We Can't Protect Them at Home: Teacher Perspectives on Queer Students in Virtual Learning

• In Event: Innovative Approaches to Teacher Development, Classroom Observations, and Addressing Educational Inequities

Abstract

The population of students who identify as queer has grown significantly in recent years, and many queer students are choosing virtual education to escape the dangerous classrooms in which they find themselves. Research shows that though queer students have better outcomes in online learning, there are still barriers to providing a responsive education for queer students. Little research has been done on teacher perspectives of working with queer students online. This study took a qualitative approach to studying online teacher experiences in working with queer students in a Midwestern state and found that teachers were concerned for the safety of queer students at home and that online teaching presented some unique challenges to working with queer students.

Authors

• Maxwell P. Folkman, Wisconsin Virtual Academy

• Yue Li, University of Florida