ABSTRACT
Feminist practitioners have established a strong body of research defining feminist pedagogy within and beyond women’s studies courses. The expressive model of feminist pedagogy that emerged in the 1970s attracted criticism from both within and outside of women’s studies. Surface structures in women’s studies are dialogic and student-centered and involve distributed authority, mirroring the field’s focus on connection and collaboration. A closer examination of the feminist pedagogy literature reveals distinctive themes that define or describe common pedagogical approaches in the field of women’s studies: the caring model, community and leadership, collaborative connections, liberatory/gender models, feminist assessment, theory to practice, and pedagogical innovations. Much of the current literature on feminist pedagogies in women’s studies courses centers on the evolution of best practices over the last 40 years. Empowerment, consciousness-raising, agency, and becoming change agents through sometimes challenging discussions are all at the core of the feminist, women’s studies classroom and part of the ‘deep structure’ of a feminist signature pedagogy.
