Dr Navan Govender

Senior Lecturer

Strathclyde Institute of Education

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Personal statement

Navan N. Govender (SFHEA) is a Lecturer in Applied Language and Literacy Studies at the School of Education, University of Strathclyde (Glasgow, United Kingdom).

I am fundamentally interested in the role of texts in mediating relationships of power in English language, literacy, and literary education. This includes how texts are produced, used, circulated, and redesigned in and beyond contexts of teaching and learning. This involves working within the multidisciplinary field of critical literacies which understands that language (and sign systems more broadly), literacy (and meaning-making more broadly), power, identity, and social justice are intrinsic to the wholistic cognitive, social, and ethical development of young people and adults. It also understands that language and literacy education is bound to ideology (value-systems), and is therefore also a site for social and political action toward socially just futures.

My scholar-activist work in qualitative research and pedagogy therefore draws explicitly on the fields of critical applied linguistics, literacy studies, multimodal critical discourse analysis, queer/trans/feminist praxis, decolonial and anti-racist praxis as they pertain to teaching and learning in English education. At the interface of critical, queer, and decolonial theory and practice, I seek to explore conditions for (re)imagining more socially just practice in curriculum design, pedagogy, and assessment with (student) teachers and teacher educators. While I focus on (a)gender and (a)sexual diversity, anti-racism, and decoloniality in language and literacy education, I explore these as inherently entangled with a broad range of other social categories.

Currently, I work on two main projects that are located in and beyond Scotland:

  1. Queer Critical Literacies
  2. Critical Literacies & the Decolonial Turn: A Longitudinal Study in Higher/Teacher Education

Specific fields of study include: (queer) critical literacies; multimodality; critical applied linguistics; (a)gender & (a)sexual diversity; multimodal critical discourse analysis; social semiotics; and social justice education. 

Further interests include: place-based pedagogies, creative methods, and intersectionality.

At Strathclyde, I teach on the Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programme, offering classes in critical literacies and multimodalities as well as a range of English methodology classes for secondary schooling educators. At Masters level, I also offer classes on research and teaching using multimodal critical discourse analysis, textual analysis, queer and decolonial methodologies, and (auto)ethnography. Within the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, I sit on the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Committee. I also work closely with Strathclyde’s Student Union to support the development of queer and trans-inclusive and decolonial and anti-racist spaces and practices.  

Beyond Strathclyde, I am the elected Vice President of the United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA)  a co-convener of the Critical Literacy Special Interest Group (SIG), UKLA Regional Representative for West Scotland, and co-convener of the UKLA’s Publicity & Communications Committee. 

Recently, my colleagues (from a range of universities across the United States, New Zealand, and the UK) and I were appointed as co-editors of The Reading Teacher Journal (a Wiley publication for the International Literacy Association). 

I hold a Bachelor of Education degree (specialising in English Education in secondary and further education & training contexts), a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Applied English Language Studies, and a PhD in Applied Language & Literacy Education. My PhD investigated how critical literacy could be used to engage student teachers with issues related to (a)gender & (a)sexual  diversity in South Africa.

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Professional Activities

UWS: Centre for Migrantion, Diaspora, Citizenship & Identity
Participant
12/9/2025
Learning about Race Equality in Education from Scotland
Participant
17/7/2025
10 Years of TIE (Time for Inclusive Education)
Recipient
12/7/2025
UKLA International Conference 2025
Participant
27/6/2025
SGSSS Spring into Methods
Participant
14/5/2025
Literacy (Journal)
Peer reviewer
2025

More professional activities

Projects

Queer Critical Literacies
Govender, Navan N (Principal Investigator)
(A)gender and (a)sexual diversity are often viewed as taboo and controversial topics in education, sparking resistance from some teachers, students, and communities to engage with these important topics. Additionally, critical approaches to teaching these topics in schools and universities are still emerging, with many educators feeling uncertain of how to frame discussions and lessons, especially in contexts of widespread discrimination against gender and sexual minorities. In this chapter, we build on a tradition of critical literacies and queer theory to develop a conceptual framework for queer critical literacies (QCL) as an approach to teaching topics of (a)gender and (a)sexual diversity. We review how various educators have approached QCL in their classrooms by guiding their students to practise what we identify as five forms of questioning, namely questioning representation, reading practices, the policing of (a)gender and (a)sexuality, knowledge systems, and self. Finally, we offer a pedagogical tool for doing QCL that can assist educators in their practice. The questions we offer allow educators and students to dialogically do the work of identification, deconstruction, disruption, and transformation in contextually relevant ways. Our framework of QCL queers the reading of texts and bodies, foregrounds queer identities and non-normative gender expression, and challenges heterosexism, patriarchy, and cisnormativity in language, texts, institutions, and everyday practices.


01-Jan-2020
Finding a Place for Critical Literacies in Scotland
Govender, Navan N (Principal Investigator)
01-Jan-2019 - 30-Jan-2021
'White Thinking' and the failed promise of diversity in Scottish heritage (£80,173.00 AHRC)
Govender, Navan N (Principal Investigator)
Aims
[A1] Developing step-change guidance than can help key heritage organisations in Scotland move beyond ‘silos’ of diversity work;
[A2] Working with key sector leaders to develop policy on challenging structural racism in Scottish heritage organisations, with a focus on known and emerging barriers to this work in the light of sector-wide surveys and focus groups conducted during EDISH;
[A3] Supporting organisations with collections of significant relevance to BAME communities, to co-design and deliver new exhibitions and resources;
[A4] Expanding the scope, and connections between, public debates about racism, nationalism, and identity in Scotland through connections with other European and African histories.

Objectives
[Ob1] Produce policy guidance centred on short-term steps to challenging structural racism in the Scottish heritage sector.
[Ob2] Support the development of innovative pilot approaches to tackling inequality in Scottish heritage organisations.
[Ob3] Support the co-design and delivery of new outreach and engagement activities between white-led heritage organisations and BAME communities.
[Ob4] Deliver public events designed to create new connections across geographical contexts.
01-Jan-2023 - 01-Jan-2024
Decolonising the Humanities and Social Sciences Curriculum: Round 2 (£1000)
Govender, Navan N (Principal Investigator)
Resilient Learning Communities Fund: Decolonising the Curriculum in HaSS Internships

Two Student Internships are available part-time for around 6-7 weeks in Summer 2023, from Monday 17th July to around Friday 1st September at £10.90 per hour, with 35 hours available for each intern, worked flexibly over the period of the internship.

The role of the interns appointed is to support the Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) Committee in the Humanities and Social Sciences (HaSS) Faculty in developing a resource for colleagues which focuses on Decolonising the Curriculum. Specifically, the appointed interns will update and prepare a 2nd edition of the Decolonising the Curriculum zine, which was developed by two interns in summer 2022 to support decolonisation work across programmes in the HaSS. A key feature of the 2nd edition is likely to be findings from a student survey. The survey has been designed and given ethical approval and will be launched in June 2023. This project will allow two student interns to work together on the 2nd edition of the resource, in partnership with the GEDI Committee, as a way of supporting staff efforts to decolonise the curriculum in HaSS.

The job description below describes the duties which will be undertaken during the internships. Please discuss in your application the qualities, skills, knowledge and experience that you can offer to undertake these activities, thus tailoring your application for these internships.

Main Activities/Responsibilities

1. Identify and review literature on student engagement with decolonising the curriculum initiatives relevant to higher education in the UK. to identify appropriate ways of presenting the analysis of the survey findings.
2. Prepare and present an initial plan for the structure and approach of the updated resource to GEDI Committee members, to ensure feasibility/appropriateness.
3. Collaboratively develop the content for the resource (likely to include a review of literature and findings from an analysis of student survey data).
4. Design the layout of the digital zine which is likely to include a review of literature and integrating the survey findings.
5. Present the zine to GEDI Committee members and suggest next steps for potential future student input.
5. Participate in regular team meetings and provide progress updates.
6. Any other duties deemed appropriate by the Project Supervisors.
01-Jan-2023 - 01-Jan-2023
Anti-racism in education CLPL (£518.40)
Mevawalla, Zinnia (Principal Investigator) Govender, Navan N (Principal Investigator)
CPD for Dalmarnock Primary School on anti-racist praxis.
21-Jan-2022 - 31-Jan-2023
Decolonising the Humanities and Social Sciences Curriculum: Round 1 (£1000)
Govender, Navan N (Principal Investigator)
Two Student Internships are available part-time for around 8-10 weeks in Summer 2022, from Monday 1st July to around Friday 2nd September at £9.90 per hour, with 50 hours available for each intern, worked flexibly over the period of the internship.

The role of the interns appointed is to support the Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) Committee in HaSS in developing a resource for colleagues which focusses on Decolonising the Curriculum. This will include developing a framework with accompanying resources to support decolonisation work across programmes. This project will allow two student interns who will work together and in partnership with the GEDI Committee to familiarise themselves with existing resources and develop a plan for a HaSS-focussed resource which will support staff efforts to decolonise the curriculum in HaSS.

The job description below describes the duties which will be undertaken during the internships. Please discuss in your application the qualities, skills, knowledge and experience that you can offer to undertake these activities, thus tailoring your application for these internships.

Main Activities/Responsibilities

1. Review the literature to identify existing resources on decolonizing the curriculum, including approaches to review curriculum materials, teaching practices and improving departmental culture in relation to issues of diversity and social justice.

2. Identify which decolonizing resources or approaches are most relevant to courses in HaSS.

3. Discuss these resources with the wider GEDI team and staff in Schools in HaSS to identify any gaps.

4. Consult with other relevant groups, such as the wider student body and interested groups in Strath Union.

5. Present an initial plan for the project to GEDI Committee members, to ensure feasibility/appropriateness.

5. Prepare a final report outlining recommendations for a HaSS Decolonising the Curriculum Framework and contextually relevant and culturally sustainable approach to decolonizing at Faculty level.

6. Participate in regular team meetings and provide a progress update.

7. Any other duties deemed appropriate by the Project leads.

8. Prepare and disseminate a final project report.
01-Jan-2022 - 02-Jan-2022

More projects

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Contact

Dr Navan Govender
Senior Lecturer
Strathclyde Institute of Education

Email: navan.govender@strath.ac.uk
Tel: Unlisted