Performing womanhood in schools: a feminist phenomenological investigation of female teachers’ psycho-social health experiences and implications for educational leadership in Turkey

This study employs a feminist phenomenological approach to examine the psycho-social health experiences of female teachers in Turkey as they navigate the demands of professional and domestic life. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 28 teachers across different school levels, the study explores how participants internalize, negotiate, and perform socially constructed gender roles in both public (school) and private (home) spheres. Thematic analysis identified key challenges, including role conflict, emotional labor, burnout, and guilt, all shaped by dominant gender norms and structural inequalities. Grounded in feminist theories-gender performativity (Butler), hegemonic masculinity (Connell), and intersectionality (Crenshaw)-the study demonstrates the embodied impacts of gendered oppression on women's mental health. Participants' coping strategies, including resilience and social support, are interpreted as both survival mechanisms and subtle forms of resistance. The findings underscore the urgent need for gender-sensitive institutional policies, flexible working arrangements, and psychosocial support programs to promote teachers' well-being and equality in the education system.