Following the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022 and the related migration wave, Ukrainian students now represent approximately 3% of pupils in Czech schools, constituting the largest minority group (Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, 2025). While the integration of foreign students has been extensively discussed (Šeďová et al., 2024; Hlaďo et al., 2024), empirical studies quantitatively analyzing classmates' specific reactions toward newly arrived students by national citizenship remain scarce, particularly at the lower secondary level, where systematic research is insufficient.

Drawing on social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979), this study conceptualizes students’ reactions toward classmates as embedded in processes of social categorization, in-group attachment, and the maintenance of group boundaries. Rather than overt hostility, contemporary research suggests that intergroup bias in school contexts often manifests in subtle forms, such as reduced willingness to help, limited social contact, or emotionally ambivalent responses toward perceived out-group members (Brewer, 1999; Pettigrew & Meertens, 1995). Schools constitute a key social arena in which children actively negotiate belonging and difference, and where national citizenship may become a salient marker shaping peer interactions. These processes are further intensified by perceived group threat and the strength of identification with the national in-group, which influence how students evaluate and respond to classmates perceived as “others” (Blumer, 1958; Stephan et al., 2015).

This study employs a vignette-based experimental design (Ausprug & Hinz, 2015; Mutz, 2011) to test the effect of a classmate's national citizenship on declared behavioral reactions among lower secondary students (grades 6-9, ages 11-15). Participants are randomly assigned to scenarios describing either a Czech or Ukrainian classmate in identical social situations (e.g., needing help with schoolwork, conflict with a schoolmate). National citizenship represents the only systematically manipulated independent variable. Data are collected via questionnaires administered to approximately 700 students from a convenience sample of ten schools across the South Moravia region in the Czech Republic, with random assignment embedded within the survey instrument. Dependent variables measure prosocial behaviors (willingness to collaborate, offer help, extend social invitations) and excluding behaviors (avoidance, social rejection, discriminatory treatment) using Likert-type scales, capturing both subtle and explicit forms of social response. Data will be analyzed using independent-samples t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests (depending on distributional assumptions) to compare behavioral reactions between experimental conditions, with appropriate effect size measures calculated to assess practical significance. 

The study advances existing research in three key ways. First, it provides experimental evidence of citizenship-based bias in actual school contexts where Ukrainian integration is ongoing, addressing a significant gap in Czech educational research. Second, it focuses on declared behavioral intentions rather than attitudes alone, thereby linking psychological dispositions with socially consequential actions in peer interactions. Third, it examines these processes during middle childhood, when interventions may be most effective in preventing the crystallization of intergroup bias. Findings are expected to provide empirically grounded insights for educators and policymakers seeking to strengthen inclusive classroom environments, specifically identifying intervention points where prosocial peer relations can be fostered and exclusionary tendencies addressed before they become entrenched patterns. 

The aim of the study is to quantitatively examine the effect of a classmate’s citizenship on the declared social and behavioral responses of lower secondary school students. To achieve this objective, we employ a between-subjects experimental vignette design. This design enables causal inference regarding the effect of perceived citizenship on students’ social responses by experimentally manipulating the target characteristic while holding the scenario constant. The vignettes will combine textual and visual materials, with three vignettes included in each questionnaire. They will depict challenging situations from the school environment, selected from a database of difficult classroom scenarios, with preference given to those that occur most frequently in Czech schools. The research design is in accordance with established recommendations for vignette experiments (Ausprug & Hinz, 2015; Mutz, 2011). In the vignettes, we will manipulate a single variable—the actor's citizenship, a hypothetical classmate. A manipulation check will be done in the pilot study. It verifies whether respondents correctly perceived the classmate’s citizenship. Following each vignette, respondents will indicate their level of agreement or disagreement on Likert scales with items measuring prosocial or exclusionary responses. The research sample will consist of a convenience sample drawn from at least ten schools within the South Moravian Region. Although the sample is non-probabilistic, recruiting multiple schools increases heterogeneity and improves the external validity of the findings. The goal is to collect responses from at least 700 lower secondary school students (aged 11–15). Participants will be randomly and evenly assigned to a version of the questionnaire containing vignettes featuring either Czech or Ukrainian hypothetical classmates. Random assignment minimizes selection bias and strengthens the study's internal validity. For data analysis, we will use independent-samples t-tests or Mann–Whitney U tests, depending on distributional assumptions. In addition to significance testing, effect sizes will be reported to assess the practical magnitude of the observed differences. Participation will be voluntary and anonymous, with parental consent obtained in accordance with institutional guidelines. The ethical aspects of the research were discussed and approved by the Ethics Committee of Masaryk University.

Based on social identity theory and previous empirical findings, it can be expected that a classmate’s national citizenship will have a statistically significant effect on the declared social and behavioral responses of lower secondary school students. Specifically, we hypothesize that hypothetical classmates identified as Ukrainian will elicit lower levels of declared prosocial behavior compared to Czech classmates. From a practical perspective, the findings would provide empirically grounded arguments for targeted interventions in school settings that address not only overt discrimination but also the promotion of everyday prosocial interactions between native and migrant students. The results could inform the development of preventive programs, teacher training initiatives, and school policies aimed at strengthening inclusive classroom climates. For educational policymakers, the study would highlight that successful formal integration (e.g., language support or organizational measures) does not necessarily translate into social integration at the level of peer relationships. Early identification of subtle forms of social exclusion in lower secondary education may therefore play a crucial role in preventing long-term marginalization and in fostering social cohesion within schools.

Auspurg, K., & Hinz, T. (2015). Factorial survey experiments. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781483398075 Blumer, H. (1958). Race prejudice as a sense of group position. The Pacific Sociological Review, 1(1), 3–7. https://doi.org/10.2307/1388607 Brewer, M. B. (1999). The Psychology of prejudice: ingroup love and outgroup hate? Journal of Social Issues, 55(3), 429–444. https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00126 Hlado, P., Lojdová, K., Obrovská, J., Šeďová, K., Lintner, T., Fico, M., & Stupak, O. (2024). “The schools try, but. . .”: A holistic perspective on the social adaptation of Ukrainian refugee students in Czech schools. Learning Culture and Social Interaction, 48, 100854. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lcsi.2024.100854 Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. (2025). Basic information on Ukrainian-related issues in regional education. In https://edu.gov.cz/. Mutz, D. C. (2011). Population-Based survey experiments. In Princeton University Press eBooks. Pettigrew, T. F., & Meertens, R. W. (1995). Subtle and blatant prejudice in western Europe. European Journal of Social Psychology, 25(1), 57–75. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2420250106 Stephan, W. G., Ybarra, O., & Rios, K. (2015). Intergroup threat theory. In Handbook of Prejudice, Stereotyping, and Discrimination (2nd ed., pp. 255–278). https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203361993-12/intergroup-threat-theory-walter-stephan-oscar-ybarra-kimberly-rios?context=ubx&refId=2a94c190-98bb-44e9-8fd8-858fb8b3fe2c Šeďová, K., Obrovská, J., Hlado, P., Lojdová, K., Machovcová, K., Stupak, O., Fico, M., & Lintner, T. (2024). ‘They usually look happy.’ approaches to the adaptation of Ukrainian refugees in Czech schools. Pedagogy Culture and Society, 33(5), 1553–1574. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2024.2362965 Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. G. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 33–48). Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole.