Despite an increase in ethnic diversity within the state, the Irish teaching workforce remains starkly mono-ethnic. This article is based on an analysis of data generated through a sequential explanatory mixed method research project involving questionnaire responses from 240 migrant teachers and subsequent focus group with a selection of teachers. Findings suggest that migrant teachers are slow to engage in the formal accreditation process, and face considerable challenges when they do. This reflects not only practical difficulties, but also narrow discourses of who can legitimately be recognised as a teacher in Ireland. This in turn is linked to cultural arbitraries highlighted through the research, such as a requirement to be able to teach through the Irish language in primary school and a requirement to be registered to teach in primary or post-primary schools only. In exploring these barriers, we draw broadly on Bourdieu and Passeron’s (1990) work, which understands teachers as pedagogic agents, imbued with pedagogic authority through formal processes of accreditation and selection. These processes involve the imposition of cultural arbitraries which legitimate certain languages, content or stances over others. Recommendations include revisions to the registration process to take previous teaching experience into account.

尽管该州内的种族多样性有所增加，但爱尔兰的教学人员仍然明显是单一种族的。本文基于对通过连续解释性混合方法研究项目生成的数据进行的分析，该项目涉及 240 名农民工教师的问卷回复以及随后选择教师的焦点小组。调查结果表明，农民工教师参与正式认证过程的速度很慢，并且在参与时面临相当大的挑战。这不仅反映了实际困难，而且反映了关于谁可以合法地被承认为爱尔兰教师的狭隘话语。这反过来又与研究中强调的文化任意性有关，例如要求能够在小学通过爱尔兰语进行教学，以及要求注册只能在小学或小学后任教。在探索这些障碍时，我们广泛借鉴了 Bourdieu 和 Passeron (1990) 的工作，该工作将教师理解为教学代理人，通过正式的认证和选拔程序赋予教学权威。这些过程涉及强加文化专断，使某些语言、内容或立场合法化。建议包括修改注册过程以考虑以前的教学经验。通过正式的认证和选拔程序赋予教学权威。这些过程涉及强加文化专断，使某些语言、内容或立场合法化。建议包括修改注册过程以考虑以前的教学经验。通过正式的认证和选拔程序赋予教学权威。这些过程涉及强加文化专断，使某些语言、内容或立场合法化。建议包括修改注册过程以考虑以前的教学经验。