Researcher
Faculty of Education and Psychology
Eötvös Loránd University
István Nahalka works in teacher training as a university teacher. His research areas include science education, equity in education, and the learning process. He has been involved in many educational development programmes. He played a significant role in the efforts to set up a comprehensive school system in Hungary.
Abstract of his presentation Models of the origins of unequal chances in education
Ensuring equity and overcoming inequalities are key issues in modern education systems.
Can dismantling segregation be an adequate solution to the problems? Research has already shown that homogeneous grouping has several negative effects on students. Clearly, desegregation is the only way out, but unfortunately, it is not sufficient to ensure equity in itself. Teachers in their classroom practice are the key factors in fighting manifest or hidden forms of discrimination. They must be able to apply adequate educational tools that fit their students' cultural backgrounds, developmental characteristics, and individual needs. This task requires a completely new approach in mathematics and elsewhere. It is also the key to success in the education of gifted and talented students. In Hungary, strikingly few students have the chance to prove their talents in any subject, as for example, to become outstanding mathematicians. The reason behind this fact is discrimination, one of the fundamental characteristics of the Hungarian education system.
