Until recent times, Ireland was often regarded as a homogenous country comprised of a monocultural population with monocultural experiences (Fanning, 2007; Devine, 2011). However, this is a misrepresentation of the Irish cultural narrative, within which immigration, emigration and diversity have always co-existed. Multi-ethnicity in Ireland is not a new occurrence; Irish Travellers, Black-Irish people, Jewish people and other immigrants have always been part of Irish society (Lentin & McVeigh, 2002). However, it is fair to say that Ireland’s ‘migration turning point’ (Ruhs, 2005) in 1996, which transformed Ireland from a country of emigration to one of in-migration for the first time, has led to an increase in diversity among school populations, with over 11 per cent of children currently enrolled in Irish primary schools coming from a migrant background (DES, 2018).

However, the diversity which now exists in the typical Irish primary school classroom is not mirrored in the student demographics of initial teacher education, with evidence showing that student teachers remain overwhelmingly White, female, settled, middle-class and Catholic (Keane & Heinz, 2016) and their exposure to diversity is very limited (Leavy, 2005). 95.8–96.2% of undergraduate primary entrants claim only Irish nationality and further 2.8–3.5% of undergraduate primary student teachers claimed Irish nationality plus a secondary non-Irish nationality (Keane & Heinz, 2016, p. 9). This is very revealing, showing an overwhelming majority (approximately 99% at upper level of the data) identifying as ‘White Irish’ based on the census categorisations. Moreover, students from under-represented and racialised groups face a myriad of cultural complexities, institutional limitations, and economic constraints to becoming a primary teacher in Ireland. These barriers span the continuum of access and admissions, post-entry to ITE and transition to teaching. 

Critical Race Theory (CRT) draws upon a series of innovative methodological tools to address racism, discrimination, and relentless inequalities in society. Counter-storytelling, also known ‘oppositional storytelling’ (Delgado, 1995, p. xv) is one such device in the ‘conceptual toolbox’ of CRT (Gillborn, 2007). Counter-stories centre the significance of experiential knowledge and are positioned in direct opposition to stereotypical scripts or ‘stock stories’, (Delgado, 1989). This presentation will use the tool of counter-storytelling (Delgado, 1989; 1995), within a critical race theory framework, to reveal findings from a PhotoVoice research project with minoritized ethnic young people interested in pursuing a career in primary teaching in Ireland. Through symbolic image-narratives, counter stories will be shared relating to identity and belonging, the centrality of racism in the educational experiences of the young people, and their narrative responses to the persistent injustices and barriers they have faced in pursuit of their teaching dream.

Much research conducted in educational settings positions participants as spectators, so a critical participatory action research approach was immediately considered as a way of meaningfully collaborating with the young people involved in this research. Critical participatory action research, as an egalitarian and non-hierarchical research method, has the potential to help redress the imbalance that is often present in educational research, that tends to marginalise and in some cases exclude altogether minoritized voices (Schmidt, 2016). The approach emphasises collectivity and shared experience, produces rigorous and potentially powerful results (Stoudt, Fine & Fox, 2012) and participants are positioned as co-researchers and active agents in the inquiry process. The research approach was characterised by equitable participation of the young people in all aspects of the research, from research design, co-construction of questions, data collection to data analysis. The sample for this study was recruited from a wide range of backgrounds, including migrants from South America, migrants from Eastern Europe, Irish Travellers, Black-Irish young people, and members of several different other African diaspora communities, including some who are currently seeking asylum in Ireland. This is a national study, with participants coming from eight different counties in Ireland. The primary data collection instrument was that of PhotoVoice - a method by which people can identify, represent and enhance their community through a specific photographic technique (Wang & Burris, 1997; Wang, Cash & Powers, 2000). PhotoVoice is an approach to data collection which marries self-directed photography with participatory action as a way for marginalised groups to enact social change. PhotoVoice allows respondents to provide a visual testimony to research questions by taking multiple photographs of things in their life. PhotoVoice can support the exploration of complex topics and support participant-generated visual data as a form of ‘cultural self-portrayal’ (Pauwels, 1996). PhotoVoice is a non-didactic research method which privileges democratic practices and pursuits (Sánchez, 2015). As such, Luttrell (2020) describes it as ‘collaborative seeing’, given that images can be regarded as ‘windows’ or ‘mirrors’ for us to reflect back and understand social reality. The intention was to use the PhotoVoice component as an opportunity for self-reflection, as well as a mechanism of providing a ‘voice, via camera, to members of communities not typically represented (Wang & Burris, 1997, p. 486).

The lack of progress in diversifying primary teaching in Ireland has effectively resulted in a cohort of interested, motivated and creative young people from diverse backgrounds unable to access the continuum of teacher education. Using a CRT framework, which particular emphasis on the sociological concepts of racialization and recognition; this presentation will share image-narrative findings from a PhotoVoice research project with minoritized ethnic young people interested in becoming primary teachers. These photos and the accompanying rich narratives represent first-hand experience of exclusion and marginalisation from ITE and aim to foreground authentic voices which have been hitherto silenced in dominant discourse about diversifying the teaching profession in Ireland.

•Delgado, R. (Ed.). (1995). Critical Race Theory: The Cutting Edge. Philadelphia: TempleUniversity Press. •Devine, D. (2011). Immigration and schooling in the Republic of Ireland: Making adifference? Manchester: Manchester University Press. •Fanning, B. (2007). Immigration and social change in the Republic of Ireland. Manchester:Manchester University Press •Gillborn, D. (2007) Critical Race Theory and Education: Racism and antiracism in educational theory and praxis. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 27(1), 1132. •Keane, E., & Heinz, M. (2016). Excavating an Injustice?: Nationality/ies, Ethnicity/ies, andExperiences with Diversity of Initial Teacher Education Applicants and Entrants in Ireland in 2014. European Journal of Teacher Education, 39(4), 507–527. •Leavy, A. (2005). ‘When I meet them I talk to them’: the challenges of diversity for pre-service teacher education. Irish Educational Studies, 24 (2), 159-177. •Lentin, R. & McVeigh, R. (2002). Racism and Anti-Racism in Ireland. Belfast: Beyond the Pale. •Luttrell, W. (2020). Children framing childhoods: Working-class kids’ visions of care. Bristol:Policy Press. •Ruhs, M. (2005). Managing the Immigration and Employment of non-EU Nationals inIreland. Dublin: The Policy Institute, TCD. •Sánchez, L. (2015). Students as photo activists: Using cameras in the classroom for social change. Theory into Practice, 54 (2), 163 – 171. •Schmidt, C. (2016). Herculean efforts are not enough: diversifying the teaching profession and the need for systemic change. Intercultural Education, 26, (6), 584–592. •Stoudt, G., Fox, M. & Fine, M. (2012). Contesting Privilege with Critical Participatory Action Research. Journal of Social Issues, 68, (1), 178-193. •Wang, C., & Burris, M. A. (1994). Empowerment through photo novella: Portraits ofparticipation. Health Education Quarterly, 21(2), 170-186. •Wang, C., Cash, J. & Powers, L. (2000). ‘Who knows the streets as well as the homeless?’ Promoting personal and community action through PhotoVoice. Health Promotion Practice, 1 (1), 81 – 89.