Do Teachers Coming from Diverse Ethno-cultural Backgrounds Represent an Added Value for the Profession? Findings of a Study Conducted in French-­‐Speaking Switzerland.

Abstract

Research has drawn attention to a certain gap between the increasing ethno-cultural diversity of school enrolment and the relative ethno-cultural homogeneity of the teaching body. In French-speaking Switzerland very little attention has been paid to this matter. The purpose of this article is to analyse the potential added value associated with teachers coming from diverse backgrounds. Ten teachers from heterogeneous backgrounds were questioned about how they see themselves as role models among the pupils and in society. The findings indicate that they have assumed additional competences arising from their experience of migration, while others question the legitimacy of those experiences.