Power/knowledge, gender and curriculum change

This paper considers the relationship betweenpower, gender and curriculum change. Writingfrom a Foucaultian standpoint, the authorconsiders how teachers react to and resist bothimposed and ‘voluntary’ educationalinnovations. She looks at how subject status,personal identity and career history affect howa teacher is likely to react to a particularproposed change, and how this is affected bygendered power/knowledge relations withinschools. The author concludes that genderedpower/knowledge relations are central to theintroduction and implementation of change, andthat those proposing educational innovationsneed to have a greater understanding of thosewho will be subject to them. This is animportant area in which basic educationalresearch can be of practical utility.