Graduation Term

2015

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

School of Teaching and Learning

Committee Chair

Barbara Meyer

Abstract

In thirty years, sexual minority educators will have taught at least 65,676,600 children. Several studies have shown that sexual minority teachers exercise the right to refrain from disclosing their sexual identity because they are aware of the possible repercussions when they "come out" in the K-12 educational setting. Choosing whether or not to disclose their sexual identities may result from the juxtaposition of deciding how and with whom to identify. This study specifically analyzes cultural factors and educators' commitments as professionals in educational settings. This study dissects the stories from five K-12 educators that identify as Lesbian or Bisexual. Several researchers believe that educators partake in leadership responsibilities such as role models and mentors and they believe educators' responsibilities in school settings strongly impact students as professional educators. A narrative analysis study was conducted to aggregate lived experiences, including stories and discussions from interviews, thus providing a voice to underrepresented populations of educators. Because of their impressionable roles in students' lives, the understanding of educators' intersectionalities and the factors behind their choice of disclosure is relevant as a contribution to research on LGBTQ K-12 educators and intersectionality.

Access Type

Dissertation-Open Access

DOI

http://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2015.EvansSantiago.B

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