We Recruit: Queering teacher identity through a course on homophobia

• In Event: “We Recruit”: Sexuality and Gender, “Queer Positive” Curriculum, and Teacher Knowledge and Identity

Abstract

Objectives: This paper utilizes student responses to analyze the use of anti-oppressive pedagogy in teacher education for a course entitled “Equal Opportunity: Education and Homophobia.” The curriculum was designed to queer pre-service teacher knowledge to establish pre-service teachers Out-sider identity. This paper discusses the theories, student experiences, and questions to consider for future practices.

Theoretical Framework: A poststructuralist framework is utilized in this paper with a focus on work from Kevin Kumashiro and Susan Birden. The course utilized the four alternative discourses to challenge oppression offered by Kumashiro’s (2004) theory of social justice education. The course also aimed to have students view the teacher role as one of pragmatic educational activist and utilized Birden’s (2005) praxis of the Out-sider. The four elements of the Out-sider praxis calls the future teacher to identify with the OUT LGBTQ.

Methods: Student responses were collected through class field journals, anonymous teacher memos, traditional research writing, and individual student interviews. Individual student interviews were conducted by a doctoral student.
Data was collected from courses taught in spring 2010 and 2011. The primary data sources included student interviews, field journals, anonymous teacher memos, research writing, class presentations of research, class discussions, professional presentations and the student’s final course reflections.

Results: Results indicate students were engaged in the alternative discourses identified by Kumashiro (2002) and many began to form a teacher identity as an Out-sider offer by Birden (2005).
- I feel like all of this pedagogy from this homophobia class and feminist pedagogy class….I feel like it should be second nature. I feel like it is just obvious that this kind of harassment this kind of discrimination and oppression should not be tolerated and so I feel like the course has helped to me be able to articulate my feelings better with my parents. But it has also made me a lot more forward about my feelings which is a good thing and it has caused tension between my parents but it is something that I think is really important and so if it causes tension, fine, because I think it is really important.
Student data indicates the modeled lessons offered a pragmatic means to address vast social problems on a singular educational scale. Overall, student reflections and interviews exhibited identification with and deeper understanding of the Out-siders of Heteronormative discourse, a professional sense of responsibility in addressing homophobia and Heteronormativity in their teaching, and an ability to articulate ways they can address this issue.

Scientific or scholarly significance: Data from this course highlights the student experience of learning through anti-oppressive pedagogy and moving closer to a pragmatic educational activism and engagement as an Out-sider in their school and community. A curriculum that provides avenues for students to experience the Out-sider can expand teacher knowledge and facilitate a commitment to expose and eradicate Heteronormativity or other normative discourses. It is significant if teacher education programs can support pre-service teachers utilize the teacher role and curriculum as interventions to eliminate violent oppression enacted on queer youth.

Authors

• Tina Manuela Gutierez-Schmich, University of Oregon

• Julia Irene Heffernan, University of Oregon