Role models and confidants? Students with and without migration backgrounds and their perception of teachers with migration backgrounds

In 2007 Germany's federal Ministers of Education agreed to increase the number of teachers with a migration background as part of the National Integration Plan. Due to their migration background, these teachers are assumed to have special competencies and skills. However, almost no empirical evidence has been provided whether students view teachers with migration backgrounds as important in their daily school life as about the education policy assumes. Using a mixed-methods design, this exploratory study examines those student perceptions. The results show that teachers are perceived and assessed primarily in their professional role as experts for teaching and learning processes.