Researching With Student Teachers From Working Class Backgrounds: Issues of Identity, Positionality, and Disclosure, and Reflections on Research Praxis

Abstract

Diversifying the teaching profession has been of international concern for several decades. While most attention has been devoted to issues of ‘race’ and ethnicity, in comparison, social class has been relatively invisible. Research suggests that those from working class backgrounds experience challenges with regard to belonging in what has been regarded as a middle class teaching profession. An area unexplored has been the complexities of researching with student teachers from under-represented groups, including those from working class backgrounds. This chapter draws on research conducted as part of the Access to Post-primary Teaching (APT) project funded under the Higher Education Authority's Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH): Strand 1 – Equity of Access to Initial Teacher Education. APT supports the participation of student teachers from lower socio-economic groups in initial teacher education. Following the introduction and literature review, we provide information about the methodology of the overall project, as well as the data upon which we draw in this chapter. Next, we present a critical reflective analysis of working with APT participants over the last six years, drawing on our own critical reflections as researchers, as well as the voices of our participants through the project's research strand. Here we highlight concerns pertaining to relative researcher-participant positionality, and issues of identity and disclosure. Finally, we interrogate our analysis using the methodological literature about researching with marginalised groups and end with recommendations for supporting researcher reflexivity.

Citation

Keane, E., Heinz, M. and Lynch, A. (2024), "Researching With Student Teachers From Working Class Backgrounds: Issues of Identity, Positionality, and Disclosure, and Reflections on Research Praxis", Rose, R. and Shevlin, M. (Ed.) Including Voices (International Perspectives on Inclusive Education, Vol. 23), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 191-201. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-363620240000023015