Justine June

Canadian Workplace Culture and Racialized Female Internationally-Educated English Instructors' Professional Growth in Ontario Higher Education

This qualitative, arts-informed multiple case study investigates the professional learning and growth experiences of racialized female internationally-educated English instructors (IEETs) in Ontario higher education. Shifting the research focus from systemic barriers and deficit-oriented teacher education and support for IEETs, this research applies an asset-based approach to examine how racialized female IEETs navigate professional learning experiences through interactions with colleagues and achieve professional growth in the workplace. Using a reflective, collaborative research design, the researcher and participants co-created data through semi-structured interviews, a questionnaire, and four professional development workshops, drawing on arts-informed narratives, critical reflection, and critical discourses. The research methodology was innovative, cultivating a co-learning space among participants as co-creators of new knowledge. It enabled a deeper exploration of the nuanced realities of participants' transformative learning experiences. Findings reveal that despite experiencing Othering and a pervasive lack of institutional and collegial support, instructors leveraged their existing assets—such as learner autonomy and agency—to achieve personalized, self-directed professional learning. These processes led to significant perspective and action transformations, resulting in their professional growth. Ultimately, this research illustrates that unlearning Othering and forming supportive professional communities are critical professional growth practices.