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Making the invisible visible: a narrative inquiry on the journey of South Asian American K-12 public school teachers
Dissertation   Open access

Making the invisible visible: a narrative inquiry on the journey of South Asian American K-12 public school teachers

Hetal Patel
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
Jun 2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00001651
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Abstract

Teachers--Training of Critical theory--Asian Vocational guidance Model minority stereotype South Asian Americans Teachers Teacher Education
There is an underrepresentation of South Asian American K-12 teachers in the United States compared to those employed in the science and technology fields. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to explore the stories of K-12 South Asian American teachers to understand what impacted their career path and gain an understanding of the experiences of being underrepresented in the teaching profession. With the conceptual framework guided by specific tenets of Asian critical theory, as well as familial, cultural, and social dynamics, this study served to provide a deeper understanding into how they contribute to the career choices of South Asian Americans. The primary research questions guiding this narrative inquiry were: 1) What stories do South Asian American teachers share about their career path and journeys into the teaching profession? 2) How do South Asian American teachers describe the barriers they overcome when choosing teaching as a profession? 3) How do South Asian American teachers describe the experiences of being racially minoritized teachers in a predominately White profession? Data sources included six individual semi-structured interviews, an artifact analysis, as well as a researcher's journal. Three themes emerged during the data analysis process and are as follows: 1) Childhood Dynamics, 2) Career Choice, and 3) Life as a Teacher. The findings from this study may be used to inform and impact South Asian American students, specifically those interested in becoming a teacher, to be better prepared to navigate the profession. Educational leaders in K-12, institutions of higher education, as well as policymakers and school district human resource officials will be also equipped with knowledge to recruit and retain South Asian American teachers. Keywords: Asian critical theory, career choice, model minority stereotype, South Asian American teacher

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