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Ma, Liya

University of British Columbia

This study examines the professional transition of Chinese immigrant teachers and seeks to understand how they negotiate their personal and cultural subjectivities with the scripted teacher identity while creating a professional self. Guided by Britzman’s (1994) approach to teacher identity, this qualitative study gathered data through semi-structured interviews with three Chinese immigrant teachers who immigrated from China to Canada. Findings reveal that their rich knowledge and cultural heritage from China significantly influenced their teaching practices and professional identities. Despite the pressures to assimilate into the dominant educational culture, these teachers have managed to retain elements of their Chineseness, engaging in practices of restorative nostalgia to maintain their cultural identity. Difficulties with differing values and cultural traditions posed barriers to forming social relationships, and exposure to new teaching contexts often triggered a re-evaluation of their long-held beliefs and cultural attitudes towards teaching. The findings relate to previous research and underscore the challenges immigrant teachers face, such as language barriers, discrimination, and the need to adapt to different pedagogical approaches. These challenges often lead to a duality in their professional and personal identities, where they must balance accommodation and acculturation without fully assimilating, while also integrating their unique perspectives and resisting conformist pressures. This study highlights the need for a third space in education — a space that fosters intercultural dialogue, embraces diverse pedagogical approaches, and supports the unique contributions of immigrant teachers. Such a space would enable immigrant teachers to utilize their full range of skills and abilities without feeling pressured to assimilate completely. The findings also offer an enhanced understanding of how policymakers and educational leaders can support Chinese immigrant teachers as they transition into schools within the Canadian context, ensuring that their diverse backgrounds are seen as assets rather than obstacles.

Text

2025-01-03

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/90040

Curriculum Studies

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/