LGBT-inclusive reading linked to more accepting pupil attitudes in Spanish study
A study of 77 pupils in Elche found differences in some attitudes after a year of classroom reading. Without starting measurements, it cannot establish that the lessons caused those differences.
University of Alicante researchers reported on October 9 that sixth-grade pupils using LGBT-inclusive literature at two schools in Elche, Spain, gave more accepting responses on some attitude measures than pupils following their usual reading curriculum. The findings concern questionnaire responses; they do not establish that the lessons changed individual attitudes or reduced bullying.
The university account, published by Phys.org, describes work by Guillermo Soler, María Ribes and José Rovira-Collado. Its release brings attention to a paper published in Education Sciences on June 5, 2026, rather than a newly published study. The experiment involved 77 pupils: 31 in the experimental group and 46 in the control group.
What pupils read in the Elche classrooms
Over an academic year, the control group followed its standard reading curriculum. The experimental group worked with picture books, traditional tales, poems, comics and excerpts from young-adult novels depicting sexual and gender diversity. The activities took place in Spanish language and literature classes.
The selection included Little David, featuring a child with two fathers; Titiritesa, about a girl who wants to marry another girl; and And Tango Makes Three, about two male penguins raising a chick. Reading was accompanied by guided activities examining how characters were represented.
Some texts depicted rejection or bullying, prompting discussions about respect and inclusion. At the end of the year, all pupils completed the same questionnaire covering acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people, alongside self-concept and self-acceptance.
Where the questionnaire responses differed
According to the university, no pupils in the experimental group gave rejection responses about having a lesbian or gay friend, compared with 6.5% in the control group. This measures a stated attitude toward friendship, rather than observed friendship behaviour.
A larger contrast concerned accepting the possibility of same-sex attraction within themselves. Positive responses reached 45.2% in the experimental group and 28.3% in the control group. Negative responses were 9.7% and 30.4%, respectively.
The researchers stressed that “these findings do not imply that students identify as homosexual or bisexual”. The question assessed willingness to accept a possibility, not pupils’ sexual orientation.
Other measures showed no statistically significant differences between groups. Acceptance of bisexual and trans people exceeded 70% in both groups. On the prospect of identifying with a different gender, 38.7% of the experimental group responded negatively and 35.5% neutrally; the researchers also reported no significant group difference on that measure.
Why the study cannot establish attitude change
The Education Sciences paper describes a quasi-experimental design. The schools were deliberately selected rather than randomly sampled, in a disadvantaged, predominantly immigrant and working-class area. A sample of 77 pupils across two schools limits how broadly the results can be applied.
Crucially, there were no measurements before the intervention. The final questionnaire therefore cannot show whether individual pupils became more accepting during the year. The authors describe associations rather than definitive causal effects.
The analysis used six prespecified items from a 22-item questionnaire. The paper acknowledges missing effect-size measures, confidence intervals and corrections for multiple comparisons. Those statistical limitations accompany the small sample and absence of starting measurements.
The authors recommend curriculum material encouraging reflection on sexual and gender diversity, with goals including preventing bullying and making schools safer. Those goals are distinct from demonstrated outcomes: the reported attitude findings do not establish a reduction in bullying or whether any differences persist over time.
What separate school-safety research adds
Independent context comes from a May 2025 meta-analysis in Educational Research Review by Ruby van Vliet, Rozemarijn van der Ploeg, Tina Kretschmer, Wouter J. Kiekens and Laura Baams. It examined secondary-school strategies, including inclusive curricula, enumerated policies, staff training and gender-and-sexuality alliances.
That review found modest associations between LGBTQ-targeted strategies and less reported bullying and greater feelings of safety. Benefits appeared greater for sexually and gender-diverse students, while students of color appeared to benefit less. The authors identified a research gap concerning staff training.
The review concerns older pupils and several approaches, so it does not validate the particular reading programme tested in Elche. The Alicante authors call for larger studies addressing their statistical limitations. Their reports provide no scheduled replication or announced rollout.
Sources and context
- Introducing LGBT stories linked to more inclusive attitudes in primary schoolsPhys.org; supplied by University of Alicante
- LGTB Readings for the Acceptance of Affectivity Diversity in Primary SchoolEducation Sciences / MDPI
- Supportive school strategies for sexually and gender diverse students: A meta-analysis of the associations with bullying-victimization experiences and feelings of school safetyUniversity of Groningen research portal; research published in Educational Research Review
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.
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