Diversity in the school: Examining how teachers and school principles think about students with different socio-cultural background

Abstract

The following research aims to discover Roma/Gypsy and disadvantaged pupils situation
in the school context by examining teachers and directors -prejudiced- thinking towards
them. The fi rst part of the article focuses on teachers’ (n=1369) questionare data analyzis
and results the separation of three thinking style. The thinking patterns are divided by the
teachers relations toward Roma/Gypsy and disadvantaged pupils, furthermore by the level of
responsibility what the teachers are claiming for themselves in their work with the students.
The second half of the research explores the connection between school directors’ (n=21) and
teachers’ (n=277) prejudiced thinking by examining interviews and questionare data. To
sum up, the article is helping the get a clearer point of view about the possible patterns behind
prejudices in the school context.