18041907 Kiara Calarco Research, Teaching and learning

RESEARCH, TEACHING AND LEARNING- ASSESSMENT 1

Introduction

Schools in Australia are generally unaccepting of those from lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,

queer, questioning and genderqueer (LGBTQ and GQ) communities. These particular students

tend to receive abuse both physically and verbally as well as social alienation from peers. These

behaviors are occurring more frequently, and as a result, these peers are going unnoticed and

unpunished from teachers. An analysis of the role gender climate and the effect it has on official

and unofficial policing of gender expression between teachers and students is discussed by

Ullman (2014). One theory, in this article, that is applied to ‘gender climate’ is the stage-

environment fit theory which is examined in three parts. Recommendations, in this article, are

then related to a given lesson plan from the key learning area of Personal Development and

Physical Education (PDHPE) where revisions on this lesson plan will be presented.

The educational issue

Lack of discipline and awareness from teachers has lead to a fade in educational outcomes for

the LGBTQ and GQ communities as well as increased levels of absenteeism, and concentration

(Ullman, 2014). Negative school climates are created when there become silences in curriculum

regarding sexuality and gender diversity and any other links to the daily experiences of LGBTQ

and GQ people. These negative climates are further influencing the experiences of LGBTQ and

GQ students as they feel less inclined to make connections with their teachers and tend to feel

less connected to their school culture and identity (Ullman, 2014). These outcomes occur when

there is no support from teachers or staff, so having teachers who are a support network and who

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can help same-sex-attracted or transgendered individuals, has been proven to show positive links

with self-esteem and absenteeism in the LGBTQ community in schools.

Key Learning Area (PDHPE)

The key learning area (KLA) that will be focused on is Personal Development and Physical

Education (PDHPE). This area is often portrayed as a high practical based subject where students

are given the opportunity to participate in physical activity relating to the content. However,

there is also a strong theory component where students are encouraged to learn and participate in

classroom discussions. The BOSTES syllabus explains that, from this area of study, it offers to

the ‘intellectual, social, emotional, physical and spiritual’ improvement of student learning

(BOSTES, 2009, p.6). It also states that students will enhance their learning through practicing

how to maintain their active and healthy lifestyles as well as developing their health status. The

combination of both theory and practical play essential roles in teaching students about LGBTQ

GQ individuals and the need for implementation into the PDHPE curriculum to gain awareness

and understanding.

Summary and recommendations

Evidence, cited in this article, based on experiences of LGBTQ students, has shown further risk

of psychological impacts and victimization due to gender non-conformity (Ploderl and Fartacek,

2007, cited in Ullman, 2014). Those who are gender atypical are seen to experience more

extensive punishments due to the disruption of gender norms of masculinity. Studies by Toomey,

McGuire and Russell (2012) show that violation of male gender norms provokes high levels of

violence as appose to the gender norms of females (Collier, et al., 2013). According to Ullman

(2014), schools tend to impose concise ‘gender regime’ through dress and language codes as

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well as how curriculum is taught in areas of masculinity and femininities. The main source of

these barriers are the gender binaries that notify and eventually, maintain the production of

male/female; gay/straight.

The research undertaken by Ullman (2014) took interest in student’s perception of school

gendered climate and how it relates to belonging and educational measures. Five LGBTQ and

GQ participants, aged between 16-19, were recruited from, university and a support ‘drop in’

school-aged programme. It comprised of two women who identified as lesbians, one women who

identified as a bisexual, one man who identified as a gay and one male transgender (from female

to male). Two attended high school, two were at university and the third participate had dropped

out of school to work close by. The group was split on religious, same-sex private high schools

and government based public co-ed high schools. From the research, the two participants from

the private girl’s school, had skirts only for their uniform in contract with the public school who

had the option of trousers. The layout of both uniforms was restrictive in regards to the way

students want to express themselves. Thus, students who were interested in expressing these

gender behaviors, were discouraged by school policy. Official school rules regarding

homogeneity of the presence gender, resulted in negative effects on the ability to belong in social

settings (Ullman, 2014). Participants observed that the teachers who were socially aware and

involved in bullying or homophobia situations where linked to personal interests in the LGBTQ

issue or the individual.

When the participants were presented with the knowledge of LGBTQ individuals in schools,

they claimed that their schools were not involved in these practices, and it was silenced in their

curriculum. The participant’s concerns were silenced by the teachers, and in turn, it led to a lack

of connection and concentration in class as they felt like they were unimportant (Ullman, 2014).

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The recommendation suggested in the article was, to change the language spoken in schools.

Studies show that 44% (out of 226) of teachers across Australia were ‘careful’ of what areas they

covered in PDHPE because they were unsure of how parents would react (Smith, et al,. 2011),

with 16% of those who admitted to not even covering sexual orientation at any stage of their

teaching (Goldman & Coleman, 2013). The 2011 National school Climate Survey (2012)

assessed the negative climate of schools regarding LGBTQ students and found that when

LGBTQ became inclusive in the curriculum, they heard fewer homophobic remarks and 67.5%

of students felt safer about their sexual orientation. Therefore, teachers come across as being

unaware of the boundaries in curriculum regarding LGBTQ education and this is as a result of

the National HPE curriculum being vague (Ferfolja & Ullman, 2016). This is also linked to the

last recommendation which expresses that all subjects should implement and enforce LGBTQ

communities.

The actions and behaviors possessed by teachers show restrictions in gender climate and are

therefore seen as the basis of developing obstacles present within student/peer relationships.

another recommendation made my Ullman (2014) was that there needs to be a strong foundation

built between teachers and students in order to avoid isolation. The results from the research

indicated that teachers are connected to the preservation of their school’s gender climate in

regards to the official rules and syllabus boundaries. The freedom of expression amongst

students depends on whether the LGBTQ student has support from their teacher in order to gain

acceptance (Meyer & Bayer, 2013). This research adds insight into how students perceive their

teachers and it confirms the need for a student-teacher support network in order to create better

learning environments and acceptance in schools. Without this support network in schools, the

stereotypes remain and will continue to grow.

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Lesson plan

The chosen lesson plan activity was from Advocates for Youth (2005): Creating Safe Space for

LGBTQ Youth. The aim of this lesson plan is to allow students to participate in asking relevant

questions, empathize and her from other LGBTQ students in an attempt to bypass current

stereotypes. The lesson involves a Question & Answer (Q&A) activity on sexual orientation and

gender identity which includes a panel of students who are open about their sexuality. The

activity provides an opportunity for the students to engage in topics they might have no

knowledge on, and may enhance understanding. The teacher can guide the discussion if need be,

however, its an opportunity for the students to have a discussion and empathize with LGBTQ

students.

Ullman (2014) clearly states that LGBTQ students experience alienation and belonging issues

with their fellow peers, so through a class discussion, outlining sexual orientation and gender

identity, it provides a safe environment for those students to be able to express themselves

openly in the classroom. The article also mentions that there is a negative influence of social

relations amongst LGBTQ individuals (Ullman, 2014) where other research also focuses on the

importance of teacher care and safety in the classroom as being a supportive network for these

students and their motivation levels (Wentzel, 2009).

A study from Hascher and Hagenauer (2010) further emphasize how important the teacher as a

support network is to students through showing how it had positive effects against alienation in

schools. This lesson plan activity has been constructed so that students feel safe in voicing their

experiences in the environment surrounding their peers. The activity in the lesson plan is

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designed to create understanding and respect amongst all students, thus gaining an accepting

learning environment.

Revisions and justification

This lesson plan activity could use a few revisions, one being the elimination of the ‘student

panel’. This may turn out to work against the teacher’s favor as it is still, technically, alienating

LGBTQ students, as mentioned in the article (Ullman, 2014) from the rest of the class. Students

may not feel comfortable exposing themselves or being put on the spot and therefore, this may

lead to bullying further down the track (Jered, et al., 2015). This lesson activity is a theory based

lesson where it allocates time in class for group discussions. Through the use of group

discussions, students are able to empathize with one another and share their perspectives freely

in the classroom. It also allows for a break in heavy content to assess what students know and

don’t know about LGBTQ. Instead of having the idea of a ‘panel’, students could instead write

anonymous questions, place them in a box, and the teacher could read them to discuss with the

class.

Also, another revision that can be made to this lesson activity is the addition of role play. Role

play, in this situation, can be used by students to act out their feelings to particular scenarios

given to them by the teacher, for example, bullying a LGBTQ student in the playground (Ullman

,2014). They can then reflect and analyze each scenario, discussing what a better approach would

be and how they can avoid those situations. This also provides students with a visual aid of a real

life scenario, putting it all in perspective. (Gezinski, 2009). In the research conducted by Ullman,

bullying was regarded as an experience that most of the students suffered due to their gender

expression and suspected sexuality so role playing could be an activity implemented to help with

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these playground issues.

Conclusion

Throughout the article by Ullman (2014), there was a strong focus on school climate relating to

LGBTQ students and how it strongly impacted homophobic victimization as well as curriculum

that was LGBTQ targeted. Not only were these issues being disregarded, but they also failed to

be implemented into classrooms as an important part of school climate for the LGBTQ

community (Ullman, 2014). This article also mentioned the stage-environment theory where it

was seen to be a useful tool in providing the framework for a foundation in schools’ gender

climate and how it can aid as an added support. When these needs aren’t met by teachers and

staff, it results in negligence, both socially and instructionally, as well as, decreases in

educational success. Furthermore, the SEF theory is able to reconstruct the schooling

environment into a safe place for students to express their gender and sexuality to then achieve a

sense of educational belonging. These practices can be implemented across all key learning

areas, however, they were applied to a PDHPE context, and as a result, it was shown to further

improve the learning experiences of LGBTQ students.

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References

Advocates for Youth. (2005). Creating Safe Space for GLBTQ Youth: A Toolkit. Washington,
DC. Retrieved March 20, 2017 from http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/for-
professionals/lesson-plans-professionals/237?task=view

Collier, K., van Beusekom, G., Bos, H., & Sandfort, T. (2013). Sexual Orientation and Gender

Identity/Expression Related Peer Victimization in Adolescence: A Systematic Review

of Associated Psychosocial and Health Outcomes. Journal Of Sex Research, 50(3-4),

299-317. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2012.750639

D’Augelli, A., Grossman, A., & Starks, M. (2006). Childhood Gender Atypicality,

Victimization, and PTSD Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth. Journal Of

Interpersonal Violence, 21(11), 1462-1482.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0886260506293482

Gezinski, L. (2009). Addressing sexual minority issues in social work education: A curriculum

framework. Advances in Social Work Practice, 10(1), 103–113.

Goldman, J. D. G., & Coleman, S. J. (2013). Primary school puberty/sexuality education:

Student-teachers’ past learning, present professional education, and intention to teach

these subjects. Sex Education, 13(3), 276-290. doi:10.1080/14681811.2012. 719827

Hagenauer, G., and T. Hascher. 2010. “Learning Enjoyment in Early Adolescence.” Educational

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Ullman, J., & Ferfolja, T. (2016). The Elephant in the (Class)Room: Parental Perceptions of

LGBTQ-inclusivity in K-12 Educational Contexts. Australian Journal of Teacher

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