Pluralism and diversity in educational processes

How can we appropriately deal with the fact that people are different in educational processes? In this interdisciplinary research cluster, the challenges and opportunities that arise from this question for society and for the individual are explored.

In the course of considerable social change, educational settings both inside and outside of school are increasingly characterized by a sensitivity to pluralism and diversity: Exemplary areas are migration movements, gender orders, and people with special needs. For the design of educational processes, this results in the demand to recognize each individual person in his or her unique situation in life, to avoid discrimination and exclusion, and to ensure that everyone has equal opportunities. In this research cluster, pluralism and diversity are considered both challenges and opportunities on a societal and individual level. The research focuses on aspects of recognition (e.g., from creating awareness in society to identifying individual performance potential) and action (e.g., from societal interventions to promoting individual performance potential).

Portrait photo of Michaela Meier ©Uni Graz/Kluger

"I like having questions and being able to answer them."

Are mathematicians from another planet? Michaela Meier investigated this question in her dissertation. Her research also focusses on how much mathematical creativity non-geniuses bring to light.

To the portrait of Michaela Meier

Graz University to get an interreligious dialog center

A center for interreligious and intercultural dialogue is to be established at the University of Graz. There is a great need for corresponding workshops and coaching for teachers. Applications for funding for the center have already been submitted.

Colorful language bubbles as a symbol for interreligious exchange ©Pixabay/Gerd Altmann

Video

You want to know why dealing with the diversity of people is a future topic of education?

The researchers of the cluster give their answers to this question.

Dubs

A guide for diversity-sensitive teaching

Roland H. Grabner

An interview about giftedness, talents and promotion

Research areas

We consider the diversity of individuals to be a strength and an indispensable component of a diverse society. Our goal is to find ways to optimally utilize and promote diversity in the educational landscape by considering numerous aspects of diversity.

In our research, multilingualism in particular plays a central role, as it represents the cultural diversity of a globalized world. For example, we investigate the connection between social networks and language development in linguistically heterogeneous classes. Another focus is on how health and mental health education can be strengthened in different contexts.

Research project - "(Un)divided classes - on the relationship between social networks and children's (second) language acquisition in linguistically heterogeneous classes at primary level".

Education and Research Project - "Health-Literacy and Diversity for Secondary School Students - HeLi-D".

This research focus deals with the question of how schools and teachers can create the most inclusive learning environment possible for all students in the future. The focus is on the development of teaching materials and the professionalization of teachers in the field of inclusive education. Here, practice-oriented and empirical approaches are combined in order to enable a low-threshold transfer into the educational system and everyday school life. Furthermore, we investigate which conditions are necessary for inclusive education to be successfully implemented.

The results of this research should help to ensure that all children and young people can experience equal participation in society, as far as possible, regardless of their individual situation. Our research groups develop and evaluate concrete teaching materials, data-based decision-making strategies for teachers, and high-level didactic methods.

Education and research project - "Inclusion through digital school development - barriers and solutions as a result of COVID-19".

Education and research project: "European quality development system for inclusive education and teacher training (EQui-T)".

Successful education is expressed in the fact that all learners can realize their individual potentials (talents) in various areas in the best possible way. This serves not only the achievement of personal life goals, but also the further development of society.

To ensure this, a comprehensive understanding is needed of what the cognitive and neural bases of these potentials are, how they can be made visible, how talents can develop from them, and how this development process can be supported. This interdisciplinary research cluster explores these questions and develops new concepts for recognizing and promoting individual potential in an educational context.

Research project - "Advancement of Divergent Thinking Assessment".

Habilitation project - Dr. Michaela Meier on mathematical expertise and creativity