Micropolitical Dimensions of Cross-Cultural Transition: Authority and Influence in Becoming an International Teacher Educator

• In Event: Teachers in Context(s): Portraits of Vulnerability and Adversity

Abstract

Understanding how relations of authority and influence are constructed in educational organizations is central to promoting more democratic forms of interaction and deliberation in schools. How authority dynamics are evident in the lives of teachers is of particular relevance to those who cross cultural contexts and encounter significant contrasts in institutional and interpersonal environments. Using a micropolitical perspective to examine a teacher educator’s experiences navigating cultural transition to work as a teacher educator in another country, the research reported in this study presents insight into the challenges and opportunities of becoming an international teacher educator. The findings concerning institutional priorities, standards, and a diminished sense of self highlight the micropolitical complexity of crossing cultural contexts as teachers and teacher educators.

Author

• Nathan D. Brubaker, Monash University