The lived experiences of gay secondary teachers in West Central

187 Pages·2015·0.47 MB·English

University of South Florida
Scholar Commons
Graduate Teses and Dissertations Graduate School
6-2-2005
Negotiating Curricular Boundaries And Sexual
Orientation: Te Lived Experiences Of Gay
Secondary Teachers In West Central Florida
Jr., James B Mayo Jr.
University of South Florida
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Mayo, Jr., James B Jr., "Negotiating Curricular Boundaries And Sexual Orientation: Te Lived Experiences Of Gay Secondary Teachers
In West Central Florida" (2005). Graduate Teses and Dissertations.
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Negotiating Curricular Boundaries And Sexual Orientation:
The Lived Experiences Of Gay Secondary Teachers In West Central Florida

by

James B. Mayo, Jr.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Department of Secondary Education
College of Education
University of South Florida

Co-Major Professor: Bárbara C. Cruz, Ed.D.
Co-Major Professor: J. Howard Johnston, Ph.D.
James R. King, Ph.D.
Barbara Shircliffe, Ph.D.

Date of Approval:
June 2, 2005

Keywords: curricular decision-making, diversity, multiple masculinities
secondary education, sexual orientation, teacher education

© Copyright 2005, James B. Mayo, Jr.
Acknowledgments

I would like to personally thank the seven area teachers who agreed to participate
in this study: Adam, Ben, Chris, Donald, Eric, Frank, and Gary. Gentlemen, your passion
for teaching and willingness to candidly share some very personal, and often times
painful, experiences and memories inspires me daily.
I also want to publicly acknowledge Dr. Rodney Rudd who helped me through
some of the more difficult and tedious stages of the writing/editing process. In addition, I
must thank the late Harrison and Ruth Kosove without whom I would not have been able
to finance graduate school. Their incredible generosity enabled me to focus on my studies
without the pressures associated with maintaining a full or part-time job.
Finally, I wish to extend my sincere thanks to Bàrbara Cruz, Howard Johnston,
Jim King, and Barbara Shircliffe, my dissertation committee, for helping me to shape my
thoughts into a working manuscript. In particular, Dr. Bàrbara Cruz was and is a constant
source of inspiration. From start to finish, Bàrbara, you offered me immediate feedback,
poignant suggestions, and timely advice, which made completion of this project possible.
Even more importantly, however, you helped me to believe that I was capable of
completing this project when self-doubt reared its ugly head. For the past three years, you
have been an excellent model for me to follow as I matriculated through the doctoral
program: you are an amazing teacher in the classroom; you write in such a way that your
prose, while heavily steeped in the literature, is accessible to all; you relate to students
and colleagues in a very human manner; and you seem to find a balance in your life no
matter how many commitments you accept. Thank you for exemplifying excellence.
Table of Contents

List of Figures iv

Abstract v

Chapter 1 1
Introduction 1
Statement of the Problem 1
Theoretical Framework 3
Purpose of Study & Rationale 3
Qualitative Research Questions 4
Significance of the Study 5
Definition of Terms 6
Delimitations 8
Limitations 9
Organization of Remaining Chapters 12

Chapter 2 15
Review of the Related Literature 15
Introduction 15
Gay Students 16
Support Structures for GLBT Youth 20
Gay Teachers 2
The Role of Heterosexual Teachers, Principals,
and Guidance Counselors 30
Curiculum Isues 35
Literature on Masculinity 40
Summary 47

i
Chapter 3 50
Method 50
Introduction 50
Participants 51
Sampling Characteristics 52
Qualitative Instruments 56
Interview Format 57
Procedures 61
Qualitative Analysis 64

Chapter 4 67
Results 67
Introduction 67
Participant Biographical Data 68
The Participants’ School Districts 71
Hernando County School District 72
Hillsborough County School District 72
Pasco County School District 73
Pinellas County School District 74
Qualitative Research Questions 75
Theme 1: Gay-Themed Materials in the Classroom 75
Theme 2: Interactions with Students Perceived to be Gay 80
Theme 3: Separation of Informants’ Private Lives from
Life at School 87
Theme 4: The Informants’ Perceptions of Proper Conduct
by a Gay Male Teacher 90
Theme 5: The Challenges and Problems Faced by the
Informants at School 93
Theme 6: The Informants’ Understandings of How Students
Use Homophobic Language 108
Theme 7: The Informants’ Use of Humor in the Classroom 112
Theme 8: Informants’ Relationships and Interactions with
Colleagues at School 114
Theme 9: Informants’ Perceptions of the Acceptance of
Gay Male Teachers 120
Theme 10: Informants’ Perceived Special Talents of Gay
Male Teachers 126
Informants’ Final Thoughts and Reflections 131

ii
Chapter 5 136
Discusion 136
Method and Data Summary 136
Sexual Orientation and Academic Content 138
Addressing Homophobic Language at School 140
Reaching Out to Students Perceived as Gay 143
Being Out at School 145
Barriers to Coming Out at School 147
The “Appropriate” Male Performance 150
The Possibility for Difference: A New Male Performance
at School 155
Recommendations for School Officials 157
Future Research Directions 158

References 162

About the Author End Page

iii
List of Figures

Figure 1. Summary of Critical Informant Data 71

Figure 2. Student Perceptions of Informants’ Sexual Orientation as 90
Perceived by the Informant

iv
Negotiating Curricular Boundaries and Sexual Orientation:
The Lived Experiences of Gay Secondary Teachers in West Central Florida

James B. Mayo, Jr.

ABSTRACT

There is little known about the daily lives of gay teachers at school. Studies have been
conducted in this area, but the wide range of individual life experiences makes it difficult
to define “the” gay teacher experience. Gay teachers’ geographic location, gender, age,
and race, are a few of those factors that will have a direct influence upon their lives.
Therefore, I believe more focused, regional or case studies will yield better
understandings of the lives that gay teachers lead at school.
Until now, no other study had investigated the lives of gay teachers in West Central
Florida. I decided to focus this study on male teachers who teach in secondary schools
because I believe the lesbian experience at school differs to such a degree to warrant a
separate study for them. I also believe that secondary teachers must confront
controversial issues that are connected to the mandated curriculum and a more mature
student audience that will be more apt to ask questions about those issues to a far greater
extent than elementary school students.
v
The purpose of this study was to investigate the lived experiences of gay male
teachers in West Central Florida and uncover their understandings of various key issues:
the perceived impact of their sexual orientation on curricular decision-making, the
perceived impact of their sexual orientation on classroom management, and their
understandings of the perceived barriers to addressing homophobic language and coming
out at school. After six months of conducting personal interviews, engaging in telephone
conversations, and exchanging electronic mail messages with the seven participants in
this study, my analysis of the data resulted in the emergence of ten themes: (1) gay-
themed materials in the classroom, (2) interactions with students perceived to be gay, (3)
separation of informants’ private lives from life at school, (4) informants’ perceptions of
proper conduct by a gay male teacher, (5) challenges and problems faced by the
informants at school, (6) informants’ understandings of how students use homophobic
language, (7) informants’ use of humor in the classroom, (8) informants’ relationships
and interactions with colleagues at school, (9) informants’ perceptions of the acceptance
of gay male teachers, and (10) informants’ perceived special talents of gay male teachers.
In the end, all seven informants shared their unique stories, but demonstrated some
commonalities as well. All of them addressed gay-themed issues when they came up in
class, all addressed homophobic language to some degree, and, with the exception of one
individual, most agreed that it was best for gay male teachers to remain closeted at work,
even if they personally wished that it could be different. I believe the one dissenting
voice offers hope that at some time in the near future, gay male teachers will be able to be
out at school despite the negative stereotypes that surround them. Further, the one
dissenter demonstrated his ability to help all students better understand diversity, and his
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presence increases the possibility that someday teachers, administrators, and students will
all be more open to accept the existence of and the performance of multiple forms of
masculinity at school.

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