Primary School Teachers' Personal and Professional Beliefs on Diversity
Abstract
The paper presents research conducted among Croatian primary school classroom teachers and subject teachers regarding their personal and professional beliefs about diversity. The notion of diversity in the context of education was presented as individual differences between students based on race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, gender, abilities, sexual orientation and social class. The results indicate that teachers show different levels of openness towards certain aspects of diversity in the domains of both personal and professional beliefs, but that their personal beliefs are statistically more positive than their professional beliefs. Differences in teachers' beliefs with respect to years of work experience, previous education and professional position were also examined. Statistically significant differences were established only regarding professional position and only in the segment of professional beliefs. The results indicate that there is a need for further research in this area, that is, research that primarily investigates the factors that influence teachers' professional beliefs.
Downloads
References
Agirdag, O., Merry, M. S., & Van Houtte, M. (2016). Teachers’ understanding of multicultural education and the correlates of multicultural content integration in Flanders. Education and Urban Society, 48(6), 556–582. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013124514536610
Altınsoy E., Boyraz S., & Çıtak, T. (2018). Multiculturalism: Are pre-service ELT teachers ready for it?. Journal of Modern Science, 2(37), 307–318. https://doi.org/10.13166/jms/92514
Ameny-Dixon, G. M. (2004). Why multicultural education is more important in higher education now than ever: A global perspective. International Journal of Scholarly Academic Intellectual Diversity, 6, 1–12.
Aragona-Young, E., & Sawyer, B. E. (2018). Elementary teachers’ beliefs about multicultural education practices. Teachers and Teaching, 24(5), 465–486. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2018.1435527
Arnesen, A. L., Allan, J., & Simonsen, E. (Eds.) (2010). Policies and practices for teaching sociocultural diversity –A framework of teacher competences for engaging with diversity. Council of Europe Publishing.
Bandura, A. (1982). Self-efficacy mechanism in human agency. American Psychologist, 37(2), 122–147.
Banks, J. A. (2012). Introduction. In J. A. Banks (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Diversity in Education (xlvii–liii). Sage Publications.
Banks, J. A. (2014). An introduction to multicultural education. (5th ed.). Pearson.
Baranović, B., Jugović, I., & Doolan, K. (2008). Kojega su roda čitanke iz književnosti? [Which gender is reading literature books?]. Institut za društvena istraživanja u Zagrebu, Centar za istraživanje i razvoj obrazovanja.
Baranović, B., & Jugović, I. (2011). Percepcija, iskustvo i stavovi o rodnoj (ne)ravnopravnosti u obrazovanju [Perception, experience and attitudes towards gender (in)equality in education 143–165]. In Ž. Kamenov & B. Galić (Eds.), Rodna ravnopravnost i diskriminacija u Hrvatskoj: Istraživanje ‘‘Percepcija, iskustva i stavovi o rodnoj diskriminaciji u Republici Hrvatskoj’’. Ured za ravnopravnost spolova Republike Hrvatske.
Bouillet, D. (2019). Inkluzivno obrazovanje: odabrane teme. [Inclusive education: Selected topics]. Učiteljski fakultet, Sveučilište u Zagrebu.
Buchanan, E. A., & Hvizdak, E. E. (2009). Online survey tools: Ethical and methodological concerns of human research ethics committees. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 4(2), 37–48. https://doi.org/10.1525/jer.2009.4.2.37
Burns, T. & Shadoian-Gersing, V. (2010). The importance of effective teacher education for diversity (19–40). In OECD Educating Teachers for Diversity: Meeting the Challenge. OECD Publishing.
Cardona, C. M. (2005, April 11-15). Assessing teachers’ beliefs about diversity in personal and professional contexts. [Paper presentation]. Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Montreal, Canada. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED490699.pdf
Chiner, E., Cardona-Moltó, M. C., & Gómez Puerta, J. M. (2015). Teachers’ beliefs about diversity: An analysis from a personal and professional perspective. New Approaches in Educational Research, 4(1), 18–23. https://doi.org/10.7821/naer.2015.1.113
Cochran-Smith, M. (2003). The multiple meanings of multicultural teacher education: A conceptual framework. Teacher Education Quarterly, 30(2), 7–26.
Coronel, J. M., & Gómez-Hurtado, I. (2015). Nothing to do with me! Teachers’ perceptions on cultural diversity in Spanish secondary schools. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 21(4), 400–420. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2014.968896
Cvikić, L., & Novak Milić, J. (2015). Međukulturna kompetencija u predmetu Hrvatski jezik: teorijske pretpostavke, pripremljenost i stavovi učitelja, [Intercultural competence within the school subject Croatian language: Theory, teachers’ readiness, and attitudes 145–162]. In S. L. Udier & K. Cergol Kovačević (Eds.), Višejezičnost kao predmet multidisciplinarnih istraživanja: zbornik radova s međunarodnoga znanstvenog skupa Hrvatskoga društva za primijenjenu lingvisiku. Srednja Europa.
European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education (2012). Profile of Inclusive Teachers. European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education.
European Commission (2017). Preparing teachers for diversity: The role of initial teacher education. Final report to DG Education, Youth, Sport and Culture of the European Commission. European Commission.
Filipović, A. T. (2015). Odnos vjeroučiteljica i vjeroučitelja u Hrvatskoj prema razlikama u razredu i nastavi [Attitudes of religious education teachers in Croatia towards differences in classroom and teaching]. Crkva u svijetu, 51(1), 7–34.
Gay, G. (2002). Preparing for culturally responsive teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(2), 106–116. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487102053002003
Gay, G. (2010). Acting on beliefs in teacher education for cultural diversity. Journal of Teacher Education, 61(1-2), 143–152.
Gay, G. & Howard, T. C. (2000). Multicultural teacher education for the 21st century. The Teacher Educator, 36(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/08878730009555246
Giambo, D., & Szecsi, T. (2007). Does diversity education make a difference in teacher education?. Practice and Theory in Systems of Education, 2(3–4), 35–50.
Guðjónsdóttir, H., & Óskarsdóttir, E. (2020). ‘Dealing with diversity’: Debating the focus of teacher education for inclusion. European Journal of Teacher Education, 43(1), 95–109. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2019.1695774
Huić, A., Jelić, M., & Kamenov, Ž. (2015). Što predviđa spremnost heteroseksualnih osoba na pozitivno i negativno ponašanje prema osobama homoseksualne orijentacije? [What predicts heterosexuals’ readiness for positive or negative behaviour towards homosexuals]. Kriminologija i socijalna integracija, 23(2), 79-109.
Liu, Q., Çolak, F. Z., & Agirdag, O. (2021). Teachers’ beliefs and practices in culturally diverse schools: An empirical study in Southwest China. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 27(7), 672–695. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2021.1987878
Longin, E. (2014). Stavovi prema homoseksualnim osobama: uloga spola, studijskog umjerenja i važnosti vjere u životu. [Attitudes towards homosexuals: The role of gender, subject of study and importance of religion in life]. [Bachelor’s thesis, Sveučilište u Zadru].
Markočić Dekanić, A., Gregurović, M., Batur, M., & Fulgosi, S. (2019a). PISA 2018: Rezultati, odrednice i implikacije. Međunarodno istraživanje znanja i vještina učenika [PISA 2018: Results, determinants and implications. International research of students’ knowledge and competences]. NCVVO.
Markočić Dekanić, A., Markuš Sandrić, M., & Gregurović, M. (2019b). TALIS 2018: Učitelji, nastavnici i ravnatelji – cjeloživotni učenici. Međunarodno istraživanje učenja i poučavanja [TALIS 2018: Teachers and school principals – lifelong learners: International study on learning and teaching]. NCVVO.
Mazziotta, A., Piper, V., & Rohmann, A. (2016). Interkulturelle Trainings. Ein wissenschaftlich fundierter und praxisrelevanter Rückblick [Intercultural trainings. A scientifically based and practicerelevant review]. Springer.
Mesić, M., & Bagić, D. (2011). Stavovi hrvatskih građana prema kulturnim različitostima [Attitudes of Croatian citizens towards cultural differences]. Migracijske i etničke teme, 27(1), 7–38.
Mostafa, T. (2020), “Do all students have equal opportunities to learn global and intercultural skills at school?”. PISA in Focus, No. 109, OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/2fdce668-en
Mullis, I. V. S., von Davier, M., Foy, P., Fishbein, B., Reynolds, K. A., & Wry, E. (2023). PIRLS 2021 international results in reading. Boston College, TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center. https://doi.org/10.6017/lse.tpisc.tr2103.kb5342
Najman Hižman, E., Leutar, Z., & Kancijan, S. (2008). Stavovi građana prema osobama s invaliditetom u Hrvatskoj u usporedbi s Europskom unijom [Attitudes of citizens towards people with disabilities in Croatia in comparison with the European Union]. Socijalna ekologija, 17(1), 71–93.
Nuhanović, S. (2021). Stavovi učitelja o obrazovnoj inkluziji romskih učenika. [Teachers’ attitudes towards the inclusion of Roma students]. Magistra Iadertina, 16(2), 73–90.
OECD. (2010). Educating teachers for diversity: Meeting the challenge. Educational Research and Innovation. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264079731-en
OECD. (2019). The lives of teachers in diverse classrooms. OECD Education Working Paper No. 198. OECD, Directorate for Education and Skills.
Parmač, M. (2005). Stavovi studenata prema osobama homoseksualne orijentacije. [Attitudes of students towards homosexual persons]. [Master’s thesis, Filozofski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu].
Pohan, C. A., & Aguilar, T. E. (2001). Measuring educators’ beliefs about diversity in personal and professional contexts. American Educational Research Journal, 38(1), 159–182.
Puttick, S., Nye, Z., Wynn, J., Muir, L., & Hill, Y. (2021). Student teachers’ beliefs about diversity: Analysing the impact of a ‘diversity week’ during initial teacher education. Teacher Development, 25(1), 85–100. https://doi.org/10.1080/13664530.2020.1854336
Sakarneh, M. (2023). Teachers’ attitudes towards the rights of students with special education needs during the Covid-19 pandemic. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 13(2), 143–162. https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1155
Skepple, R. G. (2015). Preparing culturally responsive pre-service teachers for culturally diverse classrooms. Kentucky Journal of Excellence in College Teaching and Learning, 12(6), 57–69. https://encompass.eku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1071&context=kjectl
Skočić Mihić, S., Gabrić, I., & Bošković, S. (2016). Učiteljska uvjerenja o vrijednostima inkluzivnog obrazovanja [Teachers’ beliefs about the values of inclusive education]. Hrvatska revija za rehabilitacijska istraživanja, 52(1), 30–41.
Taylor, R., Kumi-Yeboah, A., & Ringlaben, R. P. (2016). Pre-service teachers’ perceptions towards multicultural education & teaching of culturally & linguistically diverse learners. Multicultural Education, 23(3–4), 42–48. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1119400.pdf
UNESCO. (1994). The Salamanca statement and framework for action on special needs education. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000098427
UNESCO. (2003). Overcoming exclusion through inclusive approaches in education: A challenge and a vision. Conceptual paper. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000134785
Van Selm, M., & Jankowski, N. W. (2006). Conducting online surveys. Quality and Quantity, 40(3), 435–456. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-005-8081-8
Vermunt, J. (2016). Secondary student teachers’ personal and professional values, and the teaching as inquiry framework. New Zealand Journal of Teachers’ Work, 13(1), 39–60.
Vidaković, M., Nikolić Ivanišević, M., Tokić, A., Ombla, J., & Slišković, A. (2021). Stavovi hrvatskih građana prema djeci s teškoćama u razvoju [Attitudes of Croatian citizens towards children with disabilities]. Revija za sociologiju | Croatian Sociological Review 52(2), 183–212.
Vizek Vidović, V., & Domović, V. (2019). Development of teachers’ beliefs as a core component of their professional identity in initial teacher education. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 9(2), 119–138. https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.720
Žero, A., & Pižorn, K. (2022). Undergraduate and graduate students’ beliefs about dyslexia: Implications for initial foreign language teacher education. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 12(4), 101–127. https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1432
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors are confirming that they are the authors of the submitted article, which will be published online in the Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal (for short: CEPS Journal) by University of Ljubljana Press (University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, Kardeljeva ploščad 16, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia). The Author’s/Authors’ name(s) will be evident in the article in the journal. All decisions regarding layout and distribution of the work are in the hands of the publisher.
- The Authors guarantee that the work is their own original creation and does not infringe any statutory or common-law copyright or any proprietary right of any third party. In case of claims by third parties, authors commit themselves to defend the interests of the publisher, and shall cover any potential costs.
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
