Recognitive Justice and Educational Inequalities: An Intersectional Approach Involving Secondary Grade School Students in Greece

Abstract

Adopting the theoretical approach of recognitive justice and the degree of students’ recognitive experiences regarding empathy, respect, and social esteem, the present study focused on educational inequalities in the multicultural school and the factors that affect their appearance and reproduction. We examined the existence of social relations’ differences in a sample of 1303 students from 69 secondary schools in Greece, using a questionnaire constructed to investigate students’ recognitive experience of their relationships with teachers. By applying an intersectional approach, mainly through multiple regression analysis and multivariate interaction tests with MANOVA, we were able to identify that migrant students and students from families with a low educational level experienced a significantly lower degree of recognition, mainly with the forms of respect and social esteem, both in their relationships with teachers and with peers. Additionally, levels of recognition among teachers explained the large amount of variability in academic achievement and self-esteem, while higher levels of recognition among peers were a significant predictor of the respective students’ higher self-esteem. These deficits in recognition concern pedagogical practices that deprive these groups of students of opportunities and possibilities for equal participation in teaching and school life.

Social and Individual Factors Predicting Students’ Resilience: A Multigroup Structural Equation Model

“…The findings align with previous research on resilience pathways, which emphasizes the importance of social support from families, as well as the specific quality of their relationships with educators, in determining school integration and success [109]. Failure to provide inclusive opportunities for specific groups of students, such as those from immigrant backgrounds, can lead to them to feel ignored by the school, consequently impacting their learning and growth negatively [110].…”

“…It is equally important to consider and address students' ecological resources [61,109]. The conclusions drawn in this study are in line with earlier research [38], which underscores the inadequacy of solely emphasizing the development of individual qualities in young people to foster resilience.…”

Resilience Development of Swiss Adolescents: A Convergent Mixed-Methods Approach

“…The quality of the relationships between teachers and students is an important predictor of student academic performance and social-emotional development. Teachers' attitudes and behaviors, such as empathy, respect, and emotional warmth, significantly influence students' motivation to learn, the level of school participation, and academic performance [15]. In our study, it is not enough for adolescents to simply persevere in school despite the challenges they face as this could be deemed a cheap just-do-it approach.…”

“…15), such as being afraid of being laughed at (MM_I1_S4_CH_P, pos. 4,7,13,[15][16], and being free to ask if she needs help to understand something, especially teachers and in particular in low-threshold ways like social media groups, individual meetings with a teacher (MM_I1_S4_CH_P, pos. 89), anonymous problem notations in the class council without teachers (MM_I1_S4_CH_P, pos.…”

“…The importance of school for the biography makes the question of resilience development among adolescents in their sensitive pubertal phase interesting in two respects [7,14]: First, humane reasons demand that in a space in which pupils have to redeem their right to education as a civic duty [15], all pedagogically professional framework conditions and activities should be designed considering their general and specific resilience-promoting qualities as far as psycho-social learning opportunities are concerned. Second, school, in its qualification function as a meritocratic institution, plays a decisive role in the pupils' occupational biographies [16], which with the claim and promise of equal opportunities has to result in the best possible outcome for all within reach.…”