Curriculum and gender spaces in high schools in Eswatini

This article makes a social constructionist exploration of student experiences of socially constructed curriculum in school spaces in high schools in Eswatini. The study utilised a qualitative narrative inquiry methodology. Individual semi-structured interviews and focus group were used to generate data. The participants were 24 purposively selected students (12 boys and 12 girls) from four high schools in Hhohho region. Participants ranged in age from 16 to 18 years. Contexts of subject knowledge and socially constructed curricula have shaped ideas about what constitutes a suitable education for girls and boys, as well as what subjects they should study. Subject suitability criteria have evolved, but there are still strong curriculum roots that drive the gender problem and disparities in accomplishment, where specific information has historically been associated with various groups. The study found that learners in other schools were free to choose subjects according to their abilities and without any influences from teachers. In those schools, girls even took up subjects perceived to be masculine, like agriculture and technical drawing. However, in other schools, teachers heavily influenced the subjects the learners chose. In most cases, the subjects were chosen according to femininity and masculinity. According to the social constructionism theory that guides this study, societal and interpersonal influences shape how people live their lives, as such, and subject selection by boys and girls is thus formed and informed across many settings and societies by cultural and social values.