Gender Loops How to make students of ECEwork competent in enlarging gender identities? The Norwegian results for the Reform Gender Mainstreaming Curriculum (phase 1)

Presentation  Overview  GM work at Oslo University College  Teachers two answers in a panel-survey  Qualitative interviews –Design –Preliminary results  Suggestions for the Reform GM Curriculum

Guiding questions 1. Is the national macro curriculums gender mainstreamed? –The ministry's responsibility 2. Is the curriculum in Norway's ECEIs gender mainstreamed? –ECEI’s responsibility –Municipality responsibility 3. Is the bachelor education for teachers in ECEIs gender mainstreamed? –The 17 local university colleges’ responsibility

Overview Research on young children and gender –The educational institutions shall keep on track with the developments of society and research. (National educational plans) –There is limited research on young children and gender Action plan  Action plan for gender equality in the kindergartens –Motivating-, not legislative power –Some resources (Annually Euro, now tripled) –Significant activities –Good suggested actions –20 percent men overriding objective

Overview, National curriculum for ECEIs  Framework Plan for the Content and Tasks of Kindergartens (2006) –Does not make it obligatory to integrate gender in local ECEI’s annual curriculums. (may never the less be obligatory) –Gender is very much part of the plan, but not as integrated as one would wish.  Supplementary material to the curriculum –Two toolbox-publications –On men in ECEIs (Friis) –On gender equality in ECEIs (Rossholt)

Overview, national curriculum for university colleges Framework plan for the preschool teacher education (2003) 1. Pedagogy 2. Drama 3. Arts and crafts 4. Physical education 5. Christianity, Religion and Moral Education 6. Mathematics 7. Music 8. Science and the environment 9. Norwegian language 10. Social Studies (In section III, specifies the content of the institution's plans in subjects) Gender is mentioned in: 1.Pedagogy 10. Social Studies In comparison: –Perspectives on minorities and multiculturalism are given in all subjects but physical education.

Overview 1. Is the national macro curriculums gender mainstreamed?

Guiding question 2. Is the curriculum in Norway's ECEIs gender mainstreamed?

Panel

Gender Loops at Oslo University College (OUC) Partial goal: 1) Integrating gender and equity in all subjects (curricula themes, literature). –Following up one teacher

Gender Loops at Oslo University College (OUC) Partial goal: 2) Gender and equity as part of teaching practice. –Developing applicable and suitable tools. –Checklist –Practice: Both the main period's and more project based works

Gender Loops at Oslo University College (OUC) Partial goal: 3) Gender and equity in our ECEI-practice institutions –Analysis of the local institutions planning documents in regard to –Gender equity –Multicultural approaches –Participation –Sexualities

Gender Loops at Oslo University College (OUC) Partial goal 3) continued: –In-service courses to enhance work with planning documents –Conference (open for all) May 2007

Gender Loops at Oslo University College (OUC) Partial goal: 4) National conference autumn 2008 –Target group: –Early Childhood Educators (17 university colleges) – presenting gender loops and other projects at OUC and other colleges

Gender Loops at Oslo University College (OUC) X) In service course for men –20 men working as assistant teachers in kindergartens –Age 23 – 62 –Experience from 6 months – 8 years –10 days at UOC –Mentoring at own working place –Study credits/exams

Qualitative interview design 3. Is the bachelor education for teachers in ECEIs gender mainstreamed? –The 17 local university colleges’ responsibility Interviews of ten professors –From the 5 largest university colleges in each region –To from each institution Interviews of three experts –Head of studies –Researcher –student Background info on the five bachelor educations –Report on gender equality –Curriculum documents –Gender balance

Preliminary results of the qualitative interviews  Half of the interviews done  Student expert: –Teachers regularly use the terms “the boys” and “the girls” in their lecturing, –but in an unreflective way.  The most important professors are women who themselves have worked in ECEIs (subject of pedagogy). Have possible gender conservating consequences.  Lack of research, literature and knowledge on gender in subjects other than pedagogy and social studies

Preliminary results continue  Head of studies expert: –It is in the practical subjects students learn how do to gender (femininities) in the ECEI –But it is not reflected on and not perceived as gender  At the two bachelor programs examined –Handful of professors actively working with gender issues –Limited influence outside their own lecturing  It is the modernist paradigm of gender that is thought at the bachelor programs.

Conclusions, suggestions, recommendations, questions, methods and instruments for The Reform GM Curriculum  Stories of the GM work at Oslo University College  Presentation of results of the qualitative interviews  Retelling of the professors stories –Illustrations of best learning practices –Descriptions of the gender knowledge of good teachers  Descriptions of the relevance of gender in different subjects –The teachers presentations makes a starting point  Pointing out students’ need for emotional reflection –GM has an activist component that has to be activated thru bodily experience

Working steps that have to be done to finish the first working phase  Mapping – tomorrow’s presentation  Qualitative interviews –do all five bachelor programs –read the curriculums –and literature produced –analysis and systematisation  End of presentation  Comments, questions …

Extra slide: The national resource group  Is established  One meeting per partner meeting  The third resource group meeting is planned in January 2008

Extra slide: The national resource group  Kanvas – owner of 33 ECEIs –Role in testing and disseminating  Oslo University College –Role in testing and disseminating  Union of education –Organise the big majority of teachers –Role in disseminating

Extra slide: The national resource group  The ministry of education and research –Impact on policy documents  National expert on men in ECEIs –Svein Ole Sataøen  Equality and anti-discrimination ombud –Resource  Bachelor student –Lars Sigurd Vedø  Reform – resource centre for men –Advisor on men