Teachers’ and pupils’ perspectives on homosexuality: A comparative analysis across European countries

Abstract

This article offers the first large-scale comparative analysis of pupils’ and teachers’ perspectives on homosexuality using two waves (2013 and 2017) of self-collected data through questionnaires issued in eight European countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, Spain, Poland, Hungary and Turkey. Using these unique data, the authors examine to what extent differences prevail across countries, what mechanisms explain the differences, and how the differences change over time. The results indicate significant differences across countries. Moreover, although a positive trend can be observed between the two waves of the survey, in some countries the general climate towards homosexuality is reversing.

Psychometric Validation of the Portuguese Version of the Modern Homonegativity Scale among Portuguese College Students

“…Likewise, the results obtained in terms of sexual orientation also confirm our hypothesis (Hypothesis 2). Those people who identify as heterosexual reveal greater modern homonegativity toward gay and lesbian people [ 29 ]. This fact could be due to the idea that homosexuality challenges heterosexual relations and practices, and identity and gender roles, which are normalized through heteronormativity [ 25 ].…”

“…Likewise, people with strong religious beliefs, people who are politically conservative, and/or with a low level of education, have more negative attitudes [ 26 , 28 ]. In contrast, being a gay or bisexual person is related to more positive attitudes toward sexual diversity [ 29 ], as occurs with those who have LGB friendships or have received specific training in this area [ 28 ].…”

School Outcomes of Children Raised by Same-Sex Parents: Evidence from Administrative Panel Data

“…Second, country differences are related to substantial differences in findings in the literature (Schumm 2018). Our study pertains to the Netherlands, which has a more supportive cultural and legal context for same-sex parents than do most other countries (De Witte, Iterbeke, and Holz 2019). For instance, in a poll of the European Union adult population in 2015, the Netherlands scored second highest on all measures, with only Sweden having a more positive attitude toward same-sex couples (European Commission 2015).…”

Internationalisation and Professionalisation in Teacher Education: Challenges and Perspectives

“…In a report conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2013, LGBT adults claim to feel more accepted by society now than in the past (Pew Research Center, 2013). Nevertheless, without denying the progress made so far, homonegativity remains a problem in Western societies (De Witte, Iterbeke, & Holz, 2019). Despite all the laws introduced in recent years granting family rights to homosexuals, negative attitudes towards them prevail among different groups of society, even in countries that have fully legalized same-sex unions (Dotti Sani & Quaranta, 2022).…”

“…These eight models serve as dependent variables measuring participant's attitude towards LGBT topics with the independent variables being kept the same through all eight regressions. Holz (2019). Age group will further aid in understanding how students in different age cohorts view homosexuals and transgender as their exposure to the topic might increase with the years.…”