Imagining the Future of Library Instruction: How Feminist Pedagogy Can Transform the Way You

Teach and How Students Learn

Maria T. Accardi, Indiana University SoutheastEmily Drabinski, Long Island University-Brooklyn

Alana Kumbier, Wellesley College

Agenda

• Think/Pair/Share: What is feminist pedagogy?

• Overview of feminist pedagogy theory• Contexts • Think/Pair/Share: Feminist strategies in

the classroom• Questions/Answers/Discussion

Think/Pair/Share

• Think about what you think feminist pedagogy is.

• Turn to your neighbor and discuss.• Share with the group.

Defining Feminist Pedagogy

“a perspective on teaching which is anti-sexist, and anti-hierarchical, and which stresses women’s experience, both the suffering our oppression has caused and the strengths we have developed to resist it” (Fisher, 1981, p. 20).

Recurring Themes

• Raising consciousness about gender injustice, sexism, and social change

• Privileging student voice• Fostering Collaboration/ Cooperation/

Democracy/ Community• Transforming teacher-student

relations/authority/empowerment• Ethics of care

Contexts

• Maria• Emily• Alana

What feminist pedagogy looks like

The feminist teacher The feminist instruction librarian

Makes use of the seminar discussion-based format, which fosters active participation and values student voices (Broidy, 2007; Chow et al., 2003).

Promotes active participation when discussing possible research topics, database searching strategies, or other information literacy learning activities.

Is characterized by the absence of lecturing and assertion of authority. Instead, the teacher asks for student input (Carillo, 2007).

Relies on student input for database demonstration, keyword brainstorming, and search query formation.

Emphasizes on hands-on or interactive learning, field trips, service or community learning (Chow et al., 2003).

Employs hands-on learning activities that require students to engage with library research tools.

What feminist pedagogy looks like

The feminist teacher The feminist instruction librarian

Facilitates cooperation, class participation, group work; builds community; involves students in decision making; elicits personal responses to material (Duncan & Stasio, 2001).

Makes use of group work or partner work for information searching or evaluation. Develops learning activities that solicit and validate students’ experiential knowledge.

Employs consciousness-raising (Fisher, 1981).

Raises awareness of sexism and other forms of oppression through library research content and examples (e.g. using “women in engineering” for a search topic in a career research class.)

What feminist pedagogy looks like

The feminist teacher The feminist instruction librarian

Is attentive to language as a way of constructing reality and knowledge; acknowledges central role of language in teaching, learning, and theory formation (Giroux, 1989).

Takes care to explain how keywords and/or subject terms often fail to take into account or adequately describe marginalized people or topics. Demonstrates how to rephrase search language in order to retrieve satisfactory results.

Uses egalitarian classroom practices, encourages student development of personal strengths, and fosters social relations that challenge patriarchy (Giroux, 1989).

Makes use of learning activities that validate learners’ talents and strengths and invite students to share or demonstrate skills for class. Fosters an anti-hierarchical classroom environment where student input is sought, utilized, and valued.

What feminist pedagogy looks like

The feminist teacher The feminist instruction librarian

Fosters an environment in which all individuals work together to achieve goals collectively (Hayes, 1989).

Collaboratively develops goals and learning outcomes for library session with students. Invites suggestions from students on how to achieve goals.

Encourages students to define key terms for class discussion (Maher, 1985)

Seeks student input on keyword brainstorming. Encourages students to help set the agenda for learning activities and goals for the session.

Supports students in achieving mastery on their own or in collaborative group exercises (Parry, 1996).

Develops learning activities that allow students to improve and hone library research skills individually or with partners/groups.

What feminist pedagogy looks like

The feminist teacher The feminist instruction librarian

Makes use of reflective personal journals (Parry, 1996).

Employs learning activities or assessment instruments that promote student reflection on learning and research process and facilitate metacognition.

Employs networked computerized classrooms, which can shift power relationships and promote active learning (Parry, 1996).

Uses computer classroom in a way that empowers individual learners and promotes hands-on kinesthetic learning.

Focuses on interaction, such as impromptu speaking, group exercises, ice-breakers, keeping people meeting new people, changing physical environment (Torrens & Riley, 2004).

Keeps the classroom interesting and lively by encouraging students to speak, work in groups, and move around the classroom.

What feminist pedagogy looks like

The feminist teacher The feminist instruction librarian

Makes use of think/pair/share, team work and team reports, and group problem-solving (Webb et al., 2004)

Develops learning activities that require students to work individually, then share with a partner, and then share with the group. Provides problem-based research scenarios for students to solve together.

Think/Pair/Share

• Think about how your responses to the first question have changed, if at all.

• Turn to your neighbor to discuss.• Share with group.

Bibliography

• See http://mariataccardi.com for a full bibliography

Questions/Answers/Discussion