A few words with a big impact: How one sentence can make classrooms more inclusive
When an instructor quietly mentions their partner or includes a short line about their identity in a syllabus slide, most students hardly blink. That small moment, a few seconds of personal disclosure, might seem trivial. New research from Arizona State University suggests those seconds can shift how students experience an entire course, especially students who have themselves been marginalized.
“We previously had conducted a study where one instructor revealed her LGBTQ identity, and the vast majority of students said that the instructor coming out had a positive impact,” said Carly Busch, former ASU student and the lead author on the new paper.
To test whether that single-classroom result held up more broadly, Busch and colleagues recruited nine LGBTQ+ biology instructors at different universities and surveyed their students at the end of the semester. The sample was large, with 2,045 undergraduates responding.
Across the nine classrooms, 88.2% of students recalled the instructor’s disclosure, even though it was often only a few seconds, and nearly 90% said it was appropriate for instructors to reveal LGBTQ+ identities in class. Very few students, about 1.3%, reported that the disclosure negatively affected their experience. And perhaps surprisingly, the social climate of the state where each school sits did not predict students’ reactions.
“What’s particularly interesting about this study is not the impact on instructors, but rather showing that a very brief reveal of something that’s very personal can positively affect students,” said Sara Brownell, President’s Professor in ASU’s School of Life Sciences and senior author of the study.
Who benefits and how
Compared with their peers, LGBTQ+ students reported larger increases across measures such as feeling connected to the instructor, a sense of belonging in class and in science, and feeling that LGBTQ+ identities are normalized in scientific spaces.
Busch puts it plainly: Representation “can change how students feel in the classroom and potentially change how they feel in science, by giving them an example of somebody who’s been successful in their field with an LGBTQ+ identity.”
The benefits were not limited to LGBTQ+ students, although they reported the strongest gains. Women and nonbinary students, students from racially minoritized groups and students reporting anxiety or depression also reported disproportionate benefits. In short, the presence of an openly LGBTQ+ instructor seemed to increase feelings of inclusion and approachability for many students who have historically felt marginalized.
Not as risky as some instructors fear
One question the research addresses is whether coming out in class could backfire. Many instructors worry it might alienate students or be perceived as controversial. The new study offers evidence that negative reactions were rare.
But the researchers are careful not to overreach. They emphasize that they are not urging anyone to reveal private aspects of themselves if it would be unsafe or unwanted.
“We’re not asking for people to come out if they’re not comfortable coming out,” Brownell said. “We’re asking them to consider the possible benefits for students. Take these data and make an informed decision.”
‘As little as 5 seconds’
The study suggests something broader about modern campus culture: Many young people are less fazed by identity disclosures than older generations might expect.
At the same time, the paper flags limits and future questions. It sampled large, research-intensive institutions and focused on biology courses. The experiences of instructors at smaller colleges, community colleges or in different countries may differ. The researchers also want to understand how the disclosure is made. A brief one-sentence reveal may have different effects than a longer personal narrative tied to course content.
“It could be done in as little as five seconds,” Brownell said.