Portraying Chilean Educators: Motivations and Practices to Address Educational Inequities for Immigrant Students in an Elementary School in the Bio-Bio Region

Abstract

In the last decade, Chile has abruptly multiplied the number of international migrant families living in the country. This new reality has affected Chilean society, principally public schools where Chilean teachers have not been prepared to work in an intercultural context. It has developed two types of literature in the area: one, remarking the challenges for elementary teachers working with immigrant students and the situations of racism and classism in the classrooms. While other literature stating the practices of excellence developed for teachers to create trusting relationship with their international migrant students. This research aims to gain a better understanding of teachers’ reasons and practices readdressing inequities for immigrant students. A derived goal is starting the discussion about classism and racism in Chile. A hybrid qualitative method of case study and grounded theory let the description of Chilean elementary teachers’ motivations, practices, and representations working with international migrant students. The finding for Chilean teacher reasons, shows the empathy about context life of their immigrant students, and the vocación for teaching. In addition, teachers claim for the development of welcoming protocol and a major government-school support in their new multicultural classrooms. They focus their practices on the academic area and some of them are beyond the school, visiting students and families. The good, intended practices have a superficial approach far of a critical praxis. Teachers’ representations present the complexity of racism in Chile, with teachers aware about the reality and the other extreme denying its existence. Finally, are presented the unique characteristics of this group of elementary teachers. Chilean elementary teachers’ actualization of critical theories and a deep reflection about significant practices looking for social justice are necessary.