Abstract not available

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 129-135).

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This dissertation is a critical ethnography of teachers working abroad in an American/International school (ASC/pseudonym) located in the People’s Republic of China. The study focuses on the teacher abroad identity process of EC-12 teachers who moved from their country of origin to work in the PRC from 2008 to 2011. The three-year study serves as a snapshot of the formation of the teacher abroad identity. The theoretical framework include theories of identity in figured worlds (Holland et al., 1998), symbolic capital (Bourdieu, 1991), and language as mediator that served to answer three questions: 1) How does a teacher’s biography relate to the experience of working in an American/International school in China? 2) How does a first-time teacher at ASC recreate and negotiate her/his personal and professional self understandings? 3) What role does language play in the making of the teacher abroad identity at ASC? The study follows an interpretivist approach to explain, understand, and unveil the figured world of teaching abroad from the perspective of the participants’ and data analysis by the researcher. Data includes participant observation, interviews, observations, and field notes collected while closely following four teachers who portrayed the making of the teacher abroad identity. The researcher became a teacher abroad at the same school to fully immerse herself in participant observation. The inclusion of document analysis, interviews, and field notes, serve as validation and triangulation of the process. A reflexive approach to data analysis was followed at all times for trustworthiness of the study. Findings suggest that teaching abroad is a complex figurative world. Teacher abroad identity is created at the intersection of the social, personal, emotional, professional, and linguistic spaces. A major finding reveals that individuals who are hired overseas and teach abroad for the first time have to learn new ways to cope with unexpected landscapes brought by living in new country, and by teaching students from a plurality of nationalities, languages, and races. Teachers experience mostly a transformation at the personal level, but the transcendence at the professional level in the classroom is limited. / text

This study examines the perceived influence of the following factors on the performance of expatriate academics: biographical profile, social and cultural adjustment, homesickness, language, organizational socialization, and satisfaction with the policies and practices of the organization with regard to salary, rewards and promotion. The study was conducted on a sample of 85 expatriate academics employees of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa). The research data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire where all answers were requested using a five point likert scale (from 'strongly disagree' to 'strongly agree‟) except for the section on the biographical profile of the participants. In other words, the research data captured the perceptions of the respondents measured on the above-mentioned scale. This means for example that every expatriate academic in the study made a self-assessment of his or her work performance. The research sample was constructed using a snowball sampling method. The results obtained from the inferential statistical analysis indicate that language is the only predictor of work performance. The frequencies and means analysis revealed that respondents are not quite satisfied with their salary and rewards. Correlation analysis also revealed the following relationships between the research variables: a correlation was found between social and cultural adjustment and homesickness; a correlation was found between social and cultural adjustment and organizational socialization; and correlation was found between satisfaction with the policies and practices of the organization with organizational socialization. The findings of this research can be useful to universities for improvement of the performance of their expatriate academics through the following research recommendations: conducting language training; providing market-related salaries to expatriate employees; and granting holiday allowances and stress management programmes to expatriate academics so as to alleviate their homesickness. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2009.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 129-135). Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1996. / Title from title page screen, viewed May 18, 2006. Dissertation Committee: John R. McCarthy (chair), Larry D. Kennedy, Marcia D. Escott, Lemuel W. Watson. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 77-81) and abstract. Also available in print.

Chu Shun-lung. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 118-126). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT (English version) --- p.i / ABSTRACT (Chinese version) --- p.ii / ACKNOWLEGEMENTS --- p.iii / Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Overview --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Further description of the problem and objectives of the study --- p.2 / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1 --- The language situation in Hong Kong --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- The role of English in Hong Kong --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- The education system in Hong Kong --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.2.1 --- The medium of instruction --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.2.2 --- The banding system --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1.2.3 --- The examination-oriented curriculum --- p.15 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Motivation of Hong Kong students in English learning --- p.17 / Chapter 2.2 --- The Native-speaking English Teacher (NET) Scheme --- p.19 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Longitudinal review of the development --- p.20 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Critical analysis of the scheme --- p.27 / Chapter 2.2.2.1 --- Local teachers' complaints --- p.27 / Chapter 2.2.2.2 --- The NETs' comments --- p.30 / Chapter 2.2.2.3 --- Views expressed by the school authorities --- p.33 / Chapter 2.2.2.4 --- An ideal model --- p.35 / Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- DATA COLLECTION --- p.36 / Chapter 3.1 --- Research in education --- p.36 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Primary vs. Secondary research --- p.36 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Qualitative vs. Quantitative research --- p.36 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- The Case Study research approach --- p.37 / Chapter 3.1.3.1 --- The Case Study: Qualitative perspective --- p.37 / Chapter 3.1.3.2 --- The Case Study: Qualitative-Quantitative perspective - --- p.38 / Chapter 3.1.3.3 --- Influence from other disciplines --- p.38 / Chapter 3.1.3.4 --- Intrinsic vs. Instrumental study --- p.39 / Chapter 3.1.3.5 --- Six different types --- p.39 / Chapter 3.1.3.6 --- Merits and limitations of the Case Study --- p.40 / Chapter 3.1.3.7 --- Grey area? --- p.44 / Chapter 3.1.4 --- The Case Study approach for investigating the NET scheme ´ؤ´ؤ --- p.44 / Chapter 3.2 --- Selection of subjects for the study --- p.45 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- The selection process --- p.45 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Description of subjects --- p.46 / Chapter 3.3 --- Procedures of the study --- p.46 / Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- RESULTS --- p.51 / Chapter 4.1 --- Students' questionnaires --- p.51 / Chapter 4.2 --- NETs´ة questionnaires --- p.58 / Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- ANALYSIS OF RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ´ؤ´ؤ --- p.60 / Chapter 5.1 --- Descriptions of the four cases --- p.60 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- Teacher A - a successful demonstrator --- p.60 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- Teacher B-a depressed survivor --- p.63 / Chapter 5.1.3 --- Teacher C - a well-prepared adaptation --- p.67 / Chapter 5.1.4 --- Teacher D-a problematic adaptation --- p.70 / Chapter 5.2 --- Implications from the cases - --- p.72 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Cultural adaptation in Hong Kong --- p.72 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- School adaptation --- p.74 / Chapter 5.2.2.1 --- Relationship with local teachers --- p.75 / Chapter 5.2.2.2 --- Allocation of duties --- p.77 / Chapter 5.2.2.3 --- Team-teaching - --- p.78 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Classroom adaptation --- p.81 / Chapter 5.2.3.1 --- Class size --- p.81 / Chapter 5.2.3.2 --- Classroom management --- p.82 / Chapter 5.2.3.3 --- Teaching styles --- p.85 / Chapter 5.2.3.4 --- Students' perspectives --- p.88 / Chapter 5.2.4 --- Positive experience --- p.90 / Chapter 5.3 --- The induction programme - - --- p.91 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- The design of the induction programme --- p.91 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Comments and suggestions --- p.93 / Chapter 5.4 --- Recommendations for the improvement of the NET scheme --- p.97 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- The Education Department --- p.97 / Chapter 5.4.1.1 --- The recruitment process --- p.98 / Chapter 5.4.1.2 --- Allocation of schools --- p.100 / Chapter 5.4.1.3 --- Communication with the NETs --- p.101 / Chapter 5.4.1.4 --- Urgency for reform --- p.102 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- The school authorities --- p.104 / Chapter 5.4.2.1 --- The role of the NETs in the school --- p.105 / Chapter 5.4.2.2 --- The value of team-teaching --- p.106 / Chapter 5.4.3 --- The NETs --- p.106 / Chapter 5.4.3.1 --- Cultivation of social circle --- p.107 / Chapter 5.4.3.2 --- Gaining support from local colleagues --- p.107 / Chapter 5.4.3.3 --- Participation in extra-curricular activities --- p.107 / Chapter 5.5 --- The value of the NET scheme --- p.108 / Chapter CHAPTER 6 --- CONCLUSION --- p.110 / Chapter 6.1 --- Pedagogical implications --- p.110 / Chapter 6.1.1 --- Understanding of the learners --- p.110 / Chapter 6.1.2 --- Adaptation of the teaching style --- p.111 / Chapter 6.2 --- Limitations of the present study --- p.112 / Chapter 6.3 --- Implications for further research --- p.114 / Chapter 6.4 --- Summary and conclusion --- p.115 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.118 / APPENDICES --- p.127 / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.128 / APPENDIX A GENERAL TABLES --- p.129 / APPENDIX B GENERAL FIGURES --- p.136 / APPENDIX C FORMS --- p.138 / APPENDIX D QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS --- p.145 / APPENDIX E QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS --- p.149 / APPENDIX F QUESTIONNAIRE FROM 'YOUNG POST' --- p.154 / APPENDIX G STATISTICAL RESULTS --- p.157 / APPENDIX H TRANSCRIPTS OF INTERVIEWS --- p.196

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education