Date

12-7-2023

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Laura E. Jones

Keywords

expatriate teachers, international education, Chinese internationalized schools, expatriate adjustment, work adjustment

Disciplines

Education | Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study was to understand the work adjustment of expatriate teachers employed in Chinese internationalized schools. The theory guiding the study was Dawis and Lofquist’s theory of work adjustment. This theory explained the process of employee adjustment at the workplace as the result of job dissatisfaction leading to attempts at restoring the person-environment fit. The central research question was: How do expatriate teachers experience work adjustment in Chinese internationalized schools? The four sub-questions addressed the facets of work adjustment: activeness, reactiveness, perseverance, and flexibility. Chinese internationalized schools were an appropriate setting for the study because of the extraordinary work adjustment challenges in these institutions. The study employed a purposefully selected sample of 16 expatriate teachers who have worked in Chinese internationalized schools for at least one school year and have experienced work adjustment. Three data collection methods aided in gathering in-depth descriptions of participants’ lived experiences: individual interviews, written protocols, and focus groups. Data analysis relied on eclectic coding and van Manen’s hermeneutical framework. Four major themes summarized participants’ work adjustment experiences: discovering what lies behind the façade, trying to be a real teacher, navigating relationships with the paying customers, and trying to function in a multicultural work environment. Ryan and Deci’s self-determination theory aided the interpretation of findings and linked participants’ adjustment attempts to unfulfilled needs for relatedness, competence, and autonomy.

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