Using "classic reading instruction' to raise students' gender awareness: Students' perceptions of their learning experiences at a Taiwanese university

Although much research has focused on exploring different pedagogies for cultivating students' awareness and competencies, few studies have actually looked into how this can be done to develop their gender awareness by exploring the dynamics of classroom interaction. In this paper, I examine the effects of a method, referred to as "classic reading instruction," used in a gender and literature course, via a qualitative interview study. Forty-one male and female student participants from a Taiwanese university were interviewed and five themes were identified in the data. The findings revealed that most participants affirmed the effectiveness of classic reading instruction for raising their awareness about gender. They were also able to extend this to recognize the influences of family education on them and to comment on sexism in society. In addition, both male and female participants recognized the existence of male privilege, their identification with feminism and its relevance to daily life.