Trainee teachers and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues in education

This research explores the attitudes of a group of Postgraduate Certificate in Education citizenship student teachers in London in 2012 towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues in education; their own perceptions of their abilities to deal with LGBT education within schools; the training they have received from their teacher training institutions in this area; and how this training may be improved in the future. The research was carried out using a written response questionnaire and five vignette scenarios to which the trainees had to respond. The findings are discussed under themes including the awareness of LGBT legislation in education; preparedness for, confidence in and the importance of LGBT education; and teacher training in this area. References to legislation from 1967 to 2013, including the Equality Act 2010, are made, and Banks‟s (2004) Dimensions of Multicultural Education model is drawn upon to suggest possible developments in teacher training in this area. The research finds that the trainee teachers have a strong sense of commitment and genuine determination towards addressing issues of homophobia and they express the importance of equality within schools on this issue. However, many also feel unprepared in regard to their knowledge and the strategies they can use when approaching some LGBT issues, expressing anxieties in certain situations, especially those which cannot be easily planned for, such as delivering the topic within lessons. The research therefore argues for improvements in LGBT training for postgraduate students as they prepare to enter the profession