Inclusive Teacher Education: Affirming a Just and Equitable Future for Gender and Sexual Diversity

• In Event: Equity, Justice, and Institutional Practice

Abstract

The presenters describe how a Canadian faculty of education prepares teacher candidates to teach inclusively in relation to gender and sexual diversity as a critical component in becoming a socially responsible educator. We reviewed program exit survey data over three years (n=813), open-ended questionnaire feedback (n=422), interviews with faculty (n=20), and a selection of course syllabi. Our analysis indicates that, while there are relatively few specific instances of gender and sexuality inclusion in course syllabi, teacher candidates self-report that they feel sufficiently prepared to support gender- or sexually-diverse students, and faculty report that informal, inclusive language and practices occur in the spaces within formal curriculum. We focus on what candidates find most and least useful in their teacher education preparation.

Authors

• Wendy Carr, The University of British Columbia

• Kedrick P.A. James, The University of British Columbia