'We are a Chinese school': Constructing school identity from the lived experiences of expatriate and Chinese teaching faculty in a Type C international school in Shanghai, China.

Abstract

This study explores school identity by analysing the perceptions of Chinese and expatriate teachers in a Type C, non-traditional international school in Shanghai, China. The purpose of this study was to build on Hayden’s (2016) work by offering a detailed description of this type of school which continues to be under researched. A mixed-methods approach was adopted that explored the school’s identity on three levels: the rhetorical, the curricula, and the lived. The data revealed considerable discontinuity between these levels, particularly from the perspective of the international teachers. The findings are discussed in relation to cultural scripts for teaching and learning and institutional logics and implications are drawn for creating a more interculturally inclusive school ethos.