Recruitment and Retention of International School Teachers in Remote Archipelagic Countries: The Fiji Experience
Abstract
:1. Introduction
The Theoretical Framework and its Application
2. Methodology
- Why do international school teachers decide to teach in remote archipelagic states in Melanesia at the South Pacific Ocean, which in this case is Fiji?
- Why do international school teachers decide to leave Fiji after their teaching service?
- Why do international school teachers decide to stay in Fiji for their long-term teaching career?
2.1. The Application of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and Recruitment of Participants
2.2. Background of the Participants
2.3. Potential Limitation of the Participants
2.4. Protection of Subjects
2.5. Data Analysis
3. Results and Findings
3.1. The Desire to Teach at K-12 Educational System outsides of Australia
3.1.1. The Desire to Share Their Intercultural Experience with the Australian Curriculum to International School Students
“Although French creative arts and fine arts education is considered the best in Europe, teachers with international teaching and learning experience are absent…I have introduced some of the indigenous fine arts in the Oceania states and ancient Roman fine arts…the school leadership also appreciated the fine arts creatures and knowledge outsides of France…At least I can transfer my knowledge into a different stage of the world…”
3.1.2. Unique Teaching Experience Outside of Their Home State
“After a year of teaching service in a primary school in Australia, I decided to come to Fiji. It is not because I dislike Australia. It is because…I believe I should gain more international perspectives and life experiences for long-term investment…As the living styles in Fiji is pretty like the coastal side of my home province, I think I would like to stay in Fiji for long-term investment.”
“Before I went to Fiji…and China one year later, I have never left Australia. Going to international schools allowed me to earn money, gain teaching experience, enjoy the various cultural background, and learn how to survive by myself…”
3.1.3. Gaining International Teaching Experience in a State with a Similar Cultural Background
“…the greater regions of my hometown in northern Queensland have a significant number of indigenous tribes, and reserved communities…many of my secondary school classmates were from one of the Pacific states…Basically, I spent a significant part of my childhood and teenage with people from other Oceania states.”
“…Melbourne is not only a city with globalization…Melbourne attracts university students, working professionals...all over the world…I spent my university period with mostly Asians and Pacific Islanders. I enjoyed their culture…That was why I decided to start my teaching career first in Fiji and now in Singapore. I wanted to enjoy their culture by teaching in one of the locations.”
“…our Province South Australia has a significant number of Indigenous tribes and communities. Many of them are farmers…Our primary and secondary schools always brought us to the farms for outdoor education. One of the nearest farms was operated by a Fijian family. So I understood and experienced Fijian culture in my early childhood already.”
3.2. Characteristics of International Schools: The Reasons for Leaving
3.2.1. The Managerial Style of the Leadership
3.2.2. The Requests for Classroom Improvements Were Rejected
“My subject matter is computer science; I need to have internet access and some licensed software(s) to teach…not for my own use…I have to use the software to teach. But the answer is negative…my supervisor asked me to pay and buy it.”
“I had once asked a convenient classroom as I could not climb up the stairs after the operation. I had contacted the teacher who was teaching on the ground floor for a short-term exchange. The teacher actually agreed with that, and even for a permanent switch due to my situation…the school leadership told me that they could not make this arrangement. The answer was, either stay on upstairs or leave the school after the contract…the answer was pretty obvious.”
3.2.3. The Expectations of Teachers Were Not Achievable
“I disliked the school leadership when I requested a temporary classroom switch. But this did not absolutely make me decide to leave. Once…one of my students needed to use a wheelchair due to a sudden operation…the school management promised the parents for arrangement…but when all teachers exchange this situation…the school leadership told us a lot of negative comments.”
“Although my bachelor’s degree was not from the best university in Australia, the school leadership always compared the university enrolment among teachers… several of the teachers received their…degrees at one of the top-tier universities in their home province. These teachers tended to receive better rewards and a lighter workload.”
3.3. Characteristics of the Fijian Community: The Reasons for Leaving
Limitations of Social Networking
3.4. Characteristics of International Schools: The Reasons for Staying
Respectfulness from Both Parents and Students
“Some students in Victoria were forced to go to school by the government policy and their parents. But students in Fiji, including international school students and local students, understood high-level of education is not for granted. Many of them enjoyed schools…for parents, unlike parents from developed states, parents in the developing states always respected the authorities and decisions of teachers and school…”
“Regardless of the learners from Australia and some other parts of Asia or elsewhere, I believed students in Fiji were motivated…they liked to learn more…like to understand more knowledge outside of the textbook. Parents also believed us…parents did not challenge our planning…”
“Students, teachers, and parents in Australia usually left the school immediately after school period. Parents in Fiji liked to stay in school to establish a positive relationship with teachers…Parents were not looking for creating or what…they liked to make friends as they viewed teachers as their family members…
3.5. Characteristics of the Fijian Community: The Reasons for Staying
Simple Living Style and Communities
4. Discussion
4.1. Long-Term Difficulties for International School Recruitment
4.2. Teacher Turnover, Parent-Teacher Relationships, and Effective School Leadership
4.3. Limitation and Future Research Directions
5. Conclusion
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
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Name | Gender | Age | Subject Matter | Years of Experience | Current Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amy | F | Mid-30s | English and Literature | 10+ | Left Fiji |
Betty | F | Late-20s | Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) | 5 | Left Fiji |
Charles | M | Mid-20s | Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) | 2 | In Fiji |
Davis | M | Late-20s | English and Literature | 3 | Left Fiji |
Emma | F | Late-20s | Creative Arts | 6 | In Fiji |
Forest | F | Mid-40s | Computer Science | 11 | Left Fiji |
Themes and Subthemes |
---|
1. The Desire to Teach at K-12 Educational System outsides of Australia |
1.1 The desire to share their intercultural experience with the Australian curriculum to international school students |
1.2 Unique teaching experience outside of their home state |
1.3 Gaining international teaching experience in a state with a similar cultural background |
2. Characteristics of International Schools: The Reasons for Leaving |
2.1 The managerial style of the leadership |
2.2 The requests for classroom improvements were rejected |
2.3 The expectations of teachers were not achievable |
3. Characteristics of the Fijian Community: The Reasons for Leaving |
3.1 Limitations of social networking |
4. Characteristics of International Schools: The Reasons for Staying |
4.1 Respectfulness from both parents and students |
5. Characteristics of the Fijian Community: The Reasons for Staying |
5.1 Simple living style and communities |
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Dos Santos, L.M. Recruitment and Retention of International School Teachers in Remote Archipelagic Countries: The Fiji Experience. Educ. Sci. 2019, 9, 132. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9020132
Dos Santos LM. Recruitment and Retention of International School Teachers in Remote Archipelagic Countries: The Fiji Experience. Education Sciences. 2019; 9(2):132. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9020132
Chicago/Turabian StyleDos Santos, Luis Miguel. 2019. "Recruitment and Retention of International School Teachers in Remote Archipelagic Countries: The Fiji Experience" Education Sciences 9, no. 2: 132. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9020132
APA StyleDos Santos, L. M. (2019). Recruitment and Retention of International School Teachers in Remote Archipelagic Countries: The Fiji Experience. Education Sciences, 9(2), 132. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci9020132