Discrimination by Teachers Against Students: Sensemaking in Light of a Reporting Obligation

Abstract

In the German city of Munich, there is an obligation to report incidents of discrimination in schools to a public complaints office since 2022. Against this background, the present study analyzes how teachers make sense of situations in which their own or colleagues' actions could be considered discriminatory against students. We are interested in the individual and structural dimensions that define teachers' sensemaking (e.g., biographical experiences or existing hierarchies). Interviews with teachers (N=6) were analyzed using Kruse's data analysis procedure (Integratives Basisverfahren). The results show that the interviewees often perceived discrimination ambiguously. Three areas of tension regarding reporting behavior emerge: 1) the need for a clear case of discrimination vs. a lack of consideration of the situational context, 2) the fear that admitting misconduct in school might have an impact on existing hierarchical relationships, and 3) the interdependence among teachers, students, and the complaints office when dealing with cases of discrimination.