Ethnic discrimination in secondary education: Does the solution lie in multicultural education and the ethnic school composition?

Abstract

Ethnic discrimination is a serious problem in education. Previous quantitative research is predominately focused on the consequences of ethnic discrimination. Very little is known, however, about the characteristics of the school context that influence the initial experience of ethnic discrimination. This knowledge is essential to support schools in how to organize in a way that diminishes the likelihood of adolescents being discriminated against. This study examines the relationship between multicultural education and perceived ethnic discrimination, and the moderating role of the ethnic composition of the student population. Multicultural education is a broad concept. The focus lies on the three main actors: multicultural policy from the perspective of the principal, multicultural teaching from the perception of the teacher and students’ perception of multicultural teaching. The results of a multilevel analysis on a large-scale dataset (N = 2715 students, 38 schools) collected in secondary education in Belgium show that students of ethnic Belgian descent are more likely to report ethnic discrimination by peers if the school applies a more multicultural policy or if the school has a high concentration of students with an other-than-Belgian background. Students with an other-than-Belgian background are more likely to report ethnic discrimination by teachers if the school applies a more multicultural policy. If students perceive that their teachers pay attention to multicultural education, they are less likely to report ethnic discrimination by teachers, but more by peers. The ethnic composition is not directly related to perceived ethnic discrimination, nor does it play a moderating role.

The Influence of Student Diversity on Applying Cooperative Learning in Ethiopian Polytechnic Colleges

“…There have been some concerns that the academic success of the discriminated against ethnic minority students was also negatively impacted by state peer victimization. We have confirmed from various interview sessions that the current study yields results consistent with those of D'hondt, Maene, Vervaet, Houtte, and Stevens [21], who found out that students of minority ethnic descent are more likely to report racial discrimination by peers if the school adopts a more multicultural policy or if there is a high concentration of students from non-minority ethnic backgrounds.…”

Bentuk - Bentuk Diskriminasi pada Siswa Kelas VI UPT SDN 2 Blitarejo

“…Pencegahan diskriminasi melibatkan pendidikan tentang kesetaraan, penghormatan terhadap keragaman, promosi nilai-nilai inklusi, serta penegakan hukum yang cakap demi menjaga hak pribadi dari diskriminasi (D'hondt, 2021;Gallego-noche, 2021;Guo, 2022;Luduec, 2019;Sandoval, 2022;Wenz, 2020). Kesadaran, pendidikan, dan tindakan kolektif merupakan upaya penting untuk mengatasi dan mencegah terjadinya diskriminasi.…”

Teachers’ responses to ethnic discrimination: An exploratory study in Flemish secondary schools

“…At the teacher level, ethnic discrimination is often expressed through unequal treatment, low expectations, unfair assessment, stereotypes and racist jokes (Burgess & Greaves, 2013; Colak et al, 2020; Gillborn, 2008; Stevens, 2008). At the school level, the interracial climate, school policy, tracking and ethnic composition are found to influence the level of perceived ethnic discrimination by pupils (Bellmore et al, 2012; Brown & Chu, 2012; D'hondt et al, 2021; Van Praag et al, 2015). Additionally, schools will often uphold particular institutional norms and practices that could reproduce ethnic inequity and the perseverance of ethnic discrimination (Gillborn, 2006).…”

“…While these cases are often incidental, they can negatively affect a student's sense of school belonging, self‐esteem, mental and physical health, academic achievement and overall school engagement (Benner et al, 2018; D'hondt et al, 2015a, 2015b; Hackett et al, 2020). While previous studies mainly focussed on experiences and outcomes of discrimination for students (Colak et al, 2020; D'hondt et al, 2015a, 2015b; D'hondt et al, 2021; Stevens, 2009), little is known about the role of the teacher in this process. More specifically, how teachers respond to incidents of ethnic discrimination and why they choose to do so.…”