Capturing a nuanced picture of classroom cultural diversity climate: Multigroup and multilevel analyses among secondary school students in Germany

Schachner, Maja K.; Schwarzenthal, Miriam; Moffitt, Ursula; Civitillo, Sauro; Juang, Linda P.

doi:10.1016/j.cedpsych.2021.101971

Cited by 52 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 90 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…We used the classroom cultural diversity climate scale (CCDCS; Schachner et al., 2021) to measure equal treatment (five items, e.g., ‘Some of our teachers make strange comments about students from certain heritage cultures.’; reverse coded; α = .76.) and heritage and intercultural learning (six items, e.g., ‘Our teachers like for students to incorporate their knowledge of their heritage culture into classwork’; α = .87).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This approach draws on multiculturalism (Banks, 1993) and culturally responsive teaching (Gay, 2015), and its proponents suggest that learning and discussions of different cultures are necessary to reduce intergroup prejudice (Park & Judd, 2005). Cultural pluralism includes aspects such as critical consciousness, polyculturalism, and heritage and intercultural learning (Schachner et al., 2021). As the most studied and conceptually relevant dimension, we examined heritage and intercultural learning as a predictor of adolescents’ prosocial intentions and behaviour towards refugee youth.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Cultural diversity approaches in schools and adolescents’ willingness to support refugee youth

Aral

Schachner

Juang

et al. 2021

Brit J of Edu Psychol

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Culturally diverse schools contribute to adolescents’ intergroup relations. Complex and inclusive social identities are mechanisms that can explain the link between structural school cultural diversity (i.e., proportion of students of immigrant descent and the number of different ethnic groups) and positive intergroup relations. We expected that similar mechanisms might be at play linking cultural diversity approaches in schools with adolescents’ intergroup relations. Aim We examined the link between two sub‐dimensions of cultural diversity approaches (i.e., equal treatment; heritage and intercultural learning) and adolescents’ prosocial intentions and behaviour towards refugee youth. Then, we explored the mediating role of identity inclusiveness (i.e., perceived similarity of the self with others). Sample and methods We sampled culturally diverse eighth grade adolescents from 54 classrooms in Berlin (N = 503, Mage = 13.76 years, 50.6% female). Surveys measured perceived cultural diversity norms, adolescents’ perceived identity inclusiveness with refugee youth, prosocial intentions to support refugee youth, and willingness to donate to a project for refugee youth. Results Multilevel models revealed that adolescents’ perception of heritage and intercultural learning predicted adolescents’ prosocial intentions towards refugee youth, but not their willingness to donate. Equal treatment was not a significant predictor of adolescents’ prosocial intentions towards refugee youth, or their willingness to donate. Identity inclusiveness did not mediate the relation between cultural diversity approaches and prosocial intentions. However, identity inclusiveness did positively relate adolescents’ prosocial intentions and willingness to donate. Conclusions We conclude that culturally diverse schools that engage in heritage and intercultural learning might help to promote positive relations between local and refugee youth in schools and society. Fostering inclusive identities may enhance local adolescent’s prosocial intention and behaviour.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultural diversity approaches in schools and adolescents’ willingness to support refugee youth

Aral

Schachner

Juang

et al. 2021

Brit J of Edu Psychol

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Importantly, this finding encourages educational institutions not to regard students' diverse cultural identifications and perspectives as a threat to the social cohesion. Instead, by regarding diversity as a resource, a school climate of cultural pluralism can foster students' well-being and academic achievement at an individual level (Schachner et al, 2016(Schachner et al, , 2021, as well as positive intergroup attitudes in the classroom (Schwarzenthal et al, 2018).…”

Section: What Did We Gain By Going Beyond 'Migrant Background'?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond ‘migrant background’: how to select relevant, social justice oriented, and feasible social categories in educational research

et al. 2022

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Across continental Europe, educational research samples are often divided by ‘migrant background’, a binary variable criticized for masking participant heterogeneity and reinforcing exclusionary norms of belonging. This study endorses more meaningful, representative, and precise research by offering four guiding questions for selecting relevant, social justice oriented, and feasible social categories for collecting and analysing data in psychological and educational research. Using a preregistered empirical example, we first compare selected social categories (‘migrant background’, family heritage, religion, citizenship, cultural identification, and generation status) in their potential to reveal participant heterogeneity. Second, we investigate differences in means and relations between variables (discrimination experiences, perceived societal Islamophobia, and national identity) and academic motivation among 1335 adolescents in Germany (48% female, Mage = 14.69). Regression analyses and multigroup SEM revealed differential experiences with and implications of discrimination for academic motivation. Results highlight the need for a deliberate, transparent use of social categories to make discrimination visible and centre participants’ subjective experiences.

show abstract

“…In terms of reducing inequalities among students in the classroom, the main focus has been directed toward raising awareness about inclusion and equality among students on the one hand and, on the other, dealing with cultural pluralism at the classroom level [24,25]. Students with immigrant and non-immigrant backgrounds who are embedded in polycultural classes (i.e., those with better intercultural relations (equality and inclusion) and more opportunities to learn about cultural diversity (cultural pluralism) are associated with more positive student outcomes [26]). The reduction of inequalities is then focused on the promotive interactions between groups and fairness (equality and inclusion) and on how cultural diversity, through the equal treatment of peers and an individual's critical consciousness, can induce more perspectives for learning [27].…”

Section: Cooperative Learning Gender and Inequalitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cooperative learning is seen, then, as an effective educational approach that optimizes the contact between students from different ethnic, religious, or culturally diverse backgrounds. This approach is reinforced on a classroom scale by promoting equal treatment and, through the absence of institutional discrimination [28], the promotion of equity in members' group roles [29], a culturally diverse curriculum [27], empathy and change of perspective [2] and optimal intergroup dependence [26]. Subsequently, cooperative learning at both individual and classroom levels may create more reflective and critical students [14,15] and more resilience among children at risk from family, community, and/or social dependences.…”

Section: Cooperative Learning Gender and Inequalitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cooperative Learning to Reduce Inequalities: Instructional Approaches and Dimensions

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This manuscript deals with how cooperative learning in pre-school and primary education can be dimensionalized in terms of reducing gender differences and inequalities. In this study, formulated through instructional approaches delivered in four medium- to very high-complexity schools (the number of students with an immigrant background ranging from 30% to 100%), 376 pre-service teachers and 43 qualified teachers were asked to analyze the instruction that they gave to 1658 pre-school and primary students over two consecutive years. Instruction was defined in terms of contextualized physical education challenges that included cooperative psychomotor physical challenges, guided discovery activities and psychomotor problem-solving. The analysis was based on reflective narratives on both gender differences and inequalities, which evinced 792 comments regarding gender (618 by the pre-service teachers and 174 by the schoolteachers) and 627 comments for inequalities (363 by the pre-service teachers and 264 by the schoolteachers). The analysis produced categories based on critical reflection—on both individual and classroom scales—from the pre-service teachers and the schoolteachers. Each of the cooperative learning dimensions, i.e., positive interdependence, individual accountability, promotive interaction, social skills, and group processing, were investigated to produce a set of principles and competencies that best promoted education for sustainable development. The research produced 42 principles that operated under the tenet of leave-no-one-behind, with positive interdependence and promotive interaction providing the higher number of principles that are best suited to tackle, through cooperation processes, equity and inclusivity issues in pre-school and primary education classrooms.

show abstract

Capturing a nuanced picture of classroom cultural diversity climate: Multigroup and multilevel analyses among secondary school students in Germany

Cited by 52 publications

References 90 publications

Cultural diversity approaches in schools and adolescents’ willingness to support refugee youth

Cultural diversity approaches in schools and adolescents’ willingness to support refugee youth

Beyond ‘migrant background’: how to select relevant, social justice oriented, and feasible social categories in educational research

Cooperative Learning to Reduce Inequalities: Instructional Approaches and Dimensions

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About