Examining the associations between ethnic discrimination and school engagement: A daily diary study

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Sauro Civitillo
• Subject Area: Educational Research on Socialization, Welfare and Professionalism
• Term: from 2021 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 466404485

The purpose of the project is to study daily associations between school-based ethnic discrimination and school engagement over a 2-week period. I focus on students of Turkish and Arab origin, as they are stereotyped and discriminated against in similar ways. The aim is to sample 75 middle adolescents aged 14-16 years old, attending secondary schools in Essen and Duisburg. I build on prior work rooted in three research areas - school engagement, ethnic discrimination, and identity process theory. There is evidence that stressors youth experience within a particular context (e.g., school-based discrimination) influence their engagement within that setting. Importantly, the key aspects of discrimination - behaviour (open or subtle discrimination), target (personal or group discrimination), and source (peer- or teacher-based discrimination) - may each impact ethnic minority students in different ways. It is expected that students’ behavioural, cognitive, and emotional school engagement will decrease on days when they experience ethnic discrimination at school. Furthermore, it is expected that daily decrease in school engagement is greater on days when participants confront several aspects of discrimination. Findings from the current project could inform interventions aimed at helping adolescents and educational practitioners recognise and fight discrimination. Research findings may also increase ecological validity of reported discrimination experiences and school engagement.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants