Taking boys seriously in addressing systemic compounded educational disadvantage

What is it about?

Responding to a persistent gap in policy and practice, this paper offers a new gender conscious relational pedagogy, directly informed by boys and educators who have participated in Ulster University’s longitudinal ‘Taking Boys Seriously’ research in Northern Ireland. The development of this pedagogy is grounded in the authentic voices of boys from disadvantaged communities whom despite encountering multiple models of masculinity within a contested society, are rarely provided with opportunities to explore and better understand these in relation to themselves and others. Transcending the boundaries of formal and informal education, we have found this gender conscious relational pedagogy to be highly significant in re-engaging boys in education, increasing their participation, confidence, emotional support, behavioural management, critical thinking, and reflexivity. Our work contributes to a gender-transformative research agenda (Keddie and Bartel 2021) committed to an emancipatory praxis that engages intentionally with boys and educators to examine gender socialisation processes with a focus on masculinities, re-shaping power relations within contextual educational communities, and improving educational experiences, opportunities, and outcomes for disenfranchised adolescent boys and ultimately all learners.

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Why is it important?

Findings from Ulster University's Taking Boys Seriously longitudinal participant action research initiative demonstrates that gender conscious relational learning has been highly effective in engaging disengaged boys in education and learning.