Teachers' attitudes in implementing gay -themed literature as part of a balanced multicultural education curriculum

Abstract

Teacher attitudes, professional needs, hindrances and obstacles, and administrative roles in relation to the implementation of gay-themed children’s literature were investigated using a phenomenological design and an online survey instrument. Over half of the teachers surveyed had positive attitudes toward and approved of implementing gay-themed children’s literature in the elementary classroom. Over 80% of the participants had never received training that dealt with gay themes and requested information about how to deal with parental concerns and student questions. Because of negative attitudes toward homosexuals, bullying in schools, and poor student achievement, training at the district level and within teacher education programs needs to address the topic of sexual orientation as part of a multicultural education curriculum.