller: • Building relationships • Jo Anne Pagano: • Original knowledge and connection Similarities: Collaboration Autobiography Phenomenology (Grumet & Miller) Language

24. Summary • Gender Voice • Female Perspective • Networking • Relationships • Professional Communities • Patriarchal Persona vs. Matriarchal Persona • Leadership • Feminine Presence

25. References • Grumet, M. R. (2009, January). Curriculum inquiry, theory, and politics. Retrieved May 23, 2012, from Marshall University Library: http://mulibiiidb.marshall.edu/webbridge~S12/showresource?returnurl=%2Fsearch~S12%3F%2Fagrumet%2Fagrumet%2F1%252C2%252C4%252CB%2Fframeset%26FF%3Dagrumet%2Bmadeleine%2Br%261%252C2%252C&resurl=http%3A%2F%2Fezproxy.marshall.edu%3A2048%2Flogin%3Furl%3Dhttp%3A • Grumet, M. R. (1990, November). Retrospective: Autobiography and the analysis of educational experiences. Retrieved June 6, 2012, from Glenville State College Library: http://web/ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?sid=ffd4810b-1b6b-4d70-b2fb-f31dbc92fe53%40sessionmgr13&vid=2&hid=10 • Grumet, M. R. (1992). The language in the middle. Retrieved June 6, 2012, from Glenville State College Library: http?//web.ebscost.com/ehost/delivery?sid=bide7c48-f7a3-4c2a-afcb-0b8b18f4b7ae%40sessionmgr12&vid=2&hid=10 • Grumet, M. R. (1993, Autum). The play of meanings in the art of teaching. Retrieved May 23, 2012, from Marshall University Library: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d72086c8-3ce4-42dc-8e4b-1a8fb8a51f16%40sessionmgr13&vid=1&hid=10 • Grumet, M. R. (1990). Voice: The search for a feminist rehetoric for educational studies. Retrieved June 6, 2012, from Glenville State College Library: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?sid=2152f0fb-e54a-410c-ac43-b324efflf915%40sessionmgr14&4vid=14&hid=10 • Grumet, M. R., & Stone, L. (2000, March). Feminism and curriculum: getting our act together. Retrieved May 2012, 2012, from Marshall University Library: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=62aa006f-b433-4a24-a4bb-04d8184df03e%40sessionmgr13&vid=1&hid=10 • Grumet, M. R., & Yates, L. (2011). Curriculum in Today's World : Configuring Knowledge, Identities, Work and Politics. Retrieved June 12, 2012, from Marshall University Library: http://mulibiiidb.marshall.edu/search~S12?/Xgrumet&searchscope=12&SORT=D/Xgrumet&searchscope=12&SORT=D&SUBKEY=grumet/1,7,7,B/l856~b1512170&FF=Xgrumet&searchscope=12&SORT=D&1,1,,1,0 • Miller, J. L. (1996) Teachers, researchers, and situated school reform: Circulations of power. Theory Into Practice. Retrieved May 23, 20012, from Marshall University Library: http://ezproxy.marshall.edu:2472/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9608042782&site=ehoust-live • Miller, J. L. (1992) Exploring power and authority issues in a collaborative research project. Theory Into Practice. Retrieved May 23, 20012, from Marshall University Library: http://ezproxy.marshall.edu:2472/longin.aspx?direct=ture&db&AN=5200267&site=ehost-live • Pagano, J. (1991) Relating to one’s students” Identity, morality, stories and questions. Journal of Moral Education. Retrieved from Marshall University Library July 7 2012: http://ezproxy.marshall.edu:2472/loginaspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9604291581&site=ehost-live • Pinar, W., Reynolds, W., Slattery, P., & Taubaman, P. (2008). Understanding curriculum. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc.

26. Curriculum, Sexuality, and The Male Identity “The real question is not whether an individual is male or female, but what perspective teachers have toward gender, identity, and sexual/social roles.”

27. Objectives • Historical influences of gender/sexuality on curriculum • Overview of theorists focusing on male identity and sexuality related to curriculum theory • Implications of theorists’ perspectives related to the individual, society, schools, and teaching and learning • Conclusion and questions

28. Historical Influences • Early male domination of educational development • Post-structuralism – throwing the baby out with the bath water • The sixties and seventies – rights for women and minorities; war protests; sexual revolution • The eighties: out of the closet with a terrible cost

29. Three Theorists of Note

30. Dr. James Sears • “Critical theory enables us to understand how the changing intersections of sexuality, race, class, and gender-manisfested personal biographies are rooted in a society’s history and culture.”

31. Dr. Jesse Goodman • “Teachers and school reformers work within and respond to the constraints generated by the conservative agenda that is dominating our conventional schools today.”

32. Dr. Thomas F Kelly • “No one thinks we need higher academic standards more than me.At the same time I must say that the higher standards we need most are not academic.The higher standards we need most are moral,and until we get that straight the schools and the general culture are going nowhere but down”

33. Dr. James Sears • Denounces homophobia as detrimental to educational practice • Established non-profit supporting research on and by lesbian and gay students • Came under fire for offering course at USC on Christian fundamentalism • Journal of LGBT Youth • Growing up Gay in the South: Race, Gender, and Journeys of the Spirit

34. Growing Up Gay in the South • A mixed method portrayal of the childhood and adolescent experiences of 36 homosexuals growing up in the south. • Mixed races, backgrounds, SES • Explores negative impact of repressed discussion of homosexuality in the family, church, and school • Described homosexual identity as being different than gender, race, or other characteristics

35. Dr. Jesse Goodman • Studied male pre-service elementary schoolteachers (case histories) • The three categories • Traditionalists • Neo-traditionalists • New direction • Also critical of current sex education scripting as limiting information which creates an “oppressive atmosphere of isolation and mistrust” (pg. 401)

36. Dr. Thomas Kelly (with J. Goodman) • Pro-feminist Teachers • Rejected neo-traditionalists (cheering women on) • Study focused on three subdivisions: • Discussion of patriarchy and feminization of teaching • Discussion of feminist pedagogy • Described implications for pro-feminist instructors

37. Kelly and Goodman Summarized • A Pro-feminist teacher: • Collaborative co-learner • Upholds student empowerment through respect of student’s personal ideals • Supports cooperative learning; diminishes competition • Attends to feminist perspectives of history, race, class in curriculum • Focuses on both intellectual and emotional development • Recognizes the importance of practical application of personal beliefs (praxis)

38. Implications “In influencing children's views of society, a teacher’s perspectives are more significant than his or her sex” -Jesse Goodman

39. Implications for the Individual • Teachers and curricularlists (particularly men) must reflect on the gender-related perspectives and strategies used in the classroom and in curricular design • Accept, recognize, and celebrate differences, including sexual diversity. • Reject patriarchal attitudes • Recognize that being different in of itself does not equate to privilege, but does provide unique perspective.

40. Implications for Society • Work for universal acceptance of pro-feminist ideals (a level curricular field) • Move to educate other cultures dealing with deeply embedded homophobia, sexism, and other prejudices en route to removal of oppressive attitudes • Confront antiquated ideas of sex and sexuality • Celebrate diversity and the strength of accepting the ideas of those different from ourselves and incorporate them into curricula

41. Implications for the School • Create an atmosphere intolerant of hate, homophobia, and bigotry through pro-feminist curriculum • Celebrate diversity! • Work to shift social perceptions of gender • Be willing to step away from the patriarchal comfort zone • Train counselors to work with gay and lesbian students

42. Implications for Teaching and Learning • Assure faculty are trained to recognize patriarchal and other biased behavior within themselves • Advance toward gender-neutral pedagogy • Establish cooperative learning strategies • Minimize derogatory attitudes and behaviors in classroom • Review sex education scripting

43. In Summary… • “ Feminist thought to date operates in relative isolation from other eddies of curriculum theory and practice, but its ripples will have profound…influence” Pinar and Miller, 1982, p. 222