Abstract:
Students are part of a diverse higher education community. Their attitudes and beliefs are embedded in interaction with
lecturers, fellow-students and curricula exposure. It navigates and prepares them for their professional careers.
Transgender students do not associate with society's gendered binary norms and have unique identities and associated
needs. This integrative review aimed to illuminate ‘transgender being’ in higher education through thematically
analysed literature. The studies were sourced on Medline, PubMed, CINAHL and EBSCO databases. Complementary
searches included Google Scholar and Web of Science. The findings of 18 studies were analysed. The participants were
conscious of their being-for- themselves and others. They experienced their transgender being as 1) being through
‘non-being’, 2) being conscious of self and others, 3) being vulnerable, and 4) being and ‘to be’. The review results
were evidence of the need for gender-inclusive education to affirm dignity, respect and inclusivity for all students
pursuing higher education.
