Sharing Student Projects

This project aimed to explore transgender students’ experiences with and perceptions of support at university, investigating psychosocial processes involved with gender identity and how critical pedagogy may improve experiences in educational contexts. Participants comprised of 5 transgender students, aged 18-27, with differing gender identities. Participants were recruited through an Instagram advertisement and engaged with ethical paperwork confirming their consent. I emailed participants to organise a semi-structured individual Zoom interview. I generated transcripts from audio recordings on NVivo, using pseudonyms for confidentiality. I approached this qualitative project with a constructivist, phenomenological approach. I performed mixed (inductive and deductive) coding of the transcripts and previous literature informing the thematic analysis of data. Three overarching themes were generated: transgender identity, trans student experiences in higher education, and suggestions for a trans-affirming critical pedagogy in higher education. This dissertation expands on academic literature and discourse about how trans people navigate identity across sociopsychological domains, and the relationship this has on HE experiences, from the perspective of a trans researcher. During an epochal moment in trans history, this dissertation explores current perspectives and actions towards the community. Trans student experiences are comprised of the effects of transphobia, institutional nuances (spaces, staff interactions, policy), generic student experiences, individual differences (intersectional minority identities, engagement), and belonging. This dissertation suggests that negative experiences can be improved, and positive experiences can be built on through self-education and mandatory training about trans experiences for pedagogues, implementing trans-inclusive curriculum, trans-informed changes to university, and visible signs of inclusion

This research is transferable to UK university practice. Stakeholders of this project include students, university staff, and educational policymakers. Prospective trans students may consider this project useful for preparing for potential experiences and the supports that other trans students have found useful. Trans students may find this dissertation interesting and relatable; alternatively, they may consider additional facets of experience, unaddressed by this dissertation. This project may be useful for trans students with intersectional minority identities to develop findings by considering the influence of intersecting identities on university experiences. Cisgender students with minoritised identities may find this project informative about how identity and education interrelate, notice differences within transgender people’s experiences, and consider nuances from their experience. Cisgender students without minority identities may use this research to consider the experiences of their peers and how they can support their trans peers. University staff may benefit from these findings, consider embracing trans-affirming supports in their praxis. This dissertation touches on the role of academic, pastoral, IT, and marketing staff in how trans students can be appropriately supported at university; these services can be adapted to support trans service users. Educational policymakers are stakeholders of this project; they may glean how current policy is implemented by staff, the impact on trans students, indicating the need for change, or enhancing positive experiences. This research may influence policymakers concerned with the distribution of financial support to universities for infrastructural change to implement trans-inclusive change. Implementing suggestions from this dissertation has the potential to improve support trans individuals receive within institutions, encouraging belonging.