Are Teachers Tolerant of Diversity? Identifying Common or Dissimilar Patterns of Response towards Difference
The study describes the examination of data which resulted from asking 91 school teachers from Spain about their tolerance toward people who differ from the ‘norm’. The survey included 30 statements, to which respondents reacted on a five-point scale, concerning tolerance with regard to culture, language, socioeconomic status/social class, religion, gender, sexual orientation, political ideology, disability, and giftedness/special talent differences. Analysis of responses revealed that the Spanish teachers sampled believe that they are most tolerant of disabilities, whilst being less tolerant of manifestations of giftedness/special talent. Different political ideologies and religious and cultural differences were rated as being least tolerated of all. The survey examined 'difference' as a wholist entity, and its conclusions serve as a start-point for other, more comprehensive, studies about tolerances towards diversity.
Keywords: Teachers’ Attitudes, Diversity, Spain
Dr. María-Cristina Cardona
Professor of Differential Pedagogy, Faculty of Education, University of Alicante