Teachers’ and students’ experiences using the New Citizens tool: a study of belonging in culturally diverse classrooms

Abstract

This study explores how teachers and students from culturally diverse upper secondary classrooms experienced the potential for enhanced belonging through the use of question cards from New Citizens. The methods include the collection of self-reported reflection logs from teachers, a focus group interview with teachers and individual interviews with students. The findings indicate three main themes: 1) development of communication skills, trust, and safety in student‒student relationships, 2) students’ experiences of self-efficacy and self-worth, and 3) recognition of similarities and differences among students. These findings confirm the importance of student‒student relationships in upper secondary schools and show how the recognition of similarities and understanding were enhanced through the use of question cards. An implication of this study is that the further development of such tools could help teachers promote belonging in culturally diverse classrooms.