Impact of the Spanish Law on Gender Violence in Teacher Education Programs: Resistances and Possibilities

• In Event: Preventive Socialization Against Violence Against Women in Schools

Abstract

1. Objectives
This paper presents part of the results of the research “Impact of the Comprehensive Law Against Gender Violence in Teacher Education” (Puigvert, 2008-2010). This research focuses on the identification in teacher education programs in Spain of elements related to knowledge and skills for the prevention and early detection of violence against women in schools. This paper also analyzes the perception that teachers and students in Spain have on the barriers and possibilities to do teacher education on prevention of gender violence possible.

2. Theoretical framework
The international scientific community has emphasized the importance of initial teacher training on child protection, child abuse and prevention and detection of all types of domestic violence (Baginsky & Macpherson, 2005; Goldman, 2005, 2007; Gómez Alonso, 2004; Oliver, Soler & Flecha, 2009; Valls, Puigvert & Duque, 2008). In Spain, the Act against Gender Violence, for the educational level states in Article 7 - c) that programs of pre-service and in-service teacher training should include training in: early detection of violence within the family, especially violence against women and children.

3. Methods and data sources
The data collection and data analysis methods are mixed:
 Quantitative:
55 questionnaires to School of Education directors in the 38 Universities analyzed.
 Qualitative:
Documentary analysis of the curricular programs of 295 courses of the teacher education programs in the Spanish universities analyzed and also those same programs in the 10 most prestigious international universities, schools of education, and teacher education programs.
9 in-depth interviews with faculty, deans and teachers.
6 communicative life stories with students.

4. Results
Teacher training on violent issues has proved to be an effective strategy that contributes to the creation of more secure and free of violence schools. But the Spanish universities are not offering specific compulsory education to enable future teachers to detect gender violence at its early stages and to prevent it. Some of the barriers that hinder the development of teacher education curriculums that address these topics derive from the institution itself. The hierarchical institutional structures enhance gender inequalities and power relations. Among the elements that would promote the inclusion of contents related to gender violence detection and prevention in teacher education programs are: the development of policies in schools of education and universities overall that protect the victims and those who give support, and act against the aggressors and their accomplices, the joint work with universities with more experience in preventing gender violence in order to serve as a guide, and the development of awareness raising campaigns that involve the whole community.

5. Significance
The training of future teachers in detection and prevention of gender violence is crucial for equipping schools with professionals who take a stand on violence against women and know how to intervene successfully to address and avoid it. In Spanish universities education in gender violence prevention is almost inexistent. This project identifies not only this reality and the difficulties to implement this training in Spanish universities, but also how to transform those difficulties into possibilities.

Authors

• Patricia Melgar Alcantud, Universitat de Girona

• Silvia Molina Roldán, Universitat Rovira i Virgili

• Maria Padrós Cuxart, Universitat de Barcelona