‘They’re trying to teach them what I can teach them at home, and them not a Traveller!’: Introducing Irish Traveller identity into the curriculum

Abstract

This paper documents research that investigated Irish Traveller women’s experiences of education within the context of a rapidly changing society. The paper discusses the methodological approaches chosen by the researcher in order to support research with hard-to-reach populations (Sydor, 2013). The findings detail the complexities surrounding the introduction of Traveller identities into the curriculum. The paper concludes with a discussion of need for a change in practice and understanding which values collaboration between Traveller communities and educational environments thereby benefitting Irish Traveller women who are the key actors in Traveller children accessing education and thereby improving educational outcomes and subsequent life chances.