Pedagogies of Exposure and Courageous Conversations: Preparing Teachers for Gender Diversity in the Classroom

• In Event: 66.059 - Oppression or Liberation? Realities and Possibilities of Institutional Action for Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Students

Abstract

Purposes and Objectives

This research provides new awareness of the professional development needs for educators working with gender-diverse youth. This paper offers data grounded in the experiences of educators who worked with gender-creative and transgender (gc/trans) students (any child whose behavior does not match stereotypes for their sex assigned at birth, or who identifies with a gender different from their sex assigned at birth).

Perspective(s) or theoretical framework

This study is grounded in feminist and queer analysis of teaching and school cultures and uses critical (Friere, 1970/1993; Kincheloe, 2005; McLaren, 1995), anti-oppressive (Kumashiro, 2002) and queer pedagogies (Britzman, 1995; Bryson & De Castell, 1993; Meyer, 2007) as frameworks for data analysis. Thus our analysis builds on efforts to create social-justice focused school environments that welcome and support gender diversity.

Methods and data sources

The research team conducted interviews with 24 Canadian educators who had direct experience working with gc/trans students. Data analysis was ongoing and exploratory as this research seeks to uncover common themes between teachers’ experiences that help inform future studies and school interventions (Maykut & Morehouse, 1994). Each educator was interviewed for 60-120 minutes using a flexible interview guide that addressed: career & education, school context, gc/trans students at school, inclusive practices, advice to others.

Results

This paper focuses on two themes in the teacher interviews: ‘exposure’ and ‘conversations’. We critically examined themes from multiple perspectives in order to present recommendations to assist teachers and professional organizations to meet the needs of gc/trans students. We start by examining the issue of teachers stating that they need more ‘exposure’ to the topic via visible gc/trans kids in schools. However, teachers also discussed the dangers involved in ‘exposing’ children to public scrutiny, relying on them as catalysts for institutional change. We discuss these tensions and possibilities using what we call the ‘pedagogy of exposure’ in work to support gender diversity in the classroom.

The second theme is the call for conversations around topics related to gender and sexual diversity. We explore why ‘conversation’ is a tool that teachers see as more productive for learning and growth than other traditional forms of professional development. Finally, we present recommendations from participants to work toward inclusive schools, which include:

• Integrate issues of gender diversity in teacher preparation programs
• Offer professional development on gender diversity in conjunction with anti-homophobia and other social justice initiatives
• Get to know the student and respond to their particular needs and requests
• Be supportive, but don’t push the student or family to socially transition or be public before they are ready

Scientific or scholarly significance

The findings from this project explore: (1) areas that are most challenging for educators when working with issues of gender diversity; (2) teachers’ perspectives on what works in terms of professional development; (3) teachers’ understanding of their own, their colleagues’ and their students’ investments in gender norms; (4) ways to support the development of critical, relevant pre-service and in-service teacher education via ‘courageous conversations.’.

Author

• Elizabeth J. Meyer, University of Colorado - Boulder