ABSTRACT
The chapter presents a theoretical discussion of the concept of ‘epistemic gender positioning’ as used in French didactique research. It begins with an overview on the late emergence of a gender focus in the francophone didactic research. Then, drawing on the theoretical idea that knowledge construction and meaning making are a by-product of teacher and students’ joint action, it provides examples of the use of the concept of ‘epistemic gender positioning’ in different school subjects, which sees gender as a fluid, multiple and relational category. Through a vignette and two examples of research data, the chapter outlines the need for detailed and in-depth analyses of classroom practices and participants’ interactions. The discussion brings to the fore the idea that gender positioning is always linked with each participant’s practical epistemology, in the sense that teacher and students, who are embedded and act within an implicit and differential didactic contract, value or privilege different facets of knowledge depending on context, meanings and interactions. The conclusion summarizes the distinctive contribution of the French didactique research tradition to the understanding of how gender order is done/undone in the class and advocates the need not only deconstruct but challenge gender norms in teaching and learning.
