How Is Sexual Identity Acceptance Related To Self-Determination For LGB-Identified University Students Within Classroom Settings?

Abstract

The social environment in which students operate has been shown to influence psychological well-being (Deci & Ryan, 2000). Through this quantitative study, the research highlights inadequacy of academic research dealing with sexual identity acceptance for LGB-identified university students in classroom settings. This study establishes the implications of the impact of sexual identity acceptance on meeting basic psychological needs and self-determination within the socially contextualized classroom. The findings contribute to the social influences on sexual identity acceptance and begin the discussion that challenges current psychosocial development theory. Using the findings of this work, the problem of sexual identity acceptance will be seen more clearly, especially the identified relationships among basic psychological needs and self- determination and their respective subcomponents. The results of this research illustrate the need for LGB-identified university students to be effectively integrated into the academic community. This research seeks a change of perception in how we analyze student needs to ensure academic achievement. Educators should no longer look at sexual identity acceptance with a narrow lens. Instead, it’s implications to education need to be understood in its broadest sense, not compartmentalized.