The Effectiveness of Feminist Pedagogy in Empowering a Community of Learners

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a pedagogy grounded in feminist ideals has the potential to empower students to make changes consistent with those ideals in their personal and professional lives. In Phase I, qualitative data were collected through e-mail questionnaires from students in two nursing schools, one in Canada and one in the United States. Findings were used to identify an appropriate tool to measure the empowering influence of feminist pedagogy. In Phase 2, a pretest-posttest design used Barrett’s Power as Knowing Participation in Change Tool (PKPCT) to measure student empowerment. A clinical setting was added in a third baccalaureate nursing program. A total of 218 students participated in seven course offerings—four classroom and three clinical. One hundred one matched pairs were obtained, for an overall response rate of 46%. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that overall empowerment scores, as measured by the PKPCT, and classroom empowerment (CE), as measured by the addition of a variable (i.e., the ability to contribute in class), increased significantly from pretest to posttest. Interaction between Sites 1 and 2 was also significant. Regression analysis indicated posttest CE scores added to pretest PKPCT and CE scores provided a strong model to predict overall empowerment scores, measured by the PKPCT at Time 2 (R2 = .703). Despite limitations related to loss of follow up and low response rates at one site, the results of this study supported both hypotheses: that empowerment would increase over the course of the class in which feminist pedagogical principles were used, and that classroom empowerment is likely to extend beyond the classroom to personal and work environments.

The meaning of empowerment for nursing students: a critical incident study

“…The three perspectives of empowerment are useful for synthesizing available literature in relation to nursing student empowerment. Researchers in Canada and the United States found that a feminist pedagogy is effective in empowering nursing students (Falk-Rafael et al 2004). From an organization perspective, researchers have used Kanter's (1993) structural empowerment theory as the basis for research: Siu et al (2005) reported that nursing students on a problembased learning programme experienced greater structural empowerment than students on a conventional programme and this increased student motivation, confidence and selfdirection toward learning.…”

Critical caring theory and public health nursing advocacy for comprehensive sexual health education

“…Finally, Falk‐Rafael () framed core beliefs and expressions of nursing caring within the concepts of social justice, power, and advocacy. In particular, she created the concept of “critical caring” by including both critical feminist theory and nursing feminist theory to public health nursing practice (Falk‐Rafael, Chinn, Anderson, Laschinger, & Rubotzky, ). This “critical caring” includes critique of health inequities, and support for the community as a change agent to correct the imbalance of social power that contributes to health inequities.…”

Using narrative pedagogy: learning and practising interpretive thinking

“…In response to these challenges, many teachers are exploring pedagogies new to nursing (e.g. interpretive pedagogies), developing interpretive pedagogies that are discipline-specific, and evaluating the reform emanating from such innovative pedagogical experiences (Ironside 2003a, Falk-Rafael et al 2004). However, while many teachers acknowledge the significance of new pedagogies for reforming nursing education, widespread use of these pedagogies has been slow to enter mainstream nursing education, and the dominance of conventional pedagogy (competency-based or outcomes education) persists (Kawashima 2005).…”