DESCRIPTORS *Cultural Differences; *Diversity (Faculty); Foreign

A two-part study examined the gap in Australian research about teachers of different ethnic groups. The first part of the study examined demographics of the population of diverse secondary teachers who work in government secondary schools and are born overseas, educated overseas, and are non-native speakers of English. The information comes from a survey of 308 government secondary schools. The second part of the study was a qualitative case study of eight teachers from Victoria who completed interviews that investigated the nature of their teaching experiences. Results suggest that greater numbers of diverse teachers must be recruited into the teaching profession. Teachers felt marginalized and invisible as professionals. They often felt that their expectations and views about teaching were out of step with those of their colleagues, and this helped define their difference. The teachers felt singled out for redundancy and believed their authority was undermined in front of colleagues and students. Many encountered blatant racism from colleagues, administrators, and students. Teacher education must provide opportunities for diverse teachers to develop the skills they require to make valuable contributions to education and the confidence to adopt prominent roles within their schools. (Contains 22 references.) (SM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document