Unmasking the experiences of gay social studies teachers in Bataan / [manuscript]
Reena S. Bugay.
- Balanga City : BPSU, 2019.
- xi, 216 pp. ; 28 cm.
Thesis (MAED-SOC) - BPSU, 2019.
This hermeneutic phenomenological study aimed to explore the lived experiences in teaching of homosexual male Social Studies teachers among public secondary schools in Bataan during Academic Year 2018-2019. It employed ten (10) key participants who were identified from the roster of expressly open male homosexual teachers after the application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria and reaching the saturation point. The researcher made use of the data triangulation method as the main process of gathering important data for the research. These included an in-depth interview, prolonged engagement and participant observation. In analyzing the data, Van Manen's (1990) hermeneutic phenomenological approach was employed to guide the current study, as it allows for a phenomenon to be explored from the vantage of the persons who directly experience it, while attending to the socio-cultural and historical contexts in which they live. He identifies five research activities that should be considered when carrying out a hermeneutic phenomenological analysis: -1) turning to a phenomenon that seriously interests us and commits us to the world; 2) reflecting on the experience as we live it rather than as we conceptualize it; 3) reflecting on the essential themes which characterize the phenomenon; 4) describing the phenomenon through the art of writing and rewriting; 5) maintaining a strong and oriented relation to the phenomenon. It was revealed that the homosexual male Social Studies teachers have heterogeneous characteristics. They face verbal bullying and ridicule in the workplace, prejudices on competency as a teacher and accused of sexual predation towards students. Likewise, they are coping with the challenges in teaching by understanding criticisms and taking a positive/optimistic stance, ignoring criticism by keeping the self-busy, proving vii their self-worth and educating the public about their sexuality. The challenges make the homosexual male Social Studies teachers more professional and resilient but they sometimes have self-regulated gender expressions in the classroom. Fear of rejection, joy of being accepted and the need for safety are the insights from the lived experiences of the homosexual male Social Studies teachers. Based on the conclusions, it was recommended that the present study be magnified to a larger study which will include other members of the LGBTQ community like the lesbians and bisexuals who are also teachers of Social Studies to explore their lived experiences in teaching the subject and compare it with the lived experiences of the gay teachers. The school should strengthen its Gender and Development (GAD) program by including topics on gender stereotyping, prejudices and discrimination among homosexuals to educate school stakeholders like teachers and school personnel about the lived experiences of homosexual teachers and developing Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) trainings for homosexual people. At the moment, the focus of GAD is on women and men only. The school through the Araling Panlipuna Department should include gender equality topics in the curriculum of Araling Panlipunan with particular attention on LGBTQ, especially the homosexual males so that adequate and correct information about their plight and condition will be taught to students to promote respect for diversity in the school and in the community. Likewise, the school should provide psychosocial support for LGBT people especially homosexuals to increase their participation and productivity in the workforce and provide paralegal support if warranted. The homosexual male Social Studies teachers should be given the full authority to choose whatever pedagogy or instructional strategies viii they wish to use inside the classroom in teaching the subject to allow them to fully express their potentials as teachers and classroom managers. School leaders must develop professional development opportunities to demonstrate how to infuse LBTQ identities and issues into the curriculum, both explicitly and through implicit means. There must be a planning program for homosexual male teachers to develop an understanding of the group and work toward inclusivity and relational justice in the workplace.
Closeted gays. Gay teachers. Gays--Education Gays--employment Homosexuality and education