Teaching refugee students remotely: Examining experiences through narrative inquiry

Abstract

The complexity surrounding refugee education, grappling with learners' inadequate literacy skills due to interrupted schooling, the trauma of familial loss and discrimination, is indelible. Thus, teachers teaching refugee students employ diverse techniques and strategies to facilitate better learning. This study delves into the professional and teaching experiences of four novice instructors from Bangladesh, providing remote instruction to pre-university displaced students in various camps in Bangladesh, Kenya and Jordan. Through a narrative inquiry approach, it investigates various dynamics of remote teaching that the instructors experienced in the refugee context. The thematic analysis of the instructors' logs, stories, and anecdotes showcases how tailored course contents and strategies were used to teach these students and the challenges educators faced in implementing the teaching strategies they explored in their teacher training sessions while instructing displaced students remotely. The close examination of the findings addresses valuable perspectives and insights on the broader teaching landscape of these unique circumstances, which not only help to address pedagogic implications for refugee students in their remote learning context but also add new perspectives to the teacher training programs designed for refugee education and development.