Experiences of Educators and Teachers in Preventing Educational Inequalities in Croatian Early, Preschool, and Primary Education

Abstract

Educational inequalities are systemic barriers that result in unequal access to various levels of a quality education system, leading to divergent levels of success. These disparities are caused by background, social conditions and numerous other factors beyond the personal responsibility of individuals. Developing policies to ensure educational equality requires recognising that children’s difficulties stem from various features of the education system. These include system organisation and structure, types of schools, learning environment, ways of supporting children’s progress and of assessing their progress. This paper explores how educational professionals support children in disadvantaged situations to prevent educational inequalities. Within the ‘Lifelong Education for All’ Thematic Network project, a survey was conducted among a representative sample of educators and teachers in Croatia (n = 1,288). Participants completed an online questionnaire developed specifically for this research, addressing strategies to prevent educational inequality among preschool and primary-school children. The perceived experiences of educators and teachers in educating various groups of children in disadvantaged situations were analysed using descriptive indicators, the χ²-test and analysis of variance to assess differences between educators, classroom teachers and subject teachers. The research findings suggest that the causes of educational inequality differ across the three levels of education. In early childhood and preschool education, there is a striking deficit of support from other experts for both children and educators. In classroom teaching, there is a predominant focus on individual and personalised forms of support for children, while in subject teaching, reliance on support from professional staff is more pronounced.