Unheard Voices in Feminist Pedagogy: A Qualitative Exploration From Vietnamese Students' Perspectives

Abstract

Feminist pedagogy emphasizes voice as a means to empower students. This qualitative study examines what inhibits students from making their voices heard in the English classroom, and explores students' established behaviors to resist the power exercised on them. Student voices are investigated in the power relationships between teachers and students as well as students and their peers. The findings reveal that the reasons for unheard voices have to do with Vietnamese culture and student fears. There is also a lack of space, time, and environment for personal experiences to be shared in the classroom, another reason for unheard voices. To cope with the power and find their voices, students become more flexible in utilizing various channels of communication. More importantly, they gradually develop their autonomy so as to satisfy their learning needs when they cannot have their voices heard. Recommendations are made for teachers and educators to balance the power in the English classroom, providing more space for student voices.