Culturally responsive or politically constrained? Exploring teachers’ pedagogical practices in refugee education
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21494475 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ozlem Erden-Basaran (0000-0002-0374-1942, TED University, corresponding author), Merih Ugurel-Kamisli (TED University), Hilal Yildiz-Erden (Arden University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-16 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-07 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Education for Teaching International Research and Pedagogy (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0260-7476 • E-ISSN: 1360-0540 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/02607476.2026.2699130 |
| OpenAlex | W7167635165 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 32 |
Framed within culturally responsive pedagogy, this qualitative phenomenological study examines how teachers’ pedagogical practices and instructional strategies influence refugee pupils’ adaptation, inclusion and the classroom atmosphere. Drawing on interviews and classroom observations of 18 primary school teachers working with refugee pupils, the study analyses how instructional practices emerge at the intersection of individual teacher agency, policy ambiguity and institutional constraints. Findings reveal that pedagogical practices and preferences, shaped by both personal beliefs and the political climate, affect instructional strategies and the inclusion of refugee pupils. An inconsistent understanding of policy documents led teachers to develop their unique pedagogical practices through trial and error. However, without clear communication of refugee-related education policies, some teachers succeeded in creating humanistic and culturally responsive strategies, while a smaller group struggled to ensure inclusive and harmonious classroom environments. The study highlights how policy ambiguity and limited professional learning infrastructure produce structural teacher isolation and fragmented pedagogical responses, and calls for clearer refugee education policy frameworks, alongside sustained professional learning opportunities, to support equitable and inclusive practice
Ambiguity · Politics · Professional development · Qualitative research · Refugee · Semi-structured interview · Teacher education · Education and experiences of immigrants and refugees · Global Education and Multiculturalism · Migration, Health and Trauma
Phenomenological research methods
The Theory and Practice of Culturally Relevant Education
The role of beliefs in teacher agency
The caring relation in teaching
The Theory, Practice, and Evaluation of the Phenomenological Method as a Qualitative Research Procedure
A review of research on the impact of professional learning communities on teaching practice and student learning
First-Year Physical Education Teachers’ Experiences With Teaching African Refugee Students
The promise of refugee lifelong education
Young refugees in education
Increasing understanding for syrian refugee children with empirical evidence
Building spaces of hope with refugee and migrant-background students
Becoming the teacher of a refugee child
The effect of local discourses adapted by teachers on Syrian child refugees’ schooling experiences in Turkey
Schools and Refugee Children
Education for Syrian Refugees
Lessons from Experiences of Syrian Civil Society in Refugee Education of Turkey
A Phenomenological Research Design Illustrated
Cognitive assessment of refugee children
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |