Exploring Gender in the

Middle School
CLassroom
By charlotte Baum
LBST 401
13 April 2021
 Outline
Introduction Pages 3-6

Literature Review Pages 8-12

Methodology Pages 13-16

Results Pages 17-22

Conclusion Pages 23-27

Resources Pages 28-30

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 Background
● This research is necessary to support and benefit all students and teachers
on their journeys through the education system.
○ WGS 2nd Major
○ Normalizing Discussions Around Gender
○ Positive Mental and Emotional Health
○ Reinforcing Self Identification

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 Problem Statement
Gender is a topic of regular conversation. Understanding the complexity of
gender and its non-binary compenents takes time! Beginning topics of
gender at K-8 ages, will ultimately lead to a better understanding of oneself
and identity. Can we begin un-doing gender at an early age in education in
order to further open the minds of our students? Of ourselves?

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 Purpose and Need
The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to examine
how middle school teachers address gender in the classroom and to
explore ways that teachers incorporate gender identity in their
teaching.
- Examine general knowledge on the topic of gender:
teachers and students
○ How do teachers feel about teaching it?
- Establish ways binary gender reinforcement is harmful to
all students
○ Self Identification
- Introduce ways to make a safe space for identity at any
level.
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 Research Question
What adjustments could middle school
educators and administrators make to
their pedagogies to create a more inclusive
and equitable environment for LGBTQ+
humans?

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Literature Review
 “ What might it mean to... feel the surety of one’s
epistemological and ontological anchor go, but to be willing,
in the name of the human, to allow the human to become
something other than what it is traditionally assumed to be?
This means that we must learn to live and to embrace the
destruction and rearticulation of the human in the name of a
more capacious and, finally, less violent world, not knowing
in advance what precise form our humanness does and will

take.”

-Undoing Gender by Judith Butler

 Restrictions of Binary Gender
Comments in general terms about lack of educator
knowledge on gender; specifically reinforcing that,
teachers “are at a loss for how to handle these
Kroeger (2017) situations, even while declaring that they as
teachers demonstrate inclusivity along racial,
ethnic, or religious lines” (Kroeger, 108).

Explains that many teachers are brought up in

Babruto (2010) various experiences and that not all teachers will
teacher social justice issues the same way.

This article comments on a teacher-lived experience

Boyd (2019) of the impact of binary gender as a teacher.

This article is vital to the restrictions emphasized in

our education system because it examines the effect
Martino (2007) of a female dominated education system and how it
negatively impacts male student’s education.

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 Restrictions of Binary Gender
In Thorpe’s article, there is a demand for LGBTQ+
representation across education; especially in terms
Thorpe (2020) of educators. When students see and understand
that gender is not binary, they will become more
inclusive beings

Provides information about how binary gender is

Shaft (1999) ingrained in our society and the ways it sets
students up to oppress femininity.

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 Adjusting in the Classroom
Explains that using queer literature creates space
Mclaughlin (2020) for involve queer representation and discussions in
her class.

Emphasizes that there is a need for overall

education on the topic of gender and simply by
Kokogiannis (2013) educating our teachers, there will be comfort
actually teaching them.

This article explains that it is solely the teacher’s job

Nelly (2009) to un-do gender. Teachers can not fall into binary
gender language because their students will too.

This article also emphasizes gender-neutral

language. It goes into how students are imitative
Gustavo (2009) beings and the teacher’s behavior is almost more
vital than the behavior of their peers.

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 Adjusting in the Classroom
Meyer is important because the context of allyship.
It isn’t about queering the whole school, but offering
Meyer (2017) a space to reach identity potential and understand
oneself.

Offers a great self-identity lesson that questions

how the students see themselves and how they
Rands (2009) think others see them. It also makes them think
about how other’s identities matter to them.

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Methodology
 Type of Design
I did a qualitative phenomenological study because lived
experiences are the best source of information about gender. I
needed to get a better understanding of the issue in order to
better understand way to fix it.

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 Study Population
- Private School in - Public School in
Belmont, Ca. Hesperia, Ca
- Charles Armstrong - Eucalyptus
School Elementary School
- 2 Teachers - 2 Teachers
- 1 Counselor

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 Data Methods:
Individually interview each
teacher using ten developed
research questions. The
Data Collection Methods questions were concerned with
their process of gender inclusion.
Recording said interviews, taking
notes as needed and re-watching
interviews to get the full effect.
Data Analysis Methods
Getting full consent from
teachers and administrators of
facilities. Getting consent to
Credibility record the interviews. Creating
unbiased and non-leading
questions. I also used Peer-
Reviewed sources.

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Results and Analysis
 Calling out Binary Norms in the Education System

This teacher helped make the

point that students are always
absorbing information. Outside
and inside the classroom,
gender is a new popular topic. One key question I asked this
One teacher from Eucalyptus
Social justice is a topic among teacher, that I didn’t ask other
Elementary, calls out gender as
everyone right now, “If we don’t teachers is whether or not he
“made-up”. Using clothing conduct,
start early we create a taboo felt as though students were
hair requirements and restrooms to
on gender”. being rallied to lean towards
emphasize the ways that our system
reinforces binary gender. She later one gender, just by coming to
discussed how these restrictive, school. They gave an
seemingly normal things create affirmative yes and went on to
taboos around talking about gender explain that from birth, we are
as a non-binary thing. pink or blue. Feminine or
masculine.

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 Teacher Education
Comment on teaching
background!!!

Another teacher also

significantly contributed to my
theme of teacher education.
They recognized that all
teachers hail from different This educator made a comment
This teacher had a strong point,
places and backgrounds; but that the issue overall is how we
believing that teachers are hesitant
there are many teachers who treat people. From educators to
to discuss gender because they are
have experienced forms of students, there is a kindness
afraid to say the wrong thing. I
oppression in the classroom, aspect that escapes us. Nobody
would agree that a lot of people feel
like they, who is gay. When their wants to be called out or made
this way, but then she said “What a
school came to means with an example of, but our
great opportunity to show your
LGBTQ+ they went straight to education system does it
students that we make mistakes”.
them for help in spreading everyday: math equations, dress
She used the fear that many people
awareness. Shouldn’t all codes, “Mrs and Mr”.
currently have and turned it into a
teachers be educated on this
lesson.
idea of inclusion?
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 Teacher Outlook

Back to the idea of turning

things gone wrong into lessons,
one teacher is prepared for
questions from all angles. When
teaching LGBTQ+ inclusion in One teacher also contributed to
One teacher does not think her
her classrooms, they always this theme because he knows
co-workers would be comfortable
reach out to the parents to give his students. He knows that they
teaching a topic like gender. Going
them a run down of the topics are “structure-oriented” and that
into depth about her claim, I
at hand. Rather than a typical they always have QUESTIONS!
recognized that this theme is
permission slip, with little-to-no He made the point that when we
associated with the type of teaching
information on it, they gs expose students early, the
background that each teacher has. If
through the objectives and key conversation later becomes
they attended school to be a
points of her lesson. They used much easier because they
teacher, they have a greater
their teaching based knowledge understand it on a deeper level.
understanding of inclusion. *A few
to get people on board with the
weeks ago I was asked to break
information.
down whether school prepares you
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for life or life itself.*
 Gender for Student Education

A teacher really hit all the

points of my themes! They were
adamant about exposing
students at a young age to
gender language; in order to It was hard to pry this out of this
One teacher commented on her
help them understand their own teacher, but he was confident in
experience teaching health to fifth
identities better. It also benefits his students ability to identify
grade students, who are going
issues around confidence at this their personhood and get
through vital identity changes. She
level because they believe that something out of a lesson
does not agree that students would
if a student is confident in their planned around that. He is also
or should have to be exposed to
own identity, they are less likely super aware and inclusive when
gender language at this level
to hate others for theirs. it comes to recognizing student
because of their inability to take in
information about their bodies well. individuality.

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 Incorporating Gender in the Classroom

Two teachers worked together

on a project with the students
to understand how certain
groups of people are impacted
This teacher made a great comment
by voting rights. It made an
One elementary teacher mentioned on his recent experience with gender
example of how our “places” in
that she allows her older, 7th and 8th in the Zoom classroom. One of his
society have major influence on
grade classes, to call her by her first students always dressed androgynous
our successes. It may not be
name. She thinks that labels Mr. and and one day, made a point to change
related to gender, but it goes to
Mrs. is outdated and reinforces a their screen name to a masculine
show that we can use every
hierarchy that is unnecessary. name. He went into a breakout room
lesson to connect something
with them to check in. In the moment,
deeper.
he processed that he was more
checking in to make sure they didn’t
accidentally put the wrong name and
never thought to ask them about
pronouns, until our interview.
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Conclusions!!!

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 Information Learned
● Every teacher is different and there are no exact ways to go about
introducing gender, especially in a binary system; but it is
possible and all teachers who incorporate realist pedagogies,
should strive to include gender.
● Our system needs to invest in actively un-doing binary gender in
order to create an inclusive space; which will therefore lead to
more successful students.
● Invest my inclusive energy in space that it may not be asked for;
meaning I have the potential to open-minds and change the way
we educate our youth so I should do-so.

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 Limitations
● I did not examine many teachers and the study was far too small
to assume anything about teachers in general
● One school was private and littered with open-minded people
while the other was not, this says something about the kind of
education that the students receive from each school. This applies
because while it does say things about the schools individually, it
does not say the same about the entire education system.

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 Implications
I hope that this study allows teachers to dissect their influence of
binary gender in their classroom. The study provides clear ways to
begin un-doing in the classroom, so I believe there is no excuse. I hope
the field of Education, examines its contribution to binary gender.
Educators have the power to influence the norms created by society.
Inclusivity is key.

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Resources
Barbuto, J. E., Fritz, S. M., Matkin, G. S., & Marx, D. B. (2010). Effects of gender, education, and age upon leaders’ use of

influence tactics and full range leadership behaviors. Sex Roles, 56(1-2), 71-83.

Boyd, Aila Alvina. “Welcoming Discussions of Gender Identity in Public Schools.”English Journal, High school edition, vol. 108,

no. 4, National Council of Teachers of English, Mar. 2019, pp. 88–90.

Butler, J. (2009). Undoing Gender. New York, NY: Routledge.

Kokogiannis, K. (2013). Gender Identity and the Role of an Adult Educator in Vocational Training Institute. Advancing Women in

Leadership, 33, 38–47.

Kroeger, J., & Regula, L. (2017). Queer decisions in early childhood teacher education: Teachers as advocates for gender

non-conforming and sexual minority young children and families. International Critical Childhood Policy Studies

Journal,

6(1), 106-121.

Gustavo E. Fischman. (2009). Introduction - from denouncing

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Nelly P. Stromquist, (2009). Introduction

Martino, W., & Kehler, M. (2007). Gender-Based Literacy Reform: A Question of Challenging or Recuperating Gender Binaries. Canadian

Journal

of Education, 30(2), 406–431. https://doi.org/10.2307/20466644

Meyer, E., & Leonardi, B. (2017). Teachers’ professional learning to affirm transgender, non-binary, and gender-creative youth: experiences and

recommendations from the field. Sex Education, 18(4), 449–463. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2017.1411254

McLaughlin, Jen Cahill. (2020). BEYOND BINARY GENDER INDENTITIES-An Awakening: Teaching That Affirms Diverse Gender Identities.

English Journal, 109(4), 95–97.

Rands, K. E. (2009). Considering Transgender People in Education: AGender-Complex Approach. Journal of Teacher Education, 60(4), 419–431.

https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487109341475

SHAFT, C. R. H. K. (1999). Heterosexism in middle schools. Masculinities at school, 11, 75.

Thorpe, K., Sullivan, V., Jansen, E., McDonald, P., Sumsion, J., & Irvine, S. (2020).

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