It's Not One Size Fits All: Understanding Teacher-Student Relationships With Internationally Adopted Youth

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 9
  In Poster Session: Motivation in Education SIG Poster Session: The Role of Parents, Peers, and Teachers

Abstract

Research has established positive teacher-student relationships to be essential to students’ motivational experiences and academic outcomes (e.g., Goodenow, 1993, Wang & Eccles, 2013). Given the recent call in our field to better understand the specific student populations, we examined the schooling experiences of internationally adopted youth (IAY), their parents, and teachers. Using a phenomenological approach, we found that IAY face several challenges in forming positive relationships with teachers, including: navigating complicated identity development, facing routine racism, interpreting curricula differently than their peers, and dismantling stigmas related to country of origin/adoption. Our findings underscore that IAY have distinctive experiences and needs in their relationships with teachers, and actionable suggestions for educators working with IAY are discussed.

Authors

• Robin Sayers, University of Maryland

• Jacqueline von Spiegel, The Ohio State University

• Alyssa Emery, Iowa State University

• Lynley H. Anderman, The Ohio State University

• Naima Khandaker, The Ohio State University