Refugees Education: An Ethnography Of Teaching Experiences In Jordan

Abstract

Refugees are very different from other kind of immigrants. This is because of their particular migration path which is characterised by forced displacement and painful experiences. In addition, they often suffer from difficult living conditions even in the host country, which adds a weight to the burden of their traumatising experiences. Those events can affect the health of the refugees and consequently their learning process as well. This calls the attention on this particular field of education, which is until now neglected by the literature. The aim of this research is to study how teachers react to the needs of this particular class of learners. To conduct this research, we have used an ethnographic approach, by making in-depth interviews and questionnaires to teachers that work with refugee students in Jordan, one of the countries with the highest presence of refugees in the world. The results of this study include an analysis of the teaching experience of our informants. More specifically, a look on the difficulties encountered by the teachers and their way to cope with them. The analysis shows that teachers from migrant or refugee origin show a better understanding of the problem which sometimes is correlated with a better help to the students. Finally, the impact that this working experience has on teachers is analysed. The conclusion focuses on the need of specialisation in this field, in order to provide a better support to both refugee students and teachers involved in their education.

Exploring the Mental, Social, and Lifestyle Effects of a Positive COVID-19 Infection on Syrian Refugees in Jordan: A Qualitative Study

“…However, it was a more reported theme among those in the host community due to the fear of being identified and for economic reasons The United Nations Women Jordan Rapid Assessment Report demonstrated that tensions within households were reported by refugees in camps as well as economic hardships [43]. Bianco and Cobo (2019), pointed out to the impact of being Syrian refugees in Jordan on education attainment and literacy due to the poor access, impact of exposure to trauma and violence and other social factors such as the way teachers treat these [47]. This may not have been investigated by this study; however, the COVID-19 situation may have worsened this crucial human right for refugees due to isolation and the stigma of being infected [48].. Social stigmatization of COVID-19-infected individuals seems to have potentially flourished with dramatic stories in media and on the internet [49].…”

The role of the school leader in the inclusion of migrant families and students

“…Moreover, migrant students experience communication difficulties in the dominant language and therefore teachers need to have at least basic knowledge about the geographical and cultural origin of their students. It would also be desirable to have appropriate knowledge of the migration trajectories as well as the factors behind migration, which can have repercussions on learning (Bianco and Ortiz Cobo, 2019). Most often, students from migrant backgrounds experience discontinuities in their studies; the consequences being marked difficulties in adapting to the new school system (Unicef connect, 2015) which lead to an increased absenteeism rate and school dropouts.…”