The racialized classroom: The influence of classroom composition on teachers’ decisions to use disciplinary measures

Does racialized classroom composition affect how teachers deal with disruptive behavior? In two pre-registered experiments with preservice and in-service teachers in Germany (total N = 787), we examined whether participants respond to disruptive behavior differently depending on the percentage of students perceived as Arab in a classroom. When confronted with disruptive behavior of a fictitious student, both preservice and in-service teachers suggested more severe disciplinary measures in classrooms with a higher share of students perceived as Arab (vs. only German). Preservice teachers in Study 1 also (a) reported feeling more irritated by the students’ behaviors and (b) perceived the entire classroom context as more challenging when there was a higher proportion of students perceived as Arab, but these effects were not replicated among in-service teachers in Study 2. The studies provide initial evidence for an underexplored mechanism that may exacerbate educational inequalities by systematically shaping learning environments students experience.