This presentation explores the effects of a longitudinal participatory intervention research on the theme of 'gender and didactics' in one preschool/primary school at Toulouse. During three years all schoolteachers and myself as researcher co-constructed design experiments in different subjects that seek to produce knowledge in/and action with participants with the aim to use this knowledge to improve gender sensitive learning in the school. The overarching purpose of the research lies in three focuses: 1) the deconstruction of social sex-stereotypes that pervade the teaching and the learning of many subjects; 2) the production of innovative pedagogies and didactical strategies that transform students’ content-specific behaviors and representations; 3) the raising of teachers’ sensitivity to how the didactic contract is functioning through participants’ gender positioning (Verscheure & Barale, 2017). Aiming at struggling against the inequalities ‘in the making’ of classroom practices, the participatory intervention research articulates an analysis of the practices of teaching and learning with a strategy of accompanying their change. The notion of change is seen here as the transition from one state to another: the modification of the relations between an individual and her/his environment involves the modification of the elements of the environment, as-well-as the transformation of individuals who become different by modifying their environment (Bedin, 2013). The research was conducted in cycles of four steps within each design experiment cycle: planning, action, observing, reflecting. Teachers and myself collaboratively designed the lessons. All lessons were videotaped and debriefed. Data collection was based on the principles of didactical observation using videotapes of the lessons and teacher and students’ interviews (Verscheure & Amade-Escot, 2007). Analyses were carried out against the background of the ‘joint action in didactics’ framework. We used the concept of ‘gender positioning’ as a means to describe the dynamics of the ‘differential didactic contract’ and if student learning moves forward gender emancipation (Amade-Escot, Elandoulsi & Verscheure, 2015; Schubauer-Leoni, 1996; Verscheure & Amade-Escot, 2007, 2016). In this presentation I focus on two boys and two girls who were observed during 3 consecutive years. The analysis is based on 3 pedagogical sequences: 1) a preschool activity (3-4 years old) called ‘who is this bear?’ related to gender categorization; 2) a ‘philosophical debate’ (4-5 years old, preschool) that allows preschool-children to discuss about gender-stereotyping’; 3) two physical education units (6 years, 1st year of primary school) in which the experiment design gives the students opportunities to learn non-gendered contents.

Amade-Escot, C., Elandoulsi, S. Verscheure, I. (2015). Physical Education in Tunisia: Teachers’ Practical Epistemology, Students’ Positioning and Gender Issues. Sport, Education and Society. 20(5), 656-675. DOI:10.1080/13573322.2014.997694 Bedin, V. (dir.) (2013). La conduite et l'accompagnement du changement. Contribution des sciences de l'éducation. Paris: L’harmattan. Schubauer-Leoni, M.L. (1996). Etude du contrat didactique pour des élèves en difficulté en mathématiques. Problématique didactique et/ou psychosociale. In C. Raisky, et M. Caillot (Eds.) Au-delà des didactiques le didactique : débats autour de concepts fédérateurs (pp.159-189). Bruxelles: De Boëck, Perspectives en Education. Verscheure, I. & Amade-Escot, C. (2007). The gendered construction of physical education content as the result of the differentiated didactic contract. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 12(3), 245-272. Verscheure, I. & Amade-Escot, C. (2016, August). Co-construction of gendered content in PE classroom: Gender positioning within the differential didactic contract. Paper presented at the NW 27 Symposium on Gender, ECER, Dublin . Ireland. Verscheure, I. & Barale, C. (2017). How collaborative research can enhance changes in teaching practices and gender equality in elementary school. A didactic analysis of a circus arts unit. Symposium “Challenging gender order in PE classroom” (I. Verscheure, coordinator). AIESEP World Conference, November 2017. Pointe à Pitre, Guadeloupe.