Conflict and Transformation of a Teacher through Gender Sensitive Practice: From Interviews with a Teacher

Abstract

 Although previous studies in “Gender and Education” have argued that teachers may become actors reproducing the existing gender order and discrimination rather than actors criticizing them, their discussions have not examined teacher personalities. In this paper, I focus on teacher personalities, aiming to examine the relation of “Gender Pedagogical Practice” therewith.
 I have used one teacher’s semi-structured interview data to clarify my research theme. My analytical framework made use of Nias’ concept of the “substantial self.” This concept comprises “self as person in teaching” and “self as teacher”. So the process in which the “substantial self” is transformed by “emergent reflexivity” is sparked by epiphany.
 The following points have become clear in this study. First, Teacher A’s junior high school experience may have contributed significantly to the formation of his “substantial self.” This fact is closely related to the teacher’s “self as person in teaching” and “self as teacher.” In addition, the teacher’s experiences since being assigned to teach at his alma mater had a positive impact on him, and reinforced his values of anti-discrimination. However, the criticism of colleagues brought to the surface an aspect of sexism that he had not recognized. Therefore, he experienced conflict, because of the mixture of the two inconsistent values of “gender discrimination” and “anti-discrimination” in his teacher-self. To resolve this conflict, he allowed the obsession of the “self as teacher” to persuade him, suppressing a part of himself in the process. Further, it was so hard to recognize the sexist aspects of his internalized “substantial self” when they appeared suddenly that conflict occurred and he was unable to deal with them.
 Second, the teacher gained the idea of recognizing the diversity of students through “Gender Pedagogical Practice,” and reconsidered the idea of seeing each child as one person. He also recognized the discriminatory aspects of his self. Thus, through accepting and relativizing the sexist aspect of his “substantial self,” he became able to help himself maintain distance from the obsession of his “self as teacher.” Teacher A became aware of the sexist aspect in his “substantial self” through Gender Pedagogical Practice. By critically examining the practice of his own “self as person in teaching,”,there is a possibility that he will bring transformation to his “substantial self.”
 In this way, the teacher is creating an “emergent reflexivity” through “Gender Pedagogical Practice,” and has come to work toward self-reflection and self-targeting. Thus, by the questioning of his existing “substantial self”, the teacher has created a new set of values in which he is aware of his own sexist aspect and an attitude in which he examines them critically. However, such a transformation does not occur naturally only through “Gender Pedagogical Practice”. Transformation occurs through a variety of overlapping factors, including practice which becomes an opportunity to learn, colleagues to practice with, a school culture that supports them, and the results and changes in the students thereby.