Table 4.

Data extraction table.

Author (year)	Country	Research question/s or aims	Participant characteristics and context	Data collection methods	Data analysis approach	Findings
Allen-Biddell & Bond (2022)	UK	What are educational psychologists’ experiences and practices of working with autistic, gender-diverse children and young people?	Educational Psychologists with experience working with autistic, gender diverse CYP (n = 5) Participants focussed on direct casework involving gender diverse CYP.	Semi-structured interviews (via Zoom)	Reflexive thematic analysis	Themes: EPs working with the uncertainty around gender diversity and autism Understanding the child or young person Working with schools Identifying research, policy and practice gaps
Apostolidou (2020)	Cyprus	(a) explore professionals’ experiences regarding homophobic and transphobic bullying in schools, (b) investigate their views in relation to how these issues are being addressed by the school community and, (c) examine professionals’ views concerning the aspects they consider important for combating homophobic and transphobic bullying in school.	Group 1 (n = 4): teachers (3 secondary, 1 primary) Group 2 (n = 4): 2 school psychologists, 1 school counselor, 1 primary school teacher/clinical psychologist trainee Group 3 (n = 8): 4 parents and 4 school children.	Focus groups, discussions led by interview protocol. Discussions focussed on professional’s views and experiences related specifically to homophobic and transphobic bullying.	Thematic analysis	Themes: Manifestations of homophobic and transphobic bullying within the school community Barriers to combating homophobic and transphobic bullying within the school community Support for combating homo- phobic and transphobic bullying at school.
Beck (2018)	USA—Midwest and East Coast	What are the lived experiences of school counselor–principal teams who make concerted advocacy efforts for LGBT students?	School counselors (n = 5) Principals (n = 4) School counselor in training (n = 1) Participants must have been recognized at the national or state level for ensuring a safe and inclusive environment for LGBT students in their work.	Three rounds of semi-structured interviews.	Moustaka’s (1994) approach to phenomenological reduction.	Themes: Learning through storytelling Leading by example Creating intentional partnerships Pushing the system
Beck (2020)	USA—Midwest and East Coast	How do exemplary school counselors and principals make meaning of their advocacy work with LGBT students?	Four ‘exemplary’ participants; principal (n = 2) School counselor (n = 2) Participants must have been recognized at the national or state level for their commitment to ensuring a safe and inclusive environment for LGBT students.	3 rounds of semi-structured interviews.	Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach (Larkin & Thompson, 2012)	Themes: “It began with me” Advocacy identity Credibility and confidence
Betts (2013)	USA	1. What do school psychologists know about LGBTQ issues and how do they deal with it in their practice? 2. How does a school psychologist evolve from tacitly knowledgeable to LGBTQ competent to LGBTQ advocacy? 3. What skills, traits, or life experiences are instrumental in shaping school psychologists in becoming a social change agent for LGBTQ youth?	School psychologists (n = 8) Graduate professor of school psychology (n = 2) Participants were selected from previous survey data that highlighted those who were considered active advocates for LGBTQ social justice concerns.	Semi-structured interviews	Constant comparison method (Merriam, 2009)	Themes: Personal characteristics: shaping the attitude toward the behavior Context: shaping normative beliefs Strategies of Advocacy: Shaping Perceived Behavioral control
Bowskill (2017)	UK	To explore how educational professionals can ensure better outcomes for transgender children and young people.	Transgender adults (n = 15) professionals who have worked with transgender young people (3 = Educational Psychologist, 1 = clinical psychologist, 3 = teachers, 1 = TA, 2 = youth workers).	Intensive interviewing Theoretical sampling—allowing each interview to feed into the next	Grounded Theory was used.	Five interlinked categories: Societal influence understanding and awareness of trans issues Educational setting’s response to transgender student Tailored systemic resources for stakeholders Outcomes for transgender student Focussed on barriers to best practice and response to trans students.
Court (2019)	Wales	1. What constructs do EPs and TEPs within Wales hold in relation to GV? i. What level of experience do EPs and TEPs within Wales currently have in supporting CYP who express GV? ii. What role do EPs/TEPs within Wales perceive themselves holding in relation to GV?	Trainee Educational Psychologists/Educational Psychologists (n = 7)	Semi-structured interview	Thematic analysis	Themes linked to RQ 1 Language as actor Change Navigating child identity development Interview as an active sight of reflection/discovery Theme linked to secondary RQ i: Emerging area of practice Numerous factors linked to uncertainty Themes linked to secondary RQ ii: Facilitators of a role Barriers to a role Future work
Earnshaw et al. (2020)	USA—Massachusetts	To characterize and compare the perspectives of LGBTQ students and SHPs on: (1) experiences of LGBTQ bullying, and (2) SHP responses to LGBTQ bullying.	LGBTQ youth (n = 28) School health professionals (school nurse (n = 11), school psychologist (n = 3), guidance counselor (n = 1), social worker (n = 3), health education teacher (n = 1))	Online, asynchronous focus groups	Rapid Qualitative Inquiry (Beebe, 2014)	Summarized experiences of LGBTQ bullying and responses to LGBTQ bullying from perspectives of young people and SHPs.
Gavin (2021)	UK (South-East England)	What are their perceptions of: a. how they currently best support trans* young people? b. how they currently do not best support trans* young people? c. how to improve the support of trans* young people?	Secondary school staff (n = 22) Educational Psychologists (n = 8) Key personnel working at national level (n = 2)	Semi-structured interviews—individual interviews and focus group interviews conducted	Thematic analysis	Themes: Ensuring sense of safety and belonging throughout school communities Professionals as Educators and Educatees Prioritizing voices of trans* young people System readiness to change (overarching theme)
Gonzalez (2016)	USA (South Eastern)	To investigate the experiences of school counselors who have served as advocates with and on behalf of LGBT students. Examine factors that facilitate and impede school counselors’ advocacy efforts with LGBT students.	High school counselors (n = 12) Participants were required to have acted as advocates for and with LGBT students, including 10 having had involvement in the schools Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), 10 had engaged in advocacy work with community organizations and all had advocated for LGBT students on an individual basis.	Semi structured interviews and document review	Constant comparative analysis	Two overarching thematic categories: Factors that facilitate advocacy (subthemes: faculty and district level support, LGBT-inclusive policy) Factors that impede advocacy (subthemes: resistance, religious intolerance, structural barriers)
Gonzalez (2017)	USA (South Eastern)	What are the lived experiences of high school counselors in the south- eastern U.S. who advocate for and with LGBT students?	High school counselors (n = 12) Participants must have served as advocates for and with LGBT students e.g. being involved in schools GSA.	Semi structured interviews and document review	Constant comparative analysis.	Themes: Student advocacy Education as advocacy Systems advocacy Social/political advocacy
Mackie et al. (2021)	Australia	To explore the experiences of school psychologists working with transgender young people in a school counseling context.	School psychologists (n = 7)	Semi-structured interviews (via Zoom)	Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) − 6 steps outlined by Smith et al. (2009)	Themes: Affirming agency within transgender young people Perceived competency and transgender knowledge Expectations and surprises Challenges during counseling
Reisner et al. (2020)	USA—Massachusetts	Sought to identify multilevel factors that inform interventions to increase SHPs’ capacity to report and respond to LGBTQ bullying.	LGBTQ youth (n = 28) School health professionals (n = 19, included 3 school psychologists)	Online focus groups (3 with 28 youth, 2 with 19 SHPs)—online forum where participants could read and reply to questions and comments anytime during the day.	Rapid Qualitative Inquiry (Beebe, 2014)	Three overarching thematic categories describing barriers and facilitators to addressing LGBTQ student bullying—coalesced around the social ecological model: Individual (knowledge, skills, attitudes) Interpersonal (trust and follow-through, confidentiality and fear of
Sagzan (2019)	UK (outer London)	How do Educational Psychologists perceive their role in supporting schools to improve outcomes for trans* pupils?	Educational Psychologists (n = 8)	Semi-structured interviews	Thematic analysis	Themes: Beliefs and attitudes influencing practice Awareness/thought/discussion around gender identity EP role with the trans* community Complexity Knowledge and uncertainty All grounded by a 6th theme: Contextual factors
Simons & Cuadrado (2019)	USA—Midwest	What has LGBTQ school counselor advocacy looked like in schools and why has it occurred or not?	Counselors, who self-identified as “advocates,” employed by high schools (n = 9)	Semi-structured interviews. Drew upon theory of planned behavior (TPB; Ajzen, 2015) to inform interview protocol.	Coded data were restricted to the 4 TPB categories to allow calculation of the frequency and average occurrence of the narrative data.	Themes: Subjective norm of a school is related to whether or not school counselors plan to or actually advocate for LGBTQ students Advocacy self-efficacy is related to school counselors experiences with and exposure to the LGBTQ community as a whole Effective LGBTQ school counselor advocates know-how, when and where to implement particular LGBTQ advocacy tasks in order to affirm their LGBTQ students while not getting fired.
Swindle (2022)	USA—Oregon	What are the experiences of Oregon secondary educators regarding supporting LGBTQ + students?	School counselors (n = 3) Teachers (n = 3) Administrator (n = 1) Participants must have interacted with LGBTQ + students in a school setting.	Two rounds of semi-structured interviews and member checking.	Inductive analysis	Three general factors that influenced educators’ work with LGBTQ + students: working with students, regulations, and culture.
Vela (2015)	USA—Southwestern (Texas)	What are the school counseling experiences of an LGBTQ high school student? What are the experiences of the school counselor while working with students of diverse sexual orientations? What are the experiences of parents of LGBTQ students with the school counselor?	LGBTQ students (n = 4) Parents (n = 3) School counselors (n = 8)	Individual semi-structured interviews (with 10 participants) Focus group with five school counselors	In vivo coding methods	Themes: Acceptance Experience of coming out Being open with others Being comfortable Education and training Support and challenges Needing to talk
Yannalfo (2019)	USA—Midwestern	What are school support personnel’s perceptions of their work with transgender and gender diverse students in a Midwestern urban public school district?	Social worker (n = 1) Counselor (n = 3) School psychologist (n = 3)	Semi-structured interviews	Thematic Analysis	Themes: Navigating vs appeasing Active and passive supports Professional development