Integrating Autotheory in Educational Research: Exploring Self, Identity, and Queer/Trans Pedagogical Praxis

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 9:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Queering Theory and Method: Divinatory, Embodied, and Relational Ways of Knowing (Table 4)

Abstract

This paper navigates the confluence of memory, identity, and sexuality within the realm of queer curriculum studies and queer teachers’ identity formation. Utilizing an autotheoretical approach, it ventures beyond the forms of conventional curriculum theory to explore the ineffable experiences that shape the lives and work of queer educators. This piece delves into the visceral impacts of early queer relationships and the formative power and affective shape of shame in the lives of many queer students. It illuminates how these deeply personal elements are interwoven with the professional identities and pedagogical practices of queer educators. This experimental structure aims to expand the boundaries of traditional academic discourse, offering a testament to the enduring influence of queer experiences in educational contexts.

Author

• Jack Helton, Teachers College, Columbia University