Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour to explore primary school teachers’ attitudes towards transgender pupils

It will be a statutory requirement for schools in England to deliver Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) from September 2020.

Statistics from the Tavistock Gender Identity Clinic reveal a rise in the number of UK-based primary age children questioning their gender identity or being identified as transgender.

The exploration of how to support this group of pupils is an emerging field in educational research, especially within primary settings in the UK.

This thesis provides a review of current literature and uses the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) as a guided framework to explore primary school teachers' attitudes towards transgender pupils.

A literature review of teachers' attitudes towards transgender pupils was conducted.

Ten studies with mixed-designs were reviewed, and findings were categorised into broad headings of possible impacting factors such as teaching level.

It was concluded that teachers had mixed attitudes, and highlighted the need to interpret some findings critically and the need for future research to explores views within primary school settings.

Several limitations are highlighted and other future recommendations related to educational psychology research are outlined.

The empirical paper explored 12 teachers' attitudes towards transgender pupils, possible barriers to support and perceived ability to deliver RSE.

Informed by the TPB framework, this study employed a qualitative semi-structured design with an inductive-deductive thematic analysis approach.

Vignettes adapted from real-world scanarios were employed to explore participants' views. It found that the teachers had generally positive attitudes towards transgender pupils.

Findings also revealed concerns about a lack of understanding from parents as well as teachers' perceived individual ability to discuss transgender-related at school.

It was concluded that senior management plays a crucial role in facilitating change, and the need for training in transgender matters is discussed.

The role of educational psychologists in relation to the topic is discussed and future recommendations are made.