Becoming teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand: A collaborative autoethnographic study about Romanian immigrant teacher identity and practice

Abstract

This study is ignited by Susan Stinson’s aphorism “What we teach is who we are” and by my permanent engagement in professional questioning, reflection and self-growth (Stinson, 1999, p.69). The purpose is to investigate how cultural experiences impact on immigrant teacher identity and practice in New Zealand. There is a lack of research in regard to immigrant teacher identity development in New Zealand, in particular Romanian teachers. This study is the first to respond to this gap. Eight Romanian-born teachers, including myself, contributed stories to this study. Our stories were analysed through multiple lenses of dialogical self theory (DST), nostalgia and hybridity. Under the critical autoethnography framework, teachers’ stories were generated through two focus group dialogues and through writing. The findings were elucidated by employing writing as a method of inquiry and analysis, and through deductive thematic analysis. Romanian immigrant teacher identity and practice have undergone an intricate process of acculturation in recent times, being influenced by a multitude of cultural experiences. Education as “banking” and life under communism represented the foundation of teachers’ character formation. Experiences of sacrifice and trauma had a significant impact on immigrant teacher identity development. The nostalgic past informed teachers’ agency and civic professional engagement in the present time. A key factor in immigrant teacher acculturation and professional success was the English language. Understanding the concept of respect in different cultural spaces produced major ontological, epistemological and pedagogical shifts in immigrant teacher identity and practice. The findings in this study demonstrate that by understanding our own (cultural) identity and I-positions, we, immigrant teachers, could better understand our students’ identities and consequently could become more inclined towards promoting a culturally responsive pedagogy. Our stories are a way of living better lives (Holman Jones, Adams, & Ellis, 2014). Through collaborative autoethnographic studies, meaningful opportunities are created for teachers’ stories to be heard and understood. Our stories could become a small step towards “the change we seek in the world” (Holman Jones, 2016, p.228). Thus, our society may become more accepting and inclusive.