Middle school teachers and their engagement with early adolescent LGBTQ2+ students - a quantitative inquiry on barriers to equity
Christel, Caitlin J. Bromagen
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/115433
Description
Title
Middle school teachers and their engagement with early adolescent LGBTQ2+ students - a quantitative inquiry on barriers to equity
Author(s)
Christel, Caitlin J. Bromagen
Issue Date
2022-04-25
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Pak, Yoon
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Pak, Yoon
Committee Member(s)
Ward Hood, Denice
Kang, Hyun-Sook
Mason, Curtis
Department of Study
Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp
Discipline
Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ed.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
LGBTQ+
middle school
teacher perspective
Language
eng
Abstract
In the United States, research has shown that middle school LGBTQ+ students face a more hostile school environment than their high school LGBTQ+ student counterparts. Further, middle schools are less likely to have supportive staff members or inclusive curricula. Scholarship is in need of greater understanding of middle school teachers’ perceptions and their roles in this critical time of adolescent development for LGBTQ+ students. This dissertation research employed a quantitative methodology to discover middle school teachers’ perceived barriers to engagement with LGBTQ+ students and topics. The findings of this survey and data analysis reveal teachers report two major obstacles which create anxiety and discomfort surrounding engagement with sexual and gender diverse topics in educational spaces. First, teachers report they are worried that they may say the wrong thing and offend someone. Second, that teachers do not feel knowledgeable about LGBTQ+ terms, phrases, and labels. These findings are consistent with major research supporting the push for LGBTQ+-specific professional development for administrators and educators, and further the discussion on potentially polarizing sociocultural topics and their positionality in non-political, public schools. The potential for controversy can be decreased significantly when the narrative focuses on safety, wellbeing, and recognition of all students in public school, which naturally includes our LGBTQ+ students.
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