International School Teachers Research Articles

Digital Era and Co-convergent Perspectives of International School Teachers in Beijing China

This research aimed to compare the perspectives on being teachers in the digital era for international schools in Beijing China between Chinese and foreign teachers. Data from samples, with a 5- rating-scale questionnaire, were analyzed by descriptive statistics. The finding pointed out that both Chinese and foreign international schoolteachers in the digital era had no statistically significant difference at the 0.05 level about having twelve co-convergent perspectives at the critical level as the baseline: knowledge, integrity, flexibility, expertise, management, professionalism, service mind, core competency, teaching, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. Moreover, the more they develop knowledge, the more they add integrity for academic and cyber security systems before the other skills.

Understanding novice Chinese EFL teachers’ beliefs and practice in using English as a medium of instruction

This study explores the beliefs and practices of six novice Chinese EFL teachers in international secondary schools using English as the medium of instruction (EMI). Participants, having overseas educational experiences and an average IELTS score above 6.4, provided insights through semi-structured interviews conducted via WeChat. The findings reveal the complexity and diversity of their beliefs about the role of English and EMI in teaching, shaped by their personal and professional experiences. Challenges faced include large class sizes, limited professional expertise, and varying English proficiency levels among students, which significantly impact their teaching efficacy. The study highlights the need for linguistic support and subject matter expertise to foster EFL teachers’ professional development and enhance EMI teaching efficacy. Implications for pedagogical practices suggest the necessity of supportive measures for novice EFL teachers to navigate the complexities of EMI environments effectively.

Investigating the employment motivation, job satisfaction, and dissatisfaction of international high school teachers in China: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

International education has become increasingly challenging to manage in an unpredictable world beset by pandemics, regional disputes, and evolving market practices. The last few decades have seen a huge demand for international education in China, and numerous acclaimed international brand names set up operations in China's K12 schooling sector. However, the COVID-19 pandemic exerted a noticeably negative impact on international high schools and their staff in China, and exacerbated a difficult period of management for these institutions. Interestingly, but perhaps unsurprisingly, the actual operation of these educational workplaces remains under investigated in academic studies. This paper therefore attempts to examine international high schools in China by focusing on their teachers and their associated employment motivation, job satisfaction, and dissatisfaction which has been perceptibly influenced by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a qualitative, case-study approach which adopted semi-structured interviews, an acclaimed British high school, now closed, was investigated. The study found that international high school teachers were driven by diverse work motives such as the school's reputation, values, salary, environment, and chances for career development. Their job satisfaction was also multi-faceted, and their dissatisfaction in certain areas concerning. That is, they derived an early satisfaction from a range of facets, such as the students, class sizes, initial workloads, autonomy and collegiality. However, these early feelings were replaced by a sense of dissatisfaction and noticeable unhappiness resulting from leadership changes and subsequent management practices, increased workload, unmet employment package expectations and obligations, as well as limited professional development opportunities. This study highlights the importance of recruiting well, generating the right starting and longer-term conditions, retaining key staff and managing astutely. The work will be of interest to policy makers, investors, leaders, managers and staff alike. It will also extend educational research in the areas of teacher motivation, satisfaction and dissatisfaction, and in particular in China in international K12 settings.

Teacher's strategy in efforts to improve digital literacy skills of children aged 7-8 years

This study aims to explore the strategies of South Jakarta International School teachers in improving the digital literacy skills of students aged 7-8 years. This research uses a qualitative case study method focusing on learning activities, teacher strategies, and challenges teachers face. Research data were obtained from observation, interviews, and documentation. The research data were analyzed using Campbell's pattern matchmaking model. By utilizing BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policies, teachers provide opportunities for students to access, be responsible, and utilize technology in learning. This policy benefits students, teachers, and schools. Teachers also implement digital literacy strategies to empower students in integrating technology into learning activities. Through digital learning resources teachers provide, students can develop digital literacy skills such as coding, typing, and digital applications. However, the study also found some obstacles, such as technical issues, self-learning, and online communication and security. This study recommends that teachers and students increase effectiveness, creativity, and initiative in the digital literacy learning process by using appropriate digital learning resources and applications. This study also recommends that parents be involved in the child's learning process by providing guidance and supervision, monitoring children's digital footprints regularly and having knowledge about information and digital literacy from various digital sources.

A Narrative Exploration of One Teacher’s Storied Experiences of Online Learning during COVID-19

The hubbub of teaching lives is enriched by the relationships between students, colleagues, parents and the larger schooling community. When these relationships are disharmonious, attending to the dissonance within these relationships may offer insight into teachers’ relational work. This autoethnographic article focuses on one international elementary school teacher’s experience of teaching online in West Africa during COVID-19. Teaching online in a developing country with political and physical instabilities compounded the chaotic experience of living and working during the pandemic. Guided by this research question, “How did online learning impact my relationship with students?”, the author utilized writing as an inquiry approach to make sense of the challenging aspects of her online teaching experiences. By delving into narrated moments, the author engaged in reflexive analysis of storied experiences. This process illuminated the meaning-making steps that she took to appreciate the nuances contained within specific moments that she had with a student and his father. Through storying and re-storying these moments, the author wondered and metaphorically wandered to unearth potential emotions, assumptions and motivations that permeated her experiences. Such an explorative focus on teachers’ subjective meaning-making process augments the wider body of work on online education and, in particular, this study’s inquiry into the complexity of educational relationships through a narrative lens offers insights into the inner workings of teacher emotions and feelings. This paper reveals how teachers may benefit from adopting a reflective and reflexive sense-making approach towards understanding their emotions, feelings, responsibilities and relationships with students and parents, especially during a time of crisis. This article contributes to the ongoing discussions about the complexities of teachers’ relational work and it enriches the extant literature on online education by shedding light on the individualistic ways that teachers cope with the uncertainties of teaching during a time of crisis. Deeping our collective understanding of how teachers cope can help us to provide better support for teachers and students during crises such as COVID-19.

Instructional Communication in International High School in DKI Jakarta: A Case Study

Instructional communication is an important element in educational communication between teachers and students. The high school international school environment is different from the national school. This study aims to find out the influence and results of analysis on international school standards and teacher competence in high schools located in DKI Jakarta on instructional communication and communication behaviour. The methodology used is a mixed sequential explanatory method, conducting a survey of high school level students at an international school in DKI Jakarta and processed through semi-structural interviews and literature. The results shown that international school standards directly influence communication behaviour but not directly affect instructional communication. While teacher competence directly influences instructional communication, not directly affect communication behaviour. However, instructional communication as an intervening variable increases influence on international school standards and teacher competence on communication behaviour. Hence, the environment and the teacher's competence influence how the teacher teaches and acts as a model through verbal and nonverbal instructional communication. However, cultural and experiential also influence how Indonesian and foreign teachers apply instructional communication and react to students. The reactions of the two communities are sometimes different and have an impact on the profile of students who study abroad.

Mental Health And Test Availability Amid Covid-19 Among International School Teachers In Klang Valley

Mental Health And Test Availability Amid Covid-19 Among International School Teachers In Klang Valley

Enhancing Language Acquisition: A Case Study of TESL Lesson Plans in an International School

The fourth goal in Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) spells out Quality Education that demands teachers across all disciplines to teach effectively. The available literature suggests that teaching effectiveness starts from good planning, which should be evident in the documentation of lesson plans. However, when it comes to English teachers, their demanding roles that are attributed to the value-laden content, the grading of essays, the performance pressure of high-stake testing, and the requirement of culturally appropriate pedagogies (Loh & Liew, 2016) have caused the practice of writing lesson plans to be challenged, causing the effectiveness of the teaching to be jeopardised. English teachers in international schools are not exempted from facing this problem, yet little studies have been done on the teachers in this context. To achieve the purpose, this research adopts a case study design using document analysis and semi-structured interview to collect the data. The data were analysed quantitatively using a lesson plan rubric by Student Teacher Assessment Instrument (STAI) and thematic analysis, respectively. The study unveils that the teachers had a moderate level of lesson plan, suggesting a need for further support in lesson planning. The findings of this study will be helpful for English. Teachers understand the importance of writing an effective lesson plan as it has a high possibility of enhancing teaching effectiveness.

A Comparative Study of International and Local School Teachers’ Perceptions and Enactments of Humility in Hong Kong

Abstract While humility has been widely explored philosophically and psychologically, there is little research on humility in educational settings. Based on semi-structured interviews with teachers from local and international schools, we investigated the role of humility in the pedagogy and wider contexts of schools in Hong Kong. Both international and local teachers regarded humility as being important for education, but they conceptualized and enacted it differently, reflecting the high power distance of Hong Kong’s Confucian heritage culture and teacher-centeredness of traditional Chinese education, and the more social constructivist form of pedagogy in international education. These findings provide a lens to understand how teaching and teacher-student relations are shaped by cultural, pedagogical, and educational philosophies and practices in different educational settings.

The Effects of Mindfulness Breathing Training on BeijingInternational High School Teachers’ Mental Exhaustion

More and more teachers at foreign schools are becoming weary due to the high demands of study and work, whichhurts their physical and mental health. This study aims to investigate the impact of mindfulness breathing trainingon the mental exhaustion of teachers in international high schools. Nine teachers from Beijing Futurecity Academywere recruited. This group employed mindfulness breathing exercises to alleviate their mental fatigue. It turns out thatmindfulness breathing training can assist teachers at international high schools in recovering from mental exhaustion.

“Teachers’ Impact on the Implementation of Human Rights Education in International Indian Schools in Kuwait

With globalization, the establishment of private international schools has increased, particularly in nations with large migrant populations. These schools are affiliated to accreditation bodies from their respective country of origin for curriculum and assessment, although they may also be subject to certain norms within host countries. This duality alludes that students’ knowledge is largely dependent on the teacher who effectuates the official curriculum defined by the accrediting institution into the actual curriculum within the classroom. Although this reflects on all courses taught, it has wider implications in the effectiveness of Human rights education (HRE). This paper investigates key factors that determine the effective implementation of HRE by teachers in international schools, using the case study of Indian schools in Kuwait. By developing the 3I model (Introduction, Interpretation, and Implementation), the researchers determined the causative linkages in the structure and effectiveness of school curriculum for HRE, measured with exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. The results indicate that human rights are not adequately addressed in the official curriculum and the teacher’s own knowledge and comprehension of human rights influences the application of HRE in the actual curriculum, which may present scope for bias and subjectivity.

The Level of Self-Perceived Stress among International School Teachers During Post-Pandemic Period

The Level of Self-Perceived Stress among International School Teachers During Post-Pandemic Period

Teachers in ‘international schools’ as an emerging field of inquiry: a literature review of themes and theoretical developments

ABSTRACT This review article identifies the trends and developments regarding teachers in international schools from 1998 until 2022. International school teachers as a group are worthy of study as the number of schools delivering a curriculum in English outside of an English-speaking nation has grown considerably in recent years. Amidst continuous statistical growth there has been major structural changes as the arena has attracted a local middle class and the attention of commercial entities. As a result, the profit driven ‘non-traditional’ arena is now the dominant one, centred upon The Asia-Pacific and the Middle-East. This literature review analysed 69 peer-reviewed academic journal papers with regard to their thematic focus, methods, and theoretical frameworks. Three distinct phases of literature can be identified, with a sociological lens appearing after 2012 and a major period of growth beginning in 2015, and a large number of research gaps can be identified.

The subjective wellbeing of expatriate international school teachers in Hong Kong: An exploratory study into the influence of school-level factors

The international school sector in Hong Kong makes a substantial contribution to educational provision in the city, employing many expatriate teachers. Wellbeing has taken on increasing prominence in international school discourses, but little research has investigated how the wellbeing of international school teachers is influenced by school-level factors. For the purposes of this study, thirteen expatriate teachers from ten different international schools in Hong Kong were interviewed and the data were analysed thematically. The teachers’ wellbeing was found to be influenced by relationships with students, colleagues and senior leaders, and a pervasive climate of accountability. Teachers felt a sense of social isolation associated with cultural differences, and often did not feel supported by their schools. Teachers’ wellbeing, it is proposed, may be improved by the articulation of a shared vision which focuses on classroom-level interactions, an affiliative climate, and an institutional environment which addresses social isolation and protects teachers against an excessive climate of performativity and accountability.

How Do Teachers Mindsets Impact Students Learning Motivation in Chinese Public Schools and International Schools?

This research will develop the relationship between teachers mindsets and students learning motivation. It also makes the comparison between both Chinese public high schools and international high schools. The qualitative method, the semi-structured interview will be adapted as the main research method. The results concluded that Chinese public high school teachers tend to have fixed mindsets, and international school teachers presented close to growth mindsets. Additionally, both two types of mindsets of teachers could stimulate students learning motivation. While fixed mindset teachers will lead students to have the extrinsic motivation and other students will be intrinsically motivated by growth mindsets teachers.

The professionalisation of teachers’ professional activities towards equalising educational opportunities for students

The subject of the undertaken analyses was the strategies used by teachers as part of bringing them closer to pedagogical expertise. The research aims to show the ways of defining profession-alisation by the respondents. As a result, we were looking for the answers to how teachers perceive professionalism and what actions they take to achieve pedagogical expertise. The empirical material comprises 19 interviews with teachers implementing the International Baccalaureate Programme. The theoretical framework for us was symbolic interactionism. We used the procedures of grounded theory methodology. As a result, we reconstructed the strategies they use to approach pedagogical expertise. We managed to characterise the three main dimensions of striving for professionalism by international schoolteachers, i.e., achieving professionalism through relationships, staying up to date, and achieving formal gratifications.

Embracing Diversity: Attitudes, School Climate and Self-Efficacy for Inclusive Education among International School Teachers in Selangor

One of the focuses of National Education Blueprint (2013-2025) is to improve the national policies and practices towards special education (GOM, 2013a; MOE, 2013). Numerous researches were being conducted to investigate the effectiveness, quality as well as key elements of the implementation of Inclusive Education (IE). The research design of quantitative, correlational and cross-sectional were selected to collect, measure and analyse data for (a) teacher’s level of self-efficacy, (b) teacher’s attitude as well as (c) School Climate towards IE. Besides that, this research also gathered information: (a) demographic information, (b) self-evaluation and (c) opinion towards the IE programme from the targeted sample. Approximately 280 International School Teachers were recruited to participate in this research. The data were collected, filtered and screened with Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA). The data of this research is normally distributed as the skewness value and kurtosis value fall within the range of normal distribution. Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient analysis was performed to analyse the relationship between attitudes and School Climate towards self-efficacy for IE among International School Teachers in Selangor, Malaysia. The findings of this research reported: (a) positive relationship and (b) significant relationship between teachers' attitudes, School Climate as well as teacher’s self-efficacy. However, the strengths of relationships between the variables were low. The empirical findings obtained from this research can be beneficial for educational authorities such as: (a) Ministry of Education (MOE), (b) School Administrators, (c) parents in the society of International School in Malaysia. There is limited research conducted in the setting of International Schools. Therefore, the findings can help the researchers to understand International School Teachers’ attitudes, School Climate towards Self-efficacy for IE. Further research should consider in: (a) employing qualitative research to understand the causal effect between the variables, (b) conducting interview to obtain in-depth understanding on the responses generated from questionnaire, as well as (c) expanding the targeted sample to government as well as private school teachers.

Examining “precarious privilege” in international schooling: white male teachers negotiating contract non-renewal

ABSTRACT Although international school teachers have always been hired on short-term contracts (usually from two to three years in duration), there has been relatively little research examining this aspect of international schooling. Whilst short-term contracts may appear to be a positive feature of international schooling, particularly for younger teachers who are keen to be mobile, recent studies have begun to examine the short-term as a feature of precarity and the precaritisation of international schooling. This paper adds to this small but growing body of scholarship by focusing on contract non-renewal as a form of international school precarity. In order to explore this issue, this paper utilises autoethnography, drawing on the author’s experiences of contract renewal in an internationalised school in Shanghai, as well as interviews with two participants. Whilst the author’s experiences of precarity as a foreign teacher in China were characterised by vulnerability and discrimination, his positionality as a white, British male teacher enabled him to negotiate contract non-renewal relatively easily, something that women teachers or minority groups might be unable to do due to the differential nature of precarity. Despite being privileged, white male international school teachers must still negotiate contractual employment and diminished white-skin privilege. This paper goes some way to bringing into focus white male teachers’ “precarious privilege”.

The promised capitals of international high school programmes and the global field of higher education: The case of Shenzhen, China

The term ‘international school’ encompasses a broad array of institutions offering a range of different programmes. However, the differences between these programmes have scarcely been explored in the existing literature. This article focuses on three popular international high school programmes (Advanced Levels, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme) by drawing upon in-depth interviews with international school counsellors, teachers, parents, and students in Shenzhen, China. We employed the Bourdieusian concepts of ‘promised capitals’ and the ‘global field of higher education’ to delineate differences amongst these international programmes. We argue that each international programme promises the accumulation of distinct combinations of capitals associated with different global circuits of mobility for higher education. At the same time, we also suggest that the extent to which the promised capitals are conferred is complicated by the ‘localisation’ of schools: this impacted the delivery of promises related to embodied cultural and social capital forms.

Open for business: a quantitative analysis of teachers’ experiences of marketisation in international schools

ABSTRACT The global education reform movement has led to the development of quasi-markets and the promotion of business-like operation of schools with the goal of improving education for students and opportunities for teachers. While many types of schools have been influenced by marketisation, the international school market is a prime example of how such processes can be fully integrated into education. However, despite the prevalence of market reforms, little is known of their impact on educational employees. This research investigates the perspectives and experiences of teachers in compulsory-age international schools operated by large multi-national for-profit education management organisations to understand how business-like operations within a school market affect their daily work. Semi-structured interviews were used to create items to measure the business influences. Scales were then developed with Mokken Scale analysis and Rasch analysis. The two scales demonstrate distinct patterns of marketisation. The scale of direct business influences on teachers’ work includes items on competition between schools, increasing admissions and improving finances, while the scale of indirect influences includes items about job insecurity, hierarchical organisational structures, fear of repercussions when voicing professional opinions, and an emphasis on evidence of learning. Notably, these quantitative patterns were consistent across many different types of schools, both for-profit, non-profit private schools and government schools. These findings demonstrate the strength of researching teachers’ experiences to understand the impact of marketisation on education.