Views of female ITE students on dress codes: "freedom to dress what you want" versus "unwanted attention"

Emma Groenewald and Forlum Immaculate
Sol Plaatje University, South Africa

This article explores the perspectives of two female students regarding suitable attire on a university campus. Students' dress codes on university campuses have consistently generated debate due to varying views influenced by societal norms, institutional policies, morality, cultural beliefs, religious practices, and sometimes mental health considerations. Determining appropriate or inappropriate attire is based on personal interpretation and is shaped by the identity or social status being expressed. Our research is centred around the question: What are the views of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) female students regarding appropriate dress on a university campus? Data were gathered through reflective writing exercises and semi-structured interviews with the two female students over a period of four years. Using a narrative methodology, the study investigated the participants' views on clothing choices. Blumer's (1969) theory of symbolic interactionism was utilised as a theoretical framework. An inductive thematic analysis was applied to identify recurring themes within the data. The results indicate that values and upbringing shape notions of an acceptable dress code, that inappropriate dress may attract unwanted sexual harassment, that views on dress codes are subjective, and that the expectations for student attire evolve throughout different phases of university life.
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Authors: Dr Emma Groenewald is a senior lecturer at Sol Plaatje University, South Africa and holds a PhD in higher education studies. Her research focuses on narrative identity construction, teacher professional identity development, and social justice in education. Emma is committed to advancing social justice and equity in education through narrative inquiry, focusing on student and teacher identity construction, diversity, and belonging in South African education contexts. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6342-3145 Email: Emma.Groenewald@spu.ac.za Ms Forlum Ngwa Immaculate is a lecturer at Sol Plaatje University, South Africa. She holds an MEd in gender education and a BEd Honours in social justice education from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, as well as an LLB from the University of Buea, Cameroon. Her scholarly interests encompass gender-based violence, equity, and inclusivity within educational contexts. She is committed to advancing inclusive and socially just pedagogical practices. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8694-5344 Email: forlum.immaculate@spu.ac.za Please cite as: Groenewald, E. & Immaculate, F. (2026). Views of female ITE students on dress codes: "freedom to dress what you want" versus "unwanted attention". Issues in Educational Research, 36(1), 79-98. http://www.iier.org.au/iier36/groenewald.pdf