Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Project

Degree Name

Master of Social Work

Department

School of Social Work

First Reader/Committee Chair

Appiah-Kubi, Jamal

Abstract

Many schools across the United States exclude LGBTQ+ topics from required curriculum, which limits a student’s understanding of diverse identities and underrepresents marginalized communities in the world. The absence of LGBTQ+ topics in education may impact levels of inclusivity within school culture as well as student attitudes towards LGBTQ+ individuals. While past research has focused on teacher perspectives and barriers to implementing LGBTQ+ topics in classrooms, little research has explored the student outcomes and perspectives on how LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum influences their attitudes and perceptions of inclusivity within school culture. This study examines how LGBTQ+ inclusive education affects 9th-grade high school students, teachers, and administrators within the San Bernardino County Unified School District. A convergent mixed methods design will be used to collect quantitative and qualitative data from 170 participants, consisting of students, teachers, and administrators. These participants will be sampled using stratified random and purposive sampling techniques. The survey will be followed by semi-structured interviews with willing participants in each role to discuss their perspectives and experiences related to LGBTQ+ curricula implementation, school environment, student attitudes, and culture. Descriptive statistics and multivariate regression analysis will be conducted to test the relationship between exposure to an LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum and student attitudes and perceptions of school climate. Qualitative data will be analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings may provide insight into the impact of LGBTQ+ curricula and policies on fostering safer, more engaging school environments for all.

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