The Queeres Leben (Queer Life) research project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will undertake a systematic cross-sectional analysis of the extent to which queer diversity is included in textbooks, supplementary teaching materials and curricula as well as how those materials depict and/or confront social heteronormativity, thus addressing a current desideratum in educational media research.
Current textbook and educational media research on this topic has been dominated by descriptive quantitative and qualitative studies on absent or inadequate representation of LGBTQIA* people in educational media. Such studies could be used as a starting point for an inclusive didactic concept for lessons, educational media and supplementary teaching materials that adequately take LGBTQIA* perspectives into consideration as well as for a critical reflection on social power relationships in the context of heteronormativity, but this is not yet happening to a sufficient degree. Research findings from the Leibniz Institute for Educational Media | Georg Eckert Institute (GEI) have revealed the first promising approaches to addressing the topic of queer diversity. This clearly shows a general willingness to take up the topic, combined with a need for advice on the part of educational media publishers.
One specific desideratum that the project will address is an analysis of hegemonic social heteronormativity and the extent to which queer diversity is included in textbooks and curricula, for example, in depictions of families and relationships, sexuality, broader interpersonal relationships and social cohesion.
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Aims
The project aims to study sexual diversity and social heteronormativity in textbooks, supplementary educational materials and curricula, thus addressing a current desideratum in educational media research. The analysis will start by examining representations of LGBTQIA* people and queer diversity, or their omission. It will then examine (implicit) heteronormativity or the critical reflection of such in the depictions of families and relationships, sexuality, wider interpersonal relationships and social cohesion between people in a range of different social situations. Thirdly, the project will examine how and to what extent discrimination is addressed and finally, these perspectives will be translated into didactic concepts for the inclusion of queer diversity as a cross-sectional topic in teaching scenarios, educational media and other teaching materials.
The project will also include an exploration of:
- Invocations of pupils and assignments with regard to the inclusion or exclusion of queer people.
- The depiction of legal regulations and changes to them, and societal shifts in images of families.
- How discrimination and threats are addressed.
- Intersectional perspectives of LGBTQIA* communities.
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Methodology
The project encompasses two interconnected sub-projects. One part involves using tools from the digital humanities to conduct a quantitative inventory and content-analysis of curricula with regards to LGBTQIA* issues as well as binary and heteronormative gender stereotypes in the teaching of subjects that fall under the category of politics/social studies (including interdisciplinary lessons for social studies) and religion /values education (including ethics) for lower secondary level in general education schools in all German federal states. The results of that curriculum analysis will be used as the basis for a digitally-supported, quantitative content analysis and qualitative discourse analysis of the textbooks and of samples of supplementary teaching materials for the subjects and types of schools being examined. In addition, a sample selection of curricula for German at primary level from at least four states will also be examined as part of a qualitative discourse analysis.
The project team will also undertake 10 focus group interviews with representatives from LGBTQIA* organisations and religious groups as well as teachers and students of the named subjects at relevant school types. Each group will consist of between five and eight participants.
In addition to the two sub-projects, the sample will be digitised, digitally processed and indexed for digital humanities-based analysis.
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Results
The project will produce new, transfer-orientated, actionable research findings related to education on family concepts and sexual identity in the context of schools. The results of the analyses will be summarised in academic publications and a brief report will be produced for education policy makers and practitioners. The findings will also be presented to the public at an event organised by the BMBF. They can be used in future as a research-based framework for educational policy and practice.
The research findings can also be used by the GEI and its partners (such as teacher training institutions at a federal level) for teacher training events and in transfer-oriented networking activities organised by the GEI, such as those involving thematically relevant multipliers and initiatives as well as educational media publishers. In addition, the findings can be used to create subject-specific teaching materials for the GEI’s online platform ‘Zwischentöne (Nuances), which provides free teaching materials.
The findings from the project will be transferred to educational and educational media practice. The GEI has a proven three-part model for the transfer of research findings and for academic cooperation with practitioners: (i) the development of teaching and learning materials, (ii) consultations with publishers of educational media, and (iii) training seminars for teachers and textbook authors and editors. Such cooperation takes place in a participatory manner with members of relevant organisations and representatives from educational (media) practice as well as gender research.
