Promoting Gender Equity through Teacher Education: A Comparison of Turkish and American Preservice Teachers’ Perspectives

• Published in: Kastamonu eğitim dergisi pp. 484 - 497
• Main Author: Mercan Küçükakın, Pınar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 11.07.2024
• ISSN: 1300-8811
• DOI: 10.24106/kefdergi.1525386

Gender perception and beliefs of teachers constitute a significant dimension of gender inequities in education. Even in societies that have made significant progress in achieving gender equity, the structure and content of teacher education remains insufficient to create gender awareness among teacher trainees and to develop an egalitarian understanding of education. Utilizing a multiple case study design, the present study examines the extent to which the teacher education programs in two different countries, Türkiye and the USA, prepare pre-service teachers to be gender sensitive in their practices as teachers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 22 student teachers from two countries. Student teachers talked about their experiences inside the teacher education programs and their views regarding how issues surrounding gender were embedded into the teacher education curriculum. Interviews revealed the nature and quality of teacher education, social mechanisms and relations within the teacher education programs in shaping the gender norms of prospective teachers. The study has important implications for educational policies, school practices, and teacher education programs.