The project introduced in this paper is a three year project in Iceland (2010-2012) and simultaneously a part of a larger international research network of comparable longitudinal projects focusing on diverse teachers for diverse learners. All research partners have conducted research that will be built on and used for comparative writing during the duration of the project, particularly in the first stages of the project (2010-2011).

The main research questions across the international context are: In what way do diverse teachers benefit diverse students? And, How does the teaching force benefit from diversification as well?

The theoretical framework of the international project is within critical multicultural perspectives and critical pedagogy (Banks, 2007; Freire, 2007; Nieto, 1999) as well as perspectives of communities of practice and situated learning (Lave and Wenger, 1991). Many writers agree that in modern multicultural societies teachers at all levels should have knowledge about the basic issues concerning and developments of multicultural societies as well as basic ideologies and values necessary for teaching diverse groups of students (Banks, 2007; Nieto, 1999). Furthermore, many writers have maintained and research has indicated that diverse groups of teachers have better understanding of the needs of diverse groups of students than homogeneous groups of teachers. The rationale given is that diverse groups of teachers have multiple and diverse experiences that are important and even essential for understanding and relating to diverse student groups (Gundara, 2000; Howard, 1999; Ladson-Billings, 1994, 2001; Lumby and Coleman, 2007).

The main aim of the Icelandic project is to explore how diverse students benefit from diverse teachers and how the human resources embedded in a variety of experiences, knowledge, cultures, languages and religions among teachers are built on in Icelandic schools.

In Iceland, changes towards increased diversity in ethnic origins, mother languages and religions of teachers, teacher assistants and students have started debates on issues such as whether current leadership models in schools are based on equity and seek to promote ethnic diversity or exclude, marginalize and discriminate against internationally educated teachers; whether leadership models promote individual abilities and cultural capital; whether conflicts of cultural and religious values affect school ethos and simultaneously affect children in schools. Research in Iceland (Lassen, 2007; Ragnarsdóttir, in press; Ragnarsdóttir and Blöndal, 2007; Ragnarsdóttir and Blöndal, in press) has indicated that some of the international teachers experience barriers to barriers to integration within the Icelandic educational system and marginalization.

While introducing the international project generally, the paper mainly discusses findings from the surveys developed and conducted in Iceland and comparison with findings from surveys in the other countries in the research network. It also discusses the findings of the document analysis and draws on former research among diverse teachers and student teachers in Iceland (Ragnarsdóttir, 2008; Ragnarsdóttir, in press; Ragnarsdóttir and Blöndal, in press). Some preliminary findings from the four qualitative case studies within the Icelandic project will be introduced.

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