Classroom diversity and teachers' perspectives of their workplace

The diverse and heterogeneous classroom is considered one of the best vehicles for providing both effective education and equal opportunity to students of diverse sociocultural backgrounds and academic abilities. This study explores the impact of the social and academic diversity of the class on teachers' perspectives about their schools as a workplace. Data gathered from an anonymous questionnaire administered to all secondary-school teachers in a medium-size industrial city in lsrael indicate that classroom diversity is correlated negatively with the average academic ability of the classroom, and positively with class size and frequent disciplinary problems. Findings also show that less experienced teachers are more likely to be assigned to diverse classrooms. The study suggests that the effects of classroom diversity on teachers' perspectives of their workplaces are strong and significant.