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Centre to challenge LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Education launched at Leeds Beckett
The research and practice Centre is being led by Professor Jonathan Glazzard, in the Carnegie School of Education.
Professor Glazzard, who was appointed as Professor of Teacher Education in July 2017, said: “This Centre is committed to challenging all forms of prejudice, discrimination and marginalisation towards those who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning and others who have gender identities or sexual orientations that differ from the heterosexual and cisgender majority.
“Through our research in the Carnegie School of Education we will provide voice and agency to those who have been marginalised to enable us to better understand the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in educational institutions, including the experiences of children, young people and staff.”
The research is being carried out in partnership with the University of Greenwich Faculty of Education and LGBTed, an organisation which builds and supports a national network of LGBTQ+ teachers and leaders. The Centre will be made up of academics from the University’s Business School and Carnegie School of Education.
The LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Education Centre will explore eight strands of research, which include research-informed professional learning for everyone working in schools and colleges, collaboration with strategic partners to support with the research and distribute findings, providing a research informed quality mark/accreditation for schools and colleges, and to provide a monthly professional journal written by academics and practitioners to illustrate issues and share best practices in relation to LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Education.
Professor Glazzard added: “Our research will look into the experiences of LGBT school leaders, teachers and pupils, which will better enable us to understand the experiences of the LGBTQ+ community within the education sector.
“The Centre plans to research which interventions are effective in supporting children and young people who identify as LGBTQ+. We will also research the impact of prejudice-based bullying on the mental health of children and young people who identify as LGBTQ+.
“We hope that by doing this, individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ can experience a sense of belonging through a positive affirmation of difference.”
The Centre for LBGTQ+ Inclusion in Education values the opportunity of working together. Its aim is to collaborate with other organisations and to develop new research projects and initiatives. Please contact LGBTQNetwork@leedsbeckett.ac.uk for more details.