Teaching Across Intersections

Project Registration number: 2021-1-CZ01-KA220-SCH-000027740 

Background

Teaching Across Intersections (TAI) is a project focused on secondary school pupils whose lives are influenced by a combination of different kinds of disadvantage. Those whose identities are omitted by the mainstream educational systems. Those who were born on the “wrong” junction. Various studies of contemporary school curricula have shown that the portrayed identities and life trajectories reflect interests of pupils belonging to the normative majority of the society. Consequently, the experience represented is mainly white, cismale, middle class, heterosexual and able bodied. The lack of intersectional approach in secondary school education is thus the main issue we intend to tackle. In our definition, secondary school entails pupils from the age of eleven to fifteen.

Insufficient teaching methodologies negatively influence educational outcomes of pupils as well as choices regarding their futures. Mainstream teaching practices do not fully reflect on the social reality of marginalized pupils who are subjected to discrimination based on specific constellations of factors such as gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, economic status, culture and disability. Structural discrimination based on multiple intersections makes children’s specific needs invisible not only to the school curriculum, but also to the teachers and other relevant actors in the field of education. For this reason, the TAI project strives for integration of intersectional perspective into everyday teaching methods. Teaching Across Intersections is conceived as a three-year project implemented by four non-governmental organizations from four European countries: GIC NORA (Czech Republic), Sdruzhenie Walk Together (Bulgaria), Asociatia De Tineret Plantogether (Romania), and Idrisi Cultura e Sviluppo (Italy). Over the course of the project, three project results will be produced. Also, three international project meetings and one training activity will be held.

Objectives:

The main objective of the project is to expand secondary school teachers’ knowledge on intersectionality as a tool of inclusion and to provide them with a set of soft skills allowing them to fulfil the needs of pupils on various intersections of gender, ethnicity, economic status, religion, sexual orientation, disability and so on. By strengthening secondary school teachers’ competencies and cultivating sensitivity towards various intersections, they will be able to create a safe and welcoming environment in the classroom where children of all backgrounds will feel at home.

Results

First, a comparative comprehensive research report will be written based on an intersectional comparative content analysis of selected secondary school textbooks and monitoring of intersectional awareness among school teachers. The analysis will be conducted in order to determine whether the authors included intersectional perspective in the textbooks and if they did, in what ways. Intersections of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, economic status, and ability will be considered. In addition, a monitoring of current knowledge on the topic of a group of secondary school teachers will be executed. Finally, a set of criteria for further assessment of different textbooks will be developed. Secondly, an open online educational resource will be created in order to centralize relevant stakeholders, problem sources and educational materials related to intersectionality and the application of its principles in secondary school education. The material will contain infographics including problem trees specifying and visualizing the role of stakeholders and sources of the lack of intersectional approach in school education. In addition, an inventory of currently available teaching manuals and methodological guidelines focusing on inclusive education, gender sensitive education, ethically sensitive education and so on will be included. This will allow us to map and view the materials not as separate documents but rather as a network of relevant resources which, when combined, adhere to the principles of intersectionality. At the end, a list of recommendations will be created and shared with NGOs and other relevant stakeholders. Finally, a handbook of methodologies to accompany selected secondary school textbooks will be produced. It will contain detailed teaching manuals directly connected to the exercises and activities that are already part of the previously analyzed textbooks and, consequently, of the schools’ curriculum. Thus, the teachers will be (1) able to incorporate more tasks related to inclusive and otherwise sensitive education in the classroom and (2) apply the principles of intersectionality in practice with special regards to the intersections of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, economic status, religion, and ability. Hence, the new activities, extensions of exercises and questions for discussion included in the handbook will be easier to incorporate thanks to their time efficiency. The topic of intersectionality is rarely addressed in school education, therefore, the methodologies will be beneficial as sources of new information for relevant stakeholders. Another expected outcome of the TAI project is a formulation of suggestions for future structural systemic changes. It will be based on raising awareness about the importance of intersectional approach in secondary school education among relevant stakeholders, the media and the general public.

Резултати (достъпни на български език)

Тази дигитална библиотека е създадена като част от проекта “Teaching Across Intersections”, финансиран от Европейския съюз. Изразените възгледи са на автора и не отразяват непременно официалната позиция на Европейския съюз или Европейската изпълнителна агенция за образование и култура (EACEA). Нито Европейският съюз, нито EACEA носят отговорност за изразените становища.