Normmedvetna lärares jämställdhetsperspektiv på undervisningen

: En intervjustudie

Abstract

The school system should be permeated by a perspective of gender equality. However, studies have shown that there are shortcomings in the work being done for gender equality; and the lack of gender equality manifests itself in several issues. Many of these can be attributed to gender norms, which is why Swedish school authorities advocate a norm critical approach. Yet, surveys have shown that teachers are lacking knowledge of gender norms. The purpose of this study is to investigate the views of norm critical elementary school teachers on how a gender equality perspective could permeate teaching in accordance with what is prescribed in the curriculum, in order to provide tools for how teachers could work with gender equality in their teaching. The study is grounded in a norm critical perspective and consists of qualitative interviews with six elementary school teachers perceiving themselves to be norm critical. The results indicate several possible ways of establishing a permeating gender equality perspective on teaching: strategies for dividing the opportunity to speak gender equally; reflective questions for identifying your own notions of gender; suggestions of exercises for challenging norms about gender and ethnicity; practical examples of representation in teaching material as well as ideas about how grouping and varied ways of working can contribute to gender equality. Many teachers were grounded in an intersectional perspective, but some teachers lacked knowledge of how different norms affect each other. Furthermore, several dilemmas of a norm critical gender equality approach were identified: to make gender differences visible without consolidating differences between the genders, and that being norm critical seems to presuppose a willingness to critically question oneself. This willingness presupposes being interested in the topic, but portraying gender equality as a question of interest is problematic. Additionally, the dilemma of turning the gender equality commitment into a set of practical tools while also acknowledging the risk of mechanizing it is discussed.