Toward a pedagogy for teaching feminist literature through a cultural perspective: A qualitative action study of Taiwanese undergraduates in an American university literature class

The study has two major related goals. The first is to develop a pedagogy with which to teach feminist Chinese literature to female Taiwanese college students. The second is to develop a pedagogy within the context of a feminist Chinese literature class which raises students' feminist consciousness.;There are two research questions related to the main goals: (1) What elements constitute an effective pedagogy for teaching feminist Chinese literature at the college level to Taiwanese students? (2) How does studying feminist Chinese literature within the context of a course in question ;The design of the research centers around the teaching of a course on feminist Chinese literature from a cultural perspective, with detailed examination of student reactions to both the pedagogy and content of the course, gathered from various sources. The study involves implementing planned instructional strategies in an effort to incorporate a whole language pedagogy and then systematically submitting the strategies to observation, reflection, and change.;The data collected in this study consists of several different components: students interviews, papers and journals, questionnaires, transcripts of classroom discussions and my own personal journal containing my observations and reflections on my decisions as a teacher/researcher.;Findings basic to the success of this research were: (1) Students became less dependent on the teacher. (2) Students became more responsive over time to classroom discussion and interaction as a method for learning. (3) Student participation was enhanced indirectly by showing respect for them as individuals and for their ideas; and directly by praising their participation in class and by grading them for class participation. (4) Students beliefs did not change radically but they become more receptive to other student's ideas. (5) Students were influenced by feminist pedagogy. (6) Prior knowledge can be built upon through the sharing of experiences. (7) The teacher's attention to student self-esteem and confidence had a significant impact. (8) Students experience some degree of conflict in trying to reconcile their feminist consciousness with their individual lives.;Finally, I propose to adjust these findings to traditional teaching style currently in use in Taiwan, specifically with regard to changes in the process of learning, moving from a teacher-centered process to one in which the students are more actively involved.