Gaps between beliefs, perceptions, and practices: The Every Teacher Project on LGBTQ-inclusive education in Canadian schools

ABSTRACT

The Every Teacher Project involved large-scale survey research conducted to identify the beliefs, perspectives, and practices of Kindergarten to Grade 12 educators in Canadian public schools regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ)–inclusive education. Comparisons are made between LGBTQ and cisgender heterosexual participants, between participants teaching at different grade levels, and between participants in school districts with and without antihomophobia and antitransphobia harassment policies. The authors present an analysis of the findings framed in terms of problematic gaps between educators' beliefs, perceptions, and practices. These gaps are considered in light of emerging best practices in LGBTQ-inclusive education that have been developed to improve school climates for all students, and especially for sexual and gender minority students, students with sexual and gender minority parents and other loved ones, and indeed any students who are negatively affected by homophobic, transphobic, and heteronormative school climates.

KEYWORDS:

• Classroom practices
• gender minority
• inclusive education
• LGBTQ
• sexual minority
• school climate
• teachers

Funding

The Every Teacher Project was supported by a Standard Research Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada with additional funding from The Manitoba Teachers' Society, the University of Winnipeg, and Legal Research Institute at the University of Manitoba.

Notes on contributors

Dr. Catherine G. Taylor is Professor of Education at The University of Winnipeg. As the Principal Investigator of several large-scale national research projects that are actively supported by virtually all national, provincial and territorial schools system organizations in Canada, she and her research teams are committed to helping build inclusive school climates for LGBTQ students and staff. These research projects include the first-ever national survey on homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in Canadian schools in partnership with Egale Canada Human Rights Trust, the Every Teacher project on LGBTQ-inclusive education in partnership with The Manitoba Teachers Society, and the National Inventory in partnership with Manitoba Association of School Superintendents.

Elizabeth J. Meyer is Associate Dean of Teacher Education at University of Colorado (Boulder). She has been working in and with K-12 schools as a professional educator since 1993. She is author of HYPERLINK “https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/zNXlBdUZmn7RCZ” two books and an editor of two volumes on gender and inclusion issues in education and popular culture. She publishes regularly and gives presentations on related issues including bullying & harassment (including cyber-bullying), law & policy, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA) peoples' rights and inclusion to help develop safer and more inclusive school environments.

Tracey Peter is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Manitoba where she specializes in statistical research methods and has published widely in the area of risk and protective factors among LGBTQ youth and other marginalized populations. Dr. Peter is a co-investigator on the Every Teacher Project on LGBTQ-inclusive education; the National Inventory of School Interventions to Promote Well-being and School Connectedness among LGBTQ Youth and the Trans Youth Health Survey (both part of a larger $2-million CIHR-funded project, Reducing Stigma, Promoting Resilience: Population Health Interventions for LGBTQ Youth.)

Dr. Janice Ristock is Vice-Provost (Academic Affairs) and Professor of Women's and Gender Studies at University of Manitoba. Her community-based, social science research and publications in the area of gender and sexuality are highly regarded, and her award winning book, No More Secrets: Violence in Lesbian Relationships, is considered a groundbreaking text in gender studies. Dr. Ristock is co-investigator in a number of national research projects including the Every Teacher Project and Cancer's Margins.

Dr. Donn Short is Associate Professor of Law at the University of Manitoba and the author of Don't Be So Gay: Queers, Bullying, and Making Schools Safe published by University of British Columbia Press. In addition to his scholarship dealing with bullying and safe schools, Dr. Short has written a number of dramatic works dealing with themes of youth and youth violence. He is the founding and current Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Human Rights and a member of the Manitoba Human Rights Board of Commissioners.

Christopher Campbell, MA, is Research Program Coordinator on LGBTQ-inclusive education for Dr. Catherine Taylor at the University of Winnipeg. In this capacity he coordinates a number of national research teams including the SSHRC-funded Every Teacher Project and the CIHR-funded National Inventory Project, and has co-authored a number of reports and journal articles.

Notes

1. Participating organizations included our partner The Manitoba Teachers’ Society, the Canadian Teachers' Federation, and the following provincial and territorial organizations: Alberta Teachers' Association, British Columbia Teachers' Federation, Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario, New Brunswick Teachers' Association, Newfoundland & Labrador Teachers' Association, Northwest Territories Teachers' Association, Nova Scotia Teachers' Union, Nunavut Teachers' Association, Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association, Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation, Ontario Teachers' Federation, Prince Edward Island Teachers' Federation, Québec Provincial Association of Teachers, Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation and Yukon Teachers' Association.

2. These numbers do not add up to 100% because teachers often teach across these divisions. For example, a grade 4-5 teacher would count in both early and middle categories.

3. Integrating Aboriginal (the official federal government designation for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples) perspectives across the curriculum is now a requirement in the K–12 education system of the province of Manitoba and a mandatory course in Manitoba Bachelor of Education degree programs.