Unraveling Gender: The Potential of Dialogic Pedagogy in Literacy Activities

• In Event: Thursday Roundtable Session 9:00 am
  In Roundtable Session: Language for All: Fostering Inclusive and Equitable Classrooms (Table 3)

Abstract

Dialogic pedagogy, anchored in democratic values, offers promise in promoting gender equity within educational environments. Despite its potential, many current programs sidestep significant racial, class, and gender inequalities. Through micro-ethnographic discourse analysis of video-recorded literacy lessons, this study examines how gender categories are constituted and/or troubled in literacy discussions guided by dialogic pedagogy in Israeli elementary school classrooms. Our findings show frequent reliance on gender stereotypes by both students and teachers, which perpetuate hegemonic gendered discourses. Discussions touching on transgenderism and transsexuality that arose were met with hesitation and silencing, thereby reinforcing the conventional male-female binary. While dialogic pedagogy has the potential to challenge gender norms, meaningful social transformation requires that we devote greater and deeper attention to gender issues.

Authors

• Aviv Orner, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

• Hadar Netz, Tel Aviv University

• Adam Lefstein, Hebrew University of Jerusalem