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Teacher positioning in English-medium instruction

Balancing global curricula and local identity in Saudi international schools

ORCiD logo with link | King Abdulaziz University
Published online: 2 June 2026
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jemi.25022.sab
Abstract
As English-medium instruction (EMI) expands globally, educators face the challenge of aligning internationally oriented curricula with local cultural and linguistic values. While research on teacher agency and identity in EMI has focused largely on higher education, international schools remain underrepresented despite their rapid expansion and distinctive pedagogical and cultural configurations, particularly in the Gulf. Addressing this gap, this study examines how teachers in English-medium international schools in Saudi Arabia position themselves amid global-local demands, how institutional conditions shape their agency and cultural responsibility, and whether perceptions differ by gender. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, the study analyses survey data from 81 educators, combining Likert-scale responses with open-ended qualitative reflections. Quantitative findings indicate strong endorsement of teachers’ roles as cultural and identity mediators, high perceived responsibility to preserve Saudi cultural and linguistic identity, and no statistically significant gender differences. A moderate positive association was found between perceived institutional autonomy and identity positioning. Qualitative analysis further reveals teachers’ adaptive strategies, moral positioning, and negotiation of global-local expectations. The study extends EMI identity research by offering context-sensitive insights into teacher positioning in international school settings.
مستخلص
مع التوسع العالمي للتعليم باللغة الإنجليزية (EMI)، يواجه المعلمون تحديًا يتمثل في مواءمة المناهج الدولية مع القيم الثقافية واللغة المحلية. وعلى الرغم من أن البحث في دور المعلم وهويته في سياق التعليم باللغة الإنجليزية قد ركّز بدرجة كبيرة على التعليم العالي، فإن المدارس الدولية لا تزال لم تحظَ بالاهتمام البحثي الكافي، وذلك على الرغم من توسعها السريع وطبيعة بيئاتها التربوية والثقافية، لا سيما في منطقة الخليج. وانطلاقًا من هذه الفجوة، تهدف هذه الدراسة إلى استكشاف كيفية تشكّل الهوية المهنية لدى المعلمين في المدارس الدولية التي تعتمد اللغة الإنجليزية في المملكة العربية السعودية، في ظل تقاطع المتطلبات العالمية والمحلية، وكيف تسهم الظروف المؤسسية في تشكيل أدوارهم المهنية ومسؤوليتهم الثقافية، إضافة إلى بحث ما إذا كانت هذه التصورات تختلف باختلاف الجنس. واعتمدت الدراسة تصميمًا بحثيًا تكامليًا يجمع بين المنهجين الكمي والنوعي، حيث تم تحليل بيانات استبيان شمل 81 معلمًا، من خلال دمج استجابات مقياس ليكرت مع استجابات نوعية مفتوحة. وأظهرت النتائج الكمية تأييدًا قويًا لدور المعلم بوصفه وسيطًا ثقافيًا يسهم في تشكيل الهوية، إلى جانب إدراك مرتفع لمسؤوليته في الحفاظ على الهوية الثقافية واللغة العربية، دون وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية تُعزى لمتغير الجنس. كما كشفت النتائج عن ارتباط إيجابي متوسط بين الصلاحيات التي تتيحها المؤسسة للمعلم وتشكّل هويته المهنية. وعلى الصعيد النوعي، أبرزت التحليلات الاستراتيجيات التكيفية التي يتبناها المعلمون، وأدوارهم في تعزيز الهوية والثقافة المحلية، وآليات تفاوضهم المستمرة مع متطلبات السياقين العالمي والمحلي. وتسهم هذه الدراسة في إثراء أدبيات الهوية في سياق التعليم باللغة الإنجليزية، من خلال تقديم رؤى معمّقة تبرز طبيعة أدوار المعلم في المدارس الدولية.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Previous research
    • The cultural implications of EMI: Global and local perspectives
    • Teachers as cultural mediators: Navigating identity postitioning, agency, and institutional expectations
    • Contextualising teaching roles in EMI settings
    • Theoretical frameworks: Language, power, and identity work
    • Positioning the current study
  • Methodology
    • Research design
    • Participants
    • Instrumentation and data collection
    • Data analysis
      • Quantitative analysis
      • Qualitative analysis
    • Ethical considerations
  • Results
    • Descriptive statistical analysis
    • Inferential statistical analysis
    • Associations between institutional autonomy and identity positioning
    • Gender-based comparisons
    • Teachers’ narrative voices: Qualitative insights from open-ended responses
  • Discussion
    • Teachers’ cultural responsibility and identity positioning
    • Institutional affordances and constraints
    • Pedagogical strategies of mediation and resistance in EMI settings
    • Synthesis: Toward a dialogic and culturally responsive EMI pedagogy
  • Limitations and directions for future research
  • Conclusion
  • Availability of data and materials
  • Declaration
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
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