An exploration of the racial experiences of black teachers in the Irish Adult learning and education (ALE) sector.

This study explored the racial experiences of Black teachers in the ALE sector. The literature indicates that racial discrimination and segregation in the ALE sector have been a problem in the past and continue to be in the present. Specifically, literature suggested that the Irish teaching workforce remains highly monoethnic, especially in the ALE sector. This study adopted a qualitative approach using semi-structured, open-ended interviews as the data collection technique. The study participants comprised of thirteen participants, 4 Black teachers from Nigeria, 3 from south Africa, 3 from Congo, 2 Irish-born Blacks, and 1 graduate from Kenya selected using the snowball sampling technique. The data collected were coded and analysed thematically. The findings indicated that Black teachers are not incorporated into the ALE sector due to their skin colour. If hired, they are given only part-time roles, which do not satisfy their economic and career aspirations. Furthermore, the study indicated that many Black teachers are forced to be creative and find other ways to be useful to the Irish community to uphold their career aspirations and continue practising their skills. The study recommended legislative changes as among the implications of the research