What does it mean to be a community relations professional in Northern Irish education? Some research‐based answers

Abstract

An impressive evidence‐base concerning teacher professionalism allied to community relations education in Northern Ireland has been derived from research conducted at the UNESCO Centre, University of Ulster. Reflective learning by the authors on three recent projects allowed them to construct a professional profile setting out what one might expect to see and hear in classrooms that foster effective community relations education. A brief description of the background research and the derived professional profile (the CR‐profile) are included here. Our research speaks to the need for a more critical school pedagogy alongside changes in the professional development of teachers. We argue that professional development, at all levels, needs to be a transformative project underpinned by critical reflective practice. Against a backdrop of slow progress towards a more peaceful and plural society in Northern Ireland, and the continuing need for education to play its part in developing a new peace culture, this paper appears very timely.