The Queer Joy Toolbox: An Ecological Approach to Understanding Queer Joy Among K-12 Teachers

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 11:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: SIG 17: Complexity Theories in Education Round Table Session

Abstract

This study explores how queer and trans K–12 public school teachers in the U.S. understand and experience queer joy in their personal and professional lives. Using narrative inquiry and guided by complexity theory, the research centers queer joy as a dynamic, relational, and context-dependent force of self-liberation and resistance. Through interviews with 4–6 educators, the study examines how queer joy is cultivated and constrained across ecological layers—self-systems, sociocultural settings, and broader social-historical contexts. The goal is to evaluate and refine a proposed “queer joy toolbox” that offers conceptual and practical strategies for fostering joy, justice, and well-being in education. Findings aim to challenge deficit-based frameworks and expand possibilities for affirming and inclusive learning environments.

Author

• Travis Jon Dean, University of Arizona