This paper explores the epistemological and methodological challenges of conducting educational research in gendered and binary contexts, such as schools, questioning the binary concept of gender while highlighting gender inequalities and injustice (such as Gender-Based Violence) at the same time. 

Our theoretical framework is grounded in queer studies and gender studies in education. Drawing on Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity (1990), gender is considered a social construction created by reiterated performative acts. Gender is therefore normative, but it also offers radical possibilities for individuals to creatively challenge gender norms and expectations. This framework focuses on the need to move beyond the gender binary, in order to dismantle the hierarchical gender relationships embedded in our society. 

Gender binary, indeed, intertwines the concept of gender with the concept of sex, and establishes the differences between boys and girls as biologically determined, and thus difficult to transcend. Moreover, gender binary makes the experience of transgender and non-binary people invisible, with significant consequences for their mental health and their educational success. 

Schools, as central educational institutions, play an important role in reproducing binary gender norms, in Italy and in many European countries. Gender norms could be particularly dangerous because, as research has shown,  they can lead to inequalities, discrimination and violence.

Schools reinforce the gender binary through textbooks, language, discursive practices, narrations, and even the organisation of physical space. Furthermore, it has been argued that gender research in education can inadvertently reify and perpetuate the gender binary rather than deconstruct them. In other words, research that adopts a binary perspective risks solidifying gender inequalities. 

Using Judith Lorber’s words, we are facing a paradox (2022): while trying to dismantle the gender binary, we are constrained by the binary categories of masculinity and femininity. This study addresses this paradox from an epistemological perspective: we seek to challenge gender binary in educational research while we deal with contexts – such as secondary schools - where binary categories are still the primary framework. 

This research, therefore, seeks to address two dimensions: how to conduct research in schools saturated with binary perspectives without reinforcing or reaffirming gender binaries; and how to prevent the risk of invisibilizing actual gender inequalities in educational contexts. More specifically: how can we conduct fieldwork in educational settings that, on the one hand, allow us to observe gender differences without ignoring their significance, but on the other hand, deconstruct the binary concept of gender? How can we develop an epistemological perspective that deconstructs gender without being gender-blind? How can we ensure that gender research does not perpetuate epistemic injustice, such as invisibilizing certain subjectivities? Finally, how can we use gender transformatively – that is, in an empowering and meaningful way for both students and teachers -  in educational research?

The methodology involves a narrative literature review. As we are currently in the early stages of our investigation, it is crucial to analyse the existing research. By completing the ongoing literature review within the field of education, we aim to identify key theoretical frameworks, research gaps, and methodological approaches relevant to the exploration of gender binary in educational contexts. Specifically, we are focusing on studies conducted in European and international school settings that address gender inequalities and GBV while also challenging the gender binary, analysing the epistemological choices that have been made. We are particularly interested in research conducted in secondary school context, as adolescence is an important period when students begin to question more about their gender identities. This is also a time when many students come out as transgender or non-binary, bringing gender identity issues into classrooms. To ensure a comprehensive review, we are using various academic databases and search engines, including ERIC, Psycinfo, Educational research abstract online, Google Scholar. Our search terms encompass a broad range of relevant keywords, such as "gender binary," "queer pedagogy," "educational inequality", “gender inequality”. By systematically analyzing the collected literature, we will identify emerging trends and patterns from previous studies and try to synthesize the findings in order to answer our preliminary research questions. This process will inform our understanding of the complexities of gender in educational settings and will guide our research design’s development.

One of the main expected outcomes of the first stage of our research is a better understanding of gender in education. Particularly, we expect to develop an epistemological and methodological reflection on how to simultaneously acknowledge and challenge the gender binary within an educational perspective in order to challenge school-related GBV. By investigating research in deeply gendered school contexts, both in Europe and Internationally, we would explore how researchers can navigate the complexities of conducting educational research in gendered spaces on GBV without further perpetuating epistemic injustice or silencing marginalized voices. Eventually, this research seeks to develop a more transformative approach to gender research in education, one that both challenges the limitations of existing frameworks and provides valuable insights for creating more equal and inclusive educational and learning environments for all students.

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