Addressing Anti-LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Bias in Schools: Changing Educators’ Knowledge, Beliefs, and Behaviors Through Professional Development

• In Event: Educating School Personnel About Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues: Effectiveness of Professional Development Programs

Abstract

Numerous studies have documented the negative and often hostile school climates for LGBT youth as well as the impact that these school climates have on the health, well-being, and development of these youth. More recent work has begun to investigate the types of school policies and practices that are related to more positive perceived school climates for LGBT youth (e.g., Szalacha, 2003). For example, in a large scale evaluation of the Massachusetts’ safe schools program, Szalacha found that while having a GSA was the strongest predictor of students’ perceptions of safety at school, for teachers, staff development was the strongest predictor of perceptions of their schools’ sexual diversity climate suggesting that professional development may be an important avenue for changing educators’ beliefs and behaviors regarding LGBT students. The purpose of this current study is to evaluate the impact that professional development regarding creating safe schools for LGBT students had on educators’ knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes about LGBT youth and creating safe schools for all students regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.
The training model (Safety for All: Addressing Anti-LGBT Bias in Schools) included four core components: 1. Empathy-building (through story-telling, video and/or youth voices); 2. Information on youth issues including development and anti-LGBT violence and discrimination; 3. Legal responsibilities including federal, state, local, and school-based policy; and, 4. Resources and tools including strategies to intervene in and prevent anti-LGBT discrimination in schools. The training was utilized in three programs (resulting in six sessions) for faculty development in a suburban Illinois school district. The majority of people participated in a mandatory training for high school personnel.

Methods
We conducted anonymous surveys approximately one month prior to the trainings (N = 121) and six months after the training (N = 51). The survey consisted of questions regarding educators’ beliefs and behaviors regarding LGBT issues in their school and about their perceptions of school policy and climate.

Results and Conclusions
The training seemed most effective in increasing participants' knowledge regarding issues related to LGBT students, as well as in increasing awareness of the climate for LGBT youth within the individuals' own social context. The training also had a significant effect on participants' beliefs about homosexuality. After the intervention occurred fewer individuals reported that they believed homosexuality was completely or somewhat wrong. The results of the survey also strongly suggest that, after the training occurred, an overwhelming majority of individuals within the school believed that they had an obligation to create a safe environment for LGBT youth regardless of their personal beliefs about homosexuality and that a majority of individuals felt they would intervene in circumstances of discrimination or violence based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Evidence suggests that teacher training impacts the perceived sexual diversity climate in schools; the results of this study build upon this by delineating some of the ways that professional development is related to teachers’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors about LGBT students and school safety.

Authors

• Stacey S. Horn, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Shannon Sullivan, Illinois Safe Schools The Alliance