International schooling: a sociocultural study

Abstract

International Schools have proliferated in recent years, particularly in the Middle East and Asia. Initially, International Schools either catered for a globally mobile community or provided an education that promoted international mindedness. In contemporary, twenty-first century, increasingly International Schools are being identified with schools that adopt an English language curriculum in a nation where English is not the first language. Furthermore, the commercialisation of International Schools through operating for-profit or ownership by transnational companies has become a common phenomenon.

Despite their growth, little is known about reasons for growth of International Schools, particularly ‘British-style’ schools, the purpose of for-profit schools and their impact on the various stakeholders of an International School. This thesis is an exploration of the field of International Schooling, particularly that of a British-style, for-profit institution. The focus of the study choice-making, and experiences of school leaders, teachers, parents and pupils, and how the school sought a competitive advantage. Bourdieu’s thinking tools capital, habitus, and field were used to understand the complex nature of International Schooling.

This was an ethno-case study of a British-style, for-profit school in Kuwait. Main data sources were interviews and surveys collected from teachers, school leaders, parents and pupils. Further documentary analysis, and a field journal were used to corroborate the data. Major findings showed that choices made were related to relative positions in space and aspirations for a better future. ‘Britishness’ was a commodity that parents and teachers sought after. Further analysis of the field revealed that the value of ‘Britishness’ is an embodied understanding of the dominance of English as a language specifically, and of British values generally. Furthermore, the for-profit purpose of the school creates tensions that permeate the school’s culture and creates pressure on the staff to maintain their competitive edge by maintaining their reputation. The findings contribute to an in-depth understanding of International Schooling and implications for practitioners from lessons learned in the field.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Lina Khalil: orcid.org/0000-0003-0553-8486

ORCID for Anthony Kelly: orcid.org/0000-0003-4664-8585

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