"Teacher Education and Gender Discourses – technical or moral projects?" - Fiona Jane Dowling

Fiona Jane Dowling og Svein Kårhus

2004-2007

Datainnsamling og analyse/manusskriving.

Principle objective
To generate understanding about the construction of knowledge, in particular the construction of gender, in teacher education (both at an institutional and personal level) with the view to challenge repressive discourses and to reveal the dilemmas involved between national social and moral projects and their realisation within institutions of education.

Sub-goals
To examine the way in which constructions of gender in teacher education interact with the tensions of current educational discourses, in particular discourses of ‘change, adaptation and development’,  ‘professionalism-de-professionalism’, and ‘accountability’.

To use the findings to assist teacher educators and student teachers in critical reflection.

Research on teacher education in Norway is in its infancy.  There is therefore a general need to deepen our understanding of the way in which certain knowledge about the teaching profession is legitimised in relation to other forms of knowledge, and the types of teaching and learning processes which occur in institutions offering teacher education. 

The need for research of this nature is heightened in the current climate of reform in higher education, as well as by rapid social change which is taking place in society at large.  With regard to the latter, changing gender relations represents a professional challenge for teacher educators (lecturers and supervisory teachers) and student teachers, not least given recent political commitments to the Norwegian project of ‘equal opportunities’. 

This project aims accordingly to use the lens of gender in teacher education by means of discourse analysis (both what is said/written and what is done/practised), to examine the subjective realities of actors in the field and local interpretations of national policy.  In doing so, we aim to illuminate the tensions which exist between education policy and teacher-selves, where the seemingly contradictory educational discourses of technical rationality and teaching as a moral project create dilemmas.

References

Dowling, F. (in press)  Physical Education Teacher Educators’ Professional Identities, Continuing Professional Development and the Issue of Gender Equality.  Journal of Physical Education & Pedagogy.

Dowling, F. (2006)  Physical Education Teacher Educators’ Professional Identities and Continuing Professional Development.  AIESEP World Congress, Jyväskylä, Finland, 5.- 8. July 2006.

Kårhus, S. (2006) Gaps or Invisible Bridges? A discourse analysis of gender equality policy statements in education and their impact upon physical education teacher education curricula.  AIESEP World Congress, Jyväskylä, Finland, 5.- 8. July 2006.

Teksum, L. (2006)  Hvilke konstruksjoner av kjønn, likeverd og likestilling skapes i utvalgte lærerutdanningsinstitusjoner for kroppsøving og friluftsliv?  Oslo, Norges idrettshøgskole, Master oppgave.

Dowling, F. (2005)  Biography and emotions as keys for professional development?  Australian Association for Research in Education Conference, ‘Creative Dissent: Constructive Solutions’, University of Western Sydney, Paramatta, 27th November – 1st December.

Dowling, F. (2005)  Gendered teacher selves, gendered teaching practices – biography as a key for professional development?  British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, University of Pontypridd, 14th-17th September.

Dowling, F. (2005)  Supervisory Teachers’ Talk About Gender and Equality – technical or moral discourses?  Nordic Education Research Association, 33rd Conference, ‘A Nordic Dimension’, University of Oslo, 10th-12th March.

Kårhus, S. (2005) Whatever happened to the teachers’ gender!: A discourse analysis of curriculum implementation research in physical education teacher education, 33rd Congress of the Nordic Educational Research Association (NERA), ‘A Nordic dimension in educational research: Myth or reality?’, University of Oslo, 10.-12.mars 2005

Kårhus, S. (2005) Fair play for whom? Gender constructions in Norwegian Physical Education Teacher Education, British Educational Research Association (BERA) Annual Conference, University of Glamogan, Pontypridd, Wales, 14.- 17.september 2005

Kårhus, S. (2005) Wrapped up in notions of fair play. Constructions of Gender, Moral and Social Development in Norwegian Physical Education Teacher Education.  Australian Association for Research in Education, Annual Conference, University of Western Sydney, Parramatta, Sydney, 27.november – 1.december 2005.

Åsebø, E.-K. Sjåstad (2005)  Diskursar kring kjønn og likestilling/likeverd i kroppsøvingsfaget.  Ei kvalitativundersøking om øvingslærarar i kroppsøving sitt forhold til kjønn og likestilling/likeverd.  Oslo, Norges idretthøgskole, hovedfagsoppgave.

Dowling, F. (2004)  Supervisory Teachers' Constructions of Femininities and Masculinities in the 'Gym'.  I  P. Jørgensen & N. Vogesen (eds) What's Going On In The Gym? Learning, Teaching and Research in Physical Education.  University of Southern Denmark, Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics.

Kårhus, S. (2004) Physical Education Teacher Education and Gender Discourses. An analysis of Norwegian policy documents and curricula. In Jørgensen, P. & Vogesen, N.   ‘What’s going on in the gym”. Learning, Teaching and Research in Physical Education, Institute of Sports Science & Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense.