Research Report

Educating Educators: Knowledge, Beliefs, and Practice of Teacher Educators on LGBTQ Issues

Caitlin M. Clark and Joseph G. Kosciw
January 2022 | Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network

This report from the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Educational Network examines teacher educators’ perspectives and experiences in relation to LGBTQ-related work. Authors surveyed 584 teacher educators, asking questions related to teacher educators’ attitudes and beliefs about the inclusion of LGBTQ issues in teacher education courses, how they were prepared to include LGBTQ people and issues in their work, LGBTQ-inclusive practices, and barriers and promotional factors in the inclusion of LGBTQ-related content and inclusive teaching practices. Findings indicated that, while teacher educators overall believed it was important to prepare their students with skills to engage in LGBTQ-inclusive teaching, many had low confidence doing so. Furthermore, related content was not engaged regularly or frequently across the board. Teacher educators and administrators of teacher preparation programs should consider this report as they examine how they are including LGBTQ issues in their courses and teaching practices.

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