“The goal should be to provide all people with real and equal opportunities to develop their academic and personal potential, regardless of background, abilities, or specific learning needs. In this way, inclusion becomes a guiding social principle that sustainably strengthens social participation for all as well as equal of opportunities.”
1. Students in a class differ simultaneously in several characteristics, for example, in achievement, gender, or interests. The more students differ from one another in different ways and the more subgroups are created, the more heterogeneous the student body is. “For example, are all boys interested in math, or are there some who have other preferences?” asks Camilla Rjosk, Professor of School Development. “The less such characteristics overlap, the greater the diversity of the group.”
2. Educational research focuses primarily on differences in achievement, ethnic and social background, interests, and gender, as well as any special educational needs. Behavioral issues and work habits are also important aspects. “When you ask school administrators and teachers where they perceive diversity among their students, these are the dimensions that are frequently mentioned,” Prof. Rjosk says.
3. Children in a class make varying assessments of how much they differ from one another. “Students from ethnic minorities perceive greater ethnic heterogeneity within their class than students without a migration background,” Rebecca Wetter explains. “Students also seem to be more aware of ethnic and social differences than of those related to their classmates’ achievement or interests.”
4. Diversity has a measurable impact on educational success – but not necessarily a negative one. Data collected for the IQB Education Trend show that even in classes with high multidimensional heterogeneity, German reading skills are, on average, at most slightly lower. “But that is not due to heterogeneity per se,” Wetter says, “but mainly because there are often more students from disadvantaged groups in those classes, for whom, for example, German is not their native language.” The IQB Education Trend is a representative survey conducted by the Institute for Educational Quality Improvement (IQB) that regularly assesses the competencies and background characteristics of 4th and 9th graders in Germany.
5. Diversity in the classroom can have a positive effect on interactions among students, for example with regard to helping behavior. The researchers see evidence that students in highly heterogeneous classes support one another more often. At the same time, no connection to increased victimization (such as through “bullying”) can be proven, although one might expect this.
6. Some subjects are better suited than others for effectively addressing diversity in the classroom. “The assumption is that students are confronted with different ideas, also because their classmates from diverse backgrounds have had different experiences,” Prof. Rjosk says. “This certainly applies more to language or social science subjects than to mathematics.” Nevertheless, as a teacher, you can also connect science lessons to the students’ real-life experiences, for example, if a child comes from a country where different measurement units are used.
7. More important than the occurrence of diversity is the way teachers handle it. “It’s crucial that they establish a good relationship with the students and encourage them to work together,” says Svenja Hascher. “Teachers can influence this to some extent by seating students appropriately or having them work in small groups. In this way, they can foster the positive social effects of heterogeneity, such as learning from one another.”
8. Statistically speaking, the quality of instruction is only marginally lower even in highly mixed classes. Key factors include cognitive engagement, effective classroom management, and supportive teaching practices by the teacher. “In multidimensional heterogeneous classes, these factors are, on average, slightly less pronounced,” Hascher explains. “However, teachers here do use a greater variety of methods.”
9. Research findings from the MuHiK team show: “When it comes to providing high-quality instruction, teachers who have positive attitudes toward diversity and who are confident in their ability to teach in heterogeneous classes seem to find it easier. These teachers also feel less burdened by heterogeneity,” Hascher reports. Success in managing heterogeneous classes is also a matter of attitude and preparation.
10. Teachers can incorporate social diversity as well as achievement differences among students when designing lessons, for example through peer learning or collaborative project-based learning. “Whether and how the heterogeneity of a class plays a role in this, however, has not yet been well researched,” Prof. Rjosk says. “Starting in January 2026, however, we launched a project on multidimensional diversity as a resource for cooperative learning here at the University of Potsdam.”
In collaboration with the Center for IT and Media, the researchers have created an explanatory video that clearly illustrates the importance of multidimensional heterogeneity in the classroom. Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8eRArYdV00&t=1s (video in German)
One episode of the podcast “Wissen geht UP!” features Rebecca Wetter exploring how pupils themselves perceive diversity in the classroom and what benefits this brings them: https://www.uni-potsdam.de/de/up-entdecken/upaktuell/podcasts/podcast-reihe-wissen-geht-up-archiv (podcast in German)
This article appeared in the university magazine Portal - Eins 2026 „Inklusion“.