Teachers as curriculum leaders

Towards Promoting Gender Equity as a Democratic Ideal

Bibliographic Data

ID6142940
AuthorsShan Simmond (0000-0001-5005-9906, North-West University, corresponding author), Shan Simmonds
Year2017
Volume6
Issue2
Pages16-28
Publication date2017-09-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEducational Research for Social Change (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2221-4070 • E-ISSN: 2221-4070
PublisherAcademy of Science of South Africa (PUBLISHER • ZA)
DOI10.17159/2221-4070/2017/v6i2a2
OpenAlexW2765526698
SciELOS2221-40702017000200003
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited6

Curriculum is a site of political, racial, gendered, and theological dispute. Teachers who acknowledge this and see the implications for democratic living embrace their teaching practice as curriculum leaders and participate in complicated conversations. With the focus on gender equity as a democratic ideal, this article explores the lived experiences of some South African female teachers. From the findings, it became evident that some teachers still experience their school contexts as pervaded with patriarchy and sexism, and often fear confronting these traditional discourses. Engaging with subject matter that is likely to cause conflict or confrontation is avoided by some teachers because they do not feel comfortable in such contexts. However, some teachers do emerge as activists for gender justice and create awareness of injustice. These teachers are curriculum leaders who advocate for social change. This article concludes by putting forward some suggestions for how teachers can promote social change through their teaching practices

Curriculum · Democracy · Equity (law · Gender equality · Gender equity · Ideal (ethics · Pedagogy · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Sociology · Gender Diversity and Inequality · Global Education and Multiculturalism · Global Educational Policies and Reforms · Gender Studies · Law · Public Administration

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access