Former CESSMIR member Marlies Hagenaars was selected as one of the 16 finalists of the Flemish PhD cup 2025. Marlies’ doctoral research focused on how teachers deal with ethnic diversity in the classroom, and how their responses to it can implicitly contribute to mechanisms of exclusion or, conversely, inclusion. As she explains: ‘Ethnic diversity exists in every classroom, but it can sometimes be difficult to discuss. My research shows how the small choices teachers make on a daily basis can have a major impact on inclusion in the classroom. By sharing my work, I want to show how education really makes a difference.’ To support teachers, she developed RE:flex, a free and practical tool that helps them to reflect on their own behaviour towards ethnic diversity.
The finale of the Flemish PhD cup 2025 takes place on 21 October in Ghent, and can be followed through a livestream on the website of the PhD cup.
Interested in Marloes’ work? Find more info here, and find the RE:flex tool here
Photo: © Kevin Faingnaert