“Gatekeepers” and Gender Identification in Education Research: Ethical Responsibilities of Distinguishing Sex and Gender

Abstract

As society evolves and increases to recognize the fluidity of identity in terms of demographic classification, the domain of research will be faced with the crucial choice of how to capture an individual’s ever-changing identity through traditionally static, defined, and objective quantitative study. Surveys on both a national and international level have historically conflated gender identity with biological sex; most fail to consider and recognize identities outside of normative classifications. There are ethical implications how national education researchers choose to define identity, as such decisions shape not only the ways in which we think about students, but also the ways in which students think about themselves. This study assesses public and private education researchers’ (n=18) perceived responsibilities as “gatekeepers” in the survey design, data collection, and analysis processes, specifically in regard to the ethical implications that demographic questions might have on the populations their studies seek to describe.