The work adjustment of expatriate teachers employed in Chinese internationalised schools: a pedagogical perspective

Traditionally serving expatriate elites, international schools now increasingly cater to local middle-class families in developing countries. With the industry’s explosive growth, attention turns to the role of expatriate teachers in preserving the institutional legitimacy of non-traditional international schools. However, expatriate teachers’ pedagogy has received little attention. The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study was to understand the pedagogical work adjustment of expatriate teachers in Chinese internationalised schools. The study employed a diverse sample of 16 expatriate teachers who worked in Chinese internationalised schools for at least one school year. Three data collection methods aided in gathering in-depth descriptions of participants’ lived experiences: individual interviews, written protocols, and focus groups. An analysis of participants’ lived experiences led to the construction of three overarching themes: adjusting to the school context, adjusting to the students, and growing as a teacher. Participants adjusted to their schools’ contexts by rejecting the local ways, tuning in to student needs, and adapting to the local ways. Adjustments to students included motivating them, struggling with their names, getting more sensitive about them, and changing classroom management practices. Participants perceived their schools’ in-service training as insufficient, which led them to pursue professional development on their own terms. The study’s novel contribution lies in its systematic identification of expatriate teachers’ adjustment strategies, particularly in dealing with students and their misbehaviour. Implications for expatriate teacher training and discipline policies in Chinese internationalised schools are discussed.