In the rapidly evolving landscape of education and growing educational inequalities, the need to maintain diversity and inclusive practices has never been more important. "Teachers of Colour, Minority and Indigenous Teachers: Continuities and Futures in Educational Research" is a symposium that aims to explore the diversity of staffrooms in shaping the educational landscape, addressing challenges such as (linguistic) racism, and fostering a more just and resilient future. 

Structural inequalities and the perpetuation of systems of power that maintain racial hierarchies in schools across Europe and beyond are a common starting point. Related, overarching questions focus on how institutional practices, policies and cultures within education systems contribute to the marginalisation or empowerment of minority teachers. In addition, counter-narratives that challenge dominant racial ideologies are explored by highlighting the voices of teachers who resist racial inequalities, thereby providing a broader understanding of how individuals navigate and challenge discriminatory practices.

The symposium brings together four contributions to what has now become an important and wide-ranging field of educational research (see Gist & Bristol, 2022; Gutman et al., 2023). Each contribution addresses unique aspects of diversity within the teaching profession and its impact on the educational landscape:

Paper 1 emphasises the importance of a diverse teaching workforce in actively challenging and unlearning stereotypical prejudices in South Africa. It examines how schools can become cultivated sites where diverse teachers and learners can serve as valuable opportunities and encounters for unlearning the epistemic damage of stereotypical biases and myths.

Paper 2 explores the perceptions of minority pre-service teachers on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in Israeli teacher education. This aspect of diversity involves the intersection of technology and education, emphasizing the importance of considering the diversity of pre-service teachers when incorporating AI applications in teacher education programs.

Paper 3 focuses on the biographical narratives of minority pre-service teachers who bring multilingualism into the classroom. On the one hand, it sheds light on the ambivalences that arise when they hardly distance themselves from the monoglossic language ideologies of the German school system. On the other hand, it highlights their potential to combat linguistic racism.

Paper 4 investigates the impact of study abroad experiences on the perceptions of diversity and inclusion among in-service teachers in Japan. Findings reveal that while participants recognize alternative practices for inclusion, they struggle with effectively implementing change within the existing school culture, balancing their commitment to diversity with the pressure to conform to prevailing norms.

Together, these four papers contribute to the broader conversation about the importance of teachers of colour, minority and indigenous teachers, and teacher mobility, in shaping a more inclusive and socially just education system in Europe and beyond.

Gist, C.D., & Bristol, T.J. (Eds.). (2022). Handbook on Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers. American Educational Research Association. Gutman, M., Jayusi, W., Beck, M., & Bekerman, Z. (Eds). (2023). To Be a Minority Teacher in a Foreign Culture. Empirical Evidence from an International Perspective. Springer.