About this session

Friday, 4:40 PM - 6:10 PM

From Data to Dialogue: A Conversation Between Scholars and Schools on LGBTQ+ Inclusive Educational Practices

For this conversation roundtable, we discuss opportunities and challenges for creating LGBTQ+ inclusive educational environments, and aim to move beyond theoretical discussion and focus on translating research findings into actual school practices. The panelists include four scholars that are experts on inclusive school practices from both the U.S. and Europe, representing different academic levels. Joining them are three panelists who are involved in educational practice (e.g., student; teacher; school leader), who provide insights from their personal and professional experiences. The conversation is divided into four topics, moving from top-down strategies to more bottom-up approaches. We address national inclusive educational policies, parental attitudes toward inclusive school practices, the working mechanisms of Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSAs), and the importance of community context. The moderator introduces each topic by interviewing one of the invited scholars about their empirical findings. Following, the conversation shifts toward inviting the panelists from educational settings to share how they receive these findings and implement them in practice. Each part of the roundtable is designed to foster engaging conversation between all panelists and the audience, with all participants regarded as equally knowledgeable. The audience is encouraged to ask questions and engage at any time during the discussion, but will be given at least ten minutes to pose questions and suggestions before the conversation moves to the next topic. Ultimately, through this dialogue between scholars and schools, addressing the opportunities and challenges of creating inclusive school environments, we aim to bridge the gap between research and educational practice.
We start our conversation with the topic of national LGBTQ+ inclusive educational practices. Dr. Ioverno, assistant professor at Roma Tre University, recently conducted a cross-national study on LGBTQ+ inclusive educational policies across 30 European countries. Dr. Ioverno established that countries with national policies which make teacher training and inclusive curricula mandatory, are associated with greater visibility and reduced concealment among sexually and gender diverse students (Ioverno, 2023). Dr. Ioverno is interviewed on how national inclusive educational policies are being leveraged to ensure schools implement such practices. His discussion on differences between national policies across Europe will prompt a conversation on similarities and differences of approaches taken by European countries and U.S. states. The conversation continues with inviting the panelist from educational settings to share how they rely on national policies to create inclusive curricula and teacher training. Finally, we explore how the rise of political conservatism in certain regions affects these efforts.
The next topic of discussion is parent attitudes regarding inclusive school practices. Parents who are involved in their child's school experiences can serve as an important source of support in creating inclusive school environments, for example by advocating for the formation of a GSA or encouraging teacher intervention in cases of bias-based bullying (Tasker et al., 2014). Dr. Horn, department head and professor at the University of Minnesota, recently surveyed a national sample of US parents about their attitudes regarding inclusive school and teacher practices. Dr. Horn will share data on how parents believe teachers should respond to SOGIE-based harassment. And what do parents consider best teacher practices for supporting victims? Do parents support teachers discussing diverse sexual and gender identities? Following this, our panelists from educational practice are invited to respond to Dr. Horn’s findings, focusing on the importance of parental opinions in their own experiences. In what ways would the invited student want their parents to be involved in their school community? And can they describe ways in which they already experience these types of parental support? Also, in what ways does the invited teacher feel supported or challenged by parent attitudes regarding the implementation of LGBTQ+ inclusive practices within their school?
The next topic we address at the roundtable is student-led extracurricular initiatives, such as the formation of a GSA. Dr. Poteat, faculty director and professor at Boston College, analyzes the working mechanisms behind GSAs. It is well-established that participation in extracurricular clubs like GSAs can contribute to positive school experiences, which in turn support positive mental health outcomes and greater academic engagement (Marx & Kettrey, 2016). However, what specific elements of GSA meetings and activities are especially effective, and for whom? In what ways can GSA activities and GSA leaders offer support for intersecting identities, extending beyond just students’ sexual or gender identities? Dr. Poteat is invited to answer these questions, after which the educational panelists are asked to respond. What do their GSA meetings look like, and can they share an activity they found particularly empowering? In what ways does their GSA leader provide support, and what skills do they utilize? Are there any particular challenges they face in the establishment of their GSA? Finally, what promising elements of GSA meetings do they believe should be further studied?
For the final topic we focus on the importance of specific community contexts when analyzing the school experiences of sexual and gender diverse students. Rand, a PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota, is deeply involved in the educational community of rural Minnesota. With his research, he amplifies the voices of sexually and gender diverse youth within this community. During our conversation he is not only interviewed about the challenges, but even more so about the unique opportunities that rural communities have to offer in creating inclusive school settings. In addition he is questioned about the ways in which scholars and practitioners can incorporate the students’ social environment, both inside and outside of schools, within their studies. Rand, MSc, is familiar with the educational panelists at the table, who are invited not only to expand on his insights but also to share their experiences in participating in empirical research. They are interviewed about what motivates them, what they find important in participating, and their vision for future research.
Finally, the moderator ends the roundtable by briefly highlighting the key areas where research and practice were effectively bridged and by outlining future research perspectives regarding opportunities and challenges for creating LGBTQ+ inclusive educational settings that emerged from the discussion.

The panelists around the table are all experts in LGBTQ+ inclusive educational practices, invited either due to their academic background or practical experience in schools. The ultimate goal of this conversation is to move beyond theoretical discussion of inclusive school practices and focus on translating research findings into actionable strategies. Moving from top-down strategies to bottom-up approaches, four topics affecting inclusive school strategies are addressed: national inclusive educational policies, parent attitudes towards inclusive school practices, the mechanisms behind Gender and Sexuality Alliances, and the role of community context. The panelist scholars, experts in these topics, come from both the U.S. and Europe, and represent different academic levels. They get interviewed about their findings, after which the conversation shifts to the panelists coming from school settings, exploring how they receive these findings and implement them in practice. The conversation will be moderated by van Vliet, a PhD candidate at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, where she examines the school experiences of sexually and gender diverse students. She aims to address critical questions regarding the opportunities and challenges of creating LGBTQ+ inclusive educational environments and encourages all participants to reflect on future research perspectives. Each part of the roundtable is designed to foster engaging dialogue between the panelists and the audience, with all participants regarded as equally knowledgeable. Ultimate goal of this conversation between scholars and schools is to bridge the gap between research and educational practice. The panelists around the table are all experts in LGBTQ+ inclusive educational practices, invited either due to their academic background or practical experience in schools. The ultimate goal of this conversation is to move beyond theoretical discussion of inclusive school practices and focus on translating research findings into actionable strategies. Moving from top-down strategies to bottom-up approaches, four topics affecting inclusive school strategies are addressed: national inclusive educational policies, parent attitudes towards inclusive school practices, the mechanisms behind Gender and Sexuality Alliances, and the role of community context. The panelist scholars, experts in these topics, come from both the U.S. and Europe, and represent different academic levels. They get interviewed about their findings, after which the conversation shifts to the panelists coming from school settings, exploring how they receive these findings and implement them in practice. The conversation will be moderated by van Vliet, a PhD candidate at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, where she examines the school experiences of sexually and gender diverse students. She aims to address critical questions regarding the opportunities and challenges of creating LGBTQ+ inclusive educational environments and encourages all participants to reflect on future research perspectives. Each part of the roundtable is designed to foster engaging dialogue between the panelists and the audience, with all participants regarded as equally knowledgeable. Ultimate goal of this conversation between scholars and schools is to bridge the gap between research and educational practice.

Session moderator
Ruby Van Vliet, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Panelists
Stacey Horn, Ph.D., University of Minnesota - Twin Cities , United States
Paul Poteat, Ph.D., Boston College , United States
Salvatore Ioverno, Ph.D., Roma Tre University , Italy
Joseph Rand, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities , United States

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