‘Theory is beautiful’: Resistance and counter-resistance to gender equality in teacher training

Abstract

The European Union has made a firm commitment to quality education for active citizenship taking up the demands of international movements and organisations, making gender equality a fundamental part of it. As previous research has shown a precarious implementation of these demands in Spain, in this study, we conduct 24 semi-structured interviews with key informant university professors who provide clues about the existing resistance and counter-resistance in the implementation of gender equality in initial teacher training. The results show how agents and their discourses impact on training, both positively and negatively, as well as the institutions in relation to their own organisational culture, resources and material elements, and influences. The information they supply provides insight into the limitations and possibilities for changing the culture and practice of higher education organisations at the international level in order to enhance gender mainstreaming in universiti.