Migrant Teachers’ Perceptions of the South African Mathematics Curriculum and Their Experiences in Teaching in the Host Country

This article investigates the tensions experienced by Zimbabwean immigrant teachers in teaching mathematics in South Africa. It explores their views on the South African mathematics curriculum and how they are treated at their work stations. The study is significant because thousands of Zimbabwean mathematics and science teachers recently moved to teach in South Africa. To date, very little research has been done on how these teachers have settled at their new workplaces. Bernstein’s framework of curriculum classification and framing informs the study. Interviews were conducted on three Zimbabwean teachers who have been teaching mathematics in South African schools since 2008. To triangulate the data, a focus group interview was held with four teachers. The study showed that the teachers found it compulsive to compare some aspects of the South African curriculum with those from their home country. It showed that initially, the teachers had challenges in adapting to the new cuIrriculum, such as understanding the philosophy of continuous assessment. Although they meet some challenges at the beginning, in time some of the immigrant teachers adjust. They come to appreciate the strengths and merits of the South African mathematics curriculum. Implications for the study on immigrant teachers to the South African education system and the wider education community are suggested.