We welcomed the LGBTQ Reading Group to our TILE Network Seminar in December and with that we had a slighlty different format: After a short presentation of the target paper, all attendees engegaed in a discussion and asked questions. We touched on important issues in regard to inclusivity and shared resources along the way.

If you are interested in joining the LGBTQ Reading Club, just drop an email to Dr Emily Nordmann. She will add you to the group. All welcome!

All resources can be found below.

See you at the next TILE Network seminar.

Abstract:   

The need to make higher education curricula gender-inclusive is increasingly pressing as student cohorts diversify. We adopted a student-staff partnership approach to design, integrate, and evaluate a module that taught first-year science students the difference between biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation in the context of genetics concepts at an Australian university. This module aimed to break the binary in misconceptions of both sex and gender, emphasising that both exist on separate spectra. Data triangulation was used to evaluate students’ attitudes towards the module and their learning of module concepts. Students’ attitudes were positive overall, and evaluation of students’ learning indicated that the majority of students understood and retained key concepts, while also identifying common misconceptions. Perhaps the most important finding was that students who identified as belonging to a minority group had significantly more positive attitudes towards the module than non-minority students. This finding supports previous research that has found inclusive curricula have greater benefit for students from minority backgrounds, indicating the importance of making such curriculum enhancements. Our results speak to both the co-creation process and students’ learning outcomes, providing valuable insights for practitioners both within science and beyond.

Paper for the event:

Mercer-Mapstone, L., Bajan, S., Banas, K., Morphett, A., & McGrath, K. (2021). Breaking the Binary: Conceptions of Sex and Gender in Undergraduate Science. Teaching & Learning Inquiry, 9(2).

About the LGBTQ Psychology Reading Group:

The purpose of this group is to provide a forum to discuss psychological research on LGBTQIA+ issues. This group is open to all regardless of discipline. This group is a supportive and inclusive space – respectful of all members and all identities in any discussion.