A Narrative and Post-/Anti-Colonial Approach to Understanding the Experiences of Foreign Certified Teachers in Rural Saskatchewan Schools

Abstract

This study takes a narrative approach toward understanding experiences of foreign certified teachers in rural Saskatchewan classrooms. It grew out of my own experiences as a teacher of refugee students in my native country of Kenya and as an international graduate student and teacher assistant at a Canadian university. The study explores experiences of four foreign certified teachers in rural Saskatchewan. The experiences are situated within postcolonial and anti-colonial frameworks. Field text inquiry involved two main processes: highlighting “commonalities, connections and patterns” (Lewis & Adeney, 2014, p. 168) in the experiences of the foreign certified teachers, and identifying the “unique moments that stand out” (p. 168) in each individual study participant narratives. Implications for foreign certified teachers, school administration, teachers, students and parents, and further research are presented.