‘First and foremost, we are teachers, not refugees’: Requalification measures for internationally trained teachers affected by forced migration

Abstract

This article looks deeper into the educational careers and barriers faced by internationally trained teachers with refugee backgrounds. Highly skilled teachers experience among others formal barriers due to the two-subject regime in Austria. This study analyses the barriers and measures that disable or enable the re-qualification of internationally trained teachers who wish to continue their profession in Austria. Guided by a participatory approach laid out by Von Unger in 2014, this study taps into the needs of teaching professionals with refugee backgrounds and led to the development and implementation of a course. The course was compiled to provide educational knowledge as well as pedagogical training. Even though the completed subject of internationally trained teachers was recognised (apart from courses concerning didactics), the fulfilment of regular teacher training in Austria is seen as a conditio sine qua non. Hence, teachers with a different formal-educational background, irrespective of professional expertise, are seen as lacking education and/or skills. Considering that there is no worldwide consensus regarding the content and structure of teacher education, the implication of a lack of skills as well as the need for bridging programmes will be critically discussed from the participants’ perspectives. This article offers insight into the transcultural implications of professionalism.

Diversity in the teachers’ lounge in Germany – casting doubt on the statistical category of ‘migration background’

“…The implementation of such a question could contribute to a dismantling of binary coding along with the schemas of ‘with’ and ‘without’ or ‘us’ and ‘other’ according to post-migrant theory (Römhild, 2017) by questioning hegemonic understandings of ethnic belonging and exclusion in a migration society. Such new categorization may stimulate further research on the question of whether and to what extent teachers with different senses of ethnic belonging actually differ from one another in terms of their attitudes towards diversity and pedagogical orientations or whether professional qualifications and identity as a teacher are the deciding factors; in the words of one teacher, ‘First and foremost, we are teachers’ (see Proyer et al, 2021 in this special issue).…”

Diversification of the teaching profession in Europe and beyond: Ambivalences of recognition in the context of (forced) migration

“…These processes involve the imposition of cultural arbitraries which legitimate certain languages, content or stances over others. The dimension of misrecognition is also pointed out by the aforementioned contribution by Proyer et al (2021): It becomes evident that social recognition is not experienced by the international teachers without accepting their position as a ‘diverse teacher’: Some teachers’ experience of being addressed as refugees, especially in school internships, is a topic of critical reflection in the participatory research.…”

“…The strategies of migrated teachers to cope with the non-recognition of qualifications and experience in European countries and beyond is focused in the contribution by Proyer et al (2021) as well as the contribution by Terhart (2021). Proyer et al point out that the teachers taking part in a Certificate Course addressing international teachers at the University of Vienna, Austria, are strongly affected in their (professional) self-image.…”

“…In two contributions, it is therefore central that the teachers involved are addressed as experts of their social world (including working and learning environments), who provide researchers access to it by sharing their views and experiences. In the study by Proyer et al (2021) the research team consists of alumni and participants, as well as academic researchers as part of the Viennese Certificate Course for international teachers. Based on the approach of participatory research, the teachers were involved as experts in the research process.…”

Unravelling the Nuanced Experiences of Multilingual Internationally Educated Teachers in Bridging Programmes

“…The chapter is based on reviews of relevant literature carried out in previous work by the authors (e.g. Schmidt 2010;Schmidt andSchneider 2016 Schmidt andMc Daid 2015;Resch et al 2019;Kremsner, Proyer and Biewer 2020;Proyer et al 2022;Terhart 2022a+b).…”