Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia
Is there a clinical risk for students, paramedics, service providers and the community where we fail to include LGBTQI+ content within higher education programs? Our own study suggests that improved clinical practice by all students, and a corresponding better standard of care for members of the community served by graduated paramedics, would result from a greater sense of inclusion for LGBTQI+ students. Yet our study revealed that the approved paramedical curriculum made no reference to LGBTQI+ people or perspectives, and the needs of all students in relation to their interactions with the LGBTQI+ community as graduate paramedics are overlooked or neglected. We conclude that the inclusion of material related to LGBTQI+ people and perspectives
in the curriculum would bring significant benefits to all students.
Our research project involved both staff and students in the Bachelor of Paramedicine program. Of the 127 students who responded to the survey, 70% indicated inclusion of LGBTQI+ content was desirable yet 29% disagreed that learning activities in their classes include LQBTQI+ people and perspectives in relevant contexts. In the clinical placement context, 75% agreed that teaching of LGBTQI+ material would improve their clinical practice. 31% did not feel well prepared to deal with the gender or sexual identity of those they would care for.
Responding to questions about the student experience, 85% felt safe to discuss my gender and or sexual identity where relevant in class, while 93% agreed that genuine attempts were made to reflect and respect their individual needs in class. Yet 24% reported that failure to include LGBTQI+ perspectives in classes impacts negatively on their sense of belonging. 40% agreed that exclusion of LGBTQI+ material could make them feel their views aren’t important.
In interviews, a number of students who identified as LGBTQI+ indicated that failure to include LGBTQI+ perspectives in classes impacts negatively on their sense of belonging. Further to this, some students felt unsafe to discuss their gender and or sexual identity where relevant in class. Examples of comments are instructive, for example, “I was so hypervigilant and stressed about what questions they [educators/paramedics] were going to ask me about my personal life the whole time, that learning things was difficult”; and “I have a fear that if I come out to my educators they may be homophobic or not hundred percent okay with it that might affect my relationship with them and my grades”. Many students felt unprepared to deal with the gender or sexual identity of those they care for on clinical placement.
We believe it is imperative that inclusion of LGBTQI+ people and perspectives in curriculum is integrated into discourse within the discipline. However, while staff recognised the need to include material, they also expressed anxiety around curriculum design and teaching, and a need for support in developing competence to teach within this area. We also acknowledge that not all students recognise the need, or agree that inclusion is important. Students too may feel uncomfortable because, as one student put it, “What has learning paramedicine got to do with sexuality?” Nevertheless, we were pleased to see that in class almost all students were confident that teaching staff would understand situations that may arise relating to their sexuality or gender. We hope to acquire further evidence with the potential to inform future curriculum development and implementation processes, and contribute to professional development activities around teaching and development of resources to support academic staff in appreciating and teaching LGBTQI+ perspectives.
Are these findings relevant to other disciplines? As similar heteronormative structural dynamics exist within other health disciplines, it is reasonable to speculate that similar patterns exist within remaining other health disciplines. Ultimately, we believe a more robust approach to addressing LGBTQI+ issues in higher education curricula has the potential to improve the mental health and learning experience of LGBTQI+ students, positively influence retention of those students across a range of disciplines, and have a positive impact on all students and those with whom they interact.
Image retrieved from www.shutterstock.com
The HERDSA Connect Blog offers comment and discussion on higher education issues; provides information about relevant publications, programs and research and celebrates the achievements of our HERDSA members.
HERDSA Connect links members of the HERDSA community in Australasia and beyond by sharing branch activities, member perspectives and achievements, book reviews, comments on contemporary issues in higher education, and conference reflections.
Members are encouraged to respond to articles and engage in ongoing discussion relevant to higher education and aligned to HERDSA’s values and mission. Contact Daniel Andrews Daniel.Andrews@herdsa.org.au to propose a blog post for the HERDSA Connect blog.
HERDSA members can login to comment and subscribe.
Add new comment