Professional Development for Educators

Title: Educating the educator: Creating supportive school personnel through professional development (2013)

By: Greytak, E. A., Kosciw, J. G., & Boesen, M. J.

In: Journal of School Violence, issue 12, issue 1

Abstract: Ensuring a safe and welcoming school environment for all students, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) students, is an important responsibility of educators. Yet research indicates that educators regularly fail to take action in the face of anti-LGBTQ bias and are often not equipped to address these issues. Professional development training programs are becoming a popular method for developing educators' capacity to support LGBTQ students and combat anti-LGBTQ bias. However, little is known about the effectiveness of these training programs. This article reviews the current literature on in-service professional development regarding LGBTQ issues and examines findings from an evaluation of a district-wide training program. Results suggest that a brief training can be effective in changing beliefs and self-efficacy. The findings also demonstrate the different needs and training effects for various groups of educators (teachers, administrators, and school-based mental health providers). This article then provides recommendations for research and practice.