The Experiences of Five Turkish Internationally Educated Teacher Refugees As They Transition to Ontario, Canada

Abstract

This research addresses two major questions: What are the lived professional journeys of internationally educated teachers (IETs) who arrived in Ontario, Canada as refugees following their forced departure from their country of origin? In what ways can Yosso’s community cultural wealth theory help us to understand how IETs navigate their life journeys? I used this framework to draw attention to experiences the participants encounter and how they navigate these as they transition from Turkey to Ontario. Through individual semi-structured interviews, participants expressed their passion and the high value of nurturing future generations as the primary reasons they chose the field of teaching. They experience various challenges in their efforts to reestablish themselves in the education system in Ontario, Canada which led some to pursue other professional fields. Language barriers, confusing bureaucratic processes, and lack of adequate governmental support including financial incentives to complete the assessment and recertification process were highlighted as the main barriers. Several implications emerged. Policy needs to be streamlined regarding credential recognition processes. Cultural biases in the hiring practices need to be addressed. Successfully advocating for policy shifts requires a multi-faceted approach. Finally, the integration of IETs into the Canadian educational space should be prioritized because of its beneficial outcome to deepening the learning for all students, colleagues, and the broader education system.