Challenging in All Aspects: An Examination of Lived Experiences of First-Year African Immigrant Teachers in U.S. Public Schools

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable Session 3:05 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Supporting Students While Navigating Ambiguities of Multicultural Education (Table 12)

Abstract

The study investigated African immigrant teachers’ lived experiences and perceptions’ expectations, experiences, and realities in their first year of teaching in U.S. public schools in southwest Florida. This phenomenological research used field notes and in-depth individual semi-structured interviews with 11 African immigrant teachers from various K–12 schools. The following three themes emerged from the thematic analysis: 1) challenges facing African immigrant teachers during their first year of teaching, 2) African immigrant teachers’ adaptation to culture shock, and 3) support from the school district and the local community. The findings indicated that a well-designed and implemented support system must be made available to first-year immigrant teachers as they try to navigate the challenges of teaching and living in the U.S.

Authors

• Hasan Aydin, Florida Gulf Coast University

• Peter Ndiangui, Florida Gulf Coast University