Does the use of Journals as a Form of Assessment put into Practice Principles of Feminist Pedagogy?

Abstract

The writing of journals has become a popular form of assessment in women's studies courses, yet little work has addressed its authenticity as a form of feminist assessment. In this article, the learning journals of a class of tertiary teachers involved in a Postgraduate Diploma in Tertiary Teaching are analysed to determine the type of pedagogical practice that they reflect. The journals, and the pedagogical processes surrounding the use of the journals, were found to embrace many of the principles of critical and feminist pedagogy and to provide a valuable vehicle for the development of reflective professional practice. However, a focus on issues reflecting a wider context of social justice, for example, sexism and racism, was mostly only salient in the journals of the lecturers whose courses overtly involved these issues. These findings highlight a tension between respecting the rights of learners to construct their own knowledge and pursue areas of personal interest, and demanding attention to issues of equity and the role of education in social change.