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Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) students and online education in Australia

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  • Fletcher, Jessie
  • Jones, Tiffany
  • Bergen, Penny Van

Abstract

Past Australian studies have shown that Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) youth engage with alternative and online education programs more often than cisgender peers but lack exploration of motivating factors. Whilst TGD students’ experiences of marginalisation in Australian schools has been increasingly studied, little is known about their experiences with Online Learning and/or alternative educational settings. To address this gap in research, the present study explored Australian TGD students’ experiences of online and/or alternative educational settings compared to mainstream face-to-face education. The study employed a trans-informed methodological approach privileging the experiential knowledge of Trans and Gender Diverse TGD students themselves. An online survey hosted on Qualtrics was utilised to collect quantitative and qualitative data from a cohort of 1,671 TGD identifying students aged 14–25 years, recruited through social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram and TGD youth support organisations. Descriptive statistics were generated using SPSS, and a thematic analysis was applied using Leximancer software. TGD students attending alternative schools often moved from a mainstream school due to bullying and poor mental health, whereas those who accessed online education mainly did so through mainstream settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Physical bullying improved in online settings incidentally; however social support also reduced, and misgendering and deadnaming increased, likely due to the rapid and unplanned move to online learning during the pandemic. Online educational design should incorporate TGD students’ gendering needs and social supports. More research into alternative educational settings and TGD students is needed.

Suggested Citation

  • Fletcher, Jessie & Jones, Tiffany & Bergen, Penny Van, 2025. "Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) students and online education in Australia," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:172:y:2025:i:c:s0190740925001410
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108258
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Russell, Douglas H & Anderson, Joel R & Riggs, Damien W & Ullman, Jacqueline & Higgins, Daryl J, 2020. "Gender diversity and safety climate perceptions in schools and other youth-serving organisations," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    2. Varun Warrier & David M. Greenberg & Elizabeth Weir & Clara Buckingham & Paula Smith & Meng-Chuan Lai & Carrie Allison & Simon Baron-Cohen, 2020. "Elevated rates of autism, other neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diagnoses, and autistic traits in transgender and gender-diverse individuals," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Yu-Hsiu Chu & Yao-Chuen Li, 2022. "The Impact of Online Learning on Physical and Mental Health in University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-10, March.
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