Abstract
In this article, we explore and seek to understand transnational teacher migration from the narrative expressions of two women who migrated from their home countries to another southern African country. The data are complemented by a self-constructed narrative of a woman who left her home country. Framed through Appreciative Inquiry, the study observes that all individuals, organizations, and institutions are powered by positive thought and have some good or something that works well for them at some point. The data generated from two narrative expressions were analyzed through narrative analysis with emerging themes presented. In addition, data were complemented by a coconstructed narrative of a woman who gave up her career aspirations to migrate with the family. With the latter, the situation got more complicated when the husband untimely passed away. Issues such as gender discrimination and socialization as well as imaginations of positive futures do play a role in women teachers’ transnational migration decisions. We conclude that transnational women teacher migration should be understood within its own socially constructed, relativist ontology and subjectivist epistemology, which may be influenced by the power of appreciative, positive thought.
Highlights
This article provides an exploration and subsequent understanding of the decision-making practices of transnational women teacher migration in the southern African region collated through narrative expressions
While emigration is seen in a negative light in that it robs fledgling economies of their valuable assets and purchasing power, developed economies usually reap the rewards of a skilled workforce and in a way this eases the receiving country’s teacher shortage
Mobility is a direct consequence of the forces of globalization, it is seen as the system of interaction among the countries of the world to develop the global economy (Kayode, 2012)
Summary
This article provides an exploration and subsequent understanding of the decision-making practices of transnational women teacher migration in the southern African region collated through narrative expressions. Transnational teacher migration is a trend that is seen to predominantly emanate from emerging to developed economies. South African teachers migrate to countries such as the United Kingdom, China, Australia, and the Middle East, mostly to teach English.
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