Afghan female teachers' stories and experiences

Fjellrik, Sadiyah Ehsan (2023) Afghan female teachers' stories and experiences. Doctoral thesis, Northern Arizona University.

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Abstract

The purpose of the study was to highlight and share the experiences and stories of Afghan female schoolteachers in Herat, Afghanistan. The goal was to put forth their voices, aspirations, and experiences as they are transitioning into the current regime under the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan that imposes an extreme interpretation of the Sharia Law as opposed to common law. The research focused on how these teachers’ experiences and stories have shaped their personal and professional identities as well as how they navigate their lives in both these areas in the changing context of the country. This exploratory research study was situated within the critical narrative inquiry framework, the primary goal of which was to give voice to female teachers and highlight their personal stories as well as stories of teaching and adaptation in the past and the new establishment. I was also interested to see how these teachers conceptualize the role and influence of power structures in the development of their personal and professional lives. A group of twelve female high school teachers across different schools in Herat, Afghanistan participated in this study. The data was collected through multiple semi-structured interviews with each teacher. Clandinin and Connelly's (2000) three-dimensional space element approach guided the development of interview questions and the narratives’ formation. The data collected were analyzed through thematic analysis within a critical pedagogical framework where pirori themes of role, power, and identity were explored. The most common themes that surfaced from the stories of the teachers are (a) a strong sense of cultural, and religious identity iii as an Afghan woman, (b) the role of a supportive male figure in the family, (c) resilience, and resistance, and (d) the transcendence of teachers’ role beyond their classrooms.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Publisher’s Statement:	© Copyright is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the Cline Library, Northern Arizona University. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.
Keywords:	Critical Islamic Thought; Critical Narrative Inquiry; Critical Pedagogy; Islamic Feminist Thought; Narrative Inquiry; Teacher's Stories
Subjects:	L Education > L Education (General) L Education > LA History of education L Education > LB Theory and practice of education
NAU Depositing Author Academic Status:	Student
Department/Unit:	Graduate College > Theses and Dissertations College of Education > Teaching and Learning
Date Deposited:	02 May 2025 17:29
Last Modified:	02 May 2025 17:29
URI:	https://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/6112

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