Teachers with Migration Background in German Discourse: Insights into Research on Education, Professional Integration and Self-Perception

Abstract

This chapter presents the state of the art focusing on the so-called teachers with “migration background” in Germany. Applying the method of the literature review, we summarize current and emerging research trends as well as understudied areas in Germany. The chapter provides the reader with a critical survey of the extensive literature produced in the past decade and a synthesis of current thinking on the topic at hand across disciplines and methodological approaches. The chapter opens up with a concise presentation of the context, objectives and the methodology of the study. These are followed by a critical synopsis of the findings and a closing conclusion. The results of the analysis reveal that a vast amount of research is focusing on the three following domains: Ascriptions and (Self-)perception of minority teachers’ role in education such as the responsibility of fostering the linguistic diversity) Minority teachers’ role for students and students’ own perspectives, e.g. the importance of the multilingual teachers for self-positioning of the students as migration-related multilinguals; as well as professional integration of minority teachers including access to the labour market and teacher education revealing an underrepresentation of minority teachers in schools. In the conclusion we point out new perspectives and areas in need of further research, such as the demand for new approaches on how to constructively include migration-related multilingualism in the course of teacher education.