What is the project about?
Research consistently shows LGBTQ+ youth in schools disproportionately suffer victimisation, poor mental health and lower academic outcomes. Developing a LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum, thereby promoting visibility and addressing ignorance and prejudice is regarded as a potential protective factor in creating a safe school environment for LGBTQ+ students. Yet little is known about what LGBTQ+ topics are taught, what shapes their in/exclusion and the impact this has on school climate. Using surveys, interviews and focus groups with teachers and students in secondary schools, the project examines the relationship between the curriculum and school climate aiming to identify helpful practices and challenges.
Who is/was running the project?
This is a team project. The lead researcher is Rebecca Harris from the University of Reading working in collaboration with Ann E. Wilson-Daily from the University of Barcelona and Meggie Copsey-Blake, a PhD student at the University of Reading, working as research assistant.
Project Timeline: September 2025-April 2027
Who funded the project?
British Academy/Wellcome Trust