Primary school teachers’ views of the use of gender-neutral language to enhance gender equality in schools
Language plays an important role in shaping, and directing behaviour. Feminists argue that the use of gendered language has consequences for relations, and relative status of male and female learners in the education system because it is used to maintain, and reinforce sexism. Language can, therefor...
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| Format: | research article |
| Language: | English |
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MSU Press
2023
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| Online Access: | https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/5512 http://recon.io/index.php/thedyke/article/view/33 |
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| author | Richard Nyika Tambawoga Chriswell Muchena |
| author2 | Zimbabwe Open University, Zimbabwe |
| author_facet | Zimbabwe Open University, Zimbabwe Richard Nyika Tambawoga Chriswell Muchena |
| author_sort | Richard Nyika |
| collection | DSpace |
| description | Language plays an important role in shaping, and directing behaviour. Feminists argue that the use of gendered language has consequences for relations, and relative status of male and female learners in the education system because it is used to maintain, and reinforce sexism. Language can, therefore, be used to influence gender status. Schools are linguistic environments flooded with gendered language that can influence the development of gender roles. Teachers as key players in this environment play a very important role in cultivating gender equality values through using, and teaching, gender-neutral language. This study explores views by primary school teachers on the use and teaching of gender-neutral language as another frontier that can be used to promote gender equality values. The study is a descriptive survey which used questionnaires and interviews to collect data from 30 randomly sampled primary school teachers in Gweru urban district (Zimbabwe). The results showed that most teachers were not aware that a language is a strong tool which can be effectively used to influence gender equality. However, they supported the use of gender-neutral language as an effective tool in promoting gender equality. The study recommended that teachers should be exemplary in their use of gender-neutral language, and should encourage learners to use gender-neutral language. It is further recommended that gender-neutral language should be a component of language teaching in schools and that primary school textbooks should also be conscious of gender-neutral language too. |
| format | research article |
| id | ir-11408-5512 |
| institution | My University |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publisher | MSU Press |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ir-11408-55122023-03-31T12:05:32Z Primary school teachers’ views of the use of gender-neutral language to enhance gender equality in schools Richard Nyika Tambawoga Chriswell Muchena Zimbabwe Open University, Zimbabwe Midlands State University, Zimbabwe Primary school teachers Gender-neutral language Gender equality Schools Language plays an important role in shaping, and directing behaviour. Feminists argue that the use of gendered language has consequences for relations, and relative status of male and female learners in the education system because it is used to maintain, and reinforce sexism. Language can, therefore, be used to influence gender status. Schools are linguistic environments flooded with gendered language that can influence the development of gender roles. Teachers as key players in this environment play a very important role in cultivating gender equality values through using, and teaching, gender-neutral language. This study explores views by primary school teachers on the use and teaching of gender-neutral language as another frontier that can be used to promote gender equality values. The study is a descriptive survey which used questionnaires and interviews to collect data from 30 randomly sampled primary school teachers in Gweru urban district (Zimbabwe). The results showed that most teachers were not aware that a language is a strong tool which can be effectively used to influence gender equality. However, they supported the use of gender-neutral language as an effective tool in promoting gender equality. The study recommended that teachers should be exemplary in their use of gender-neutral language, and should encourage learners to use gender-neutral language. It is further recommended that gender-neutral language should be a component of language teaching in schools and that primary school textbooks should also be conscious of gender-neutral language too. 15 2 122 134 2023-03-31T12:05:32Z 2023-03-31T12:05:32Z 2022-02-15 research article https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/5512 http://recon.io/index.php/thedyke/article/view/33 en The Dyke 2790-9036 open MSU Press |
| spellingShingle | Primary school teachers Gender-neutral language Gender equality Schools Richard Nyika Tambawoga Chriswell Muchena Primary school teachers’ views of the use of gender-neutral language to enhance gender equality in schools |
| title | Primary school teachers’ views of the use of gender-neutral language to enhance gender equality in schools |
| title_full | Primary school teachers’ views of the use of gender-neutral language to enhance gender equality in schools |
| title_fullStr | Primary school teachers’ views of the use of gender-neutral language to enhance gender equality in schools |
| title_full_unstemmed | Primary school teachers’ views of the use of gender-neutral language to enhance gender equality in schools |
| title_short | Primary school teachers’ views of the use of gender-neutral language to enhance gender equality in schools |
| title_sort | primary school teachers’ views of the use of gender-neutral language to enhance gender equality in schools |
| topic | Primary school teachers Gender-neutral language Gender equality Schools |
| url | https://cris.library.msu.ac.zw//handle/11408/5512 http://recon.io/index.php/thedyke/article/view/33 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT richardnyika primaryschoolteachersviewsoftheuseofgenderneutrallanguagetoenhancegenderequalityinschools AT tambawogachriswellmuchena primaryschoolteachersviewsoftheuseofgenderneutrallanguagetoenhancegenderequalityinschools |