Gender and Interculturality. Coeducation from an intersectional viewpoint

Abstract

Introduction. Public education is one of the most effective institutional mechanisms to compensate for inequalities in all its manifestations. Recent citizen claims open the way to new educational reforms that must respond to present and future social demands. Egalitarian teaching cannot repair only in gender, but also in other potentially discriminatory categories, such as culture or ethnicity. For this reason, coeducation must henceforth consider an intersectional perspective. Objectives. We aim to know insights and beliefs of teachers and students about coeducative practices. To this end, we consider examining insights of teachers and students about coeducative practices, identifying coeducative difficulties and challenges that high schools face in a multicultural context, and knowing the impact of equality plans. Methodology. This research has been developed from a qualitative paradigm, using as a data collection instrument semi structured interviews, both individually and in group, to twenty-six students and teachers of secondary school from the City of Melilla. Results. Results prove progress reached in terms of coeducation, although they also reveal the need to continue deepening in teacher training, prevention and awareness for equality education. Moreover, they demonstrate the absence of interconnections between other categories different from gender, as intersectionality proposes. Conclusions and discussion. Just like other researches and authors have concluded, we highlight the review of cultural and religious prejudices and stereotypes, as well as an effective practice of school ideas by every single member of the teaching staff.