The Professional Identity Construction of Migrant Teachers From South Asia and Southeast Asia in Hong Kong

• In Event: 29.091 - Poster Session 4
  In Poster Session: 29.091-1 - Division K Section 3 Poster Session 2

Abstract

This qualitative study investigated the teaching and socialization experiences of non-Chinese Asian teachers in secondary schools in Hong Kong. The findings suggest that language policy/ideology operates as a gatekeeper in school contexts, ensuring that the dominant society’s linguistic and cultural capital are transmitted while devaluing the linguistic and cultural capital of teachers from other jurisdictions. The findings show that these teachers actively respond to invisibility and marginalization by engaging in dialogue and building interaction with ethnic minority students and their parents. It is also found that the participants transform their cultural knowledge into pedagogical practices in the classroom. This article discusses the implications, for schools, of embracing multicultural models and offering an environment that facilitates more diversified teaching and learning.

Authors

• Mingyue (Michelle) Gu, Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Suresh Canagarajah