School Climate Through the Eyes Of LGBTQI+ Parents

Abstract Book of the 10th World Conference on Future of Education

Year: 2026

[PDF]

School Climate Through the Eyes Of LGBTQI+ Parents

Joëlle Duval, Catherine Dumoulin, Élisabeth Martin, Luc Laberge, Catherine Muirhead

ABSTRACT:

This scientific poster presents an exploratory study that aims to identify the obstacles encountered by LGBTQI+ parents in their collaboration with their children’s preschool or elementary school. To this end, an online questionnaire was administered to nine LGBTQI+ parents in Quebec, Canada, six of whom also participated in a semi-structured individual interview. One of the themes explored was the school climate. The qualitative analysis of the data reveals that several LGBTQI+ parents express concerns about their children’s safety at school. The invisibility of their family reality, the heteronormative attitudes of some school staff, and instances of homophobia from other parents or students contribute to an imposed process of erasure that heightens their vulnerability. This hostile school climate hinders the development of a constructive school–family collaboration. To foster a positive school climate, it is essential that school personnel demonstrate a genuine willingness to understand and include LGBTQI+ families.

Keywords: School–Family Collaboration; Obstacles; Heteronormativity; Preschool And Elementary School; Qualitative Analysis