Conference Agenda
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07 SES 03 D: Educational Inclusion under Conditions of Social Inequality: Actors, Practices and School Contexts
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07. Social Justice and Intercultural Education
Paper Navigating Inequalities and Promoting Resilience: Student Engagement and Learning Outcomes in Disadvantaged School Contexts 1: Faculty od Education, Department of Education, Masaryk University, Czechia; 2: Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Czechia Presenting Author:As international research has consistently demonstrated, socioeconomic status (SES) and ethnic or racial minority background are among the strongest predictors of educational achievement (Agasisti et al., 2021). The uneven distribution of students from diverse social backgrounds across schools exacerbates this achievement gap (Owens, 2018). Moreover, disadvantaged students face a heightened risk of poorer educational outcomes following COVID-19–related school closures, which resulted in academic losses—particularly among low-SES students—and contributed to the widening of educational inequalities (Betthäuser et al., 2023). These disparities reflect broader concerns of social justice in education, as unequal access to resources and opportunities continues to disadvantage certain student groups. Educational research stresses that there is a significant positive relationship between learning achievement and student engagement (Martins et al., 2022). Moreover, there is evidence of a positive association between student SES and engagement; disengagement and underachievement are particularly typical for students living in low-income and minority families (Wylie & Hodgen, 2012). Student engagement is usually conceptualised as a multidimensional construct comprising behavioural, emotional, and cognitive dimensions (Fredricks et al., 2004). Behavioural engagement reflects students’ motivation to participate in classroom and extracurricular activities, on-task behaviour, regular attendance, and the absence of disciplinary problems (Martins et al., 2022). Emotional engagement encompasses students’ positive and negative classroom-related emotions, such as interest or anxiety, as well as their sense of belonging and connectedness to school, which are closely linked to relationships with teachers and peers (Fredricks et al., 2004). Cognitive engagement refers to students’ investment in learning through the use of metacognitive and self-regulation strategies, including planning, monitoring, and evaluating their learning processes (Fredricks et al., 2004). Although there is agreement that SES and race/ethnic differences among students lead to educational inequalities that persist throughout their lives, there is less agreement on effective solutions. Growing evidence suggests that additional resources for schools can be beneficial (Kyriakides et al., 2019). Comprehensive and whole school programmes have proven particularly promising in improving student learning outcomes, attendance and grade advancement (Kyriakides et al., 2019). However, there is considerable variation among the intervention effects expounded by the programmes. Research on school improvement in disadvantaged contexts highlights the central role of high-quality teaching, and high academic expectations (Muijs et al., 2004). Effective instructional practices, systematic monitoring of student progress, feedback, are consistently identified as key mechanisms of support (Dietrichson et al., 2017). Additionally, personalised support—such as tutoring, mentoring, and individualised academic plans—alongside strong collaboration among school staff, parents, and the wider community, has been shown to contribute significantly to improvement in disadvantaged schools (Cabral-Gouveia et al., 2023). In this multiple case study, we investigate the implementation of a state-funded project aimed at increasing student engagement and achievement within a post-COVID-19 support framework focused on schools with a higher proportion of socially disadvantaged students in the Czech Republic. We aimed to address following research questions:
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used After the COVID-19 pandemic, the Czech government launched a special funding scheme called the National Recovery Plan (NRP), supported by the European Union's Recovery and Resilience Facility. The goal of the NRP was to address the pandemic's impact, prepare the population for future crises and bolster resilience. The programme was launched in 2022 to financially and methodologically support 256 socially disadvantaged schools across the Czech Republic. Based on the initial needs analysis, each school selected individual combinations of support measures from a catalogue composed of three main categories: personnel support (e.g. social pedagogue, special pedagogue, school psychologist), direct student support (e.g. breakfast clubs, tutoring, experiential learning programmes) and support for further education and professional development of educational staff (e.g. mentoring, coaching). The support system was designed to promote a high degree of autonomy for individual schools. An external consultant assigned to the given school helped with the selection process to ensure that the measures chosen aligned with the school’s needs and supported project implementation both administratively and methodically. Our research design was a multiple case study, which enabled us to capture in-depth single cases and to look for patterns shared across all cases. The cases were rather instrumental as our primary goal was to look beyond particular cases (Stake, 2006). Schools were purposefully selected in line with two main selection criteria: (1) proportions of socially disadvantaged students; and (2) willingness to cooperate in data collection over a period of 3 years. The proportions of socially disadvantaged students were based on qualified estimates by school leaders. Two schools had a high proportion of the target student group (70% and more); three schools had a medium proportion of socially disadvantaged students (between 30 and 50%). All the schools were located in socially deprived localities. Mini cases within the cases (cf. Stake, 2006) were students with low SES who were in danger of school failure. At each school, students from grades 2, 5 and 8 were selected based on consultations with school leaders, members of school counselling offices and class teachers. To explore the project implementation, we conducted semi-structured interviews with diverse actors in selected schools: school leaders; deputy directors; members of school counselling offices (e.g. special pedagogues, school psychologists, social pedagogues, preventionists); teaching assistants; class teachers of selected students; and other subject teachers; students and parents. In total, we analysed 173 interviews and 20 school documents. Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings Our findings indicate that within the project support, measures were primarily selected to target barriers in the education of socially disadvantaged students related to student behavioural and emotional engagement; cognitive engagement was rather sidelined. To address attendance problems, school staff emphasised that students and parents should perceive the school as a safe environment based on trust. Similarly, experiential events for students and parents, typical measures selected by schools from the project, were framed by school staff in terms of their contribution to students’ and parents’ sense of connectedness to school, and in terms of potentially increasing school attendance and participation in extracurricular activities. When addressing issues related to low motivation among students to participate in class, schools often chose support for purchasing supplies that students were unable to bring to class. Low student participation in class and off-task behaviour often manifested itself in challenging behaviour in the classroom, which teachers typically addressed via collaboration with counselling staff or teaching assistants whose positions were often (co)financed from the project budgets. A similar pattern emerged when we examined teachers’ instructional strategies in the classroom. Teachers primarily focused their support on students’ positive experiences and emotions, which relate to affective engagement. They sought to enhance behavioural engagement through physical activities and educational technologies. However, support for cognitive engagement during teaching was limited. When classroom time is mainly devoted to increasing student motivation, solving challenging behaviour, or distributing materials, instructional complexity may be reduced. The data also indicate a tendency to lower teachers’ expectations regarding student outcomes by reducing curriculum content or normalising low aspirations for higher education. We can conclude that school staff prioritised student engagement while downplaying their achievement. Consequently, support programmes may fail to achieve the intended reduction of educational inequalities and may even further perpetuate social injustices. References Agasisti, T., Avvisati, F., Borgonovi, F., & Longobardi, S. (2021). What school factors are associated with the success of socio- economically disadvantaged students? An empirical investigation using PISA data. Social Indicators Research, 157, 749–781. Betthäuser, B. A., Bach- Mortensen, A. M., & Engzell, P. (2023). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence on learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nature Human Behaviour, 7(3), 375–385. Cabral- Gouveia, C., Menezes, I., & Neves, T. (2023). Educational strategies to reduce the achievement gap: A systematic review. Frontiers in Education, 8, 1155741. Dietrichson, J., Bøg, M., Filges, T., & Klint Jørgensen, A. M. (2017). Academic interventions for elementary and middle school students with low socioeconomic status: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 87, 243–282. Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74(1), 59–109. Kyriakides, L., Charalambous, E., Creemers, H. P. M., & Dimosthenous, A. (2019). Improving quality and equity in schools in socially disadvantaged areas. Educational Research, 61(3), 274–301. Martins, J., Cunha, J., Lopes, S., Moreira, T., & Rosário, P. (2022). School engagement in elementary school: A systematic review of 35 years of research. Educational Psychology Review, 34(2), 793–849. Muijs, D., Harris, A., Chapman, C., Stoll, L., & Russ, J. (2004). Improving schools in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas–a review of research evidence. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 15(2), 149–175. Owens, A. (2018). Income segregation between school districts and inequality in students' achievement. Sociology of Education, 91(1), 1–27. Stake, R. E. (2006). Multiple case study analysis. The Guilford Press. Wylie, C., & Hodgen, E. (2012). Trajectories and patterns of student engagement: Evidence from a longitudinal study. In S. L. Christenson, A. L. Reschly, & C. Wylie (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Student Engagement (pp. 585–599). Springer. 07. Social Justice and Intercultural Education
Paper Intercultural Assistants’ Associations in the Polish Education System University of Wroclaw, Poland Presenting Author:Paper explores the emergence, functioning, and significance of intercultural assistants’ (IAs) associations in Polish education, asking how these grassroots organisations support intercultural assistants themselves and contribute to the professionalisation, visibility, and stability of the occupation. The article is situated in the context of rapidly increasing cultural diversity in Polish schools, particularly following the escalation of forced migration after 24 February 2022. According to official data, nearly one million people with migration experience were registered in Poland in 2025, with approximately 1.55 million Ukrainian citizens holding residence permits. In the educational system, this translated into around 237,000 foreign students, representing 4.8% of all pupils in Polish schools. Despite the legal framework providing integration measures, research consistently shows that Polish schools remain structurally underprepared to address linguistic, psychosocial, and educational needs of students with migration experience. In this context, intercultural assistants have become a crucial link between schools, migrant students, and families. Since their emergence around 2010, initially in response to the needs of Roma students, IAs have supported communication, adaptation, and integration processes in everyday school practice. However, their occupational position has remained precarious. Employment instability, low pay, unclear role definitions, limited institutional recognition, and lack of systemic support have been widely documented in the literature. Although the IA role was formally introduced into education law in 2024 and included in the national classification of occupations in 2025, regulatory frameworks have not fully established professional standards, sustaining uncertainty and uneven implementation across schools. Against this background, the article focuses on a relatively new phenomenon: the development of intercultural assistants’ associations as forms of grassroots self-advocacy. Currently, three such associations operate in Poland: the Intercultural Assistants Association To Ma Sens (Kraków), the Wielkopolska Intercultural Assistants Association SWAM (Poznań), and the Tandem Association (Białystok). These organisations are analysed as initiatives located at the intersection of schooling and civil society, shaped both by the expansion of the NGO sector and by post-2022 civic mobilisation related to refugee support. The central research question is: What roles do intercultural assistants’ associations play in strengthening the IA profession through professionalisation, peer support, and advocacy, and what constraints and costs accompany this form of grassroots self-organisation? The objective of the study is to examine motivations for establishing associations, their goals and values, their strategies for reinforcing the IA role, and the challenges they face. The conceptual framework draws on research on multicultural education, migrant integration, civil society participation, and occupational self-advocacy. The study is informed by literature on migrant-led organisations, informal forms of engagement, and agency-building practices, situating IA associations within broader European and international debates on integration, participation, and the role of education systems as key sites of social cohesion. Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used The study employed a qualitative, exploratory research design aimed at capturing meanings, interpretations, and lived experiences of individuals directly involved in IAs' associations. Research was conducted across all three IA associations currently operating in Poland, as well as among coordinators of the Coalition for Strengthening the Role of Intercultural and Roma Assistants. Participants were selected using purposive sampling, based on their involvement in initiating, coordinating, or implementing association activities. The research group consisted of leaders and active members of associations occupying diverse roles, including board membership, coordination, and implementation. Most participants had migration experience, and all were women. This sampling strategy enabled the inclusion of multiple perspectives within a shared field of practice. Data collection involved semi-structured in-depth interviews: two individual interviews (IDIs) and three focus group interviews (FGIs). Interviews followed a protocol addressing the origins of associations, motivations for their establishment, goals and values, forms of professional and emotional support, advocacy activities, relationships with schools and public institutions, and perceived difficulties and costs of engagement. To strengthen data triangulation, the interview material was complemented by document analysis, including association statutes and content published on social media. Interviews were audio-recorded with participants’ informed consent and subsequently transcribed. Ethical considerations were central to the research process. Participation was voluntary and based on ongoing informed consent. Data were anonymised where possible, and given the small size of the field, participants reviewed the manuscript prior to submission to minimise potential harm related to interpretation or disclosure, in line with ethical guidelines for educational research. The empirical material was analysed using thematic analysis, understood as a flexible method for identifying, analysing, and interpreting patterns of meaning in qualitative data. The analytic process was iterative, with codes and categories continuously refined in relation to the research questions and the full dataset. Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings The findings demonstrate that intercultural assistants’ associations play a multidimensional role in Polish education. First, they significantly contribute to the professionalisation of the IA role by organising training, supervision, developmental meetings, and exchanges of good practices. Associations also function as spaces for “translating the system,” helping assistants and schools understand rights, responsibilities, and role boundaries within the education system. Second, associations provide essential emotional and relational support. They create communities in which assistants can share experiences of overload, responsibility, and isolation, counteracting burnout and strengthening well-being. This function is particularly important given the emotional demands of IA work and the lack of institutional support. Third, associations engage in advocacy and visibility-building. They represent IAs in relations with schools, local authorities, and public institutions, increase public recognition of the profession, and contribute to tangible changes, such as the creation of new positions or extension of assistance into counselling centres. At the same time, the study highlights clear constraints. IA work remains characterised by precarious employment, unclear standards, and managerial discretion. Association activities rely heavily on unpaid labour, limited time, and unstable funding, which increases the risk of burnout among leaders. While grassroots self-advocacy reduces isolation and strengthens agency, it may also intensify workload and emotional strain. Overall, the findings suggest that IA associations function as a temporary “prosthesis of the system,” filling institutional gaps while seeking long-term stabilisation of the profession. They should therefore be recognised not as substitutes for systemic solutions, but as key partners in designing sustainable educational and integration policies. References Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. British Educational Research Association [BERA]. (2024). Ethical guidelines for educational research (5th ed.). Charycka, B., Bednarek, J., & Gumkowska, M. (2024). When working in crisis becomes daily life. Local organisations supporting refugees in Poland. Klon/Jawor Research. Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (2nd ed.). Sage. Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). (2018). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research (5th ed.). Sage. Entzinger, H. (Ed.). (1999). Political and social participation of immigrants through consultative bodies. Council of Europe Publishing. Flick, U. (2009). An introduction to qualitative research (4th ed.). Sage. Gabrielli, L., Gsir, S., & Zapata-Barrero, R. (2017). Political and civic participation of immigrants in host countries: An interpretative framework from the perspective of the origin countries and societies. In A. Weinar et al. (Eds.), Migrant integration between homeland and host society (Vol. 1, pp. 87–116). Springer. Halabi, S., et al. (2024, February). Out of school: Assessment on barriers to school enrolment for Ukrainian refugee adolescents in Poland. CARE International in Poland; International Rescue Committee; Save the Children Poland. ICMPD. (2024). The role of Ukrainian diaspora in crisis response, future return and reconstruction of Ukraine: Case study from Germany, Czech Republic and Poland. International Centre for Migration Policy Development. Młynarczuk-Sokołowska, A. (2024). Developing professional competences of pedagogical staff in culturally diverse environments: Case of the 2nd Intercultural Education School. Edukacja Międzykulturowa, 24(1), 59–72. Nowosielski, M., & Nowak, W. (2020). (In)formal social participation of immigrants – are migrants from Poland socially active? CMR Spotlight, 21, 2–6. Stoch, M. (2023). Solutions for the integration of refugee children and youth in Krakow schools after the outbreak of war in Ukraine: Findings from a pilot study. Krakowskie Studia Małopolskie, 1(37), 41–77. Świdrowska, E., & Stano, K. (2025). Foreign students in Polish schools in the 2024/2025 school year: Data analysis report. Centre for Citizenship Education & International Rescue Committee Poland Foundation. Świdrowska, E., & Walczak, B. (2024). Cultural diversity in Polish schools – Teachers’ perspectives: Qualitative survey report. Centrum Edukacji Obywatelskiej. Tędziagolska, M., Walczak, B., & Wielecki, K. M. (2024). Students from Ukraine in Polish schools – 2023/2024 school year: Qualitative research report. Centrum Edukacji Obywatelskiej. 07. Social Justice and Intercultural Education
Paper Who Makes Schools Inclusive? Testing the Role of Teachers in a Multilevel Model of Migrant Learners’ Integration in 6 European Countries 1: Institute for Social Studies, Science and Research Centre Koper, Slovenia; 2: Department of Sociology, University of Maribor, Slovenia Presenting Author:The growing proportion of migrant youth in European educational institutions represents one of the key challenges of contemporary multicultural societies. The ethnic, linguistic, and cultural heterogeneity that migrant learners bring into classrooms requires educational systems not only to ensure equal access to education, but also to actively create conditions for their successful integration into the host country. Schools thus become a key environment in which processes of socialisation, the formation of belonging, the learning of the host-country language, and the development of social and cultural competences take place. Despite the growing social and scholarly interest in the integration of migrant youth, academic research in this field remains fragmented. Existing studies predominantly focus on individual indicators of integration (e.g. academic achievement, proficiency in the host-country language, psychological well-being), while rarely examining the interplay of factors at the individual, institutional, and structural levels, or their relationships with integration outcomes (see for example Ismail, 2019; Kozina, 2020; Lundkvist et al., 2020; Machovceva, 2017; Peterson et al., 2016; Wong & Schweitzer, 2017). This paper seeks to address these gaps. It was developed as part of the international research project MiCREATE, within which an extensive empirical database was collected in six countries: Austria, Denmark, Slovenia, Spain, Poland and the United Kingdom. The article presents a multivariate explanatory model of migrant youth integration that incorporates factors at the macro (country), meso (school), and micro (individual characteristics of learners) levels. For the operationalisation of integration, six indicators were identified, tackling cognitive, social, and psychological dimensions. These indicators include integration into the school environment, integration into extracurricular activities, integration into peer groups, levels of psychological well-being, proficiency in the host-country language, and academic achievement. Particular attention is paid to the school environment as the central meso level, as educational institutions represent, for most migrant youth, the first and most intensive point of contact with the host country (Dežan & Sedmak, 2020; 2023; Schachner et al., 2018; Sedmak et al., 2022). The central research question explores how, and to what extent, the school environment shapes the integration of migrant learners across six European countries. The empirical model results from an original integration of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006) with Overton’s relational–developmental systems metatheory (Overton, 2015), providing a robust framework for examining and explaining the integration of migrant learners as a dynamic, relational, multilevel, and temporally situated process. This combined conceptual framework enables a holistic and systemic understanding of migrant integration, which is not conceptualised as something that merely happens to pupils, but rather as a process in which they are actively involved. Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used Analyses were conducted using a dataset based on a non-probability convenience sample of migrant and non-migrant pupils from six European countries: Austria, Denmark, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. These countries participated in the international project MiCREATE (Migrant Children and Communities in a Transforming Europe). The project was implemented between 2019 and 2022, with data collection carried out from April 2020 to May 2021. Data were primarily collected through face-to-face surveys using Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI). The sample comprised 3,244 pupils from 40 educational institutions (54.4% girls), of whom 700 had a migrant background (48.8% girls). Participants were between 8 and 19 years old (M = 13.1, SD = 2.41). The study questionnaire consisted of 30 items addressing various aspects of the lives of migrant and non-migrant learners, as well as their attitudes towards a range of social issues. The questionnaire aimed to collect data on pupils’ attitudes towards cultural pluralism, migration, migrants, and integration. It enabled the collection of information related to individual indicators of integration in the host country, including academic achievement, psychological well-being, integration into peer groups, participation in school and extracurricular activities, and self-assessed proficiency in the host-country language. In addition, the questionnaire gathered socio-demographic information on gender, age, ethnicity, mother tongue, religious affiliation, attitudes towards intercultural issues, type of settlement, and length of residence in the host country. The questionnaire was composed of items drawn from standardised instruments that had been previously empirically tested and demonstrated adequate validity and reliability. Multilevel linear modelling was employed to examine the relationship between macro-level factors and the level of integration of migrant pupils. Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings The findings confirm the importance of inclusive pedagogical approaches for the integration of migrant learners into the school environment. The results indicate that educational contexts in which teaching staff employ inclusive practices are statistically significantly and positively associated with migrant learners’ integration into the school environment, their integration into peer groups, and their levels of psychological well-being. Furthermore, more inclusive school environments, characterised by more favourable learner attitudes towards migration, are associated with higher levels of migrant learners’ integration into the school environment. However, this effect becomes statistically non-significant once the inclusivity of teaching staff is controlled for. This finding suggests that the integration of migrant learners is largely driven by the inclusive practices of teaching staff, as these practices outweigh the influence of learners’ favourable attitudes. A similar pattern emerges with regard to peer integration. Migrant learners attending schools where peers hold more favourable attitudes towards migration appear to be better integrated into peer groups; however, this association becomes statistically non-significant once the inclusivity of teaching staff is included in the model. This again highlights the central role of inclusive pedagogical practices, through which teaching staff, via their example and everyday practices, can facilitate access to peer groups and compensate for the effects of peers’ attitudes. References Bronfenbrenner, U. in Morris, P. A. (2006). The bioecological model of human development. V R. M. Lerner in W. Damon (ur.). Handbook of Child Psychology: Theoretical models of Human Development, str. 793–828. Wiley. Dežan, L. & Sedmak, M. (2020). Policy and practice: The integration of (newly arrived) migrant children in Slovenian schools. Annales Series Historia et Sociologia, 30(4), 559–574. DOI 10.19233/ASHS.2020.37 Dežan, L. & Sedmak, M. (2023). How do you feel at school? A cross-country comparative analysis of migrant adolescents' school well-being. Frontiers in education. Jan. 2023, vol. 8, [article no.] 1003762. Ismail, A.A. (2019). Immigrant children, educational performance and public policy: A capability approach. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 20, 717–734. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-018-0630-9 Kozina, A. (2020). Can FRIENDS for life social-emotional learning programme be used for preventing anxiety and aggression in a school environment: 6 months, 1-year and 1-and-a-half year follow-up. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 18(2), 214–229. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405629.2020.1776103 Lundkvist, E., Wagnsson, S., Davis, L. in Ivarsson, A. (2020). Integration of immigrant youth in Sweden: Does sport participation really have an impact? International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 25(1), 891–906. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2020.1775099 Machovcová, K. (2017). Czech elementary school teachers' implicit expectations from migrant children. International Journal of Educational Development, 53, 92–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2016.12.006 Overton, W. F. (2015). Processes, relations, and relational-developmental-systems. V W. F. Overton, P. C. M. Molenaar in R. M. Lerner (ur.), Handbook of child psychology and developmental science: Theory and method, (str. 9–62). John Wiley & Sons Inc. Peterson, E. R., Rubie-Davies, C., Osborne, D. in Sibley, C. (2016). Teachers’ explicit expectations and implicit prejudiced attitudes to educational achievement: Relations with student achievement and the ethnic achievement gap. Learning and Instruction, 42, 123–140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.01.010 Schachner, M.K., Juang, L., Moffitt, U. in van de Vijver, F. J. R. (2018). Schools as acculturative and developmental contexts for youth of immigrant and refugee background. European Psychologist, 23(1), 44–56. https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000312 Sedmak, M., Hernández-Hernández, F., Sancho-Gil, J. in Gornik, B. (2022). Reflection on migrant children’s integration and the role of education. V M. Sedmak, F. Hernández – Hernández., J. Sancho-Gil in B. Gornik (ur.), Migrant children’s integration and education in Europe: Approaches, methodologies and policies (str. 17–39). Ediciones Octaedro. https://octaedro.com/libro/migrant-childrens-integration-and-education-in-europe/ Wong, C. W. S. in Schweitzer, R. D. (2017). Individual, premigration and postsettlement factors, and academic achievement in adolescents from refugee backgrounds: A systematic review and model. Transcultural Psychiatry, 54(5-6), 756–782. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363461517737015 07. Social Justice and Intercultural Education
Paper Beyond The Classroom Walls: Exploring Socio-Ecologıcal Influences on Teachers’ Emotions in Multicultural Classrooms indipendent researcher, Turkey (Türkiye) Presenting Author:This study explores how ecological dynamics affect teachers' emotions and how teachers regulate emotions within the ecological context of multicultural classrooms in Turkiye. While diversity promotes integration, it also presents challenges, including increased workload, time-management issues, lack of training, ideological conflicts, value discrepancies, and emotional tension for teachers. These can cause stress, burnout, and negative emotions. The link between teachers' emotional exhaustion and students' stress (Oberle & Schonert-Richl, 2016) and the connection between student and teacher well-being (Frenzel et al., 2018) highlight the importance of teachers' emotions in multicultural classrooms. In refugee education, educators' emotions are also vital in multicultural classrooms, especially as migrant numbers grow, as in Turkiye. Teachers’ emotional skills are key to effective teaching; supporting their mental health improves resilience and helps traumatized refugee students (Hargreaves, 1998; Moldenhawer, 2023; Oplatka, 2004). Turkiye has seen a significant increase in immigrants, mainly from Syria and other nations, driven by ongoing conflicts, leading to abrupt policy adjustments in recent years. Turkiye's migration policy is shaped by its geopolitical position, which limits immigration from European communities and from Turks. However, recent conflicts and shifts in Turkish foreign policy have led it to become a major refugee destination, especially after the 2005 National Action Plan (NAP). Civil wars in Iraq and Syria caused peak migration in 2018-19. Turkiye manages crises arising from socio-cultural changes, COVID-19, and earthquakes, while Türkiye has assumed the role of a filter for EU countries, providing humanitarian assistance to people under 'Temporary Protection' rather than 'refugee' status. Correspondingly, educators are experiencing increasing responsibilities and shifting classroom demographics (Arar et al., 2025), which affect their emotional well-being (Hargreaves, 2004; Wang et al., 2025). The socio-historical context of education in Türkiye emphasizes that socio-cultural factors, such as policies, reforms, demographics, and cultural influences, are instrumental in shaping these emotions, which are situated within the educational environment, questioning the complex relationship between emotions in the classroom (Savina & Fulton, 2024). Accordingly, this qualitative study aims to investigate teachers' emotional experiences in multicultural classrooms in Turkiye by integrating Schultz's the Nested Systems Model rooted in Ecological Dynamic Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1976; Schutz, 2014; Savina & Fulton, 2024), which considers macro-level socio-ecological layers, with Gross's emotional regulation process(1998a, 1998b; 2015), which focuses on micro-level regulation strategies. These frameworks helped us to understand teachers’ emotions and emotion regulation processes, emphasizing how cultural influences and sensitivity are effecting factors in their emotion regulation. This study uniquely highlights teachers' emotional experiences in multicultural classrooms, considering the social, historical, and cultural dynamics nested within the school context through the lens of Ecological Dynamic Systems. Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used We utilised qualitative research to map teachers' emotional journeys in multicultural classes, investigating their emotions and emotion regulation processes through in-depth interviews and revealing the professional and socio-ecological layers that shaped their experiences (Merriam, 2009). We collected data in three schools in Ankara in 2022, where 10 teachers had volunteered to teach newcomers since Syrians began their education, utilising snowball sampling (Frankenberg, 2009; Milner IV, 2021; Welsh et al., 2020). The duration teachers spent at the same school was significant because of their shared exposure to changes. We collected qualitative data through semi-structured, open-ended interviews, along with observations and field notes. We utilised interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), supplemented by discourse and narrative analyses, to comprehensively describe the fundamental structures underlying human experiences (Pietkiewicz & Smith, 2014), which is well-suited to examining migration, cultural and ethnic identities, social roles, and perceptions of various phenomena (Thorne, 2000). Interview data were transcribed and read in detail, along with field notes, to obtain a holistic perspective. The data were systematically analyzed following Marshall and Rossman's (2011) four stages: data were organized, then categories and themes were identified through coding. We interpreted the data within social, historical, and cultural frameworks of emotion, considering alternative explanations for the context. To ensure reliability, experts were consulted during the coding process. Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings Research findings indicate that despite experiencing negative emotions, including hopelessness, pessimism, stress, fear of failure, and helplessness, teachers fulfilled educational goals and promoted positive social-behavioral changes in their class (Aldrup et al., 2024; Frenzel et al., 2018), and dedicated their emotional labor by regulating their emotions toward educational objectives (Wang et al., 2025). Participants' emotional regulation is influenced by their goals, beliefs, and standards, which together form a common framework. The strong central education system and legal responsibilities align their focus. Turkiye’s migration policies, cultural dynamics, and socio-historical context shape the ecological focus, thereby influencing teachers’ goals and beliefs, which, in turn, affect their emotional experiences. From the ecological dynamics systems perspective, although negative emotions arise during emotion regulation in this episode, both teachers' emotion regulation and their emotions are shaped by the nested context. Even in the face of negative emotions, they acknowledged the necessity of transformation within the system, balancing emotion regulation with policy implementation. Teachers initially engaged in internal regulation because they believed that displaying negative emotions was inappropriate from cultural, social, and professional standpoints; in external regulation, they tended to rely on surface acting to suppress their feelings; and in emotional expression, they tended to rely on surface acting to suppress their feelings. Throughout this process, the most common methods of emotional regulation included seeking help and collaborative problem-solving (Savina & Fulton, 2024). During these challenging, mandatory periods, it becomes evident that emotional labor is crucial to achieving the practical objectives of policies that rely on emotion regulation. Therefore, it can be concluded that teachers' emotions are significantly influenced by the community's socio-ecological factors. References Aldrup, K., Carstensen, B., & Klusmann, U. (2024). The role of teachers’ emotion regulation in teaching effectiveness: A systematic review integrating four lines of research. Educational Psychologist, 59(2), 89–110. Arar, K., Örücü, D., & Ak Küçükçayır, G. (2025). Educational policy and leadership for Syrians under temporary protection: A summary of Turkish experience [Manuscript submitted for publication]. In K. H. Arar, E. R. Crawford, D. Örücü, & I. Bogotch (Eds.), Education, immigration and migration: Revisiting and re-imagining policy, leadership and praxis for a changing world (2nd ed., pp. 163–177). Emerald Publishing. Frenzel, A. 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