What Attitudes Toward Refugees Do Future European Teachers Have? A Comparative Analysis between France and Spain

Abstract

(1) Background. The increase in international conflicts and humanitarian crises has led to an increase in the movement of people to Europe. The legal and moral commitments of the European Union require the incorporation and integration of such refugees. In this sense, the school and its teaching staff are a key agent in the challenge of integrating newly arrived students. This research analyses attitudes towards inclusive European citizenship, the recognition of rights, and feelings of threat and affective reactions, experienced by future teachers towards refugees in France and Spain. (2) Methods. The investigation was carried out through a cross-sectional survey. There were 851 participants of Spanish and French nationality. (3) Results. The French future teachers showed a lower perception of any threat, and a better predisposition towards the reception of refugees than their Spanish counterparts. Women are those who show a greater recognition of the rights of refugees, and a better predisposition to their integration in Europe. French women feel less of a threat than Spanish women, and are more affective towards refugees. The main predictor of inclusive European citizenship is a low perception of threat related to refugees. (4) Conclusions. Future teachers showed sensitivity towards the accommodation of refugees, but programs that prevent growing xenophobia and discredit towards the European Union are still necessary.

Students from refugee backgrounds in physical education: A survey of teachers’ perceptions

“…This is in line with the results of more general surveys, which suggested that attitudes and perceptions towards people from refugee and migrant backgrounds are influenced by the personal characteristics of the respondents, such as gender and educational level (Bešić et al, 2020;Soriano and Cala, 2019). More specifically, there are indications that women and people with higher educational levels tend to have a more positive attitude towards people from migrant and refugee backgrounds (Bešić et al, 2020;Soriano and Cala, 2019). Personal experiences of migration are also believed to be an important factor (Becker, 2019).…”

“…Moreover, a survey conducted in the USA found that female PE teachers had a more positive attitude and felt more comfortable about dealing with students from diverse backgrounds than their male colleagues (Columna et al, 2010). This is in line with the results of more general surveys, which suggested that attitudes and perceptions towards people from refugee and migrant backgrounds are influenced by the personal characteristics of the respondents, such as gender and educational level (Bešić et al, 2020;Soriano and Cala, 2019). More specifically, there are indications that women and people with higher educational levels tend to have a more positive attitude towards people from migrant and refugee backgrounds (Bešić et al, 2020;Soriano and Cala, 2019).…”

“…Further, it is likely that the way in which teachers perceive students from refugee backgrounds not only affects PE and school but also the students' general capacity to develop a sense of belonging (Lewis, 2005). As role models, teachers also have a decisive influence on the understanding of integration (reciprocal and cooperative vs one-sided and assimilative) and the image that learners at school develop about people seeking protection (Soriano and Cala, 2019). Consequently, teachers can be influential forces in the integration process of young people from refugee backgrounds and can foster their social recognition in the new country.…”

Construct Validity of the Attitudes towards Maghrebis in Education Scale (AMES)

“…It should be mentioned that in order to obtain these results, three items of the scale had to be replaced, considering what also happened in previous research where some items were problematic and had to be removed [ 47 , 48 ]. It is probable that these items had to be replaced with others that were more culturally adjusted to represent the attitudes towards Maghrebis in Spain, and to fit better with the data [ 49 ]. Likewise, according to the scale’s validity, the factor structure of the AMES was satisfactorily examined using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).…”

Solidifying identity discourse through the politicized monumentation of struggle

“…This difference might be due to geopolitical forces. That is, having in mind the French political scene and its refugee discourse with its restricting parameters, and the more linear integration framework in Spain (Soriano & Cala, 2019), the geopolitical discourse and the dynamics of the host country also governs the perception of the monument, be it international media outlets or local ones.…”