Creating a Positive Social-Emotional Learning Environment for Transgender Students: A Post-Pandemic Participatory Action Research

This qualitative research employing participatory action protocols (PAR) engages a limited number of gender minority adolescents (current transgender, nonbinary, and gender-fluid secondary students) and allied staff members at one large Midwestern public high school district. The principal purpose is to improve transgender secondary student schooling experiences. This study extends the current educational discourse on SEL (social-emotional learning) in post-pandemic high schools as far as the commitment to improving students' sense of belonging, growth mindset, resilience, and well-being should be a top priority for all educators. The primary researcher positions all participants as co-researchers to explore ways that could improve the SEL environment for gender minority students. The major principles of anti-oppressive pedagogy (Kumashiro, 2002) which references and builds upon the educational elements of queer theory (Butler, 1990) form a theoretical framework aimed at advancing social justice goals in support of this marginalized student population. Five, hour-long focus group sessions employing PAR exercises (Chevalier & Buckles, 2019) guide three faculty members and three current transgender, nonbinary, and gender-fluid high school students to assess the social-emotional learning environment of the research site, exploring how transgender students’ unique exigencies are currently being addressed through the school district’s policies and procedures and identifying areas for improvement; two separate interviews with three parents of two student participants shed additional light on the topic. Major thematic findings include issues related to gender-neutral bathroom access, P.E. locker room changing safety, staff professional development, microaggressions/bullying/harassment, and student information systems. Changes to teaching and learning practices, policies, and procedures that honor and incorporate the lived experiences of this marginalized student population emerge from this study. Recommendations could inform policy makers and school leaders in other educational settings on methods to create inclusive SEL environments for LGBTQ+ and other at-risk, marginalized student groups.