Raising Awareness: Helping Foundation Phase Learners Understand Gender Equality

Raising awareness about gender equality has been shown to be essential for young learners, as it assists them to understand concepts of fairness and equal treatment, regardless of their gender. This participatory action research study explores how early-grade teachers can help raise awareness and promote gender equality in South African classrooms. The study uses a qualitative research approach. Six teachers were purposively sampled from three government schools located in rural areas of the Vhembe District in Mudaswali circuit. Semi-structured (focus group) interviews and observations were used to collect in-depth views from participants. Data analysis was done using thematic analysis. Five key concepts emerged that highlight the advantages of inclusive teaching methods as well as the ongoing difficulties. Although learners showed more understanding and interest in fair treatment of all genders, strong stereotypes and cultural pushbacks, particularly from their families, were evident. The study shows the significance of using inclusive materials and having teacher-led conversations. The study also emphasises how crucial it is for parents to get involved and for the content to represent many cultural perspectives. The results highlighted the need to provide teachers with the right tools and methods to address gender bias starting from an early age. Teachers are working to encourage equality, but the environment frequently makes this difficult.