International Teacher-to-Teacher Zoom Interactions during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Digital Ethnographic Study

The primary objective of this qualitative research study was to observe an international teacher-to-teacher interaction and/or pedagogical dialogue. The methodology was directly affected by the global pandemic due to COVID-19, thus forcing this researcher to assume a doing digital ethnography remotely methodology. The participants included K-12 U.S. and Italian teachers who teach Arabic-speaking students. The participants remained in their respective countries during the two ninety-minute Zoom sessions. The findings show that U.S. teachers who are provided a digital platform to interact with each other around supporting the needs of recently arrived Arabic-speaking communities, ultimately, experienced a form of conscientizacao (Freire, 1970/2015) in three ways: First, by experiencing intercultural learning the teachers developed cultural sensitivity and intercultural competence. Second, they engaged in teacher reflexivity, which evoked critical consciousness, introspection, and a new awareness. Third, the teachers were able to connect digitally despite a global pandemic which helped the U.S. teachers feel less isolated. Furthermore, the discussion includes suggestions regarding a welcoming protocol for teachers who teach emergent bilingual Arabic-speaking newcomer students, thus an extension for ways this might contribute to social justice and activism in the classroom. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]