Educational Theory

Opposition:-

Opposition to feminist educational theory comes from both those who oppose feminism in general and feminist who oppose feminist educational theory in particular. Critics of feminist educational theory argue against the four basic tenants of the theory, “… [Contesting] both their legitimacy and their implementation”. 

Lewis Lehman particularly describes feminist educational ideology as, ‘Therapeutic pedagogy’ that substitutes an ‘overriding’ (and detrimental) value on participatory interaction for the expertise of the faculty” (Hoffman). Lehman argues that the feminist educational tenants of participatory experience and validation of person experience hinder education by limiting and inhibiting the educator’s ability to share his or her knowledge, learned through years of education and experience.

Others challenge the legitimacy of feminist educational theory, arguing that it is not unique and is instead a sect of libratory education. Even feminist educational scholars such as Frances Hoffmann and Jayne Stake are forced to concede that, “feminist pedagogy shared intellectual and political roots with the movements comprising the libratory education agenda of the past 30 years”. These libratory attempts at the democratization of classrooms demonstrate a growth in libratory education philosophy that some argue feminist educational theory simply piggybacks off of.

There are countless supporters of feminist education as well, many of whom are educators or students. Student-turned-professor Becky Ropers-Hillman recounts one of her positive experiences with feminist education from the student perspective, explaining that she “… felt very ‘in charge’ of [her] own learning experiences,” and “… was not being graded-or degraded... [while completing] the majority of the assigned work for the class (and additional work that [she] thought would add to class discussion),” all while “… [Regarding] the teacher’s feedback on [her] participation as one perspective, rather than the perspective”. Ropers experienced a working feminist classroom that successfully motivated students to go above and beyond, succeeding in generating self-efficacy and caring in the classroom.

When Ropers became a teacher herself, she embraced feminist educational theory, noting that, “[Teachers] have an obligation as the ones who are vested with an assumed power, even if that power is easily and regularly disrupted, to assess and address the effects that it is having in our classrooms”. 

Ropers firmly believes that educators have a duty to address feminist concepts such as the use and flow of power within the classroom, and strongly believes in the potential of feminist educational theory to create positive learning experiences for students and teachers as she has personally experienced.

Leading feminist scholar bell hooks argues for the incorporation of feminism into all aspects of society, including education, in her book Feminism is for everybody. 

Hooks notes that, “Everything [people] know about feminism has come into their lives third hand”. Hooks believes that education offers a counter to the, “… won minded notion of feminist movement which implied it was anti-male”. Hooks cites feminism’s negative connotations as major inhibitors to the spread and adoption of feminist ideologies. However, feminist education has seen tremendous growth in adoption in the past few decades, despite the negative connotations of its parent movement.