Disrupting compulsory heteronormative thinking in teacher education programmes

Abstract: The study sought to explore how intergroup dialogue could develop a broader understanding of sexuality and gender diversity within teacher education programmes. Participants included fourth-year Life Orientation student-teachers at the University of Johannesburg. Intergroup dialogue was implemented as a gateway between the participants, and the speakers who identified themselves as homosexual individuals. By using a qualitative design, data was gathered through pre-interview 3analysing preinterview questionnaires and transcribing interviews and reflections. Sorting the data revealed that the majority of the student-teacher participants held their own beliefs, prejudice and myths towards non-heterosexuality. The intergroup dialogue between the speakers with homosexual identities and the student-teacher participants disrupted the hegemonic heteronormative thinking that enabled a process of transformative thinking. A major contribution in this transformation process was the self-reflection by the student-teacher participants had after their interview with the homosexual speakers. Participants navigated between the previously held beliefs and opinions and the new knowledge on the daily living experience of school youth with same-sex sexual orientations. The findings suggest that intergroup dialogue can be used to disrupt and change a participant’s rigidly set beliefs and opinions about sexualities and gender diversity. It created a willingness to understand sexual diversity, a need for how to respond to the needs of young people with same-sex sexuality and overall the desire to become agents of change. There is a need to find creative pedagogies to address sexual and gender diversity in teacher education programmes. It should not simply focus on knowledge that is about the other but knowledge that is critical of the self and knowledge that undo privilege and create oppression.M.Ed. (Inclusive Education