Gender Equality in the English Classroom : Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Incorporating Gender Equality in Their Teaching of Upper Secondary School English

Sammanfattning: The aim of this study is to attain a deeper understanding of how English teachers approach the incorporation of gender equality in their English teaching, and the challenges and successes encountered in their pedagogical method. The study takes a qualitative approach, where the research examines the attitudes, teaching strategies and practical experiences of English teachers through semi-structured interviews. Six upper secondary English teachers were interviewed, and the results show a positive attitude towards including gender equality into their teaching. The results also present several ways to include gender equality in English teaching, emphasizing common discussions in the classroom. Some challenges were also identified, including the management of strong opinions, navigating cultural differences, limitations in language skills and long term-impact. The conclusions are that English teachers show a positive outlook towards including gender equality, highlighting the importance of collaborative dialogue in the classroom. The challenges mentioned by the teachers are addressed through open communication, and students are engaged through approaches such as games and audiovisual media, connecting language learning with learning about gender equality.