Over the past decade, I have been teaching at British international schools in Asia. These schools cater to expatriate families that want their children to be taught the same or a similar curriculum to their home nation. There is also a large percentage of students from the local community that want an international education. Although these schools base their approach to education on the UK, the student population comprises a large variety of different nationalities and cultures. This creates a unique environment, and in my experience over the years, an understanding of “Third Culture Kids” will greatly improve the effectiveness of all international school teachers.
Every teacher recognizes the importance of understanding the children they teach. Therefore, international school teachers must acquaint themselves with so-called ‘Third Culture Kids,’ more commonly referred to as TCKs. Many of the students in international schools are international people. Despite the concept of TCKs being around since the 1950s, many international school teachers only have a surface level of knowledge around the issues associated with these students. I am far from an expert, but I have recognized a difference between students I’ve taught in the UK and the students of international schools – Particularly the ex-pat student population. There are various definitions of TCK, but I think the American Sociologist – David Pollock offers the most comprehensive description as “a person who has spent a significant part of their developmental years outside the parents’ culture, the TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture may be assimilated into the TCK’s life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar background.”
TCK students integrate elements from both the host culture of where they live, their parental culture into a third culture. Most international schools’ student population speak several languages and has strong cross-cultural skills and a multi-dimensional world view. Research has painted a consistent picture of these students as possessing strong self-esteem, advanced social skills, linguistic and cognitive flexibility, cross-cultural awareness and tolerance, advanced capacities for empathy, multiple perspective-taking, and broad-minded attitudes. From my personal experience of teaching international students, I would certainly argue that TCKs are often more independent and have the ability to think under pressure to a greater capacity than children I’ve worked with within the UK.
These characteristics and skills can certainly be viewed as beneficial, and TCK experiences cannot be obtained in any other way. A student raised solely in their home nation is unlikely to develop the same level of linguistic and cross-cultural skills. However, research also points to some negative aspects relating to TCK. One of the most common negative issues reported is that many of these children suffer from a lack of national or cultural identity. Over the years, I have noticed some ex-pat students find themselves caught between their home country and host countries in which they live, where they identify with both, yet don’t have a true sense of belonging in either one. One student expressed how their favorite place to be is in an airport because this is a space where no one belongs, and they felt very comfortable in this situation. Another student once told me they felt foolish when visiting their home nation Scotland because they struggled to understand the local people’s accent, which made them embarrassed as they are themselves Scottish. Also, because many TCKs live an almost nomadic lifestyle, whereby they move every couple of years to a new country, they can become guarded and reluctant to form close relationships with their peers through fear of losing friendships shortly. I have seen children put up boundaries to intimacy and refusing to be vulnerable, which can lead to negative issues within their school life and, ultimately, their development. I have also noticed this can lead to ex-pat students being bullied by the students from the local community, despite all attending the same school.
It would seem clear that international schools must ensure their teaching staff is offered professional development to meet the needs of all students. Almost every school I have encountered has a mission statement that fosters international-mindedness and promotes respect for all cultures. To achieve this, continued professional development of staff is essential. Thankfully, many schools are becoming more aware of the issues surrounding TCKs, but a lot more can be done. As the world becomes an ever-increasing “global village,” International schools should recognize that this growing community of learners has unique pastoral needs that their teachers should understand.
