Black Lives Matter: Black Educators Navigating the Dynamics of Racism in Leicester Secondary Schools

This thesis is a study of the lived experiences of twenty Black educators of African heritage who have worked in Leicester secondary schools for the past forty years. To date, these educators have been largely invisible in their contributions to the British pedagogy that defines what it means to be an effective teacher in Leicester’s secondary schools. There is limited literature that tells us about the lived experiences of Black educators. The existing literature tends to focus on metropolitan areas like London, Birmingham, and Manchester, and it also focuses on the primary phase in schools. This study is based on a rigorous research methodology. Four dialogic groups and six one-on-one reflective conversations were conducted between June 2020 and September 2021. A unique, Afrikan-centric bricolage approach was employed to delve into the dynamics of institutional racism within teacher professional norms and standards. The participants’ counternarratives revealed how these norms and standards perpetuated racism and hindered the career progression of Black educators. This study's findings are significant as they shed light on the previously unheard voices of Black educators of African heritage. The study reveals how these educators navigated the dynamics of racism within their secondary school spaces to forge their own Black teacher professional identity. Situating the study in Leicester provides a potential blueprint for studying the experiences of Black teachers in similar cities that have growing ethnic majorities. As a result, it offers insight into a diverse teaching workforce's potential challenges and strengths. This insight has the potential to significantly influence and shape future research and policy decisions in the field of education, fostering a hopeful and forward-thinking approach to addressing issues of diversity and racism.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

PhD

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

De Montfort University

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• London-Miyo, Camille

Licence

• https://dora.dmu.ac.uk/bitstreams/5943460d-4bbb-4742-b143-68887267f1a8/download