Same-gender parent families at school through parents’ and teachers’ perspectives: A systematic review and meta-analyses

Introduction: The present study represents a systematic review and two meta-analyses summarizing existing literature investigating same-gender parent (SGP) families’ experiences in the school context, considering teachers’ and SGPs’ perspectives. Methods: Relevant articles were systematically searched in three scientific databases (i.e., PsychInfo, Pubmed, and Scopus) from May 2023 to March 2024. We included original articles with relevant keywords associated with “children in SGP families” and “school contexts”. Results: Of the 3370 records identified, 143 articles were included in the systematic review, of which 11 were included in the two meta-analyses. We examined the publications according to teachers’ perspectives (51 articles), SGPs’ perspectives (81 articles), and teachers’ and parents’ differences (16 articles). The first meta-analysis findings suggested no differences between teachers’ and SGPs’ perspectives regarding SGPs’ children’s internalizing (d = 0.09; 16 studies) and externalizing (d = 0.07; 16 studies) behaviors. Lastly, the second meta-analysis found higher teacher evaluation than SGPs on children’s social skills (d = -0.16; 12 studies). Two father SGPs evaluated their children’s social skills less than teachers (d = -0.26; 4 studies). Conclusions: Teachers reported the need for adequate preparation in working with SGP families: Specialized training programs are essential to equip teachers with the knowledge, skills, and sensitivity needed to foster an inclusive and equitable learning environment. Policy Implications: The present systematic review and meta-analyses could have relevant social and policy implications for improving SGPs’ and their children’s well-being in school.