View in EDS

Finnish Teachers as (De)Constructors of the Binary-Gendered Ideals of the Teaching Profession

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Finnish Teachers as (De)Constructors of the Binary-Gendered Ideals of the Teaching Profession
Language: English
Authors: Salla Myyry (ORCID 0000-0002-1564-770X), Sara Juvonen (ORCID 0000-0003-2798-9376), Heidi Huilla (ORCID 0000-0002-2845-3496), Sonja Kosunen (ORCID 0000-0001-8093-7052)
Source: Gender and Education. 2025 37(7):830-845.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 16
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Teachers, Sex, Sex Role, Masculinity, Femininity, Cultural Influences, Social Influences, Gender Issues, Gender Identity, Sex Stereotypes
Geographic Terms: Finland
DOI: 10.1080/09540253.2025.2544532
ISSN: 0954-0253
1360-0516
Abstract: Teaching is a gender-segregated profession, particularly at the lower levels of education. This study empirically contributes to discussions on gendered ideals of teaching, a hot topic in the field of education for decades, by critically examining how Finnish teachers construct teachers' gender, and illustrating how these discursive practices either challenge or reinforce binary-gendered ideals within the teaching profession. According to our findings, teachers represented gender constantly as two oppositional essences or approached it as meaningless in schooling practices, with both approaches maintaining binary-gendered ideals in the teaching profession. However, the teachers additionally deconstructed the fixed cultural ideals of masculinity and femininity. We therefore argue that social and cultural ideals and expectations of gender matter and maintain gender divisions in teaching. To confirm these ideals' influence, we suggest critical evaluation of the essentialist underpinnings of culturally feminine and masculine practices in teachers' work, such as caring and generating authority.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1488305
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1488305
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Finnish Teachers as (De)Constructors of the Binary-Gendered Ideals of the Teaching Profession
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Salla+Myyry%22">Salla Myyry</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1564-770X">0000-0002-1564-770X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sara+Juvonen%22">Sara Juvonen</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2798-9376">0000-0003-2798-9376</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Heidi+Huilla%22">Heidi Huilla</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2845-3496">0000-0002-2845-3496</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sonja+Kosunen%22">Sonja Kosunen</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8093-7052">0000-0001-8093-7052</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Gender+and+Education%22"><i>Gender and Education</i></searchLink>. 2025 37(7):830-845.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 16
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teachers%22">Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sex%22">Sex</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sex+Role%22">Sex Role</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Masculinity%22">Masculinity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Femininity%22">Femininity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+Influences%22">Cultural Influences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Influences%22">Social Influences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Gender+Issues%22">Gender Issues</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Gender+Identity%22">Gender Identity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sex+Stereotypes%22">Sex Stereotypes</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Finland%22">Finland</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1080/09540253.2025.2544532
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0954-0253<br />1360-0516
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Teaching is a gender-segregated profession, particularly at the lower levels of education. This study empirically contributes to discussions on gendered ideals of teaching, a hot topic in the field of education for decades, by critically examining how Finnish teachers construct teachers' gender, and illustrating how these discursive practices either challenge or reinforce binary-gendered ideals within the teaching profession. According to our findings, teachers represented gender constantly as two oppositional essences or approached it as meaningless in schooling practices, with both approaches maintaining binary-gendered ideals in the teaching profession. However, the teachers additionally deconstructed the fixed cultural ideals of masculinity and femininity. We therefore argue that social and cultural ideals and expectations of gender matter and maintain gender divisions in teaching. To confirm these ideals' influence, we suggest critical evaluation of the essentialist underpinnings of culturally feminine and masculine practices in teachers' work, such as caring and generating authority.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1488305
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1488305
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/09540253.2025.2544532
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 16
        StartPage: 830
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sex
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sex Role
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Masculinity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Femininity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cultural Influences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social Influences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Gender Issues
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Gender Identity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sex Stereotypes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Finland
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Finnish Teachers as (De)Constructors of the Binary-Gendered Ideals of the Teaching Profession
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Salla Myyry
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Sara Juvonen
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Heidi Huilla
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Sonja Kosunen
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0954-0253
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1360-0516
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 37
            – Type: issue
              Value: 7
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Gender and Education
              Type: main
ResultId 1