Presentation Title
Student's Prejudice Against Transgender Instructors
Faculty Mentor
Charis Louie
Start Date
17-11-2018 1:30 PM
End Date
17-11-2018 1:45 PM
Location
C158
Session
Oral 3
Type of Presentation
Oral Talk
Subject Area
behavioral_social_sciences
Abstract
Transgender adults experience more difficulties in mental health, disability status, and health care access. Compared to cisgender adults, transgender adults are more than 3 to 6 times more likely to contemplate about suicide, attempt suicide, experience serious psychological distress, and have emotions that interfere with their daily lives. The present study examined whether the likelihood of community college students to enroll in a class was affected by an instructor’s gender identity. Specifically, this study sought to investigate whether bias and/or prejudice against transgender identity might influence the perception community college students have when evaluating an instructor's qualifications. 73 participants (31 females, 41 males, and 1 identified as other) first read a scenario in which Marie was either a transgender or cisgender woman. Participants were then asked whether Marie was qualified to be a teacher at a local community college, whether they perceived Marie to be a great teacher, and whether they would enroll in Marie’s English class. Contrary to the hypothesis, results suggest that the instructor’s gender identity had no significant effect on students’ perception of the instructor nor did it affect their willingness to enroll in her class. Some factors that may have contributed towards these findings include participants’ age (54.79% were 18 to 22 years old), self-report bias, as well as higher levels of acceptance among this particular sample. Results suggest that societal acceptance may be increasing and that transgender instructors may be less likely to experience discrimination and prejudice.
Summary of research results to be presented
An independent sample t-test was conducted to determine the effect of an instructor’s gender identity on community college students’ perception and to determine their likelihood to enroll in a class if the instructor was a transgender or cisgender woman. There was no significant difference in ratings on Response Item 1 (“Marie is qualified to be a teacher in Mt. SAC”) although there were slightly more positive ratings for Marie as a woman (M= 3.67) compared to Marie as a transgender woman (M = 3.62; t= -0.26762, p= 0.394884). There was no significant difference on ratings for Response Item 2 (“Marie sounds like a great teacher”) since results were almost identical when Marie was a cisgender woman (M= 3.64) compared to Marie as a transgender woman (M = 3.65; t= 0.06794, p= 0.473014). Lastly, the was no significant difference on ratings for Response Item 3 (“I would enroll in Marie’s English class”) even though there were slightly less positive ratings for Marie as a woman in the last response item (M= 3.31) compared to Marie as a transgender woman (M = 3.38; t= 0.39362, p= 0.347519). Therefore, my hypothesis was not supported by any of the aforementioned results which suggest that gender identity has no significant effect on student’s perception or prejudice against transgender instructors.
Student's Prejudice Against Transgender Instructors
C158
Transgender adults experience more difficulties in mental health, disability status, and health care access. Compared to cisgender adults, transgender adults are more than 3 to 6 times more likely to contemplate about suicide, attempt suicide, experience serious psychological distress, and have emotions that interfere with their daily lives. The present study examined whether the likelihood of community college students to enroll in a class was affected by an instructor’s gender identity. Specifically, this study sought to investigate whether bias and/or prejudice against transgender identity might influence the perception community college students have when evaluating an instructor's qualifications. 73 participants (31 females, 41 males, and 1 identified as other) first read a scenario in which Marie was either a transgender or cisgender woman. Participants were then asked whether Marie was qualified to be a teacher at a local community college, whether they perceived Marie to be a great teacher, and whether they would enroll in Marie’s English class. Contrary to the hypothesis, results suggest that the instructor’s gender identity had no significant effect on students’ perception of the instructor nor did it affect their willingness to enroll in her class. Some factors that may have contributed towards these findings include participants’ age (54.79% were 18 to 22 years old), self-report bias, as well as higher levels of acceptance among this particular sample. Results suggest that societal acceptance may be increasing and that transgender instructors may be less likely to experience discrimination and prejudice.