Echoes of Gender roles in the School Environment: A Phenomenological Study from Teachers' Perspectives

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Master student in Curriculum, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Faculty member and Associate Professor Department of Methods, Educational Planning and Curriculum, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

3 Faculty member and full professor Department of Methods, Educational Planning and Curriculum, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22099/jsli.2026.8574

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine teachers’ perceptions of learners’ gender roles in co-educational rural elementary schools in Qazvin Province. The research used a qualitative approach and a descriptive phenomenological method. The research field included all male and female elementary school teachers in Qazvin Province, from whom a purposive sample was selected based on predetermined criteria. After selecting the sample, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 teachers, and the data were analyzed using Colaizzi ’s method . Ultimately, four core concepts emerged: reproduction of gendered order in instructional interactions; boys’ gendered agency in learning; reflection of gender differences in competencies; and reproduction of gender roles in educational and occupational choices. The results indicate that teachers, consciously or unconsciously, are influenced by prevailing cultural patterns and gender stereotypes in society when interpreting and guiding learners’ behaviors; these perceptions, in turn, lead to the reproduction of gender inequalities in the teaching–learning process.

Keywords

Journal of Studies in Learning & Instruction
Volume 17, Issue 2
September 2025
Pages 210-191

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History

  • Receive Date: 21 August 2025
  • Revise Date: 28 December 2025
  • Accept Date: 18 January 2026
  • First Publish Date: 18 January 2026
  • Publish Date: 23 September 2025

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