Teaching, Learning, and Socialization

• In Event: Transgender Studies in K–12 Education: Mapping an Agenda for Research and Practice

Abstract

Schools in the United States have a long history of valuing and supporting only certain kinds of learners and harming many others. This literature review examines scholarship on teaching, learning, and socialization of gender in K-12 schools. We share stories and scholarship to help educators better understand why it is important to create learning environments that affirm gender diversity as well as stories and research about how to do this work. We share research and practices that are designed to be gender-expansive and center transgender knowledge and pedagogies. The scholarship is analyzed through a decolonizing, liberatory critical lens that centers transgender epistemologies (Stryker, 2004; Keenan, 2017).

The first section demonstrates how gender is socialized in schools. Then, we share evidence that demonstrates how current school cultures and practices ignore gender diversity are harmful to youth. Next, we present promising practices from innovative educators and researchers who have implemented gender-expansive and transpedagogies as models for us to reimagine what is possible in classrooms. We describe studies on professional development for educators (Smith & Payne, 2015; Leonardi & Staley, 2018), case studies of literacy lessons (Ryan & Hermann-Wilmarth, 2013; Blackburn, Clark & Martino, 2016), district or building-wide initiatives that aim to support transgender students (Greytak, Kosciw, & Boesen, 2013; Mangin, 2019; Slesaransky-Poe et al 2013; Meyer, Tilland-Stafford, & Airton 2016), violence-prevention programs (Case & Meier, 2014; Greytak & Kosciw, 2014; Wernick et al 2014) and others. This review of extant research on innovative and alternative classroom practices can help to disrupt these harmful cultural norms.

Throughout the paper we weave vignettes from teaching experiences to balance the importance of learning from research alongside the value of listening to the stories and experiences of transgender educators and youth. Both are important to better understand the context in many classrooms and schools. Through this work, we provide educators with the motivation and tools necessary to take immediate and long-term action to transform their educational practice and classroom culture.

Authors

• Liz Meyer, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Page Valentine Regan, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Kelly Jenkins