Date of Award

Fall 2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Committee Chair

Jennifer Putnam

Abstract

This phenomenological study explored the experiences of teachers and administrators in addressing the needs of transgender and nonbinary students. Because most current research focuses mostly on the experiences of students, this study specifically investigated the beliefs, behaviors, challenges, and successes of educators. By analyzing the data provided by the participants, teachers and administrators could be made aware of how best to create and maintain inclusive school environments. The qualitative methodology included interviews with teachers and administrators from a charter school and a private school and focused on their thoughts, feelings, and actions regarding interactions with students who identify as transgender and nonbinary. Participants were asked open-ended questions describing their past and current experiences in education. Then, participants’ answers were coded into categories and grouped by emerging themes. Results of the study revealed that the participants realized that transgender and nonbinary students experience more difficulties academically, emotionally, physically, and socially than students who do not identify as transgender and nonbinary. Also, the participants expressed a strong desire to engage in inclusive school environments for all their students and recognized that they should address their students’ needs in and out of the classroom. The study revealed that educators felt a strong need to promote an inclusive climate at their schools and be supported by their administration and surrounding community for optimal success.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

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