Understanding Gender Identity in K-12 Schools

Gayle Roberts; Carol Allan; Kristopher Wells

doi:10.1300/j367v04n04_08

LGBT Youth in Schools

Education ◽

10.1093/obo/9780199756810-0190 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Jeffrey M. Poirier ◽

Allison Mattheis ◽

Deborah Temkin

Keyword(s):

Sexual Orientation ◽

Identity Development ◽

Gender Identity ◽

School Context ◽

School Administrator ◽

Lgbt Youth ◽

Lgbt Students ◽

Inclusive School ◽

And Gender ◽

K 12

This review synthesizes recent literature and research on students in K–12 schools who are attracted to the same gender (lesbian, gay), attracted to people of the same or other genders (bisexual), or identify as a gender different than the one they were assigned at birth (transgender). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) young people have historically experienced vulnerability in schools because of challenges such as invisibility in school curricula; peer and staff rejection, harassment, and violence; and ill-equipped school professionals who lack the competence and will to effectively address bias and foster inclusive school environments. Foundational research in the field examines this vulnerability to document the experiences and needs of this population—and to draw attention to gaps in school policy, practice, and outcomes for LGBT students. Research examining vulnerabilities and challenges for this population is also prominent in the early 21st century because many of these concerns persist. At the same time, more recent research on LGBT youth in schools is attending to these young people’s positive assets and their resilience, including their abilities to effectively navigate conflict and stress and adapt to different situations. Throughout this article, “LGBT” is used as an umbrella acronym. Although the rich diversity of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, such as students who are queer, genderqueer, or questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity is important, this article aims to provide a working vocabulary to address this population of youth discussed here. This article also aligns its terminology with the content of articles. In other words, if an article examines only transgender students, then the full LGBT acronym is not used when writing about that article. Research on LGBT youth in schools is substantial, given the growth of research studying related issues during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. This expanding research on LGBT youth in schools has spanned topics beyond their school experiences to include myriad issues such as their identity development within the school context; school-based policies, practices, and supports such as inclusive nondiscrimination policies; teacher practices that foster welcoming and inclusive school settings, and the benefits of safe spaces and targeted supports for LGBT students; and how school administrator and teacher preparation programs can lead to better school practice and outcomes for LGBT students. Other areas of research on LGBT youth in schools continue to emerge as the field’s understanding about diverse sexual orientation and gender identities expands, and as there is more attention given to the complexity of identity and expression including intersectionality (e.g., youth in schools who are LGBT and of color, or LGBT and immigrants).

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Stereotype Threat Among Girls

Psychology of Women Quarterly ◽

10.1177/0361684317711412 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 (4) ◽

pp. 513-529 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Bettina J. Casad ◽

Patricia Hale ◽

Faye L. Wachs

Keyword(s):

Risk Factor ◽

Gender Identity ◽

Stereotype Threat ◽

Adolescent Girls ◽

Math Performance ◽

Control Group ◽

Middle School Girls ◽

Identity Importance ◽

And Performance ◽

K 12

Effects of stereotype threat on math performance have been well-documented among college women; however, the prevalence among adolescent girls is less well-known. Further, the moderating role of gender identity and effects of stereotype threat on high achieving girls in math is unknown. This study tested the effects of a stereotype threat condition (vs. control group) among middle school girls in standard and honors math classes and examined gender identity as a moderator. Students ( N = 498) completed pre- and post-questionnaires and a math test as part of a stereotype threat experiment. Gender identity moderated effects of stereotype threat on math discounting, disengagement, attitudes, and performance, but whether gender identity was a protective or risk factor differed by math education context (honors math and standard math classes). Gender identity was protective for girls in honors math for attitudes, discounting, and disengagement but was a risk factor for math performance. Gender identity was a risk factor for disengagement and math attitudes among girls in standard math classes, but was a buffer for math performance. Results suggest the need to examine protective and risk properties of gender identity importance for adolescent girls and the need to examine stereotype threat within educational contexts. Stereotype threat can be reduced through interventions; thus, educators and practitioners can collaborate with social scientists to implement widespread interventions in K–12 schools. Additional online materials for this article are available on PWQ’s website at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/10.1177/0361684317711412 . Online slides for instructors who want to use this article for teaching are available on PWQ's website at http://journals.sagepub.com/page/pwq/suppl/index

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Equity in the Academy? Examining Cyberbullying Victimization and Conflict Resolution Across Sexual and Gender Identity During COVID-19

Frontiers in Education Technology ◽

10.22158/fet.v4n2p1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. p1

Author(s):

Courtney Doxbeck ◽

Tiffany Karalis Noel

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Conflict Resolution ◽

Gender Identity ◽

Educational Communication ◽

Future Research ◽

Cyberbullying Victimization ◽

Information And Communication ◽

Institutional Conflict ◽

And Gender ◽

K 12

Decades of research have examined bullying victimization during the K-12 years of schooling; yet limited research has explored cyberbullying victimization at the university level, and even fewer studies have examined cyberbullying of SGM (sexual and/or gender minority) individuals in higher education. As reliance on technology has increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, university members may have encountered increased victimization experiences. This report aims to expand the literature on SGM cyberbullying victimization and resource utilization in higher education. Findings resulted from a mixed-methods survey of 231 respondents (185 students, 28 staff, 18 faculty) at a large, research-intensive university in the northeast United States. In general, cyberbullying victimization was not attributed to one’s sexual or gender identity, and occurred primarily through educational communication tools (e.g., email) and social media; a majority of cyberbullying instances went unacknowledged by supervisors or campus resources. Though community members were aware of institutional conflict resolution resources, many of the reported instances were not resolved. Future research should focus on how cyberbullying in higher education continues to change as reliance on information and communication technology increases.

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Supporting gender identity and sexual orientation diversity in K-12 schools.

10.1037/0000211-000 ◽

2021 ◽

Keyword(s):

Sexual Orientation ◽

Gender Identity ◽

K 12

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Effects of Gender, Parental Role, and Time on Infant- and Adult-Directed Read and Spontaneous Speech

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2019_jslhr-s-19-0047 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 62 (11) ◽

pp. 4001-4014

Author(s):

Melanie Weirich ◽

Adrian Simpson

Keyword(s):

Parental Involvement ◽

Gender Identity ◽

Spontaneous Speech ◽

First Year ◽

Space Size ◽

Vowel Space ◽

Potential Impact ◽

Phonetic Features ◽

And Gender ◽

Description Task

Purpose The study sets out to investigate inter- and intraspeaker variation in German infant-directed speech (IDS) and considers the potential impact that the factors gender, parental involvement, and speech material (read vs. spontaneous speech) may have. In addition, we analyze data from 3 time points prior to and after the birth of the child to examine potential changes in the features of IDS and, particularly also, of adult-directed speech (ADS). Here, the gender identity of a speaker is considered as an additional factor. Method IDS and ADS data from 34 participants (15 mothers, 19 fathers) is gathered by means of a reading and a picture description task. For IDS, 2 recordings were made when the baby was approximately 6 and 9 months old, respectively. For ADS, an additional recording was made before the baby was born. Phonetic analyses comprise mean fundamental frequency (f0), variation in f0, the 1st 2 formants measured in /i: ɛ a u:/, and the vowel space size. Moreover, social and behavioral data were gathered regarding parental involvement and gender identity. Results German IDS is characterized by an increase in mean f0, a larger variation in f0, vowel- and formant-specific differences, and a larger acoustic vowel space. No effect of gender or parental involvement was found. Also, the phonetic features of IDS were found in both spontaneous and read speech. Regarding ADS, changes in vowel space size in some of the fathers and in mean f0 in mothers were found. Conclusion Phonetic features of German IDS are robust with respect to the factors gender, parental involvement, speech material (read vs. spontaneous speech), and time. Some phonetic features of ADS changed within the child's first year depending on gender and parental involvement/gender identity. Thus, further research on IDS needs to address also potential changes in ADS.

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