Optimising the professional adaptation of Asian Australian immigrant teachers

Australia has a long history of immigration. Its immigrant population constituted 28.0% of the national total and Asian is among the fastest growing immigrant group. This demographic trend is reflected in many facets of the Australian society, including its teaching workforce. Asian Australian immigrant teachers (AAITs) made up close to half of the total proportion of immigrant teachers in schools.

While there have been studies documenting the experiences of migrant teachers in Australia, these studies are now outdated and they do not reflect the current context of the Australia society and the changes in the education landscape since the implementation of the education imperatives in the Asian Century White Paper (Department of Defence, 2012). This study seeks to further the understanding of the professional adaptation of migrant teachers, in particular, the growing number of AAITs in the Asian Century. This qualitative case study explored the professional adaptation experiences of 10 AAITs across different professional life stages and years of residence in Australia through a series of in-depth, semi-structured interviews.

Preliminary findings highlighted the tensions surrounding the professional integration of Asian Australian immigrant teachers, including differences in their views towards education, professional beliefs and dispositions, which in turn shaped their practices in the classroom. In particular, we observed that social structures and professional relationships in schools play a significant role in the integration and professional identities of AAITs. These findings have broader implications for teacher development in immigrant receiving countries.