High Heels and High Expectations: Feminist Teaching in a Neoliberalist University

Abstract

This study aims to examine the suitability of feminist student-centred active learning pedagogy in large-scale classroom settings in a contemporary neoliberalist university context. In the current individualist culture in the academia where students implicitly have adopted a customer-like mind-set, they need to be rational in terms of what they study and how they use their time. We
argue that feminist values are what makes student-centred active learning successful and will enhance the academic expertise of students. However, the values of inclusiveness, low-hierarchy, co-construction of knowledge, and empowerment of feminist pedagogy need to be revisited in the contemporary context. Low-hierarchy may signal to students that they have the ‘upper’
hand. Instead of engaging actively in the classroom, they challenge the course content and pedagogical practices. On the basis of our case study data, we claim that this attitude is inherently gendered. Thus, paradoxically, teachers in feminist classrooms need to be careful about the role of ‘service provider’ and assume more assertive leadership roles in order to ensure successful learning outcomes.