Research Type 1:
Impacts of biology content on trans, non-binary, and intersex students
In biology classrooms reproduction, sex, gender, sexual behavior and orientation-related content can be taught in oversimplified, inaccurate, and exclusionary way or it can be taught centering complexity which is more accurate and inclusive. This decision impacts trans, non-binary, and intersex student in many ways.
Article 1:
Eddy et al. (2026). “There is a Place for Us Here”: Exploring Sex, Gender, Reproduction, Sexual Behavior, and Orientation Narratives Supporting Students With Queer Genders in Biology Courses.” Journal of Research in Science Teaching 63 (4-5): 332–351. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.70043.
Learn about how these topics can be taught that trans, non-binary, questioning, and intersex students say support them.
Article 2
Casper et al. (2022). “It’s completely erasure”: a qualitative exploration of experiences of transgender, nonbinary, gender nonconforming, and questioning students in biology courses. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 21(4), ar69. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.21-12-0343
The initial exploration of how trans, non-binary, gender-nonconforming, and questioning biology majors experience biology courses.
Research Type 2
Instructor experiences with changing their curriculum
To transform teaching on these topics, we need to understand the challenges instructor’s face in implementing changes and what can support them. This research explores changing content from the instructor’s perspective.
Article 1
Driessen et al. (2024). “It's been a Process”: A multiple case study of biology instructor efforts to reform their sex and gender curriculum to be more inclusive of students with queer genders and intersex students. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 23(4), ar51. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.24-01-0035
Interviews with life science instructors to understand their change efforts.
More to Come!
We have interviewed 27 additional instructors and are currently analyzing those interviews. Check back for future papers!
Research Type 3
Testing Curriculum
What is the impact of changing reproduction, sex, gender, sexual behavior, and orientation-related content?
Adams et al. (2026). Discussions of sexual diversity in nature increase student sense of belonging in biology. BioScience, 76(6), 536-553. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biag022
Blake et al. (2026). Inclusive biology curriculum interventions can reduce high school students’ bioessentialist beliefs. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 25(2), ar22. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.25-09-0207
Casper et al. (2026). Centering biodiversity: Teaching the complexity of biology of sex topics in a developmental biology course. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 66, icag149. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icag149
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