Postawy studentów pedagogiki Uniwersytetu w Białymstoku wobec równego traktowania, niedyskryminacji i otwartości na różnorodność - badania pilotażowe
Attitudes of education students of University of Bialystok towards equal treatment, non-discrimination and openness to diversity - a pilot study

Summary/Abstract: This text aims to present the results of a pilot study conducted using the author's research tool on 171 education students of UoB. The study aimed to identify attitudes toward equal treatment, non-discrimination, and openness to diversity. The study area is a region where (especially in Podlasie) xenophobic, racist, and homophobic incidents have occurred over the past decade. The article consists of three parts. The first emphasises that diversity in society is subject to legal protection and requires the shaping of appropriate, community-based, institutional, and organisational methods to counter discrimination based on specific social characteristics. The second part presents selected research results on the attitudes of student youth from northeastern Poland toward equal treatment, non-discrimination and openness to diversity. It was noted that in this region of the country, ambivalent attitudes towards equal treatment, non-discrimination and openness to diversity dominate in the sample. Negative attitudes are also strongly represented. Those attitudes are differentiated by religion, attitude toward religious practices, material situation or respondents' declarations regarding membership in specific global and regional communities. The final section pays attention to the educational challenges arising from the research results obtained. The research findings open up the possibility for educators to consciously and in a wide range of interactions try to build conscious, positive attitudes towards openness to diversity. The process of building respect for difference requires education as a key tool for promoting inclusiveness, changing mentalities and cultural norms, and exposing the value and importance of equality and diversity. This obliges both the development of non-discriminatory curricula and teaching materials, as well as a great openness of educational entities in creating conditions for the manifestation of diversity in the educational environment. We recognise that the presented, illustrative research results require more in-depth exploration in the course of research proper.

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