Given the wide social diversity in our societies, it seems quite remarkable that educational systems have been able to develop in a way that powerfully favours some and builds barriers to others, not only regarding the students, but also the teachers, thus depicting and representing only part of the society within the teaching profession. In a comparison across all tertiary education institutions, those responsible for teacher education seem to be among the least diverse regarding their student population, and even less diverse regarding their staff, that is, the educators of these future teachers (e.g. Donlevy, 2016; Mantel, 2017).

While these observations have been part of the Anglo-American scientific discourse for several decades (Cochran-Smith, 2023, p. xvii), they have only become virulent in the European discourse during the last about 15 years. Very recent edited volumes with collections of empirical work (Gist & Bristol, 2022; Gutman et al., 2023; Keane et al., 2023) and a newly founded international WERA-network have lent new momentum to the discussions. However, the research desiderata are still numerous and complex and the communication within the European/ international scientific community is still in its beginnings.

We aim to contribute to this scientific exchange with two symposia, this first one focussing on the particular barriers that minority/ minoritised teachers face when entering or moving within educational systems. These barriers can be seen as an expression or a characteristic of a particular institutional setup that has grown over centuries and developed in a way that (re)produces social inequalities: Some experience barriers of different kind, while others experience relatively open doors. If we come to understand more deeply what kind of barriers are systemically inherent and in what ways they can be overcome, we contribute to a corpus of knowledge that is highly relevant if transformative processes are to be effective.

Theoretically, such an institutional setup can be framed for instance as ‘institutional habitus’ e.g. as conceived by Byrd (2019, p. 194) building on Bourdieu’s theory; as ‘school culture’, e.g. as conceived by Helsper (2008); or as ‘institutional boundary making’ (e.g. Wimmer, 2013). Institutional barriers typically manifest all the way into individual stories, not only affecting them situationally, but structuring them over time, influencing professional positionalities and identities including socioeconomic, ethnic, linguistic, religious and even security dimensions.

These barriers seem especially unjust and inappropriate when they do not ‘only’ discriminate particular individuals but also cut out or limit resources these individuals have. Minority/ minoritised teachers may - for instance - have multilingual or -linguistic resources and competences that could be highly beneficial for multilingual learning. However, barriers may be experienced precisely in these areas of resources, as teachers may be challenged in trying to bring them into their teaching practice and in being recognised for them, instead encountering subtle or overt rejection through systemic barriers, prejudice or stereotypes. These teachers’ experiences thus point not only to the institutional boundary structure, but also to the potential benefits and the missed opportunities that are being created through these very boundaries.

These missed opportunities and the institutionally inherent injustices are often blind spots in everyday perception, while scientific investigation can shed light on them, even more so if sensitised, enhanced and supported through inter-scientist exchange and international comparison. In this symposium the following questions shall be at the centre of investigation, comparison and discussion: In what ways do minority/ minoritised teachers experience barriers in their institutional settings? What are the resources and/or benefits they contribute from their particular perspective and experience? What kind of challenges or constraints do they face when trying to bring their resources into their teaching practice?

byrd, d. (2019). Uncovering Hegemony in Higher Education: A Critical Appraisal of the Use of “Institutional Habitus” in Empirical Scholarship. Review of Educational Research, 89(2), 171-210. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654318812915 Cochran-Smith, M. (2023). Foreword. In E. Keane, M. Heinz, & R. Mc Daid (Eds.), Diversifying the Teaching Profession. Dimensions, Dilemmas and Directions for the Future (pp. xv-xx). Routledge. Donlevy, V., Meierkord, A., & Rajania, A. (2016). Study on the Diversity within the Teaching Profession with Particular Focus on Migrant and/or Minority Background. Final Report to DG Education and Culture of the European Commission. European Union. Gist, C. D., & Bristol, T. J. (Eds.). (2022). Handbook on Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers. American Research Association. Gutman, M., Jayusi, W., Beck, M., & Bekerman, Z. (Eds.). (2023). To Be a Minority Teacher in a Foreigh Culture. Empirical Evidence from an International Perspective. Springer. Helsper, W. (2008). Schulkulturen - die Schule als symbolische Sinnordnung. Zeitschrift für Pädagogik, 54(1), 63-80. Keane, E., Heinz, M., & Mc Daid, R. (Eds.). (2023). Diversifying the Teaching Profession. Dimensions, Dilemmas and Directions for the Future. Routledge. Mantel, C. (2017). Lehrer_in, Migration und Differenz. Fragen der Zugehörigkeit bei Grundschullehrer_innen der zweiten Einwanderungsgeneration in der Schweiz. transcript. Wimmer, A. (2013). Ethnic boundary making. Oxford University Press.