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A school environment that is inclusive of immigrants promotes the success of immigrant students. This is demonstrated by a large-scale international study conducted by the University of Lausanne (Unil), covering 1,544 public schools in seven OECD countries.
Like the general population, teachers are not immune to prejudices against immigrants, particularly against their own students with immigrant backgrounds. According to Anatolia Batruch, a researcher in social psychology at the University of Lausanne and the study’s lead author, there is a “normative climate” in schools. “Certain norms and perceptions related to immigration, whether positive or negative, are widely shared by teachers. They influence their students’ academic performance,” explains the researcher.
To substantiate this analysis, Anatolia Batruch and her colleagues Eva Green, a researcher in social psychology, and Nicolas Sommet, a researcher in social psychology and Research Officer at the LIVES Centre at the University of Lausanne, drew on large-scale data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Their sample consisted of 46,740 students and 35,452 teachers. On one hand, they compared the academic performance of first-generation immigrant students (born abroad), second-generation immigrant students (children of migrants), and non-immigrant students. On the other hand, they assessed teachers’ attitudes toward the inclusion of immigrants in society. Once this data was aggregated, they were able to establish a climate of inclusion or exclusion within each school.
Reduced achievement gaps
The results are clear: in schools where teachers collectively hold more positive attitudes toward immigration, first-generation immigrant students perform better than in less inclusive schools. Furthermore, these students are able to reduce their educational delay by about one year. The researchers also note that the performance gap between non-immigrant students and first-generation students is significantly smaller in these schools. In other words, a school climate that values diversity helps to reduce achievement inequalities.
Another notable finding: this positive effect is not observed among second-generation students. Several explanations have been put forward: greater proficiency in the language and the school system, less identification with the status of “immigrant,” or teachers’ attitudes being primarily directed toward newly arrived students.
Prejudice as an Institutional Phenomenon
This study is one of the first large-scale studies to show that the aggregated self-reported attitudes of teachers constitute a measurable indicator of the school’s diversity climate that has a real impact on performance. “Our study highlights an often-overlooked fact: prejudice is not merely an individual issue, but is embedded within institutional frameworks that can either perpetuate or reduce inequalities,” emphasizes Anatolia Batruch.
Areas for Action
To reduce these inequalities, the researchers call on public authorities to implement a comprehensive strategy to promote inclusive school climates, prioritizing structural actions at the school level focused on teachers. They propose:
- strengthening continuing education for teachers in multicultural competencies,
- organize group reflection sessions on attitudes toward students from immigrant backgrounds,
- implement policies that limit bias, such as anonymous testing.
At a time when migration is shaping societies in lasting ways, schools appear more than ever to be a key lever—not only for transmitting knowledge, but for creating the conditions for true equality of opportunity.
SSP Communication
Batruch, A., Sommet, N., & Green, E. G. T. (2026). Teachers’ immigration attitudes and students’ performance. Learning and Instruction, 102, 102303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2025.102303