Curriculum Experiences Militating against the Education of Immigrant Students in a Public South African School

Abstract

This paper set out to explore curriculum experiences challenging the education of two immigrant students in a South African high school. It is a qualitative single case study following an interpretive paradigm, guided by narrative inquiry as a method. Two immigrant students, attending a public high school were interviewed in order to explore the study. Their parents were interviewed using semistructured interview technique to consolidate narratives obtained from their two immigrant children. In addition two teachers who taught them were interviewed. Data were analyzed using latent and manifest content analysis. Utilising the tenets of critical race theory and communities of practice theory to interpret the obtained data, curriculum experiences militating against their education comprised an initial struggle with the learning of English, cultural conflict, low self-esteem, acculturation and identity negotiation challenges and persistent parental unemployment.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n1p387