DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

The Derecognition of Diversity: Exploring Gender, Race, and Sexuality

in the Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum

by

Nikita Chauhan

A research paper submitted in conformity with the requirements

for the degree of Master of Teaching
Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the following study is to explore the ways in which secondary Health &

Physical Education (HPE) teachers include students’ identities within classrooms. The study

seeks to answer how secondary teachers navigate the representation of varying identities, related

to gender, race, and sexuality, when teaching the Human Development and Sexual Health unit

from the Ontario HPE curriculum. Findings reflect a strong commitment to student inclusion and

engagement, however, through the derecognition of marginalized identities. The paper concludes

in outlining recommendations pertaining to the promotion of equity literacy among teachers to

better support and recognize the diversity within classrooms.

Keywords: inclusion, diversity, equity, Health & Physical Education, sex education

INTRODUCTION

Sexual health education in schools continues to remain a controversial subject despite

attempts to revise the curriculum to reflect the changing demands of society. The updated 2015

Ontario Health and Physical Education (HPE) curriculum received significant disapproval from

members of various communities (Cohn, 2015). However, despite these revisions, the Ontario

HPE curriculum and its practice continues to lack a holistic representation of several

communities as argued by an overwhelming body of research. Such inadequacies have been

found to overtly disadvantage members of marginalized communities. Although the revised

Ontario HPE curriculum is portrayed to be comprehensive, its implementation and practice by

secondary teachers is worthy of consideration.

Accordingly, the purpose of my research study is to explore the ways in which secondary

teachers in HPE classrooms navigate the inclusion of students’ identities related to gender, race,

and sexuality in Ontario classroom settings. My interest in this subject area stems from my

2
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

identity as a queer South Asian woman (QSAW), born and raised within Ontario, Canada. My

experiences grappling with such identities and their intersectionality have led me to examine the

educational structures that influence their existence. In acknowledging my own privilege in

addition to the oppressions QSAW encounter, it is pertinent that we critically examine the HPE

curriculum and its implementation.

As a result, the central question this study aims to answer is: how do secondary teachers

navigate the representation of varying identities, related to gender, race, and sexuality, when

teaching the Human Development and Sexual Health unit (referred to as the Sexual Health unit)

from the HPE curriculum? Subsidiary questions further guide my research: (i) what are the

attitudes and beliefs of HPE teachers regarding the inclusion of students’ experiences and

identities when teaching the HPE curriculum; (ii) what strategies do HPE teachers employ in

their classrooms to meaningfully incorporate diverse identities, relating to gender, race, and

sexuality; and (iii) what challenges/opportunities do HPE teachers encounter when incorporating

diverse experiences relating to gender, race, and sexuality?

LITERATURE REVIEW

The following literature review will provide insight into the sexual health of minorities

and their inclusion within sexual health education. The major themes that were discovered within

the literature provide knowledge into the unique experiences of marginalized communities.

These themes include significantly poor sexual health and a need for comprehensive sexual

health education due to the lack of inclusivity and recognition of minority identities.

3
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

Sexual Health

The World Health Organization defines sexual health as “a state of physical, mental and

social well-being in relation to sexuality” (2016). Accordingly, this definition is applied in

discussing the sexual health of marginalized communities.

Poor sexual health among women. It is argued that women have poorer sexual health

due to higher rates of unsafe sexual behaviours resulting in greater incidents of unwanted

pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (Impett et al., 2006; Clark & Stitzlein,

2018; Boonstra, 2009). Impett, et al. (2006) also found women’s poor sexual health to be

strongly associated with their poor sexual self-efficacy, arguably resulting from victimization

focused narratives within discussions of women’s sexual health (Connell, 2005; Tolman, 1994).

Poor sexual health among communities of colour. While Asian American communities

have been found to demonstrate more conservative sexual behaviours (Meston et al., 1996), in

addition to having less experience with intimate relationships (Zaidi et al., 2014), high rates of

STI contraction and risky sexual behaviour are found within their communities (Bacchus, 2017).

Greater rates of intimate partner violence, resulting in unwanted pregnancies and abortions, are

also more common among women of colour (Okazaki, 2002; Raj et al., 2005). Communities of

colour have been found to have greater misconceptions related to sexual health, pregnancy, and

contraceptives (Guzzo & Hayford, 2012) arguably contributing to their poor health.

Poor sexual health among sexual minorities. LGBTQ+ communities were found to

seek sexual health information from the internet rather than school contexts and healthcare

providers (Charest et al., 2016), arguably due to the lack of knowledge specific to supporting

LGBTQ+ communities among healthcare professionals (Talan et al., 2017; Keruoghlain et al.,

2017). Such occurrences can be attributed to high rates of STIs among LGBTQ+ populations

4
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

(Starks et al., 2013), in addition to experiences of higher levels of physical, verbal, and sexual

harassment within schools (Taylor & Peter, 2011; Daley et al., 2007).

Intersectional lens on the sexual health of minorities. Within schools, bullying and

discrimination towards LGBTQ+ students were gendered. Homophobic sexism, functioning on

sexually motivated harassment, and sexist homophobia, which relates to sexist slurs used to

demean queer youth, illustrate the overlapping of gender identity and sexual orientation (Daley et

al., 2007; Taylor & Peter, 2011). Accordingly, it was found that female LGBTQ+ identifying

students experienced greater levels of verbal and sexual harassment (Daley et al., 2007; Taylor &

Peter, 2011). Beyond schools, lesbian women of colour, often South Asian, are most vulnerable

and are at a greater risk of poor health (Veenstra, 2011). Arguably, this may be due to the

persistent marginalization of queer women of colour within LGBTQ+ communities and

healthcare institutions through their invisibilization (Patel, 2019; Alimahomed, 2010; Makadon,

2011).

Sexual Health Education

Abstinence-only pedagogies are prominent within sexual health curricula. Evident within

such discourse is the lack of inclusivity of diversity based on the neoliberal ideologies that place

sexual health responsibility solely on the individual (Clark & Stitzlein, 2018; Elia & Eliason,

2010). This is also reflected by educators who admittedly fail to implement LGBTQ-inclusive

education, despite expressing support for its use (Meyer et al., 2014). However, both LGBTQ-

inclusive antibullying policies and comprehensive sex education have found to lower rates of

bullying and adverse mental health among LGBTQ+ students within schools (Proulx et al., 2019;

Kull et al., 2016; Goldstein, 2019). Similarly, comprehensive sexual health education was

effective in rectifying high rates of STIs and unintended pregnancies, while delaying sexual

5
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

activity, through improved sexual health literacy among girls (Kohler et al., 2008; Boonstra,

2009). However, evidently missing in this discourse is the intersection of racialized identities

within contexts of gender and sexuality. Accordingly, researchers have argued for sexual health

education that incorporates anti-racist pedagogies and to examine their impact on communities of

colour (Whitten & Sethna, 2014).

Recognition of Identity

The concept of recognition is at the core when discussing the sexual health of

marginalized communities and their inclusion within relevant curricula. Theorists have defined

recognition as the way an individual comes to “exist” by the address of another (Butler, 1996, p.

5), thereby shaping the individual’s “understanding of who they are” (Taylor, 1994, p. 25). As a

result, it can be argued that an identity is shaped by the process of recognition or its lack thereof.

Butler further proposed that in being recognized, an identity becomes intelligible by conforming

to the norms associated to the social paradigms that define the identity (Butler, 2006). In being

recognized, or deemed intelligible, provides access and inclusion to the social realm (Lepold,

2018). Therefore, in the lack of recognition, there is punishment (Butler, 2006; Willig, 2012)

through the lack of access to the social world and through consistent “denial, surveillance,

medicalization, and internment to rape and murder” (Lepold, 2018, p. 476). This is supported by

Taylor (1994) and Honneth (2005) as they described misrecognition as a “moral injury” causing

damage in various forms of oppression.

In recognizing specific identities within sexual health curricula, therefore, legitimizes

their existence. However, the lack of inclusion of marginalized communities within sexual health

curricula, results in the misrecognition or nonrecognition (Taylor, 1994) of their existence,

arguably resulting in their erasure. By excluding the experiences of marginalized identities

6
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

within sexual health curricula, therefore, deems their realities as inferior and thus subject to

punishment through various forms of oppression (Butler, 2006; Taylor, 1994).

Evidently, marginalized communities are at a greater risk of poor sexual health. Such

risks urge the need for comprehensive sexual health education that acknowledges diverse

identities. Furthermore, there is a need for curricula that incorporates an intersectional approach

and its examination on queer communities of colour. Future research must focus on the

implementation of intersectionality within sexual health education and its impact on through the

perspective of various stakeholders (i.e. students, teachers, parents, etc.). Accordingly, the

following study aims to gain insight into how Ontario HPE teachers interrupt the prevalent

exclusion and misrecognition of marginalized identities.

METHOD

In this qualitative study, I examined how secondary educators navigated the

representation of various identities in the Health & Physical Education curriculum. Specific

variables influencing such outcomes and phenomena were unknown and required further

exploration, justifying a qualitative model (Creswell, 2014). Additionally, a semi-structured

interview methodology was utilized (Marriam & Tisdell, 2015) to allow any relevant questions

to be answered in addition to the study questions. This methodology was also utilized to ensure

the comfort of the interviewee (Kvale, 2007) to best gather insight into participants’ “opinions,

feelings, emotions, and experiences” (Denscombe, 2014, p.173). Accordingly, open-ended

questions were used to facilitate 60-minute, face-to-face, semi-structured interviews (see

Appendix B).

Study participants were recruited using my personal professional network and

convenience purposive sampling (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015, pp. 90-92). The following criteria

7
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

were utilized in selecting participants: (a) they should be active Ontario secondary teachers to

ensure insight into Ontario curricula; (b) they should have at least five years of teaching

experience to speak to recent changes in the HPE curriculum; (c) they should have a teachable in

HPE to gain insight into how they teach the HPE curriculum; (d) they should demonstrate a

commitment towards equity and inclusion as the study relates to equitable practices and can be

demonstrated by (i) meaningfully aiming to create a safe classroom, (ii) implementing forms of

anti-oppressive education strategies, etc.; and (e) they should be female-identifying to ensure

insights into teaching practices used for female students, as the gender segregated HPE

classrooms within Ontario public schools ensure HPE teachers are the same gender as students.

I interviewed three Ontario secondary school teachers who had extensive experience

teaching the HPE curriculum. All participants were identified as white, cisgender women.

Participants consented to interviews that were audio-recorded, transcribed, and stored on a

password protected computer, while utilizing pseudonyms to protect their confidentiality (See

Appendix A). The first participant, Megan, has been an HPE educator for 21 years and is the

HPE department head at a publicly-funded school. The second participant, Kim, has been an

HPE teacher for 24 years and is the department head at an independent school. The third

participant, Ashley, has been an HPE educator for 8 years and is currently on parental leave from

a publicly-funded school. A thematic analysis was conducted to analyze results whilst utilizing in

vivo coding (Strauss, 1987) to best capture reoccurring patterns among responses. Codes were

organized into categories based on relevant similarities and analytical memos (Saldana, 2009).

Categories were then combined into themes, explored in the following section.

8
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

RESEARCH FINDINGS & DISCUSSION

The findings discussed below provide insight into the ways educators navigate the

inclusion of various student identities. In response to the study’s central research question, the

main findings include the various strategies teachers utilized to create safe learning environments

while demonstrating a commitment to student engagement. The findings also highlight

challenges teachers encounter when practicing inclusivity. Other findings include the perceptions

of teachers regarding the inclusion of student identities as well as the languages utilized when

navigating the sexual health unit.

Inclusivity as a responsibility for a safe learning environment

The selected teachers interviewed perceived the inclusion of students’ experiences and

identities as their responsibility in ensuring a safe learning environment. Such responsibility was

fulfilled by creating mirrors and windows for students in addition to utilizing the concept of

healthy relationships as a doorway into student inclusion.

Inclusion of students’ experiences and identities as creating mirrors. All participants

referred to the importance of creating opportunities that reflect student identities as part of their

responsibility for creating a safe learning environment. For the purposes of this paper, creating

“mirrors” refers to the deliberate incorporation of narratives that accurately reflect the

experiences and realities of the students within a classroom. Megan believed that “students have

to be able to see themselves somewhere in the building and feel safe” which illustrates the

importance of being recognized as shared by many theorists (Taylor, 1994; Butler, 1996). Kim

shared a similar sentiment in stating “kids have to be able to see their own selves in any

resources we’re using” to allow students to “develop a positive self-identity”. Kim further

described that when such opportunities are not provided, students may begin to question their

9
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

self-identity while also becoming critical of their overall worth in society. This connects to the

literature whereby the nonrecognition of individuals has been argued to result in oppression and

poor wellbeing (Taylor, 1994; Taylor & Peter, 2011).

The responsibility of creating a safe learning environment shared by participants was

based on the need to ensure students felt included. For example, Megan effectively described

how inclusivity is at the core of her beliefs towards teaching in stating “the thought of somebody

sitting in class, feeling bad about who they are, how they identify…to me, that’s my job to not

make them feel bad, but to make them feel loved, welcomed”. Evident here is the idea that by

including students, and therefore recognizing them and their identities (Butler, 1996; Taylor,

1994), allows teachers to demonstrate their care for students and foster a safe learning

environment. However, implicit in such narratives is the acknowledgement of the opposite – that

in students’ exclusion by teachers, students may feel unsafe by experiencing a poor sense of

belonging and poor self-development (Honneth, 2005; Taylor, 1994).

Inclusion of students’ experiences and identities as creating windows. All participants

emphasized the importance of highlighting experiences and realities that were different than

those of the students within a classroom. Creating “windows” for students is described as

purposefully incorporating narratives that illustrate different experiences than those potentially

experienced by students within the classroom. Kim believed that in highlighting such realities “it

embraces the rest of the people to develop compassion, empathy, and see diverse experiences” –

effectively illustrating the importance of creating windows through the inclusion of diversity.

Creating such opportunities, arguably recognizes the existence of various identities (Butler,

1996), thereby normalizing their reality. Furthermore, Megan described the impact of

incorporating various narratives as something that “gives you awareness…and builds

10
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

perspective”. Participants argued that by highlighting the lives of varying identities helped

develop new perspectives and foster empathy and compassion for different walks of life. By

describing the importance and impact of creating windows for students, as stated by the

participants, acknowledges the significance of inclusion within education.

However, the sense of responsibility experienced by teachers for student inclusion was

best reflected by Ashley who believed that “my job in my classroom is to make sure that

regardless of your gender, race, sexuality, that you feel a part of the class”. It should be noted

that although the participant demonstrated a significant commitment to inclusion, it may be

argued that in order for an individual to feel included, one’s gender, race, and sexuality must be

acknowledged. In treating all individuals equally and by unacknowledging their identities,

arguably functions as derecognition – an unintentional, yet conscious, form of nonrecognition of

one’s positionalities (Taylor, 1994).

Healthy relationships as a doorway to the inclusion of students’ identities. All

participants made explicit reference to utilizing the concept of healthy relationships as a point of

entry to support inclusion within classrooms. For the purposes of this paper, the concept of

“healthy relationships” is derived directly from the Ontario secondary HPE curriculum (2015).

The concept explores how one can develop and maintain healthy relationships, what they entail,

and the responsibilities and rewards that arise in pursuing intimate relationships. Megan stated

that when teaching the sexual health unit, she “starts with healthy relationships because there’s a

comfort level” – suggesting that students may feel more comfortable as they find the concept

more relatable. For example, both Kim and Ashley described discussions where they asked

students to list “top qualities they look for in a friend and a significant other…explaining the

similarities and differences”. Through this exercise, students understand the several

11
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

commonalities between the two types of relationships and why such qualities are important. In

prioritizing relevancy to students and their comfort, participants displayed their commitment to

student inclusion such that when students feel comfortable, they are more likely to engage with

course concepts (Reyes et al., 2012).

Commitment to student engagement through pedagogical strategies

The selected participants justified using various pedagogical strategies for the purposes of

student engagement. Strategies included the use of politically correct language and neutral

narratives in addition to facilitating emotional connections using a variety of media.

Utilizing politically correct language to maintain neutrality. All participants

emphasized the language they utilized when teaching the Sexual Health unit. For the purposes of

this paper, “politically correct language” refers to the use of terms or phrases that avoid offense

(Cambridge Dictionary, n.d.). Participants felt responsible for and cognizant of their choice of

words as a demonstration of their commitment to inclusivity and ensuring student engagement.

Specifically, participants felt that a teacher’s wording “is very important in this unit” as stated by

Ashley. Similarly, Megan shared that she “used politically correct language” which allowed her

to be neutral “so that on any level, you can fit into the generalization of what it means to be part

of a healthy relationship”. Megan justified the use of general or neutral language for the purposes

of student engagement – highlighting the importance of language and its role in facilitating

inclusivity. Kim also commented on the power of language as she stated she did not “want to

ever hurt anybody” and thus was also mindful of her word choice and their impact on students.

Ashley provided an example of how language maintains neutrality in using “terms like

partner or significant other, boyfriend or girlfriend” to be inclusive of various identities.

However, Megan challenged the notion of neutrality as she expressed her discomfort in stating

12
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

she hoped that she was neutral enough “but I don’t think neutrality is the solution”. Evident in

this response is the acknowledgement of the issues surrounding the practice of neutrality in

connection to inclusivity. It can be argued that by utilizing politically correct language which

supports a neutral lens – a lens that does not discuss or acknowledge any specific identity and the

unique experiences it may entail – thereby derecognizes the existence of any diversity in

identities (Butler, 2006). Consequently, due to derecognition, neutrality for the sake of inclusion

becomes inherently exclusive of diversity, resulting in the inverse of desired outcomes.

Use of general narratives to promote inclusivity. Two participants described utilizing

narratives and language that were general or neutral in order to ensure student engagement. For

the purposes of this paper, “general” or “neutral” narratives refers to the explicit inclusion of

stories and realities that do not correspond or relate to specific identities. Such strategies were

rationalized by participants to prevent exclusion and sustain student relatability. For example,

Ashley explained that she is considerate of the language she uses “so that there isn’t a student in

my class who is sitting there during that lesson thinking, ‘oh this doesn’t apply to me’, or, ‘oh

my teacher is using this term’, and maybe makes him or her feel a certain way.” Megan shared a

similar account where “by staying neutral, for a lack of a better word, broad enough that people

can connect to some degree, means that nobody’s going to shut out completely”. Both

participants referred to ensuring student engagement through the relevance of the narratives they

used.

This idea of generality is explored by Megan when explaining how the narratives were

kept general,

…if I started talking about heterosexual relationships, or homosexual relationships, or

transgender, whatever it is, then somebody in the room is going to go, ‘that's not me’ and

13
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

shut down. So, by not…going into specifics about the individuals in the relationship and

how they identify…I'm hoping that people can still see it through their own lens.

Based on these responses, participants are committed to ensuring classroom material is engaging

and inclusive without any mention of specific identities. However, participants derecognize the

diversity within identity through their intentional omission (Butler, 2006). Although one may

argue that both privileged and marginalized identities were excluded, the repercussions of the

erasure of marginalized identities are far more serious in terms of self-development, bullying,

and overall health (Taylor, 1994; Honneth, 2005) than that of their privileged peers.

Evoking emotional connections using various resources. All participants described

utilizing various resources to facilitate emotional connections to engage students with the

curriculum material. All three participants utilized digital media in the form of YouTube videos,

Hollywood films, and images of Hollywood celebrities when navigating this unit. While

describing why they chose that specific resource, participants expressed that the resource was a

good point of entry for students to begin navigating more serious and potentially uncomfortable

topics. For example, Megan showed her students the film, Tough Guys (Roosevelt, 2017), which

she stated, “seems like a safer place to start when we talk about…how the media portrays being

female, how the media portrays being male”. Kim shared a similar account in using the short

film, In a Heartbeat (Bravo & David, 2017), and described the media as “the perfect medium to

share this message” in hopes of creating an “emotional connection in the classroom”. In doing

so, Kim felt that “even kids who…weren't ready to really embrace the topic and talk about it at

all…could all share about a cartoon”. In both instances, participants highlighted the importance

of students feeling safe and purposefully portraying narratives that all students can relate with as

an entry point into deeper discussions.

14
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

In addition to utilizing digital media, participants also described other forms of resources

and assessments they used to facilitate connections with their students. Kim shared that she used

several community-based organizations such as CANVAS Art Action Programs, Rape Crisis

Centres, and Sex Education through Theatre (SExT) – which she described helped create the

“window…to the experiences of people that are not you” in attempts of “tuning into the

reality…they're living”. In utilizing such resources, there is an effort towards ensuring student

engagement, authentic voices, and inclusivity – all which are more conducive to the healthy

development of one’s identity as reflected within the literature (Proulx, et al., 2019; Kull et al.,

2016; Kohler et al., 2008; Boonstra, 2009). Furthermore, Ashley shared how by “giving students

some choice in what the assessment looks like or making the assessment related to them” created

opportunities for emotional connections and great insight into students’ identities.

Despite the various ways in which all participates utilized different resources to engage

their students, it should be noted that all three teachers have varying degrees of access to

resources. Kim’s contributions evidently demonstrated the many ways different narratives and

realities can be incorporated meaningfully. However, it should be noted that this participant

worked at an independent school. This may raise the question of what access to resources one

may receive in working at an independent school in comparison to a publicly-funded school.

Although all participants worked at some of the most diverse school boards in Ontario, there are

several differences regarding their abilities to create mirrors and windows for their students.

Lack of Holistic Approach to Diverse Inclusion

When describing the challenges experienced in navigating the inclusion of student

identities, the selected teachers highlighted the lack of collaboration among teachers.

15
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

Furthermore, despite the implementation of school policies, discriminatory school cultures and

home environments were described as challenges, illustrating a lack of a holistic approach.

Lack of collaboration and resources among teachers. All participants expressed a lack

of collaboration and resources in supporting teachers’ practice of inclusivity. Ashley shared the

need for more professional development to support collaboration “where phys. ed. educators can

get together with other phys. ed. people and talk about what we do that works”. She explained

how this would facilitate the incorporation of more diverse voices in terms of unit planning and

instruction, which she believed would consequently allow for better inclusivity of diverse

students. Assumed within this thought process is the idea that those of typically diverse or

marginalized identities, recognize and incorporate diverse experiences within their classrooms.

However, it has been argued that for those of derecognized identities to consume space within

realms commonly occupied by recognized folk, they must efface their agency (Willig, 2012). As

a result, it may be an invalid assumption to presume teachers of marginalized identity to be

inclusive of diversity within their own practice.

In sharing thoughts regarding collaboration among teachers, Megan consistently stated a

need for more modelling of best practices in the inclusion of diverse student identities. She

described the need for opportunities where inclusive classrooms were being modelled by

“somebody of a different race talking about a racial experience that…they can’t own

themselves”. She believed modelling would help understand how conversations of race and

sexual orientation can be facilitated to effectively create mirrors and windows for students,

despite her own positionality.

Discriminatory environments shaping attitudes. Two participants highlighted the

impact of discriminatory attitudes in varying environments as a challenge when incorporating

16
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

diversity within their pedagogy. Kim explicitly referred to the school culture where students’

actions did not reflect the values that were incorporated within the curriculum. She described the

challenge of students often knowing “how to talk the talk, but then you’ll catch them not walking

it,” suggesting that students “do not actualize what they are talking about”. As a result, students

are engaged in conversations regarding diversity and inclusion. However, the values of

inclusivity are not being reflected within students’ actions. This reflects a disconnect between

curricular content and student behaviour, suggesting that there may be greater forces at play

enabling the exclusionary behaviour common within schools (Taylor & Peter, 2011). Kim stated

when this occurred, she overcame such challenges in acknowledging the need “to do more,

because they think they can get away with [their actions], and ultimately…it doesn’t feel good”.

Kim’s commitment to reflective practice highlights the importance of evaluating the impact of

strategies on students and adjusting based on the actions of students within their school.

Discriminatory attitudes within students’ home lives were also highlighted. For example,

Ashley shared that prior to teaching the sexual health unit, letters outlining covered topics are

sent home to students’ parents. In response to this, Ashley “had a parent who was very upset

about the healthy sexuality unit” which posed as a challenge as it questioned both her teaching

and the Ontario mandated HPE curriculum document. Ashley found that with “parents who have

an issue with it, don’t really understand what we’re teaching in the classroom”. She then

described that such confrontations challenged not only teachers, but also their students as they

were excluded from gaining valuable knowledge. It should be noted, however, that although the

HPE department aimed to increase transparency, by sending a letter to parents prior to a specific

unit arguably problematizes it in stating that all units can be taught without such transparency. In

providing a letter prior to the sexual health unit, requiring transparency and approval of parents,

17
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

indirectly acknowledges and provides space for debate and discussion surrounding what is taught

(Goldstein, 2019).

IMPLICATIONS & CONCLUSION

The following study was designed to gain insight into the practice of secondary Health &

Physical Education teachers and their inclusion of diverse identities. Due to the small sample

size, the generalizability of this study may be limited. Nonetheless findings included the various

strategies teachers utilized to create safe learning environments while demonstrating a

commitment to student engagement at the expense of inclusive diversity.

In acknowledging the importance of recognition within classrooms, acknowledgement of

diverse identities is crucial to the positive development of students’ health. Despite participants’

attitudes and beliefs regarding inclusivity, their teaching practices did not reflect their

commitment to inclusivity through the derecognition of marginalized identities within their

classrooms. The implication for teachers is to reevaluate such practices and their beliefs on

equity by employing equity literacy (Gorski, 2016). Teachers must be intentional towards

supporting the needs of marginalized students while recognizing their unique experiences. This

will help teachers to meaningfully recognize and reflect the diversity within their classrooms,

while learning to provide and create windows for students. Furthermore, implications for

students may entail continued experiences of exclusion within HPE classrooms where their

identities may continue to be derecognized. This may further perpetuate oppression (Taylor,

1994), contributing to poor health (Bacchus, 2017; Impett et al., 2006; Starks et al., 2013).

Despite the number of educational policies and pre-service training provided to teachers,

there is a need for more sustained efforts towards inclusivity within HPE classrooms. As per the

insights provided by participants, it would be recommended to provide opportunities to

18
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

collaborate and thereby model best practices that help create authentically inclusive classrooms.

Opportunities should be provided for teachers to reflect on their practice and receive feedback.

Missing in such discourse are the experiences and perspectives of students regarding the

HPE curriculum. This knowledge would facilitate insight into and analysis of teacher practices,

which then can inform future work of teachers. Further examination of best practices that support

meaningful inclusion of diversity within classrooms are also needed. Attention must be given to

strategies that support teachers’ abilities to accept their identities while discussing realities that

may be different than their own. Future research should also consider the use of identity-based

teaching and learning through the lens of intersectionality as both are lacking within such

contexts.

To conclude, I would like to quote Caroline Belden, who stated “Equality is leaving the

door open for anyone who has the means to approach it; equity is ensuring there is a pathway to

that door for those who need it” (2017). Teachers must be the creators of those pathways.

19
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

REFERENCES

Alimahomed, S. (2010). Thinking outside the rainbow: Women of colour redefining queer

politics and identity. Social Identities, 16(2), 151-168.

Bacchus, N. S. (2017). Shifting sexual boundaries: Ethnicity and pre-marital sex in the lives of

South Asian American women. Sexuality & Culture, 21, 776-794.

Belden, C. (2017). Equity vs. Equality: An Introduction. The Inclusion Solution. Retrieved from

http://www.theinclusionsolution.me/equity-vs-equality-introduction/

Boonstra, H. D. (2009). Advocates call for a new approach after the era of ‘abstinence-only’ sex

education. Guttmacher Policy Review, 12(1), 6–11. Retrieved from:

http://www.guttmacher.org.

Bravo, E. David, B. (Director). (2017). In a heartbeat [short film]. Amblin Entertainment,

Dreamworks

Butler, J. (1996). Excitable Speech: A Politics of the Performative. New York: Routledge.

Butler, J. (2006). Gender trouble. Feminism and the subversion of identity. New York and

London: Routledge

Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.) Politically correct. In Cambridge Dictionary.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/politically-correct

Charest, M. Kleinplatz, P. J., & Lund, J. I. (2016). Sexual health information disparities between

heterosexual and LGBTQ+ young adults: Implications for sexual health. The Canadian

Journal of Human Sexuality, 25(2), 74-85.

Clark, L., & Stitzlein, S. M. (2018). Neoliberal narratives and the logic of abstinence only

education: Why are we still having this conversation? Gender and Education, 30(3),

322-340.

20
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

Cohn, M. R. (2015). Sex-ed controversy exposes how different religions, cultures fit into

Ontario’s mainstream. Toronto Star. Retrieved from

https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2015/05/13/sex-ed-controversy-exposes-

how-different-religions-cultures-fit-into-ontarios-mainstream-cohn.html

Connell, E. (2005). Desire as interruption: young women and sexuality education in Ontario,

Canada. Sex Education, 5(3), 253-268.

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative

and qualitative research. Boston: Pearson.

Daley, A., Solomon, S., Newman, P. A., & Mishna, F. (2007). Traversing the margins:

Intersectionalities in the bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth.

Journal of gay & lesbian social services, 19(3-4), 9-29.

Denscombe, M. (1998). Interviews. The Good Research Guide (pp. 172-195). McGraw-Hill

Education.

Elia, J. P., & Eliason, M. (2010). Discourses of exclusion: Sexuality education’s silencing of

sexual others. Journal of LGBT Youth, 7, 29-48.

Goldstein, T. (2019). Teaching Gender and Sexuality at School: Letters to teachers. Routledge.

Gorski, P. (2016). Rethinking the role of “culture” in educational equity: From cultural

competence to equity literacy. Multicultural Perspectives, 18(4), 221-226.

Guzzo, K. B., & Hayford, S. R. (2012). Race-ethnic differences in sexual health knowledge.

Journal of the Centre for Race and Social Problems, 4(3), 158-170.

Honneth, A. (2005). Between Aristotle and Kant: Sketch of a morality of recognition. Advances

in Psychology series, 137, 41–56.

21
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

Impett, E. A., Schooler, D., & Tolman, D. L. (2006). To be seen and not heard: Femininity

ideology and adolescent girls’ sexual health. Archives of Sexual Behaviour, 35(2), 131-

144.

Kohler, P. K., Manhart, L. E., & Lafferty, W. E. (2008). Abstinence-only and comprehensive sex

education and the initiation of sexual activity and teen pregnancy. Journal of

Adolescent Health, 42, 344-351.

Kull, R. M., Greytak, E. A., Kosciw, J. G., & Villenas, C. (2016). Effectiveness of school district

antibullying policies in improving LGBT youths’ school climate. Psychology of Sexual

Orientation and Gender Diversity, 3(4), 407-415.

Kvale, S. (2006). Dominance through interviews and dialogues. Qualitative Inquiry, 12(3), 480-

500.

Lepold, K. (2018). An ideology critique of recognition: Judith Butler in the context of

contemporary debate on recognition. Constellations, 25, 474-484.

Makadon, H. J. (2011). Ending LGBT invisibility in health care: The first step in ensuring

equitable care. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 78(4), 220-224.

Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2015). Qualitative Research: A guide to design and

implementation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Brand.

Meston, C. M., Trapnell, P. D., & Gorzalka, B. B. (1996). Ethnic and gender differences in

sexuality: Variations in sexual behaviour between Asian and Non-Asian university

students. Archives of Sexual Behaviour, 25(1), 33-72.

Meyer, E. J., Taylor, C., & Peter, T. (2014). Perspectives on gender and sexual diversity (GSD)-

inclusive education: Comparisons between gay/lesbian/bisexual and straight educators.

Sexuality, Society, and Learning, 15(3), 221-234.

22
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

Okazaki, S. (2002). Influences of culture on Asian American’s sexuality. The Journal of Sex

Research, 29(1), 34-41.

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2015). The Ontario curriculum grades 9 to 12: Health and

physical education. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/

secondary/health9to12.pdf

Patel, S. (2019). “Brown girls can’t be gay”: Racism experienced by queer South Asian women

in the Toronto LGBTQ community. Journal of Lesbian Studies, 1-14.

Proulx, C. N., Coulter, R. W., Egan, J. E., Matthews, D. D., & Christina, M. (2019). Associations

of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning – Inclusive sex education with

mental health outcomes and school-based victimization in U.S. high school students.

Journal of Adolescent Health, 64, 608-614.

Raj, A., Liu, R., McCleary-Sills, J., & Silverman, J. G. (2005). South Asian victims of intimate

partner violence more likely than non-victims to report sexual health concerns. Journal

of Immigrant Health, 7(2), 85-91.

Reyes, M. R., Brackett, M. A., Rivers, S. E., White, M., & Salovey, P. (2012). Classroom

emotional climate, student engagement, and academic achievement. Journal of

Educational Psychology, 1-13.

Roosevelt, H. (Director). (2017). Tough Guys [Film]. Fictionless, MinusL Productions.

Saldana, J. (2009). Writing analytic memos. The coding manual for qualitative researchers (pp.

32-44). SAGE.

Starks, T. J., Grov, C., & Parsons, J. T. (2013). Sexual compulsivity and interpersonal

functioning: Sexual relationship quality and sexual health in gay relationships. Health

Psychology, 32(10), 1047-1056.

23
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

Strauss, A. L. (1987). Qualitative analysis for social scientists. Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press.

Talan, A. J., Drake, C. B., Glick, J. L., Claiborn, C. S., & Seal, D. (2017). Sexual and gender

minority health curricula and institutional support services at U.S. schools of public

health. Journal of Homosexuality, 64(10), 1350-1367.

Taylor, C. (1994). The politics of recognition. In A. Gutmann (Ed.), Multiculturalism. Examining

the politics of recognition (pp. 25-74). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Taylor, C., & Peter, T. (2011). Every class in every school: Final report on the first national

climate survey on homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia in Canadian schools

(Executive Summary). Retrieved from: https://egale.ca/wp-content/uploads/Egale%

20Publications/Every%20Class%20In%20Every%20School.pdf

Tolman, D. L. (1994). Doing desire: Adolescent girls’ struggles for/with sexuality. Gender &

Society, 8(3), 324-342.

Veenstra, G. (2011). Race, gender, class, and sexual orientation: Intersecting axes of inequality

and self-rated health in Canada. International Journal for Equity in Health, 10(3), 1-11.

Whitten, A., & Sethna, C. (2014). What’s missing? Anti-racist sex education! Sex Education,

14(4), 414-429.

Willig, R. (2012). Recognition and critique: an interview with Judith Butler. Distinktion:

Scandinavian Journal of Social Theory, 13(1), 139-144.

World Health Organization. (2016) Sexual health. Retrieved from

https://www.who.int/topics/sexual_health/en/

Zaidi, A. U., Couture-Carron, A., Maticka-Tyndale, E., & Arif, M. (2014). Ethnic identity,

religion, and gender: An exploration of intersecting identities creating diverse

24
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

perceptions and experiences with intimate cross-gender relationships amongst South

Asian youth in Canada. Canadian Ethnic Studies, 46(2), 27-54.

25
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

Appendix A

DATE

Dear ________________,

My name is Nikita Chauhan and I am a student in the Master of Teaching program at the Ontario
Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto (OISE/UT). A component of this
degree program involves conducting a small-scale qualitative research study. My research will
focus on navigating equity and inclusion regarding race, gender, and sexuality within the Health
& Physical Education (HPE) curriculum. I think that your knowledge and experience will
provide great insights into this topic.

Your participation in this research will involve one 45-60 minute interview, which will be
transcribed and audio-recorded. I would be grateful if you would allow me to interview you at a
place and time convenient for you, outside of school time. The contents of this interview will be
used for my research project, which will include a final paper, as well as informal presentations
to my classmates. I may also present my research findings via conference presentations and/or
through publication.

You will be assigned a pseudonym to maintain your anonymity and I will not use your name or
any other content that might identify you in my written work, oral presentations, or publications.
This information will remain confidential. Any information that identifies your school or
students will also be excluded. The interview data will be stored on my password-protected
computer and the only person who will have access to the research data will be my course
instructor Dr. Joanne Pattison-Meek. You are free to change your mind about your participation
at any time, and to withdraw even after you have consented to participate. You may also choose
to decline to answer any specific question during the interview. I will destroy the audio recording
after the paper has been presented and/or published, which may take up to a maximum of five
years after the data has been collected. There are no known risks to participation, and I will share
a copy of the transcript with you shortly after the interview to ensure accuracy.

Please sign this consent form, if you agree to be interviewed. The second copy is for your
records. I am very grateful for your participation.

Sincerely,

Nikita Chauhan | Teacher Candidate

647-200-9732
nikita.chauhan@mail.utoronto.ca

26
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

Course Instructor’s Name: Dr. Joanne Pattison-Meek

Contact Info: pattison.meek@utoronto.ca
Consent Form

I acknowledge that the topic of this interview has been explained to me and that any questions
that I have asked have been answered to my satisfaction. I understand that I can withdraw from
this research study at any time without penalty.

I have read the letter provided to me by Nikita Chauhan and agree to participate in an interview
for the purposes described. I agree to have the interview audio-recorded.

Signature: ________________________________________

Name: (printed) _______________________________________________

Date: ______________________________________

27
DERECOGNITION OF DIVERSITY

Appendix B

Teacher Background and Experience:

(1) How long have you been an HPE teacher? What made you interested in HPE?
(2) Are you familiar with diversity and incluion? What does it mean to you?

Questions Answering Sub-Question 1

(3) Can you describe what it is like to teach the Human Development and Sexual Health unit
from the HPE curriculum? What particular themes, key objectives, topics, or stories do
you include?
(4) What are your thoughts and feelings about reflecting students’ experiences and identities
within the Human Development and Sexual Health unit? Follow-up question: Why do
you believe this is important?
(5) What motivates you to incorporate the experiences of varying identities, relating to
gender, race, and sexuality, within this unit? Follow-up question: If you feel comfortable
speaking to this question, can you share with me any personal experiences that may have
shaped how/why you embed diversity and inclusion within your classroom?

Questions Answering Sub-Question 2

(6) Can you please provide a specific example of how you have incorporated student
experiences and identities within the Human Development & Sexual Health unit?
(7) What strategies do you use to reflect students’ experiences and identities, relating to
gender, race, and sexuality, within the Human Development & Sexual Health unit?
Follow-up question: How do you determine the effectiveness of these strategies?
(8) Can you describe the impact of incorporating such diversity on students? Follow-up
question: Can you name a specific example of when you felt this was meaningful for a
student?

Question Answering Sub-Question 3

(9) Have you experienced any challenges when trying to reflect varying identities in the HPE
curriculum within a public-school setting? If yes, how so? Follow-up question: How have
you overcome these challenges? Please provide a specific example(s).
(10) In what ways can fellow staff members and admin support teachers such as yourself, in
successfully navigating the inclusion and representation of diverse identities within the
HPE curriculum? What additional supports are needed?

Closing:
(11) Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thank you for your time!

28