Abstract
Teachers migrate to foreign countries in search of adventure, new opportunities, better job prospects or for family reasons. The foreign countries may be culturally very different from their own, resulting in culture shock and cultural misunderstandings. The cultural differences may make it difficult for expatriate teachers to adjust to host cultures and host cultures may also have challenges accommodating different cultures. Leadership of a culturally diverse team could therefore be challenging. This research explores such challenges specifically investigating the experiences of black teachers in Thailand. In a country where mindfulness is a well-established concept and practise, does it play a part in mitigating against cultural misunderstandings? Previous research has established that successful interaction across cultures requires cultural intelligence (CQ). Research also shows that mindfulness is a key component linking knowledge and behavioural ability. This research extends the notion of mindfulness not only being a link between knowledge and CQ behaviour but proposes the notion that mindfulness initiates CQ and sustains CQ helping leaders to manage culturally diverse teams appropriately. This is an ethnography of a black teacher in Thailand as well as a documentation of experiences of thirteen black teachers working and living within a foreign country. Data on their intercultural experiences have been collected by means of semi-structured interviews. Mindful inquiry has been used as it provides a flexible theoretical approach. This study’s findings agree with literature that states mindfulness assists in making culturally intelligent decisions and more harmonious interactions. By understanding first-hand experiences of black African teachers in Thailand through the lens of CQ and mindfulness we know what type of misunderstandings arise from cultural miscommunications and the possibility of mindfulness being used in similar situations or orientation programmes for foreign teachers and leaders of culturally diverse teams.
M.Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management)