Spotlight on SOTL: Transcending Barriers – Strategies for supporting and enhancing trans students’ experiences in the classroom
This article is based on the following research article:
Brockbank, M., Fujarczuk, W., Barborini, C., & Wang, Y. (2023). “At the Cost of my Well-being”: Exploring Trans, Non-binary, and Gender-Diverse Students’ Experiences of Online Learning. In Privacy and Safety in Online Learning (pp.19-34). MT Open Press. https://doi.org/10.56638/mtopb00123.
Authored by co-chairs of the Gender and Sexuality Working Group of the President’s Advisory Committee for Building an Inclusive Community (PACBIC) at McMaster University, this chapter provides instructors and staff with key reflections on and recommendations for improving trans students’ experiences of online learning.
This study emerged from concerns articulated by trans students during the shift to remote learning during COVID-19 shutdowns; however, the key findings offer transferable and applicable strategies for better supporting gender diverse students in the classroom.
Note: Maddie Brockbank was a member of the research team for this study.
What did the researchers do and find?
We undertook this study in response to anecdotal experiences and observations of trans students’ concerns in online learning at McMaster University. Existing literature on this subject did not account for the unique experiences of trans people in remote classroom spaces, which we sought to address via qualitative research methods, including an anonymous survey (n=22) and optional follow-up interviews (n=7). The data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach and investigated through a lens of minority stress theory framework (Hendricks & Testa, 2012).
The central themes of trans students’ responses included: (1) concerns around mandatory pronoun disclosure; (2) “camera on” policies facilitating experiences of gender dysphoria; (3) shared and conflicting experiences among different disciplines (e.g. Social Sciences and Humanities courses creating more space for gender diversity and inclusivity as opposed to courses in the Sciences); and (4) an absence of intersectional analysis for disabled and racialized trans students’ concerns.
Our commitment to the students who participated in the study was to provide informed recommendations to staff, faculty, and university administrators about how they can improve trans students’ experiences in remote learning, which we articulated in the chapter via itemized lists organized by key themes (e.g. “Pronouns,” “Facilitating Synchronous Sessions,” etc.).
How might you use this research in your teaching?
Instructors can use this resource in their teaching, regardless of whether the course is online, blended, or in-person. Specifically, the key recommendations that we have outlined emphasize classroom practices that can better support trans students and facilitate safer spaces in general. For example, while normalizing pronoun sharing is important at the beginning of a course (e.g., the instructor introducing themselves with their pronouns), mandating pronoun disclosure and treating it as singular or static can actually make trans students feel unsafe as some may not feel comfortable identifying themselves and/or have multiple pronouns that are contextual.
Additionally, this resource offers suggestions for designing course policies that are more inclusive and create space for trans students’ self-expressions, such as anonymous feedback forms, multiple options for class participation, using software that allows for name or pronoun changes, using gender-neutral language while teaching, and including a statement about trans inclusion on your syllabus or course site.
Integrating these recommendations into your teaching can make a significant difference in creating a space where trans students feel like they can participate, succeed, and belong.
Works Cited
To access the abridged version of this study, visit https://pacbic.mcmaster.ca/app/uploads/2021/12/19-Trans-and-Gender-Diverse-Student-Experiences-of-Online-Learning-Info.pdf.
Hendricks, M. L., & Testa, R. J. (2012). A conceptual framework for clinical work with transgender and gender nonconforming clients: An adaptation of the Minority Stress Model. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 43(5), 460–467. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/a0029597
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