Navigating the Internship and Developing Teacher Identity as Nonnative English-Speaking Teacher Candidates

• In Event: Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Lives of Teachers: Teacher Identity

Abstract

This research considers recent demographic increases of international students in U.S. colleges, and it specifically focuses on field experiences of a Korean descent, a Korean-Chinese descent, and a Chinese descent as participants. Non-native English speaking teacher candidates with K-12 educational backgrounds in their home country and with professional education received in the U.S. encounter challenges in their attempts to (re)position themselves professionally in U.S. contexts. This study aims to understand how the professional identity of the participants who represent different cultural backgrounds is affected by their field experiences. The author draws implications for supporting teacher identity development through the internship, focusing on their different stages of teaching and interactions with their mentor teachers, students, and colleagues.

Author

• Jihea Kang, Michigan State University