In a truly inclusive learning environment, everyone should feel safe, respected, and supported—regardless of their background, learning pace, language, or personal challenges. However, the barriers to inclusivity often go beyond the curriculum or the digital divide; they can be more subtle. We’re referring to microaggressions—those everyday comments, assumptions, or jokes that, whether intentional or not, can make a learner feel unwelcome, invisible, or even inferior.

At Diverse Courses, we believe that addressing microaggressions is crucial for creating learning environments where every individual can reach their full potential.

What Are Microaggressions?

Microaggressions are often difficult to identify. For example, a comment like, “Wow, you speak really good English!” may seem like a compliment, but it can suggest that the speaker did not expect the person to be competent. Other examples include laughing at someone’s accent, interrupting them frequently, or assuming someone isn’t tech-savvy because of their age. Over time, these subtle messages can accumulate and make learners feel like they don’t belong.

Dr. Chester M. Pierce, a professor of education and psychiatry at Harvard University, introduced the term “microaggression” in the 1970s to describe the “subtle, stunning, often automatic and non-verbal” insults directed at Black individuals by non-Black Americans.[1]

Since then, extensive research has documented the prevalence and harmful effects of microaggressions  (Boysen, 2012 [2]; Solorzan, et. al., 2000 [3]; Suárez-Orozco, et. al., 2015 [4]). The definition of microaggressions has remained largely unchanged, referring to everyday verbal, behavioural, or environmental slights—whether intentional or unintentional—that convey hostile, derogatory, or negative attitudes toward stigmatised or culturally marginalised groups [5].

However, the term “microaggressions” does not imply that their impact is minor or insignificant. Continuous exposure to discrimination can lead to increased anxiety and reduced engagement and motivation among students at school.[6]

Tools for Understanding Diversity and Preventing Microaggressions

As student populations become increasingly diverse, it is essential to foster emotionally safe learning environments where every voice is valued. At Diverse Courses, we are developing innovative tools to help educators meet the needs of all learners, which includes creating spaces free from microaggressions.

In today’s diverse classrooms, it is more important than ever to nurture a safe and inclusive learning atmosphere. The Diverse Courses project, through its Work Package 2 (WP2), offers educators a structured, human-centred approach to better understand the diverse needs of learners. This includes addressing the challenges posed by microaggressions—subtle yet harmful interactions that can undermine students’ well-being and participation.

The WP2 Approach: From Good Practices to Personas

WP2 is designed to support inclusive training design through a coherent workflow that includes documentation, experimentation, and practical guidance. This process began with WP2.1 – The Collection of Good Practices, in which partners identified and analysed various methods for profiling learners and educators. The focus was on real, effective approaches across different educational contexts.

Building on these insights, WP2.3 – The Piloting of Profiling Tools tested these methods in actual adult education settings. By adapting profiling tools to specific learner groups, educators gained valuable experience in understanding the diversity within their classrooms, including the identification of subtle barriers such as microaggressions.

All these insights were synthesised in WP2.10 – The Manual: Diversity Course Mapping Tool, which provides a comprehensive overview of the tools tested and their pedagogical value. This manual helps educators in gaining a deeper understanding of diversity in their classrooms, enabling more targeted and inclusive teaching.

Finally, WP2.12 – The Personas Tutorial translates this wealth of data into practical, narrative-based learner and educator personas. These semi-fictional characters represent real learner profiles, including those who may be vulnerable to microaggressions. This allows educators to empathise with their experiences and design learning activities that actively reduce bias and promote respect.

The WP3 Approach: From Insights to Implementation

Work Package 3 (WP3) built upon the foundations established in WP2 by transforming identified needs into practical, classroom-ready tools. The aim was clear: to move beyond a “one-size-fits-all” approach to teaching and provide educators with strategies to truly personalise learning.

Through focus groups, pilot testing, and co-designing with educators and learners, WP3 validated and refined a set of inclusive didactical scenarios. These scenarios were tested in 18 courses across Europe, involving 18 educators and approximately 180 learners, ensuring that the tools reflected real classroom dynamics.

The main results of WP3 include:

• Increased educator awareness of diversity, fostering greater empathy and preparedness to address microaggressions and other subtle barriers.
• Enhanced learner engagement, with many students reporting a stronger sense of belonging when teaching scenarios were adapted to meet their needs.
• Personas in action: Fictional yet evidence-based learner profiles guided teachers in designing inclusive lessons. For example, this involved adapting content for migrants with limited host-country language skills or integrating digital support for older learners with low ICT skills.
• Sustainability and scalability: The Toolkit created under WP3 provides educators with structured methods, templates, and reflective activities that can be applied well beyond the project’s lifecycle.

In summary, WP3 illustrates how practical implementation—through tailored didactical scenarios and systematic testing—can bridge the gap between theory and practice, helping educators create classrooms where diversity is embraced, and microaggressions are less likely to occur.

So… What Can Educators Do?

Here are some practical steps that have been tested and refined through WP2 and WP3 of the Diverse Courses project:

• Start with Awareness: our Toolkit, developed through WP2, includes a Manual of Tools and a Collection of Good Practices to help educators reflect on their own experiences and understand their learners’ realities. Recognizing unconscious biases is a crucial first step.
• Understand Who’s in the Room: with our Personas Tutorial, created and piloted in WP3, educators can build realistic learner profiles. This helps them better understand diverse needs, including language challenges, cultural sensitivities, and special learning requirements.
• Create Ground Rules for Respect: microaggressions often occur when individuals are unaware of their hurtful behaviour. Establishing classroom expectations from the outset—concerning listening, respect, and inclusive language—helps set the tone for an inclusive environment.
• React with Care: if a microaggression occurs in your class, do not ignore it. Take a moment to pause and gently address it. Explain why it might be harmful and use it as a learning opportunity without blaming or shaming anyone involved.
• Adapt and Personalise: through the Toolkit of Didactic Scenarios created in WP3, educators now have access to tested strategies that were piloted in 18 courses with over 180 learners across Europe. These scenarios assist in adapting teaching methods to real classroom contexts, ensuring that every student receives the support they need to succeed.

Why It Matters

Microaggressions may be small, but their impact is significant. They can gradually undermine a learner’s confidence, participation, and sense of belonging. However, when we recognise, discuss, and actively work to prevent them, we create something powerful: a classroom where diversity is not just accepted but celebrated.

That’s the purpose of Diverse Courses. This project illustrates that understanding learners deeply—through proven profiling tools and personas—is essential for addressing microaggressions and fostering respectful, safe classrooms. By implementing these evidence-based approaches, educators can truly enhance the educational experience for every student.

Want to explore practical resources to help you better understand and support your learners? Visit our website and discover how we’re helping educators unlock the full potential of every learner: www.diversecourses.eu

Ressources:

[1] Pierce,C. M., Carew, J. V., Pierce-Gonzalez, D., & Wills, D. (1977). An experiment in racism: TV commercials. Education and Urban Society, 10(1),61-87.

[2] Boysen, G. A. (2012). Teacher responses to classroom incivility: Student perceptions of effectiveness. Teaching of Psychology, 39(4), 276–279

[3] Solórzano, D. G., Ceja, M., & Yosso, T. J. (2000). Critical race theory, racial microaggressions, and campus racial climate: The experiences of African American college students. Journal of Negro Education, 69(1–2), 60–73

[4] Suárez-Orozco, C., Casanova, S., Martin, M., Katsiaficas, D., Cuellar, V., Smith, N. A., & Dias, S. I. (2015). Toxic rain in class: Classroom interpersonal microaggressions. Educational Researcher, 44(3), 151–160

[5] Sue, D. W. (2010). Microaggressions in everyday life: Race, gender, and sexual orientation. John Wiley & Sons.

[6] Steketee, A., Williams, M. T., Valencia, B. T., Printz, D., & Hooper, L. M. (2021).Racial and language microaggressions in the school ecology. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 16(5), 1075-1098.