Gender Really Matters in Group Work: A Visibilization and Politicization Teaching Sequence

Abstract

Analyzing gender inequalities when teaching political science can be an opportunity. Making inequalities visible in the classroom using students’ personal experiences can help teachers generate co-responsible practices which are necessary in a context where group work is increasingly important. Moreover, revealing gender inequalities through the students’ daily work can help them to understand a key element of the discipline: that politics needs to go beyond private views of social problems, in order to reach collective solutions. In this article, starting with five discussion groups, we give students a voice, to reveal how female students in the classroom take on private and reproductive roles that increase the work they do and affect the evaluation they receive. We have used this diagnosis to design a teaching sequence, implemented in 4 groups between 2018 and 2022, that aims to make gender inequalities visible in work relationships between peers as a first step toward students interpreting and managing these relationships politically.

Keywords:

• Gender
• Cooperative learning
• political science
• group work
• teaching
• Learning

Additional information

Funding

The authors have received funds for the preparation of the manuscript from the research group on participatory democracy Parte Hartuz.

Notes on contributors

Igor Ahedo Gurrutxaga

Igor Ahedo is a lecturer in the University of the Basque Country, part of the research group on participatory democracy Parte Hartuz, and former head of the Political Science department. His teaching practice has been recognized by the UPV for its excellence in implementing innovative methodologies. He is a teacher-trainer in gender perspective in higher education.

Iraide Alvarez Muguruza

Iraide Alvarez Muguruza Political Science, University of the Basque Country. She is a graduate in Political Science and a predoctoral researcher at the UPV. She has done postgraduate studies in gender equality, and focuses her research on feminist theory. She is part of the research group on participatory democracy Parte Hartuz. She is a teacher-trainer in gender perspective in higher education.

Cata Gómez Etxegoien

Cata Gómez Etxegoien Political Science, University of the Basque Country. She has a degree in Political Science and a postgraduate degree in community participation and development. She focuses her research on inequalities in higher education. She is a teachertrainer in gender perspective.