Foundation Phase teachers’ diverse sexual orientations and job experiences: A South African study

African Journal of Career Development

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Foundation Phase teachers’ diverse sexual orientations and job experiences: A South African study
 
Creator Venketsamy, Roy Hu, Zijing Naicker, Nashua
 
Subject Education discrimination; foundation phase; harassment; job experiences; LGBTQ teachers; wellbeing; workplace
Description Background: Sexual orientation discrimination impacts teachers’ well-being in school environments. The Prevention of Discrimination and Promotion of Equality Act of 2002 prohibits discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation, granting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) individuals many of the same rights as their cis-gender, heterosexual peers. Despite this, many LGBTQ teachers still face problematic, uncomfortable, and tension-filled experiences in schools. Traditionally, the Foundation Phase (FP) of education was gendered, but this is changing. However, there is a perception that male FP teachers are primarily queer with a “gay agenda.” The authors used the Class Psychological Stressor Strain theory to explore the negative experiences of queer-identifying teachers.Objectives: This article examines the effects of Foundation Phase teachers’ sexual orientation on their work environment experiences.Methods: This qualitative study, grounded in an interpretivist paradigm, explored the lived experiences of three queer-identifying teachers in the Gauteng Province through individual face-to-face interviews.Results: The findings reveal that schools are not adequately addressing discrimination. Teachers often face marginalisation and discrimination.Conclusion: This article explored a sensitive issue faced by teachers whose sexual orientation differs from society’s norms. It highlighted the discrimination and harassment LGBTQ teachers face in the Foundation Phase in public schools in South Africa.Contribution: By unveiling these issues, the article aims to reduce the stigma, bias, and prejudice commonly faced by LGBTQ Foundation Phase teachers in the teaching profession.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor none
Date 2024-08-29
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion —
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/ajcd.v6i2.132
 
Source African Journal of Career Development; Vol 6, No 2 (2024); 5 pages 2617-7471 2709-7420
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://ajcd.africa/index.php/ajcd/article/view/132/565 https://ajcd.africa/index.php/ajcd/article/view/132/566 https://ajcd.africa/index.php/ajcd/article/view/132/567 https://ajcd.africa/index.php/ajcd/article/view/132/568
 
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Rights Copyright (c) 2024 Roy Venketsamy, Zijing Hu, Nashua Naicker https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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