Poland currently lacks a formal model for intercultural education. Following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, over 185,000 Ukrainian refugee students entered the Polish educational system (Chrostowska, 2023), highlighting the urgent need for effective support mechanisms (e.g., teacher training, policy guidance). Instead of promoting integration, schools primarily adopt an assimilation approach. Instances of discriminatory behaviour by some Polish students negatively impact Ukrainian students’ sense of security, social integration, and academic performance (Tędziagolska, Walczak, & Wielecki, 2024).

In 2022, around 2,000 intercultural assistants were hired in Polish schools, most of whom were Ukrainian teachers who had fled the war and were refugees themselves. Intercultural assistants have emerged as key figures within schools, supporting migrant and refugee students in adapting to their new educational and cultural environment. Initially, the role of the intercultural assistant was established over 10 years ago to address the educational challenges and support the cultural diversity needs of Roma students (Kozakoszczak, 2015). However, this position was not originally designed to handle large-scale migration crises, and it remains unclear how to effectively adapt this role to meet the evolving challenges of supporting Ukrainian and other refugee students. These assistants act as linguistic and cultural mediators between students, parents, and teachers, facilitating communication, translating, and providing social and emotional support.

Due to unclear job descriptions and undefined responsibilities, many primarily served as translators and often assumed teaching roles. Their professional background as educators naturally led them to focus on what they knew best—providing direct academic support—rather than fully embracing the broader mediatory role envisioned for intercultural assistants. While their teaching experience was valuable, it did not fully equip them to address the complex social, emotional, and cultural needs of refugee students. Their role as translators was recognised as crucial, since 74% of Polish teachers claim that the most significant challenge in teaching in a multicultural classroom is the language barrier (Swidrowska & Walczak, 2024).

Despite their significant contributions, intercultural assistants remain unrecognized within Poland’s formal educational system. Their preparation is ad hoc, relying on personal experience and informal training, which limits the consistency and effectiveness of their work (Illeris, 2011). Consequently, they depend on personal experience and prior education, which, while valuable, may not provide the theoretical and transferable knowledge needed to address systemic challenges effectively (Kolb, 1984).

Research Questions and Objectives:
The main objective of this research is to properly define the professional tasks of intercultural assistants and assess their effectiveness in supporting students with migration backgrounds. To achieve these objectives, the research addresses the following questions:

1. What tasks are performed by intercultural assistants within schools?
2. To what extent do these tasks support students with migration backgrounds?
3. To what extent do these tasks contribute to the overall functioning of the school community?

The methodology utilized a mixed-methods approach, combining self-assessment questionnaires for assistants and structured interviews with school principals and teachers. This dual approach ensured a comprehensive understanding of the scope of tasks performed, the assistants’ perceptions of their roles, and how their work is perceived by educators within the school environment. By identifying both strengths and areas for improvement, this research contributes to ongoing discussions about the formal recognition and support for intercultural assistants in Poland’s educational system.

Using a mixed-methods approach (Creswell, 2009), the research was conducted with the following tools: • Self-assessment questionnaires for intercultural assistants regarding their work in schools. These included questions about the tasks they performed and a subjective assessment of the extent to which tasks in each category supported students. • Structured interview questionnaires for school principals and teachers working with assistants. The questions covered the categories of tasks carried out by intercultural assistants and a subjective assessment of how much each task category supported students. The questionnaires aimed to gather detailed information about the school’s cooperation with assistants and evaluate the impact of their work on the school environment. Both questionnaires shared the same categories of activities, identified during the conceptualization process. These categories were developed in consultation with the assistants and their collaborators. The research was conducted between May and July 2024, allowing responses to be collected at the end of the school year, when most of the assistants’ activities could be comprehensively evaluated. The self-assessment questionnaires were completed independently by the assistants. The structured interview questionnaires for principals and teachers were completed during interviews with the researcher, who clarified categories, asked follow-up questions, and recorded responses. In three cases, participants completed the questionnaires online upon request. Additionally, five principals and one teacher agreed to have their interviews recorded. These recordings were transcribed and included in the analysed research materials. In total, 62 individuals participated in the study: • 36 intercultural assistants completed self-assessment questionnaires regarding their school activities (representing 24 institutions). • 20 school principals and 5 teachers participated in structured interviews. In four cases, both teachers and principals came from the same institution, meaning the participants represented 21 schools in total. This comprehensive approach ensured a thorough understanding of the tasks performed by intercultural assistants and their impact on supporting students and the broader school environment.

The most impactful contributions of intercultural assistants are much wider than translation and include extra-scheduled consultations with students, communication with migrant parents, translation services, and assistance with administrative formalities. They also provide planned consultations and learning support. Intercultural assistants play a key role in ensuring ongoing student and teacher support, often bridging gaps in communication and addressing challenges as they arise. Assistants are frequently seen as problem solvers for "special tasks" due to their unique linguistic and cultural competencies, enabling them to respond to immediate and complex issues that other staff may not be equipped to handle. However, this task-specific nature creates ambiguity regarding their formal duties, complicating efforts to monitor, assess, and systematize their work within schools. Their cooperation with teaching staff, especially in the adaptation of new students, is critical. Yet, their effectiveness depends on regular communication and alignment with teachers, which is not always consistently achieved due to a lack of structured communication channels and oversight. Informal consultations with teachers, while valuable, often result in limited documentation and visibility for school leadership, further highlighting the challenge of integrating assistants into existing school frameworks. Despite the variability in their responsibilities, intercultural assistants provide crucial support to migrant parents, fostering both the children’s adaptation and positive school-family relationships. Their flexible approach allows them to meet the specific needs of families and schools, but without clear job descriptions and training pathways, the full potential of their role remains untapped. Without structured support, their work risks being undervalued. Addressing this gap through formal recognition, training, and consistent job descriptions is necessary for long-term success in migrant education.

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