‘Chilled classrooms’: teacher responses to ‘divisive concepts’ legislation-related challenges to professionalism

‘Divisive concept’ legislation and related social media rhetoric seek to limit conversations about race, gender, and other ‘divisive’ issues in K–12 schools. Emerging research suggests that these politicised curriculum disputes may be harmful to teachers. Although recent studies have explored teachers’ initial reactions to divisive concept legislation, limited research exists on how teachers see this legislation affecting their behaviour. This research addresses this gap by examining the strategies teachers employ to navigate challenges to their professional status stemming from divisive concept legislation. We interviewed 18 secondary school teachers throughout Utah’s Wasatch Front, a suburban area in a conservative state, during a period of heated state-wide discussion of these issues. Analysing these interviews using a grounded theory approach showed that teachers demonstrated strong adverse emotional reactions to limitations related to ‘divisive’ issues and related interactions. Teachers also described behavioural changes that impede their ability to apply their professional pedagogical training, including professional self-censorship and minimising interactions with parents. These responses illustrate how the informal surveillance and reputational threat implied in divisive concept legislation and rhetoric undermine teacher professionalism. Teachers’ altered behaviour underscores the risks that ‘divisive issue’ legislation poses to teacher wellbeing and student success.