Teachers as facilitators of positive intergroup dynamics and inclusion

Abstract Schools with diverse student bodies provide important opportunities for intergroup contact, but diversity alone is not enough to promote positive intergroup dynamics and inclusion. While many interventions target student biases, the role of teachers is often not included. This review of theories and evidence synthesizes educational and developmental approaches and recent evidence to understand the specific role of teachers in positive intergroup interactions at school. We discuss how teachers’ relationships with students, educational practices, or their beliefs shape children’s and adolescents’ intergroup interactions, and ultimately their attitudes and reasoning about group situations. We primarily focus on potential avenues for teachers to promote positive intergroup relations within their everyday interactions and practices, since this focus allows for sustainable changes and targeted approaches. In addition, we provide examples of teacher-led intervention programs to promote specific competencies among students to increase the likelihood of positive intergroup relations, decrease group biases and promote more equitable learning opportunities. While we emphasize that within school structures, teachers play a significant role, we acknowledge that the respective context that teachers work in enables or restricts their possibilities to serve as agents of change. Therefore, we not only provide recommendations for future research, but also for educational policies and teacher education.