Socio-demographic composition of primary initial teacher education entrants in Ireland

Abstract

The homogeneity of the teaching profession is an international, as well as national, phenomenon. In an era of significant demographic change in schools and education policy development in Ireland and across Europe, the lack of solid data about the backgrounds of teachers and initial teacher education (ITE) applicants and entrants has hindered informed policy development, including in relation to ITE application procedures, selection criteria as well as teacher supply and demand. In this paper we discuss findings from the Diversity in Initial Teacher Education (DITE) national project. We present analyses of application (N = 2,437) and survey data (N = 530) to explore 2014 undergraduate primary (UG P) ITE entrants’ socio-demographic backgrounds. Key findings confirm that primary teaching remains a popular career choice attracting high academic achievers in Ireland. We note the continuing underrepresentation of males and of people from minority national and ethnic backgrounds. Roman Catholics and students without disabilities are overrepresented in the UG P cohort compared to postgraduate post-primary ITE cohorts and the general Irish population. Findings are discussed with reference to Irish and international literature on teacher diversity.

Keywords:

• initial teacher education
• student teachers’ socio-demographic backgrounds
• diversity
• barriers

Notes on contributors

Manuela Heinz is a lecturer and Director of the Professional Master of Education (PME) in the School of Education at the National University of Ireland Galway. Her research and publications focus on initial teacher education and teacher professional development.

Elaine Keane is a lecturer (Sociology of Education and Research Methods) and Director of Doctoral Studies in the School of Education at the National University of Ireland Galway. Her research and publications centre on widening participation in higher education and diversity in initial teacher education.

ORCID

Manuela Heinz http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3542-8931

Elaine Keane http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1002-5119

Notes

1 Based on data on disability conducted from persons aged 16 and over.

2 For a more detailed discussion of ethnicity of primary and post-primary initial teacher education applicants see Keane and Heinz (2016).

3 For a detailed discussion of ITE applicants’ religious backgrounds, religious practice and attitudes towards teaching religion see Heinz, Davison and Keane (2018).

4 For a detailed discussion of dis/ability in ITE see Keane, Heinz and Eaton (2017).

5 While males are underrepresented in teaching they are, in contrast to other underrepresented/minority groups, a political (power holding) majority group and, thus, positioned differently to other disadvantaged minority groups. For critical discussions of the ‘gender imbalance’ in teaching see Davison and Drudy et al. (2005).

6 In the PG PP ITE selection system, points are available for prior relevant experience and interviews are held at Dublin City University and Trinity College Dublin. See Heinz ( 2011) for a detailed description of PG PP selection systems.

7 Four of the five state-funded colleges of education are guided by a religious ethos. Marino Institute of Education, Mary Immaculate College and St. Patrick’s College promote a Catholic and the Church of Ireland College of Education an Anglican ethos.

8 The patronage system is currently under review by the Irish Government but, at the time of writing, there is no clear indication of what shape the reform will take.

9 CAO applicants who had specified an UG P ITE programme as their first preference on their CAO application form.

10 CAO applicants who had specified an UG ITE programme anywhere among their course preferences and who accepted, and thus entered, an UG P ITE programme.

11 The anonymous DITE questionnaire was granted full ethical approval by the Authors’ institutional ethics committee.

12 DITE includes further relevant survey items, i.e. parental education, parental work status, 1st in family to attend higher education as well as a social class self-classification item together with an open ended item where respondents explain reasons for their self-classification. The DITE team is currently working on an in-depth social class in ITE paper.

13 4 American, 1 Australian, 1 British, 4 English, 2 German, 1 Italian, 1 Motswana.

14 3 American, 1 British, 1 English.

15 When using CSO disability statistics for comparison it is important to consider that a strong link exists between increasing age and disability with rates of less than 8% recorded for people in their twenties compared to over 20% by age 60. This link is particularly strong for physical disabilities and chronic illnesses.

16 Muslim community grew from 0.1% in 1999 to 1.1% in 2011.

17 For an overview and discussion of minority teacher recruitment policies and programmes in the US see Villegas, Strom & Lucas, 2012.

18 For a discussion of international research exploring ITE selection criteria, and an exploration of the predictive value of the PG PP (NUI) selection criteria for ITE students’ achievement see Heinz (2013b). Heinz’s ( 2013b) calls into question the quality, fairness and transparency rationale behind the strong emphasis on academic selection criteria.

19 For explorations of the concept of affirmative action (philosophical, legislative and judicial analyses as well as case studies) see Cunningham (2000).

20 Due to word limit constraints we could not explore the full range of factors impacting on career decisions.

21 Research conducted in the UK emphasised lower completion rates of minority ITE students many of whom experienced social isolation and stereotypical attitudes which put them in danger of marginalisation (Wilkins and Lall 2011).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences [Grant Number RPG2013-1].