Exploring the Implications of a gender responsive curriculum: The novel and gendered identities

Abstract

In this study, I set out to explore how Literature shapes perceptions of gender among high school students based on discussions of a feminist text, the River and the Source by Margaret Ogola. By exploring this, I hoped to shed a light on whether transformative learning occurs in the Literature classrooms whereby students can get an opportunity for critical reflection/evaluation of the texts and society, or not. The main questions for analysis were: (1) to what extent is the current Literature text studied in a gender responsive way? (2) what are the students’ insights on the manner in which gender is presented? The main variable of the study was gender perceptions, while the assumptions were that the text alone does not determine meaning, but rather, the reader draws from their experiences and contexts and ascribes meaning to a text. Reader response theory and the feminist literary critique provided tools for analysing whether a text questioned or upheld patriarchy. A discourse analysis of the novel identified it as a feminist text. Is the implication that since the text is gender responsive, the education students receive is gender responsive as well? The conflict perspective which has contributed to the main thinking was critical of this conclusion, hence the need for a field study for further exploration. 17 students from three schools were interviewed. The results of the study indicated that female students identified more with the feminist text than the male students. The male students, although displaying changing perceptions on masculinities and femininities, revealed scepticism towards gender equity and equality practices. Recommendations for future research to focus on the how these attitudes (boys’) can be averted through the curriculum.