AUTHOR=Kobs Scarlett , Ehlert Antje , Lenkeit Jenny , Hartmann Anne , Spörer Nadine , Knigge Michel 

TITLE=The Influence of Individual and Situational Factors on Teachers’ Justice Ratings of Classroom Interactions

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.789110

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2022.789110

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=Teachers, as role models, are crucial in promoting inclusion in society through their actions. Being perceived as fair by their students is linked to students’ feelings of belonging in school. In addition, their decisions of resource allocations also affect students’ academic success. Both aspects underpin the importance of teachers’ views on justice. This paper aims to investigate what teachers consider to be just and how teacher characteristics and situational factors affect justice ratings of hypothetical student-teacher-interactions. In an experimental design we randomly varied the description of the interacting student in text vignettes regarding his/her special educational need (SEN) (situational factor). We also collected data on teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion and experiences with persons with disabilities (individual factors). A sample of in-service teachers in Germany (N = 2254) rated randomized versions of two text vignettes. To also consider the effect of professional status, a sample of pre-service teachers (N = 275) did the same. Linear mixed effect models point to a negative effect of the SEN on justice ratings, meaning situations in which the interacting student is described with a SEN were rated less just compared to the control condition. As the interacting student in the situations was treated less well than the rest, this was indicative for the application of the need principle. Teachers with more positive attitudes towards inclusion rated the vignettes significantly less just. The professional status also had a negative effect on justice ratings, with in-service teachers rating the interactions significantly lower than the pre-service teachers. Our results suggest that the teachers applied the principle of need in their ratings. What this means for inclusive teaching practices is discussed alongside further implications for future research.