LGBTQ+ students’ weekly academic engagement and disaffection predicted by experiences in gender-sexuality alliance meetings
Publication Date
4-1-2024
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Learning and Instruction
Volume
90
DOI
10.1016/j.learninstruc.2023.101853
Abstract
Background: Schools are responsible for promoting LGBTQ+ students' academic success, yet many LGBTQ+ students contend with unsupportive learning environments. Gender-Sexuality Alliances (GSAs)—clubs that affirm students’ sexual orientation and gender diversity—could promote academic engagement and protect against disaffection. Aims: We aimed to identify GSA meeting-to-meeting experiences that predicted students’ ensuing academic engagement and disaffection over an eight-week weekly survey study. Sample: Participants were 92 LGBTQ+ GSA members (50% students of color, 51% trans/nonbinary, Mage = 15.83). Methods: Participants completed once-weekly surveys over an 8-week period on their experiences in their most recently attended GSA meeting and their current level of academic engagement and disaffection with learning. Results: Participants reported relatively lower disaffection on days after meetings where they had perceived greater advisor responsiveness, socialized with peers, and discussed academic issues. They reported relatively greater engagement on days after meetings where they took on more leadership. Participants who led more, on average, over the eight-week period reported less disaffection and greater engagement than others. Conclusions: GSAs may contribute partially to LGBTQ+ students’ educational experiences by guarding against academic disaffection and, to a lesser extent, promoting their academic engagement from week to week. More research needs to consider how GSAs and other school-based resources promote learning among LGBTQ+ students.
Funding Number
R305A190165
Funding Sponsor
Institute of Education Sciences
Keywords
Academic engagement, Disaffection with learning, Gender-sexuality alliances, LGBTQ+ students
Department
Child and Adolescent Development
Recommended Citation
V. Paul Poteat, Robert A. Marx, S. Henry Sherwood, Jerel P. Calzo, and Hirokazu Yoshikawa. "LGBTQ+ students’ weekly academic engagement and disaffection predicted by experiences in gender-sexuality alliance meetings" Learning and Instruction (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2023.101853
