Expanding Notions of Care: A Qualitative Inquiry of Adolescent Iraqi Refugee Perceptions of the Meaning of Teacher Caring and Its Benefits

• In Event: 31.051 - Welcoming Newcomers: Constructing Counternarratives and Building School Equity for Immigrants and Indigenous Youth

Abstract

Grounded in caring theory (Noddings, 2001), and social capital theory (Bourdieu, 1983; Putnam, 2000; Stanton-Salazar & Dornbusch, 1995), this research assessed 17 in-depth interviews with Iraqi refugees (ages 14-20) to examine their caring relationships with educators and the resulting academic and socioemotional benefits. Most of the respondents revealed that they had caring educators, who cared for them academically and personally. Students felt particularly cared for by educators who recognized their specific needs as refugees; these care-providers were often English as a Second Language (ESOL) teachers. While not all educators were perceived as caring, those who were caring provided resources such as information about academic and professional programs, assistance with college admittance, and emotional support.

Author

• Amy Lynn Pucino, Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC)