“I could say it’s not in the curriculum, which is really true”

Investigating ELT Teachers’ Perspectives on Teaching Gender in Germany

Abstract

Within the context of schooling as a central institution of gender socialization, the English language classroom presents a critical opportunity for addressing and challenging narrow conceptions of gender. While curricular updates in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany, have codified gender as a topic within the core curricula for English, teachers, as the central actors in the implementation of teaching practice, and their perspectives on gender teaching remain underexplored. This study therefore investigates ELT teachers’ perspectives on gender teaching. Using a qualitative ethnographic approach, the study comprises semi-structured interviews with three ELT teachers at a secondary school in North-Rhine Westphalia that were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. All participants stressed the importance of gender teaching in ELT, yet showed varying perspectives on gender and their role in teaching gender. The participants also showed different levels of critical reflection of teaching materials, ranging from the supplementation of one-sided gender representations to the uncritical use of textbooks. The participants all acknowledged the importance of gender teaching in the English language classroom but showed varying perspectives on their own role within gender teaching. The findings of the study point to a need for increased attention to in-service teacher support and the need for fostering a critical consciousness regarding the use of teaching materials.