Competence of Irish and Polish teachers in the opinions of young Polish immigrants in Ireland

Abstract

Since 2004, Ireland has experienced the arrival of immigrants from various countries from all over the world including Poland. The Polish came to Ireland with their families including children of school age obliged to attend compulsory education. These children have attended schools dissimilar from the ones they are accustomed to in their home country in terms of teacher–student relationships. The question then arises as to what an Irish teacher is like in the opinions of young Polish immigrants? Is the image different from the one of a Polish teacher, or does the peculiarity of this job make teachers in various countries alike? This research conducted among a group of Polish grammar school students in Ireland helps to answer these questions. This article is a comparative study of teachers’ competence, and their personality, as well as their substantive, methodological and educational competence. The information was obtained by group interview technique with Polish youth aged 13–15 studying in Irish secondary schools at junior cycle level.

Keywords:

• Irish secondary school
• competence of Irish and Polish teachers
• immigrants in Ireland
• Poles in Ireland

Notes on contributor

Joanna Augustyniak – PhD in Humanities, Assistant Professor in the Department of Care and Education Pedagogy and Educational Psychology and the Institute of Technology and Education in Koszalin University of Technology. She is actively involved in academic research and cooperates with research centres in Poland and Ireland. Her scholar interests are focused on problems associated with the assimilation of immigrants in the countries of residence, especially the adaptation of Polish immigrants’ children to life and education conditions in the countries of residence, particularly in Ireland. She is also involved in a broadly understood cross-cultural activity and issues related to the re-adaptation of Polish schoolchildren after returning from emigration. She is the author of scientific articles published in The New Educational Review and General and Professional Education.

Notes

1. The lowest mark in Polish assessment scale.