‘I felt like I was an alien’: Working together towards the success of British Asian student teachers

Case Study

Written by: Diane Warner and Zoe Crompton

Published on: February 17, 2025

Initial teacher training

5 min read

DIANE WARNER AND ZOE CROMPTON, SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY, UK Context As senior lecturers organising school placements, we noticed that a disproportionate number of South Asian student teachers were failing or struggling while on placement. In this case study, we offer insights into the difficult experiences that these student teachers experienced during initial teacher education (ITE). The study focuses on Ikra (not her real name), who identifies as a Pakistani Muslim and who chooses to wear the abaya and hijab (dress and head covering). She undertook two school placements, where she reported that she experienced significant ethnic and cultural difficulties. After failing the final placement, she sought ways forward to succeed in the resit and gain her qualified teacher status. One of these ways was a conscious decision to change her attire from wearing traditional dress because of the treatment that she received at her previous school, where she said,

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