Support needs and forms of support for migrant students’ well-being in Polish schools: Teachers’ perspectives

Abstract

This study examines the well-being and support needs of migrant students in Polish schools from the perspective of teachers. The analysis focuses on three domains of student well-being: emotional well-being, social integration, and educational participation. Data were collected through an online survey of N = 712 teachers in public schools in three major Polish cities with the highest migrant populations. The majority of respondents were female (82.4%). The survey explored teachers’ perceptions of students’ needs and support measures. Findings indicate that migrant students’ emotional needs – particularly the need to feel safe, accepted, and belong – are perceived as fundamental to learning and integration. However, existing support measures only partially address these needs. Teachers identified gaps in culturally responsive support, including limited access to intercultural assistants, insufficient opportunities for instruction in students’ first languages, and challenges related to Polish language development. Results also suggest that school support systems prioritize remedial or deficit-oriented interventions rather than strength-based approaches recognizing students’ cultural and linguistic resources. Overall, the study reveals a mismatch between the formal availability of support services and the forms of assistance actually accessed by migrant students, highlighting the need for more targeted, culturally responsive, and integrated support strategies in Polish schools.