Creating and Sustaining Safe and Inclusive Spaces for LGBTQ Youth: An Exploratory Investigation of the Role of Educational Professionals

Authors

  • Andrew Luceno Werklund School of Education - University of Calgary
  • Dr. Jac J.W. Andrews Werklund School of Education - University of Calgary
  • Dr. Tom Strong Werklund School of Education - University of Calgary

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11575/ajer.v68i1.70273

Abstract

Educators can play a critical role in buffering LGBTQ youth from potential victimization. As such, the present study explored the following questions: 1) What are the roles of educators (i.e., teachers, school administrators) with respect to promoting and creating safe and inclusive spaces for LGBTQ youth; 2) what unique contributions can educators make in nurturing those spaces; and, 3) what barriers do educators face in creating safe and inclusive spaces for LGBTQ youth? This study used a convergent parallel design mixed-methods approach. Descriptive statistics were gathered from survey results; the interview data was analyzed using thematic analysis in order to generate themes relevant to the research questions. Discussion focuses on the roles of educators and the barriers with respect to providing safe and inclusive spaces for LGBTQ youth. The paper concludes with empirical and practical implications of the study.

Key words: LGBTQ, teachers, administrators, support, advocacy


Les professionnels de l’éducation peuvent jouer un rôle essentiel en protégeant les jeunes LGBTQ d'une victimisation potentielle. Ainsi, la présente étude s'est penchée sur les questions suivantes : 1) Quels sont les rôles des professionnels de l’éducation (c'est-à-dire des enseignants et des administrateurs scolaires) en ce qui concerne la promotion et la création d'espaces sûrs et inclusifs pour les jeunes LGBTQ ? 2) Quelles contributions uniques les professionnels de l’éducation peuvent-ils apporter à la création de ces espaces ? 3) Quels obstacles les professionnels de l’éducation rencontrent-ils dans la création d'espaces sûrs et inclusifs pour les jeunes LGBTQ ? Cette étude a utilisé une approche mixte de méthodes convergentes et parallèles. Des statistiques descriptives ont été recueillies à partir des résultats de l'enquête ; les données des entretiens ont été analysées à l'aide d'une analyse thématique afin de générer des thèmes pertinents pour les questions de recherche. La discussion porte sur les rôles des professionnels de l’éducation et les obstacles à la création d'espaces sûrs et inclusifs pour les jeunes LGBTQ. L'article se termine en présentant les implications empiriques et pratiques de l'étude.
Mots cles: LGBTQ, enseignants, administrateurs, soutien, plaidoyer

Author Biographies

Andrew Luceno, Werklund School of Education - University of Calgary

Andrew Luceno is a Registered Provisional Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists. He has completed undergraduate studies in psychology and education, and graduate-level studies in international counselling and educational psychology. Prior to moving to Calgary 3-years ago, Andrew worked internationally as a special educator and school counsellor for 12-years. His experiences as a classroom teacher, special educator, university admissions counsellor, social-emotional counsellor, and provisional psychologist span the globe from Toronto, Calgary, Istanbul, Amsterdam, and Hong Kong where he held a split role as Counsellor and Learning Strategist. Andrew has a passion for social justice and has dedicated his research efforts to examining how educators facilitate safe and inclusive school environments for sexual and gender-diverse youth. He is a founding member of the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta’s Technology in Practice Task Force, and the recent recipient of the Canadian Psychological Association’s Certificate of Academic Excellence.

Dr. Jac J.W. Andrews, Werklund School of Education - University of Calgary

Dr. Jac J. W. Andrews, Professor and Chair, School and Applied Child Psychology, Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary and Registered Psychologist in the Province of Alberta. Over his career at the University of Calgary, Dr. Andrews have produced over 100 publications and have conducted over 200 presentations, workshops, and seminars. He has written/edited 10 books (1990-2015), 3 Provincial and International Teaching Manuals (1986-1991), 3 Special Editions in Educational and Psychology Journals (1993-2017). He is currently finalizing a book on the mental health of children and adolescents to be published by Springer (2021) and has submitted a proposal for a book on clinical reasoning to Academic Press/ Elsevier (2021). He has three times received the Award of Teaching Excellence and Honorable Mention from the University of Calgary Student Union (1996, 1997, 1998) as well as the Award of Teaching Excellence from the Faculty of Education, University of Calgary (1997), and the Award of Teaching Excellence from the Undergraduate Society, Faculty of Education, University of Calgary (1996). He has been nominated for the Instructor of the Year Award, Students Union, University of Calgary (1995) and received the Great Supervisor Award, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Calgary (2014). He was nominated for the Award of Outstanding Researcher, Alberta Teachers Association (1999) and the Annual Distinguished Lecture Award for the Faculty of Education, University of Calgary (1999). Moreover, he has been twice nominated for the National 3M Teaching Fellowship Award, Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and 3M Canada (2003, 2005). Dr. Andrews has been recently awarded the Werklund School of Education Distinguished Research and Lecture Award (2018) as well as the Werklund School of Education Leadership Award (2018) and received the University of Calgary Group Leadership Award (2019). In 2020, he received the “Psychologist of the Year Award” from the Psychologist Association of Alberta.

Dr. Tom Strong, Werklund School of Education - University of Calgary

Tom Strong is a Professor and Counsellor-Educator who recently retired from the University of Calgary. He writes on the collaborative, critical and practical potentials of discursive approaches to psychotherapy – most recently on concept critique and development (particularly with respect to therapy and research), and critical mental health. Among Tom’s books are Medicalizing counselling: Issues and tensions, Patterns in Interpersonal interactions (Co-edited with Karl Tomm, Sally St. George and Dan Wulff), Social constructionism: Sources and stirrings in theory and practice (co-authored with Andy Lock) and Furthering talk (with David Paré). For Tom’s website and contact details, please see: http://www.ucalgary.ca/strongt

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Published

2022-03-10

How to Cite

Luceno, A., Andrews, D. J. (Jac), & Strong, D. T. (2022). Creating and Sustaining Safe and Inclusive Spaces for LGBTQ Youth: An Exploratory Investigation of the Role of Educational Professionals. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 68(1), 1–36. https://doi.org/10.11575/ajer.v68i1.70273

Issue

Vol. 68 No. 1 (2022): Spring

Section

ARTICLES

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