The Lived Experience of International Educators Working in Mid-Atlantic K-8 Schools: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study
Open AccessThere is an acknowledged need for teachers who reflect the diversity of the student body in the United States to serve as role models and to connect with the increasingly diverse student population. Until recently, there were few studies on the experiences of non-White teachers working in the public school system. This hermeneutic phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of international educators working in the Washington, DC area. Data were gathered through 17 semi-structured interviews, including four interviews conducted using LEGO bricks. The eight themes that emerged showed the contrast between the lack of resources yet skills and abilities of students in the participants’ home countries versus the abundant resources and low skills of some students here; being made to feel like the “other”; adapting to a new culture without a full awareness of that which is hidden; transactional behavior, not relational behavior; teaching during a pandemic; racism in America; motivation to continue teaching; and a system that fails the students. The international educators were resilient and survived in a system that was not designed for them. The data showed a need to acknowledge the role of racism within the structure of school systems and to fully understand and appreciative what international educators can offer the students and the school, rather than viewing them from a deficit perspective and expecting them to conform. Based on these findings, four recommendations are offered for policy and practice.
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Kanagaratnam_gwu_0075A_16551.pdf | 2023-11-14 | Open Access |
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