LGBTIQ+ Pre-Service Language Teachers’ Experiences in Language Teacher Education Programs: A Narrative Case Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21803/penamer.19.40.965Keywords:
resilence, Gender identity, sexual identity, LGBTQ+Abstract
Introduction: Research on sexual and gender diversity in Latin American higher education has documented processes of exclusion and institutional silence; however, there is little evidence regarding the experiences of LGBTIQ+ students in teacher-training programs. Objective: To explore how LGBTIQ+ language teacher candidates narrate the construction of their identity, experiences of discrimination, and their sense of belonging in a teacher education program. Methodology: A narrative case study was conducted using an interpretive qualitative approach with four students in a Bachelor’s degree program in Foreign Languages in Bogotá, Colombia. Data were collected through biographical narratives and analyzed using narrative thematic analysis and intranarrative triangulation. Results: The findings identified six main themes: discovery and acceptance of sexual identity, discrimination and institutional silence, self-protection strategies, safe spaces and support networks, identity resilience, and pedagogical aspirations. Participants recounted experiences of exclusion and invisibility but also processes of resistance and self-recognition that strengthened their professional identity as teachers. Conclusions: It is concluded that these students negotiate their identities within restrictive institutional contexts and transform experiences of discrimination into sources of resilience, agency, and commitment to inclusive educational practices.
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