Leadership progression of Muslim male teachers: interplay of ethnicity, faith and visibility

Abstract

The paper focuses on perceived barriers to the career progression of Muslim male teachers to leadership positions in English secondary schools, exploring the impact of ethnicity, faith and Muslim visibility in the post 9/11 scenario. It draws on a small study of Muslim male teachers (MMTs) from five boroughs in London to explore their experiences and perceptions. The research evidenced that the participating MMTs faced multiple barriers and diverse expressions of discrimination in their career progression. Although much of the discrimination reported was covert in nature, a lack of understanding of issues relating to diversity, Islamophobia, visibility and religious/ethnic affiliations was identified as a major contributing factor to this discrimination. The paper draws attention to the issues of equal opportunities, social justice and inclusion linked to marginalisation of a particular group of the workforce and its impact on individuals' career destinations as well as its long-term implications for societal cohesion.

Keywords:

• Muslim
• religion
• Islamophobia
• leadership

Notes

1. The pseudonyms given to the six interviewees are: Bilal, Faris, Karim, Muhammad, Rehan and Sharif.