GÉNERO, SEXUALIDADE E ESCOLA: UM ESTUDO QUALITATIVO DAS PERCEÇÕES DOCENTES

Abstract

Sexual and gender diversity is a topic considered sensitive across different social groups and, within the educational context, continues to face resistance that directly influences how it is addressed in schools. Teachers cite gaps in their training and a lack of confidence in addressing these issues, which stem from the structural norms present in society. The aim was therefore to gain a qualitative understanding of teachers’ perceptions regarding the obstacles that hinder the study of gender and sexuality in schools. This descriptive and exploratory study, employing content analysis, involved 63 teachers from the public education systems of Portugal and Brazil. The analysis focused on the participants’ responses to an optional open-ended question included in an online questionnaire on the topic of sexual and gender diversity in schools, which consisted mainly of closed-ended multiple-choice questions. The methodological contribution of this study lay precisely in questioning the use of open-ended responses in online questionnaires for investigating emerging issues in education, highlighting the potential and limitations of content analysis applied to short responses. The results revealed both similarities between teachers’ perceptions in the two contexts and perspectives specific to the sociocultural reality of each country. The relevance of the methodological approach adopted is also reinforced, as it helped to shed light on the barriers still present in addressing issues of gender and sexuality in schools. Finally, it is clear that educational settings require greater recognition and support, as they can contribute to the reframing of emerging issues, with the collaboration of teachers.