EXPLORING GENDER IN THE CLASSROOM 1

A Qualitative Case Study; Exploring Gender in the Middle Classroom

Charlotte Baum

Marina Gillmore

University of Redlands
EXPLORING GENDER IN THE CLASSROOM 2

Abstract

Gender has become a topic of fluidity in society today, so it should be the same in our

education system. The articles examined go in depth about how the education system does not

allow its students, teachers and administrators, in a middle school setting, to live outside of its

non-traditional terms. The research used in this study is based on semi-structured interviews. The

study brings to light the restrictive gender norms found in the education system and reflects ways

to deconstruct them. The research is necessary in order to create an equitable classroom where all

students can expand on their personal identities, so not to force humans who have infinitely

many characteristics into binary boxes.

EXPLORING GENDER IN THE CLASSROOM 3

Introduction

Gender identity needs to become a topic of discussion in the education system because of

the way people have reinvented it into fluid terms. Binary gender takes up space in our education

system because of norms ingrained in society, considering that; there is space to un-do what

society has come to understand. Teachers, parents and other adult figures often reinforce binary

gender without even recognizing it. A binary system limits self identity and the understanding of

one's individuality. The same binary system not only negatively impacts gender non-conforming

students and administration, but cis-gender students and administration as well. The outcome of

this research offers space for teachers to examine as well as shift their curriculum to be more

inclusive and equitable for all people. This research is necessary because, as educators, it is our

responsility to create an inculsive space for gender queer humans. Through curriculum reform

and normalizing discussions of gender, teachers can set all students up for an equal chance at

success in education. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to examine how

middle school teachers address gender in the classroom and explore ways that teachers can

incorporate gender identity in their teaching.

Literature Review

The literature review is split into qualitative, personal experiences of students and

teachers with gender in curriculum; and some qualitative, some quantitative experiments that

include how to queer (as a verb) pedagogy. The existing literature of peer-reviewed research

done on the topic is small. The literature that does exist brings light to the topic of gender in the

education system through individual perspectives as well as breaks down how binary gender

norms are restricting. The experience based research also offers tips and solutions for teachers

struggling with similar problems concerning binary gender norms, which makes it more effective
EXPLORING GENDER IN THE CLASSROOM 4

for this proposal. The articles examined in this review will explore how binary gender norms

restrict the personhood of all people and how teachers can adjust their classrooms to be more

inclusive.

Undoing Gender by Judith Butler includes information about binary gender, ways that it

can be un-done and how undoing it will open many avenues concerning gender. Butler brings to

light that gender “is not always what someone is or what someone has” (Butler, 2004), meaning

that humans “do” their gender. This is meaningful for my study because gender is something that

humans can change and do differently; not to say that people have to do it differently, just that

there is a platform to create change. Butler goes into depth about dismantling the masculine and

feminine aspects of gender in order to open up the possibilities of gender. Butler includes that

conforming is part of human existence. It is easy. Conforming can be a positive thing when there

are many outlets to consider, rather than the binary terms that exist. Butler’s work applies to this

study because not only does it call out the restrictions of binary gender, but it states how to undo

them.

In Kroeger’s text, they explain how binary gender norms within the education community

are emphasized by socially accepted, homophobic language and media. It explains that a

LGBTQ+ student could experience overt homophobia, transphobia and overall hate in every

aspect of their life; that includes at home, with their peers and with school staff. The article states

that our LGBTQ+ youth “Report dramatically more sexual abuse than do their heterosexual

peers, and the pervasive, daily discrimination many transgender people experience leads to an

increased risk of suicide” (Kroeger, 2015). From a social aspect these students experience these

intense hardships at such a young age and not to mention, at a particularly hard time of

individual growth.
EXPLORING GENDER IN THE CLASSROOM 5

One study written by Baruto, examined the effectiveness of leadership by gender. The

study found that there was no significant difference between male and female leadership,

specifically when they held the same educational experience. Now, I make this point because

there is a significant number of female teachers in our system. This article also states that there

are common studies done based on gender that is usually examined in terms of gender

stereotypes. Men are normally more autocratic, where women are democratic leaders.

Thankfully, this study found no literal difference in effectiveness. It helps to round the point that

it’s okay to have an abundant number of feminine teachers.

The next article somewhat counters Baruto’s, because in binary terms, it’s a man’s world.

Women face patriarchal inequities in many aspects outside of the school setting, in order to break

down and un-do these binaries, administrators need to stop thinking in terms of one gender or the

other; in terms of how one can not appropriately teach the other. The article, by Sullivan Thorpe,

does, however, allow the reader to understand that masculine and feminine pedagogies expand

on a wide range of teacher effectiveness. Opening the doors to all people and their pedagogies

would provide the best possible outcome in efforts to create a more inclusive education system.

In the sense of teacher experiences in regards to gender, a personal story by a trans

woman describes the negative impacts of an exclusive binary education system from a teacher’s

perspective. Boyd found that her pedagogy should change to be more inclusive. She includes the

story of choosing a bathroom to use. Nobody knew that she was trans at her school, what would

happen if she used the female restroom as was discovered? Or vice versa? She also includes that

she noticed one of her trans-students was struggling through school. She wanted to express her

story but couldn’t expose herself and risk torment as well. She decided to open up the

conversation with her students about how they identify their gender and offered to answer
EXPLORING GENDER IN THE CLASSROOM 6

questions. This alone, created a segway to discuss her gender with the class, which made both

herself and trans-students feel more accepted and welcome in the school environment. Simply

starting the conversation, breaks the unspoken ice created by gender norms.

To contribute to the binaries ingrained in the education atmosphere, Carol Shakeshaft

wrote an article that highlights how school is one of the biggest, simplest forms of socialization

in all of humanity. It teaches us how to act in social situations. Whether it’s in school or at home,

gender identity and gender roles control so much of who we are. The article includes that from

the get-go boys are taught to reject feminine traits, because they are seen as soft or weak. This is

the same context that feminine people grow up with as well. If feminine students grow up with

the idea that they are weak or less able, they experience education largely different than that of a

masculine student. The article points out that humans live with these assumed lives that, unless

demonstrated against, are true. It’s these stereotypes that our curriculum needs to counter. The

next article actually proves this point. Researcher, Kate Drury, examined experiences of self

identification in mixed-sex schools and same-sex schools. It found that students at same-sex

schools were more comfortable explaining their sexual identities than mixed-sex schools. It first

emphasized the pressures of gender conformity within mixed-sex schools. For non-conforming

students though, the pressures of gender conformation were relatively similar.

One point that is important to explore is the intersection of race and gender. The article,

by Mcready, explores lived experiences of gay and gender non-conforming black students. These

marginalizations set students up for what is called an “achievement gap”, (Mcready, 2004). It

recognizes the varying struggles that queer people of color experience over queer white students

that set them up for a sub-par education. These lived experiences include harassment and hate

from not only students, but teachers as well. The gender binaries create a box that makes some
EXPLORING GENDER IN THE CLASSROOM 7

masculine traits more acceptable than others, which is mainly seen in teacher influences. This

article highlight’s the undeniable intersections of LGBTQ+ experience and the experiences of

BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color). It demands a necessary change in on campus

alliances and groups to be more inclusive of not only gender queer students but black gender

queer students, because if the education community can recognize that there are different

experiences, it can also make efforts to be more inclusive of them.

Shifting to the overall student population, gender binaries negatively impact all students

as well. An article written by, Jen McLaughlin, includes her own experience with a

gender-inclusive classroom. She claims that by queering the literature in her classroom, she has

humanized all her students. By exposing her students to queer literature, she is not only setting

the school up for a more inclusive enviornment, but creates inclusive humans that will go on to

acknowledge the struggles of queer people. This article show that all genders benefit from a

queer pedegogy. There is nothing stopping teachers from including queer topics in their

classroom other than some discomfort which does not compare to the type of discomfort that

queer students carry on their backs.

An article written by Kokogiannis, highlights exactly how teachers can queer their

pedagogy. This contributes to the overall theme of changing binary norms in the education

system. It demands change through encouraging creativity, self-critiques, familiarity with

research theory and practices, collaborative inquiry, and a renewed interest in continuing

professional learning within the teacher education system. Society is always changing and

improving, by requiring teachers to continue educating themselves, there is less possibility of

achievement gaps. Using collaborative group circles forces students to converse and listen to
EXPLORING GENDER IN THE CLASSROOM 8

each other which is a skill that all people should acquire. This is one way to change the

classroom without even having a conversation of gender.

Another idea to consider in the classroom is mentioned by Stomquist and Fischman.

Denouncing gender by questioning the way that humans communicate with each other is the end

goal. The article supports un-doing gender. To un-do gender requires recognition of the

differences between all genders and their struggles. It calls for schools to include more diverse

opportunities to discuss gender; ones that more students feel welcome and excited about. It

questions the language used in classroom settings. The article points out that gender has

historically been a stagnant topic, socially constructed by society. In order to create a lasting

change, it starts in the education system. Complex topics like gender have become more

prominent, which is exactly why gender in the classroom is almost necessary at this point.

To specifically focus on practices in the classroom, Elizabeth Meyer wrote an article on

the allyship that teachers should enter the classroom with. Not only does she call for teachers to

have some sense of allyship in the classroom, but by shifting pedagogies to expose and culture

conversation they are also offering allyship. This article is important because Meyer uses gender

inclusive language throughout the article. Her ideas focus on teacher education, like considered

in the text on vocational education. She emphasizes that while it is an individual challenge, it

should be acknowledged by all teachers.

In Kathleen Rands article, she offers ideas on how to get the conversation started in the

middle school classroom. Questioning students about how they identify by starting off with a

simple identity question, is her suggestion to segway into a more tolerant school. This makes

space for non-conforming students to feel comfortable sharing their identity and challenges

anti-LGBTQ+ language. Just by asking students to consider their own identity and explain how
EXPLORING GENDER IN THE CLASSROOM 9

they identify, forces them to recognize other possibilities of gender. This article is different than

others because it recognizes the truth behind cis-gender privilege. Students with cis privilege

dominate social situations by exploiting non-conforming students; leading to a hateful culture for

queer students to maneuver. It also contributes to how queer students interact in the classroom.

They are more likely to shut down and not jump at the opportunity to participate in a classroom

setting because of the hate that surrounds them.

There are a number of ways to deconstruct gender in the education system but by starting

with the curriculum we are killing many birds with one stone. In order to create a more inclusive

educational environment, teachers should practice gender inclusive language not only in the

classroom, but their everyday lives. This review pointed out the gender binaries that constrict the

education system, ways that we can actively work against them and how this negatively impacts

the education of gender queer students. It’s proof that these expectations can be adjusted and

reformed to be more inclusive; it will be the efforts of the education system that changes how

humans perform gender.

Methodology

Research Question

Considering the small number of articles related to this topic, this kind of research study

is very much called for. Problems considered in the literature review consist of restrictive gender

norms, an education gap for queer students, and general hate in the classroom. The problems are

not only serious, but harmful to all people who put themselves into a binary gender box. If the

education system creates students with gender prejudices because of its binary system, the

system can un-create it. The purpose of this study is to record how LGBTQ+ language is being

incorporated into our education system now, and ways to expand it. The research question at
EXPLORING GENDER IN THE CLASSROOM 10

hand is: According to the perceptions of middle school teachers and administrators, how does the

education system reinforce binary gender and what adjustments should be made to pedagogies in

order to create a more inclusive and equitable environment for LGBTQ+ humans?

Study Design

The type of design will be a qualitative phenomenological study. I will focus on middle

school teacher and administration pedagogy and their general experience. I plan to examine lived

experiences through interviews to deconstruct binary gender norms in the classroom.

Study Population

The study sample will be a snowball sample of middle school teachers and administration

in the Southern California area. Because Southern California is diverse, this will help me

recognize what the inclusive teaching styles are versus non-inclusive teaching styles.

Participants

I will focus on interviewing a group of middle school (6th-8th grade) teachers and

administrators who have history in LGBTQ+ education versus those without an LGBTQ+

education; as well as study their inclusive teaching styles through classes; and compare. I will

study their pedagogies and record how they interpret their classes responses to the curriculum. I

will also examine some student experiences, but probably through questioning the teacher. They

are the most appropriate sample because they have the biggest influence on how curriculum is

given. This problem can be found within the curriculum itself, and the context of how the

curriculum is given; so to ensure depth in the study, I will deconstruct both aspects.

Data Collection Method

The data collection method will begin by contacting middle school teachers in Southern

California. I know many teachers at Beattie Middle School and plan on reaching out to other
EXPLORING GENDER IN THE CLASSROOM 11

schools in the Redlands Unified School District and other districts nearby. I will be doing

interviews and observations (hopefully). I will do many participants to create a wider range of

results. I will also ask as many questions as possible in order to get clear and concise answers. I

will conduct audio recordings during the interviews to transcribe them verbatim. I will use this

data to expand the research on LGBTQ+ education and to reform the current curriculum to be

more inclusive.

Data Analysis

The data analysis is broken down into the two themes described, which are: restrictive

binary gender norms in the education system and incorporating gender in the classroom. The

data also considers teacher background and the schools that they teach at because these details

may have had an effect on the interviews. The experiential aspects play a huge role in the

research on account of common uncomfortability that the topic of gender is associated with.

Additionally, I incorporated a few extra interview questions that flowed in the interview setting

which allotted a further understanding of questionable points that some teachers considered.

Each teacher brought up great points about the ways that the education system reinforces

binary gender. One teacher called out gender as made-up; using clothing conduct, hair

requirements and restrooms to emphasize the ways that our system reinforces binary gender.

They went on to later discussed how these restrictive, seemingly normal things create taboos

around talking about gender as a non-binary thing. Quite a few other teachers emphasized that

clothing conduct and other personality-killing codes of conduct diminish non-binary gender

ideals. Another teacher also made the point that students are always absorbing information.

Gender is a new and concerning topic to this teacher and since social justice is a conversation

among many right now, they believe that starting early, as in kindergarten, on topics of gender,
EXPLORING GENDER IN THE CLASSROOM 12

will help students become more comfortable and able to discuss it. One key question I asked a

teacher, that I didn’t ask other teachers, is whether or not they felt as though students were being

rallied to lean towards one gender, just by coming to school. They gave an affirmative yes and

went on to explain that from birth, we are pink or blue. Feminine or masculine. This point

heavily promotes that there is a certain expectation of gender in society. If it is there in the first

place, that means there is a space to reconsider and reform it.

To break down the theme of binary gender norms in the education system, I questioned

how teachers felt about the topic of gender. This is where teaching background comes into play.

A teacher from a public school, made a comment that the issue overall is how people treat

people. From educators to students, there is a kindness aspect that escapes us. Nobody wants to

be called out or made an example. The point was accurate but that teacher went on to say that

there is no way that students younger than middle school should be exposed to inclusive

language. Previously they had no experience in teaching which may have had an effect on the

comment made, possibly because of a lack of experience in diverse gender. I disagree that

younger students couldn’t handle it because they currently handle binary gender just fine so

society should not limit the possibilities. In this case though, their point was kindness and that is

important to the overall idea as well. In the same context of teacher feelings, an administrator

believed that teachers are hesitant to discuss gender because they are afraid to say the wrong

thing. I would agree that a lot of people feel this way, but then they went on to mention that if

someone does make a mistake in regards to gender, that it is a perfect time to show the students

that teachers make mistakes too. They used the fear that many people currently have about

non-binary ideals and turned it into a lesson. This administrator worked at a private school and

had a law degree, so this is why I have come to associate teaching background to the interviews.
EXPLORING GENDER IN THE CLASSROOM 13

Another teacher also significantly contributed to my thoughts of teacher and administration

education and background. They recognized that all teachers hail from different places and

backgrounds; but there are many teachers who have experienced forms of oppression in the

classroom, like this teacher, who is gay. When their school came to means with LGBTQ+ they

went straight to them for help in spreading awareness. That is a microaggression in itself. Asking

those who experience gender or sexual microaggressions everyday to introduce this idea to the

school is not the right thing to do because it is making an example of them. There are so many

resources to get this information across to students without microaggressions.

Given that, going further into how to reform the educational aspect, one teacher is

prepared for questions from all angles. When teaching LGBTQ+ inclusion in their classroom,

they always reach out to the parents to give them a run down of the topics at hand. Rather than a

typical permission slip, with little-to-no information on it, they go through the objectives and key

points of their lesson. They used their teaching based knowledge to get people on board with the

information. Giving the parents a run down was the most helpful point made. Many teachers are

hesitant with non-binary language because they don’t want to deal with the parental aspect. One

teacher also contributed to this theme because they know their students. They know that students

are structure-oriented and that they always have questions! They made the point that when

students are exposed early, the conversation later becomes much easier because they understand

it on a deeper level. This teacher specifically, mentioned that they had less knowledge on the

variety of gender, which made their claim stronger because even when people lack information

on gender, they are still willing to readjust. That is how the education system works though;

always readjusting and becoming more inclusive. One elementary teacher mentioned that they

allow their older, 7th and 8th grade classes, to call them by their first name. They think that
EXPLORING GENDER IN THE CLASSROOM 14

labels like Mr. and Mrs. are outdated and reinforce a hierarchy that is unnecessary. Teachers are

students in the classroom as well; they are always learning and by using Mr. and Mrs. not only

does it reinforce binary gender, but also some sort of dominance. Another two teachers worked

together on a project with the students to understand how certain groups of people are impacted

by voting rights. It made an example of how individual placement in society has a major

influence on the success of that individual. It may not be related to gender, but it goes to show

that we can use every lesson to connect something deeper. It doesn’t just need to be a

presentation on gender, the information can be delivered in various ways.

Mechanisms

I used a semi-structured, scripted interview to keep conformity. There will be many

questions to ensure full coverage. I will not use guided questions or implicatory questions

because those could skew the study. I will not share my personal opinion on the matter to make

sure they don’t feel obligated to agree with me. I will be honest about what I did.

Ethics

In order for my study to be ethical, I will specify that I am only using teachers from

Southern California. I will make sure each teacher knows that I will be quoting them or

paraphrasing their words. I ensure my accuracy of the data that I am collecting is true. I will also

be sure to give credit to all the teachers participating. I will be sure to cite all information that I

use as well. I promise to let people withdraw from the study if they want to and I will get

consent. In order to make my study even more ethical, I will not compensate people for their

time either.
EXPLORING GENDER IN THE CLASSROOM 15

Works Cited

Aila Alvina Boyd. “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.

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.

A Drury, K., Bukowski, W. M., Velásquez, A. M., & Stella-Lopez, L. (2013).

Victimization and gender identity in single-sex and mixed-sex schools: Examining

contextual variations in pressure to conform to gender norms. Sex roles, 69(7-8), 442-454

Kokogiannis, K. (2013). Gender Identity and the Role of an Adult Educator in

Vocational Training Institute. Advancing Women in Leadership, 33, 38–47.

Jen McLaughlin Cahill. (2020). BEYOND BINARY GENDER INDENTITIES-An

Awakening: Teaching That Affirms Diverse Gender Identities. English Journal, 109(4),

95–97.

Martino, W., & Kehler, M. (2007). Gender-Based Literacy Reform: A Question of

EXPLORING GENDER IN THE CLASSROOM 16

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

McCready, L. T. (2004). Understanding the marginalization of gay and gender

non-conforming Black male students. Theory into Practice, 43(2), 136-143.

Nelly P. Stromquist, & Gustavo E. Fischman. (2009). Introduction - from denouncing

Rands, K. E. (2009). Considering Transgender People in Education: A

Gender-Complex Approach. Journal of Teacher Education, 60(4), 419–431.

https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487109341475

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.

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).