Italian primary school teachers’ comfort and training needs regarding same-sex parenting

Abstract

ABSTRACT School teachers today are increasingly coming into contact with lesbian and gay parents. Given the lack of research in the field, this study investigated the role of homonegativity and beliefs about the well-being of children raised by same-sex parents in how comfortable teachers feel when interacting with same-sex parents. Additionally, possible predictors of teachers’ training needs regarding sexual orientation and same-sex parenting were explored. The sample consisted of 244 primary-school teachers. The results showed that ‘personal discomfort’ and ‘beliefs about the welfare of children of lesbian and gay parents’ were predictive of ‘comfort in interacting with lesbian and gay families’. Seniority, having a high number of lesbian and gay friends and having positive ‘beliefs about the welfare of children with lesbian and gay parents’ are linked to recognising the need for training on lesbian, gay and same-sex parenting issues. Suggestions and implications are discussed.