Professionals or adventure seekers? Eliciting the impact of relocation and mobility on teaching quality of mathematics and science teachers

Abstract

Globalization has been traditionally associated with cultural, social, economic, and environmental changes in the global contexts and how people react to these changes. The role of a teacher in managing a culturally diverse classroom environment became important in regulating the effect of these changes in the classroom. The main purpose of the current study was to explore the professional life stories of four teachers who moved to teach mathematics or science in a country other their own. The study inquired how these teachers reflected on their understandings of the relationship between teaching and culture while they developed skills to survive in a foreign country. The naturalistic inquiry was instrumental throughout the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four informants. Data were analyzed by using the constant comparative method. The result of the study showed that movement could be categorized either as a relocation or mobility, both of which had a positive impact on the personal and professional development of the teachers. Moving to another country helped those teachers, who chose mobility as a life style, successfully embed cultural aspects into their teaching. However, it was found that all four teachers believed that the key element to sustain effectiveness was the personal effort to enculturate to the host culture, which was empowered by an interest in cultural diversity, in general. Findings were discussed in terms of existing research on globalization theory, internationalism, and teacher movement.