Diversity and Heterogeneity at School on the Example of a Neue Mittel...

The research project Diversity and Heterogeneity at School on the Example of a Neue Mittelschule in Carinthia, Austriaaddresses the issue of inclusive education and aims at answering the question of how to adequately deal with diversity and heterogeneity in school education. In addition, it also centres on identifying ways of learners’ participation in their own educational processes. Thus, the project focuses on the development of quality criteria for successful learning and educational equality in inclusive classrooms. According to Joller-Graf (2010), a diverse group of pupils demands lessons to be carried out with flexibility, using a wide range of methods and trying to accommodate the various needs of pupils. For this purpose, a (partly) participative research approach has been chosen. In cooperation with teachers, both qualitative and quantitative methods are applied. On the basis of the Grounded Theory(2016) the whole process of research is conducted cyclically, with alternating periods of data gathering and data evaluation. Furthermore, its multi-perspective project design is characterised by guided interviews that are carried out with teachers as well as students. Moreover, (video-based) class observations, written surveys and the analyses of students’ texts are important elements of the employed methodology. The cooperating secondary school (10 to 14 years old students) offers - with its heterogeneous settings and inclusive classes - an ideal field of research for inclusive education, as many different diversity features, such as culture, race, milieu, ethnicity, religion, language, gender, ability and disability are part of everyday school life. Further theoretical points of reference are, amongst others, the Index of Inclusion(Booth/Ainscow, 2017) and Meyer’s Criteria of Good Instruction(Kriterien für guten Unterricht, Meyer, 2007).