Exploring secondary school teachers' attitudes and practices: A survey on diversity and equity

Abstract

As society continues to diversify, education—considered the building block of society—also encounters a continuous increase in the diversity of student populations (OECD, 2018; Siongers et al., 2020). As student diversity grows, so do educational inequalities, particularly in academic performance. Background characteristics like origin, gender, and disability status significantly impact students' success (Cochran-Smith et al., 2016). Moreover, teacher attitudes, perceptions, and expectations also play a crucial role in influencing student outcomes (Turetsky et al., 2021). The current study aims to contribute to our understanding of the influencing factors of equal educational opportunities at the micro-level. Specifically, we focus on exploring the attitudes, beliefs, opinions and daily classroom practices of teachers regarding equal educational opportunities. A quantitative study was conducted in which an online survey was sent out to 115 secondary schools in Limburg, Flanders (Belgium). The preliminary results provide insight into various factors influencing equal educational opportunities in secondary education. Additionally, an understanding is gained regarding how teachers, in their daily practices, promote equal educational opportunities and assess their own success in this aspect. These findings can identify effective components and also provide starting points to enhance teachers' skills, knowledge and competences in fostering equal educational opportunities for all students.