A Narrative Inquiry into the Motivation and Process of Gender Equality Education Practice by Male Elementary School Teachers

This study aims to explore in depth the motivations and processes of gender equality education as practiced by male elementary school teachers, and to interpret the meanings embedded in their lived experiences. Adopting a narrative inquiry methodology, the study engaged four male elementary teachers who had implemented gender equality education in their classrooms. Data were collected and analyzed over a three-month period through exploratory questionnaires and in-depth interviews. The analysis revealed four key themes that illustrate the motivations and processes of these male teachers’ engagement in gender equality education: (1) experiences of perceiving minority status and cultivating empathy, (2) family culture as a foundation for gender sensitivity, (3) personal growth through interactions with spouses and colleagues, and (4) practical efforts within institutional limitations. These findings suggest that male teachers’ practices of gender equality education are deeply shaped by the interplay of personal beliefs, relational dynamics, and socio-cultural contexts. Notably, the study employs the metaphor of “farming on barren land” to capture the teachers’ efforts as a form of planting and nurturing seeds of social change within the everyday curriculum.