With the changing composition of classrooms globally and the Sustainable Development Goal 4  of inclusive and equitable quality education for all, the need for inclusive/responsive teacher pedagogy has become pertinent to achieving set educational goals. School environments need to be inclusive of different socio-cultural students' backgrounds (UNESCO, 2019). An inclusive school environment "support students from ethnically and culturally different backgrounds by acknowledging differences, reflecting ethnic and cultural difference in the school curriculum… that empower both students and their parents" (Faas, Smith, & Darmody, 2018, p. 4). Furthermore, research has provided evidence on the importance of engaging parents in educational research and development (Bell, 1994; Domina, 2005; Laureau, 1989; Tett, 2004). 

This research study is situated in Ireland. In recent years, Irish society has experienced rapid changes in its socio-cultural composition as global migration increases with people's movement due to conflicts, climate crises, and search for better economic opportunities. Ireland historically used to be an emigrating nation but is now experiencing a continuous influx of migrants (Rodriguez-Izquierdo & Darmody, 2019). According to the Central Statistics Office (2017), 11.6 per cent of the Irish population in 2016 are non-Irish backgrounds, representing about 196 nationalities and 182 languages. Furthermore, the Irish Department of Education and Skills and the Office of the Minister for Integration (2010, p. 1), highlight that the increasing migration patterns into the Irish society present "both new opportunities and challenges." Aside from the heterogeneous nature of the migrant group "a minority may not have received a basic education prior to arriving in Ireland, whilst the majority are highly educated, many to post-graduate level." Basically, with the educational attainment of migrants in Ireland, it can be argued that parents of non-Irish should be involved in educational research and development in Ireland. However, recent evidence shows less progress in parental involvement in the educational decision-making, delivery and development in Ireland (Brown et al., 2020a; Brown et al., 2020b).

Therefore, this research study attempts to fill the real lack of research with parents of culturally diverse backgrounds within the Irish education system. The study explores the perspectives of parents of non-Irish backgrounds lived educational experiences in Ireland. In particular, the study responds to the research question: What are the perspectives of parents from non-Irish backgrounds in developing culturally responsive competencies among teachers in Ireland? Furthermore, the Critical Race Theory (CRT) of education (Brayboy, 2005; Ladson-billings & Tate, 1995) was adopted as a theoretical framework for the study. CRT of education advocates for the voice of the marginalised and affected 'groups' to be "required for a complete analysis of the education system" (Ladson-Billings & Tete, 1995, p. 58). This argument supports this research study's rationale in exploring the perspectives of parents from non-Irish backgrounds in the development of culturally inclusive teaching and learning in Irish schools. With the CRT of education, this study profoundly reflects on culture's influence on ensuring accessible, equitable and quality education for all learners.

Using a qualitative research strategy, five focus group discussions were conducted with 20 parents from non-Irish backgrounds as data for the study. The parents in this research study live and work in the West of Ireland. The focus groups were held between January and February 2020, right before the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. A non-random sampling technique was used in selecting and recruiting parents for the study. The focus groups took place in public spaces, with a minimum of three and maximum of six parents in each focus group session. The focus groups lasted between 60 to 120 mins and were recorded after the participants gave consent. Furthermore, the focus groups explored the lived experiences of parents of non-Irish background with the Irish education system and their children's educational experiences in Ireland. The discussions also examine parents' perspectives on creating culturally inclusive learning environments in Irish schools. The participants demographic includes 14 of them being female and seven being male. Parents in this study have lived in Ireland between one and 20 years. Participants have their children enrolled in primary or secondary schools in Ireland as required for selection to participate in the study. As part of the data analysis approach, all recorded focus groups were transcribed verbatim and transferred to NVivo qualitative software for data coding and analysis. Also, thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) was adopted in analysing data through the generation of themes and sub-themes.

This study's findings reveal that migrant parents are culturally conscious and expressed a strong willingness to pass on their cultures to their children irrespective of where they are born – either here in Ireland or parents' country of origin. Participants also expressed cultural clashes their children experience, that is, the clash between their home culture or perceived culture and the generally accepted culture within the Irish society. Parents shared that their children often suffer from cultural identity or confusion, which affect their learning experiences in schools. In regard to Irish teachers developing culturally responsive competencies, parents in this study advised teachers to be patient, empathetic, promote right values, show interest in intercultural knowledge and be open-minded to students from culturally diverse backgrounds. In support for the development of culturally inclusive teaching and learning in Irish schools, a parent posited, “We may come from different backgrounds of life, but at the same time, we are all human beings… We are different and that should be seen as normal.” Based on the findings of this study and reflecting on the CRT, we argue that culture and race are central to the level of migrant parents' involvement in their children's schools, and the academic performance of students from culturally diverse backgrounds. In conclusion, this study has presented a platform for the voice of parents from non-Irish backgrounds to be considered in the development of culturally inclusive teaching and learning environments in Ireland. We believe that the findings of the study reflect a similar situation with migrant families in other developed countries particularly in Europe. Therefore, the study provides insight for teachers, teacher-educators, policymakers and researchers working in the field inclusive, equitable and quality education for all learners.

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