International School Teachers Research Articles

The Relationship between Emotional Labour and Job Satisfaction: A Study of Senior Teachers in Selected International Schools in Colombo District, Sri Lanka

Area of the StudyThis study attempts to identify the relationship between emotional labour and job satisfaction of senior teachers in selected International Schools in Colombo district, Sri Lanka.Problem of the StudyThere is an empirical knowledge gap in Sri Lankan context on the relationship between emotional labour and job satisfaction of International School teachers. This study is aimed to investigate the relationship between emotional labour and job satisfaction of senior teachers in selected International Schools in Colombo district, Sri Lanka.Method of the StudyThe data were collected from a randomly selected sample of 120 senior teachers in selected three International Schools in Colombo district in Sri Lanka by administering a structured questionnaire, which consisted of 32 questions/statements with 5 point scale. The data analyses included the univariate and bivariate analyses.Findings of the StudyThis study found that there is a weak negative relationship between surface acting and job satisfaction and a moderate strong positive relationship between deep acting and job satisfaction of senior teachers in the selected three International Schools.Conclusion of the StudyIt is concluded that the surface acting is negatively associated with job satisfaction while deep acting is positively associated with job satisfaction of senior teachers in International Schools. Thus, it is advisable for Teacher Training Institutes to give a better understanding of these emotional demands and different strategies in teacher training programmes to enhance job satisfaction and teaching effectiveness.Keywords: Surface Acting, Deep Acting, Emotional Labour, Job Satisfaction, International School Teachers

Review of Sears (2015): Second Language Students in Mainstream Classrooms: A Handbook for Teachers in International Schools

Review of Sears (2015): Second Language Students in Mainstream Classrooms: A Handbook for Teachers in International Schools

Teaching for Creativity Development: Lessons Learned from a Preliminary Study of Vietnamese and International Upper (High) Secondary School Teachers’ Perceptions and Lesson Plans

This research explored Vietnamese and international upper secondary school teachers’ perceptions and practices of teaching for creativity based on a preliminary analysis of 234 teachers’ survey responses, 17 in-depth interviews, and 208 lesson plans. It was found that teachers had limited understanding about creativity and teaching for creativity. They focused more on creativity when it is required from policies and curriculum. They often used familiar and convenient creative tools. This research indicates that to enhance student creativity, teachers should be fully aware of creativity, teaching for creativity, required to develop and assess student creativity, and trained to use creative tools.

Communication Competence and Trust in Leaders

Trust is recognized as a critical component of effective leadership. One way trust forms is through the experiences in the history of communication transactions between individuals. This study was a first step to test the relationship between communication competence skills and trust in leaders. A sample of 1,138 international school teachers in the East Asian Regional Council of Schools responded to a survey which measured teacher perceptions of the communication competence and trustworthiness of their principal. The findings showed a significant relationship between the three communication competence factors and trust, and that the attentiveness-coordination factor was the strongest predictor of trust.

Teachers in international schools: a global educational ‘precariat’?

An over-looked global educational development has been the exponential growth of ‘international schools’. The field in 2014 involved almost 350,000 educators in over 7000 English-medium schools in non-English-speaking countries. This is expected to rise to half a million educators, mainly American and British, in 10,000 schools by 2022. The field has never constituted a ‘system’, and it remains largely uninspected, unmonitored and unregulated. There was substantial evidence from both social media comment and real-life reports in the popular press during 2013 and 2014 that the field is becoming an increasingly precarious one for teachers.

Elite international schools in the Global South: transnational space, class relationalities and the ‘middling’ international schoolteacher

The elite international school is a rich site for sociological inquiry in global times. In this paper, we conceptualize the international school as a transnational space of agonist social class-making given the dynamic positioning of the complement of international school actors. We position international schoolteachers in the middle of these interactions and suggest that the middle position gives much-needed insight into the complex and relational qualities of class-making. To qualify our theorization of middling and social class-making in elite schools, we draw from interviews with Canadian teachers working in international schools in the Global South.

Teachers’ Knowledge and Attitude towards Inclusive Education: Basis for an Enhanced Professional Development Program

The success of inclusion or organised placement of children with disabilities in mainstream classrooms largely depends on teachers’ attitudes towards students with special educational needs (SEN) and their knowledge on how to properly educate them. In quite a number of studies, the attitude of teachers towards educating students with SEN has been put forward as a decisive factor in making schools more inclusive. If mainstream teachers do not accept the education of these students as an integral part of their job, they will try to ensure that someone else (often the special educational needs teacher) takes responsibility for these students and will organise covert segregation in the school (e.g. the special class). This study uses descriptive survey method to investigate international school teachers’ knowledge and attitude towards inclusive education of SEN students in the Eastern Seaboard region of Thailand in the school year 2013-2014. Fifty-two male and female general education and special educational needs teachers who work full time in four international schools in the region completed the Modified Opinions Relative to the Integration of Children with Disabilities (MORID) survey. The respondents had moderate knowledge on inclusive education and revealed neutral attitude towards inclusion. There is a need for schools to provide more special educational needs training, sufficient learning support providers and educational resources as well as in-depth specialisation courses that provide specialised practices for implementing the SEN strategies in their classrooms as well as offering teaching strategies on how to bridge theory and practice. Learning Support Programmes and the actual delivery of these programmes should be developed in terms of individual education plan (IEP) provision, curriculum modifications and classroom adaptations that are appropriate for students with special educational needs. Keywords: knowledge, attitudes, inclusive education, inclusion, special educational needs students

PENGEMBANGAN MODEL KURIKULUM PENDIDIKAN EKONOMI UNTUK MENYIAPKAN GURU PROFESIONAL DI SEKOLAH BERTARAF INTERNASIONAL


 This study begins with a consideration of future challenges related to the need for international school teachers (SBI), which raises the question of how to design curriculum with competency-based approach in order to produce the teacher candidates that suit the needs of teachers in international schools (SBI )? The research objective is to be able to: 1) generate a description of strengths and weaknesses of curriculum designs that are being used; 2) produce a description of the implementation of a curriculum that is being implemented; and 3) produce a description of the competency standard (SKL) economics teacher candidates for international school (SBI) .The study was designed for 2 years using Research and Development, for the first year of this descriptive survey method, using the techniques of data collection in the form of documentation, questionnaires and interviews. The source data consists of lecturers, teachers, students and alumni who work at the international school (SBI). Among other results it was found that department of Economic Education curriculum has weaknesses and strengths. Weaknesses include a) the design curriculum not in accordance with the need to generate international school teachers (SBI); b) the design of the curriculum have not loaded the competencies required of graduates to compete at a global level; c) curriculum design has not adopted the curriculum developed countries that excel in the field of education. While its power is a) curriculum design approach based on scientific disciplines (content based); b) curriculum has been outlined in the syllabus and SAP; and c) curriculum design is flexible. Judging from the implementation of the curriculum, that has not been implemented based learning competency-based curriculum (KBK), but from the aspect of SBI implementation of curriculum-based learning (learning) already contains the necessary aspects of learning in SBI. Starting from the results of this study suggested: in the face of global challenges of the department of Economic Education is necessary to develop future curriculum design based CBC is consistently (consistently); implementation of the curriculum / learning must use a variety of approaches as expected by the curriculum, as well as to develop a curriculum thatcompliance-oriented international school teachers (SBI) must be rejected on the dotted-oriented curriculum development competency standards (SKL), which allows graduates can work in SBI and compete at a global level. 
 Keywords: curriculum designs, competency-based, economic education
 

Why not travel and teach?

A new challenge Two years ago, Hannah Brunton was teaching primary at Barrow Hill Junior School in London. ‘Having lived and worked for three years in central London since graduating, I found my bank balance was no healthier than when I was a student,’ she says. So Hannah decided to look further afield to open up new opportunities for herself. ‘I was ready for a new challenge, one that would allow me to experience a different culture. I discovered that international schools can offer the chance to save money while offering a better quality of life.’ As part of her research into the opportunities available to her, Hannah talked to a recruitment agency that specialised in placing teachers in international schools (Teachers International Consultancy), and within two weeks she had an interview with Harrow International Primary School in Beijing, China. ‘At that time, Harrow already had an established secondary school in Beijing, and the primary was opening September that year,’ Hannah explains. ‘The opportunity to be one of the foundation staff at a brand new school with such an established reputation in education was far too good an opportunity to pass up!’ Hannah moved out to Beijing in summer 2008 – just in time for the Olympic Games – to work as a year 3/4 teacher. ‘Being part of a start-up school was a very rewarding experience,’ Hannah says. ‘It gave me opportunities and insight into parts of the job that I may not have had in a more established school. The reward of watching the new school grow to double the size within a year was equally as positive.’

Culturally-inclusive behavior of Filipino teachers in international schools in the Philippines: Perspectives of international education in a developing country

The study explored the culturally inclusive behavior of Filipino teachers using information culled from interviews of six Filipino teachers in international schools on their perception of international education, and how it translates into their pedagogy. The findings of the study reveal inherent patterns of behavior the teachers manifest in handling a multicultural classroom, the factors that affect them as well as the unique dynamics that play out in the interactivity between teachers from a developing country and foreign students from a more economically affluent nation. The study brings to the fore an underlying challenge in the handling of international education by non-western developing countries such as the Philippines and at the same time contributes further to the context of established theories on international education such as the Diversity Pedagogy Theory of Sheets (2005).

Reconciling Multiple Conceptions of Citizenship: International School Teachers' Beliefs and Practice

This qualitative case study examined the beliefs and practice of two teachers in an international school in order to inform debates about the potential of education for critical, transnational, and multiple citizenship. Data from interviews and observations indicated that teachers conceptualized and taught citizenship in ways that reflected the fluid and evolving nature of civic identity, rights, and obligations. However, the teachers noted challenges in linking their students' daily civic experiences and academic programs, and reconciling the school's civic ethos with the wider, nation-centric discursive practices of citizenship in the United States.

The role of location in the recruitment and retention of teachers in international schools

The ability to recruit and retain quality teachers is an important one for many schools. For international schools the issue can be complex, with teachers choosing (or rejecting) not just a school but a country. This article sets out to investigate the relative importance of school and country to teacher decisions about their jobs by surveying a sample of international school teachers. The results of the survey, and their possible implications for schools, are considered.

The Association between Change Styles and Job Satisfaction Among Teachers Working in International Schools

[Abstract]This research was conducted among the population of teachers working in international schools around the world, focusing on change, job satisfaction and the transition process. Change style is believed to be an innate aspect of personality, which influences the preferences, attitudes and emotions surrounding change (Musselwhite,2004). Although these change style preferences are manageable and fluid within our lives, knowledge of them can assist in greater self-awareness and professional satisfaction. The purpose of the study was twofold. First, it aimed to determine if an association exists between an individual’s change style and job satisfaction. Secondly, it aimed to provide a more comprehensive understanding of cultural, technical and political factors connected with professional satisfaction and the relocation process. The research was guided by an interpretivist lens. An exploratory case study was conducted, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. Quantitative data collection included a psychometric assessment tool on change styles and a survey questionnaire, completed by 204 respondents. The qualitative element consisted of semi-structured interviews with seven volunteers, identified from the quantitative data set. Communication with participants was conducted through the Internet so as to reach a globally diverse sample of teachers. Qualitative responses were separated by themes, which in turn were refined into broader categories, leading to systematic interpretations of change styles among this specific group of international teachers. Quantitative data provided descriptive statistics with which to compare qualitative interpretations. Quantitative and qualitative data were compared and contrasted throughout, leading to greater credibility and applicability of the study. The research contributed to existing knowledge in three ways. Methodologically, it demonstrated the value of using mixed data sets in interpretive inquiry. Theoretically, it added to the existing research into and application of change styles. Empirically, it offered understanding and interpretations of international school employees as they experience the relocation process and job satisfaction. Generally, the research contributes to a broader understanding of international school teachers which could enhance professional development opportunities and self-awareness and thereby promote increased levels of job satisfaction.

How well-prepared do international school teachers believe themselves to be for teaching in culturally diverse classrooms?

This article draws on an investigation into the extent to which teachers in one international school in Thailand had been trained for teaching in culturally diverse classrooms. It focuses on these teachers' initial and subsequent training, and probes how culturally responsive these teachers believed themselves to be. The article also considers how teachers can become more effective in culturally diverse classrooms and offers suggestions as to what international schools can do to improve teachers' knowledge of teaching a multicultural student body. Specific mention is made of Thai culture due to the author's parallel research into the impact of Thai culture on learning.

Cultural awareness, communication apprehension, and communication competence: a case study of Saint John’s International School

Cross‐cultural communication competence is a key issue in teaching in international schools. Cultural awareness issues are likely to play a role in how effectively the expat teachers in international schools are able to teach. This research examines communication competence, cultural awareness, and communication apprehension of UK teachers in a British curriculum international school in Bangkok, Thailand. Generally, the respondents have a high level of self‐reported communication competence, high levels of cultural awareness, and low communication apprehension. Although the sample size in this pilot work is small, the data do seem to show that intercultural awareness is related to communication competence, and that it is also related to communication apprehension, which itself relates to communication competence. This is an important issue for future research.

International Education: Perceptions of Teachers in International Schools

As a contribution to research in the field of international education, this study investigated the views of a number of teachers based in 'international schools' around the world with respect to the importance of a range of different factors in contributing to the experience of international education for students. In considering responses with a view to identifying the key features of such an education from the teacher perspective, responses were categorised in terms of their relationship to a number of dimensions including exposure to other students within school, the influence of teachers, the formal curriculum, links with the local community and informal aspects of school. Results showed a clear perception of the importance of the influence of teachers and of exposure to other students within school, with informal activities being considered least important. Comparison with a previous study investigating the perceptions of undergraduates with respect to their own school-based international education suggests differences in perceived importance between the two groups. Results suggest the direction for future research in this area, including consideration of the perceptions of students still at school with respect to the same set of issues.

Professional Development for Teachers

Outlines the programme “Professional Development for Teachers in International Schools” which was developed from a modular programme already in existence at the School of Education, at the University of Bath. The Professional Development Programme is taught both in the UK Summer School and overseas. There are two types of module, taught and school‐based, for which there is no predetermined order of study. The programme leads to an Advanced Certificate, Advanced Diploma or Master′s Degree in Education. The pilot programme was held at the International School of Tanganyika during Easter 1992 and the programme has subsequently evolved and expanded and now includes not only teachers in international schools but also teachers in other English medium schools in countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Far East.

The Development of an Instrument for the Evaluation of Some Aspects of the Taught Component of an Advanced Courses Module for Teachers in International Schools

ABSTRACT A scheme of professional development for teachers, leading to the award of Advanced Certificate, Advanced Diploma or degree of Master of Education, has been in operation at the University of Bath School of Education for some years. Recently this modular scheme has been extended to become more accessible to teachers in international and overseas schools around the world, with modules taught in a range of locations internationally including a Summer School held annually in July at the University of Bath. The Methods of Educational Enquiry (MEE) module provides an introduction to aspects of educational research and is recommended to participants as an early module for study: between 1992 and 1993 this module has thus been taught on more occasions than any other, in a number of different locations and by a number of different tutors. This paper considers issues arising from the implementation of an instrument for the evaluation of some aspects of the taught component of the MEE module in a wide range...

The International School Teachers’ Home Association

The International School Teachers’ Home Association