Teaching teachers on the topic of GLBT issues: the current conditions of teacher education programs
Date
2013-08
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Abstract
Sexual minority students are targets of bullying and experience negative mental health and academic outcomes. Although teachers report positive attitudes towards the needs of sexual minority students, they do not feel prepared to effectively support such students. This study investigated the current ways in which teacher education programs integrate the topic of GLBT needs into the educational experience of pre-service teachers and factors that may affect the integration of the topic. Twenty directors of teacher education programs participated in phone interviews. Some information was also collected from institution and federal websites. The results indicate that approximately half of teacher preparation programs expect preservice teachers to develop GLBT related competencies prior to graduating, although very few assess these competencies. Pre-service teachers are most likely to learn about GLBT issues as they relate to family structures, bullying, and literature in a variety of education related courses. Hands-on experiences are limited, with few programs reporting a presence of GLBT faculty or students, few experiences with GLBT issues in the field, and few opportunities to engage in research on GLBT related topics. The results indicate no significant difference in the interview answers by institution type or program accrediting body. The institution's Carnegie Classification, student population, percent of the institution's students enrolled in the education program, and percent of ethnic minority students and faculty in the program were found to have relationships with factors extracted from the questionnaire. The results and implications for teacher education practices are discussed.
Description
Dissertation completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Psychology degree in School Psychology at Alfred University, Alfred, NY.
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Dissertation
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Keywords
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender issues, GLBT issues, Teacher education