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Gender And Sexual Orientation In The Elementary Classroom: Teachers Negotiating Critical Literacies And Queer Pedagogies, Pamela M. Malins

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Drawing from queer theoretical perspectives, this thesis examines the extent to which teachers address sexual orientation and gender identities in Ontario Elementary classrooms, reflecting recent curricular revisions regarding antidiscrimination education and social justice; moreover, it investigates some of the influences that affect teachers’ pedagogical practices. This inquiry’s significance can be seen through social constructionism which emphasizes the teachers’ role in reinforcing or disrupting discourses of normalcy. Queer Theory offers a method for deconstructing and challenging identity categories such as the heterosexual/homosexual dichotomy or gender normative frameworks.

Findings indicate an apparent tension for teachers in negotiating personal and parental beliefs and …