Action Research Report

Your proposal consisted of #1-4 below and a description in future tense of #5.
This report will repeat the info in #1-4 and more fully describe #5-8.

Topic:

Specific needs for Hidden Immigrants in an International School Setting

Many students at Oberoi International School are ethnically Indian and hold an Indian passport.
A large percentage of our ethnically Indian children hold a passport from another country like
Singapore, United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, and
other countries. While that seems quite normal for International school kids and their parents,
underneath the surface, a lot of these children have a tough time identifying their nationality with
a prescribed country. Based on previous, brief, research done, about twenty percent of
secondary students at Oberoi International School identify with having minor to major issues
with identifying home, nationality, and adapting to cultural practices of their home country.

Pollock and Van Reken Connection:

- Chapter 12 - Unresolved Grief
- One factor that may influence the issues hidden immigrants at OIS might be
unresolved grief. When kids are moving back to their country of nationality
(possibly for the first time), leaving what they may call home will come with
unresolved grief. Feelings of denial, anger, sadness, withdrawal, rebellion and
delayed grief are all behaviours that need to be addressed with our TCK Hidden
Immigrants and their parents.
- Chapter 14 - Dealing with Transition
- The transition back to India may look easy for a child who looks Indian and may
even speak some Hindi that learned within the family. In fact, the transition is still
difficult. In order for a smooth transition there needs to be a RAFT (that OIS
attempts to do for children leaving), stability in the family, acceptance and
mourning of loss of the previous country - which generally means actually
recognizing there is a loss, and preparing for a proper entry by prepping kids for
new cultural and social norms.
- Chapter 17- Coming home: Reentry
- This may be the biggest relevance of Pollock and Van Rekens research to my
research. The fears, reverse culture shock that typically goes unrecognized,
elitism, anger, and depression are all processes that need addressed before and
during the reentry period. In addition, addressing the reentry process properly,
the benefits of being a Third Culture Kid can capitalize to a new level!
- Chapter 15- Meeting Educational Needs
 - As teachers at an International School, Third Culture Kids needs should be in
forefront of our teaching philosophies when it comes to social and emotional
needs. Their needs are much different and at times much more demanding than
those of other students. Knowing different techniques, how to plan lessons to
capitalize on benefits of TCKs, and knowing how to best communicate social and
emotional issues to parents can prevent larger issues from brewing.

Timing of Events:
11/9 Survey sent to kids: Link to survey here:
4/10 High School Students story collecting. Link to presentation with Students
11/10 Middle School Students story collecting
11/10 First Parent Coffee discussing definitions of TCK and introducing the Pollock Van Reken
Book Study. Link to presentation with parents
6/11 Book Study on Sections 1 and 2
4/12 Book Study on Section 3 and debrief with solution suggestions
12/1 Publishing to whole school on stories collected and synopsis of suggestions based on
counsellors, parents /students, and Pollock Van Reken reading. Additional resources may be
used as they become relative.
6/3 Teacher training on meeting educational needs of TCKs

Objectives:
1. I will collect data, using a google form and whole school participation, on the number of
hidden immigrants in our school.
2. Based on the previous results, I will conduct personal interviews, story telling, etc with
students AND parents during pre-reserved lunch times and booked parent coffee times.
a. I will conduct a parent coffee meeting where parents can express the challenges
and benefits that come with raising Third Culture Kids.
b. I will conduct three separate student lunches in which students will answer
questions about being a Third Culture Kid. Questions will range from describing
their story as a TCK to their perceived positives and negatives.
c. Both parents and students will be prompted to discuss the social and cultural
changes associated with shifting to new countries and or returning back to the
home country.
d. Both Parents and students will talk about their experiences with schools meeting
their social and emotional needs as TCKs with prompts such as, What have our
previous schools done to help our child adjust?, What do I wish a school would
do as my child is entering as not only a new student, but new/unfamiliar to the
country and culture as a whole?. Etc.
3. Based on the data collected from multiple parent and student meetings being held from
October 2017-March 2018, I will do three things:
a. Collect student and parent quotes into one document that is easily shared with
the school community. The document will identify patterns, parent and student
 quotes/stories that stood out enough to recognize, suggestions from parents and
students, and direct ties to the Pollock and Van Renken reading.
b. Create suggestions from the counsellors and I based on our data and research.
We will make direct links to suggestions from Pollock and Van Reken along with
collaboration from the American School of Bombay.
c. Organize and conduct a teacher training in March to educate our Secondary
teachers on the best way to meet the needs of our specific kids. This training will
raise awareness about the needs of Third Culture Kids and give them in class
strategies across the curriculum.

Hypothesis/Question Defined

Hidden immigrants have a different and typically unrecognized transition and overall school
experience than easily recognizable Third Culture Kids. Their experiences call for much more
care and attention at home and school for their social and emotional needs. There are
processes and adaptations that can be implemented to help meet the needs of these students.

Next Steps: Show your results.

Link to Data

On Friday, 29th of September, I extracted data from the majority of the secondary students at
Oberoi International School. Only 293 of the 700 students participated in my study, despite the
fact that school administration required all teachers to allow for fifteen minutes to take the
survey. Unfortunately, I only have a small sample of school data right now. My future action will
be to ask school admissions to take this data at admission so that it is present for future use.

Summary of Results:
50.9% (146) of the students that took the survey have lived outside of India for an extended time
period.

Of those 146 students, 121 identify as Third Culture Kids based on their experiences and the
definition presented to them through the survey.

44 of the 121 students, 36.4%, of students in the survey identify India as home. The other
63.4% of the students have another country identified as home or have identified mixed loyalties
with India and another country.

99 out of 121 self-identified TCK students identify that they are confused about what country
they call home.

44 of the 121, 36.4% of students identify that they, in some form, speak to a parent or other
adult about their confused loyalties.
Two notable responses from students:

Question: Do you ever talk to adults or your parents about the above question?

Grade 12 Student Response: Yeah, I do because they prefer it when I call India home however I
can't relate to this culture so much. I've been out of the country 12 years of my life so I've been
and lived many cultures and ways of living. In the end, I don't know where I'm from.

Grade 11 Student Response: Yes, but even though they moved around a lot after getting
married, because they grew up in India, they do not have the same issue, and may not fully
understand. They are, however, comforting and understanding when I talk to them about it.

Next plan of action:

1) Ask all teachers to be sure their homeroom students take the survey as I do not have
enough data to conduct sessions with students. If I conduct the planned sessions above,
I will only have 121 students of the only 293 out of 700 students possible. All 700
students need to take the survey.
2) Next, I will conduct the sessions with students in the following week which I will use the
data I get from them to take further action.
a) From the data I have already, I can see of Third Culture Kids at OIS have
confused loyalties about home. Debriefing on this will be necessary.
b) The discussions at home either seem to not happen for most students as only
36.4% of students talk at home with their parents. A few students have
hesitations. This will be important to discuss with parents and get their input on
this data.

Overall, with the data I have, I see there is a need that should be addressed at OIS with Third
Culture Kids. Even with the small sample that I have, there is a good amount of confusion on
loyalties, home, and discussion of the previous topics. I think there will be ample stories and
inputs from students to create suggestions for their parents and teachers on how to best meet
their social and emotional needs.

Interpret the data.

Draw your conclusions.

This written Action Research Report should be 7 10 pages.

You will attach your Action Research Report as a Microsoft Word document to this assignment
link for grading.

Works Cited:
Pollock, D. C., & E., V. R. (2009). Third culture kids: growing up among worlds. Boston:
Nicholas Brealey Publishing.

ACTION RESEARCH RUBRIC (75 points total3 points x 25 items)

Required Components Does Not Partially Meets Exceeds

Meet Meets Standards Standards
Standards Standards (2 points) (3 points)
(0 points) (1 point)

Abstract

1. A description of the research No Incomplete Includes all Complete

studys purpose, description description required and thorough
subjects/participants, components description
methods and procedures,
and results/ findings is
presented in no more than
85 words.

1. Overall quality of Abstract Does not Partially Meets Exceeds

meet meets standards standards
standards standards

Introduction

1. Introductory statement No Incomplete Strong Outstanding

motivates the reader to introductory introductory introductory introductory
want to know more about statement statement statement statement
the study.

1. The purpose of the study is No stated Vaguely Clearly Outstanding

stated. purpose stated stated purpose
purpose purpose statement

1. A rationale sets t he stage for No rationale Incomplete Strong Outstanding

the significance of the study. rationale Rationale rational

Review of the Literature (ROL)

1. Themes from the text are No inclusion Limited Satisfactory Outstanding

included. of inclusion inclusion of inclusion of
themes themes themes themes
 1. ROL is synthesized and Literature is Literature is Literature is Literature is
linked to the study. neither partially synthesized comprehensiv
synthesized synthesized and ely
nor and clearly linked synthesized
cleared partially to the study and linked to
linked to the linked to the the study
study study

1. References are cited. Fewer than Four citations Four citations More than
four citations referenced, referenced, four citations
referenced but including referenced,
research-bas research-bas including
ed, ed, research-bas
peer peer-reviewe ed,
reviewed d studies peer
studies not reviewed
included studies

1. Overall quality of ROL Does not Partially Meets Exceeds

meet meets standards standards
standards standards

Methods and Procedures

1. Research questions are No research Research Research Research

stated. questions questions are questions are questions are
vague specific and specific,
clearly stated insightful,
and clearly
stated

1. Subjects/participants are Subjects/ Subjects/ Subjects/ Subjects/

described, ensuring participants participants participants participants
confidentiality. are not are not well are are
described; described well well
confidentialit and/or described, described,
y is not confidentialit ensuring thoroughly
ensured y is not confidentialit ensuring
ensured y confidentialit
y

1. Settings are described. Settings are Settings are Settings are Settings are
not described not well well very well
described described described
 1. Data collection techniques No Incomplete Complete Complete
are described. description of or unclear description of and thorough
data description of data description of
collection data collection data
techniques collection techniques collection
techniques techniques

1. Analysis methods are No Incomplete Complete Complete

described. description of and/or description of and thorough
data analysis unclear data analysis description of
methods description of methods data analysis
data analysis methods
methods

1. Overall quality of Methods Does not Partially Meets Exceeds

and Procedures meet meets standards Standards
standards standards

Results/Findings

1. Appropriate and accurate Results/Findi Results/Findi Results/Findi Results/Findi

results/findings are ngs not ngs either ngs ngs
described. described not appropriately appropriately
appropriately and and
or accurately accurately
not described in described
accurately relation to in extensive
described the research detail in
questions relation to
the
research
questions

1. Patterns or themes are No patterns Patterns or Patterns or Patterns or

identified. or themes themes not themes themes
identified identified identified identified
from the data from the data from the data
and related in extensive
to the detail
research and related
questions to the
research
questions
 1. Quotes/details from the data Quotes/detail Quotes/detail Quotes/detail Quotes/detail
are used to discuss/highlight s not s included s s
the results. included but not appropriately appropriately
adequately and and
discussed adequately extensively
discussed in discussed in
relation to relation to
the research the research
questions questions

1. Data is clearly presented Figures/table Insufficient Sufficient Comprehensi

(figures/tables are used to s not or unclear and clear ve
present the data, if presented presentation presentation presentation
appropriate). of of of
figures/tables figures/table figures/tables
s

Discussion

1. Conclusions are drawn from No Limited or Accurate Insightful

the results. conclusions unsupported conclusions conclusions
conclusions supported by supported by
the data and the data and
clearly linked clearly
to ROL linked to ROL

1. Implications of the results No Limited or Appropriate Insightful

are discussed in the context implications unsupported implications implications
of the educational arena. implications supported by supported by
the the
data/findings data/findings

1. Limitations of the research No Limitations Limitations Limitations

findings are identified. limitations are are demonstrate
incomplete or appropriate extensive
unclear and clear insight

1. Practitioners reflect on the No Limited Insightful Extensive

action research project. reflections reflections reflections reflections

References/Bibliography

1. All citations appearing in the No References References References

text match the reference references partially usually accurately
list. match match match text
text citations text citations citations
APA Format

1. Format is consistent with the No Inconsistent Some Consistent

chosen guidelines. adherence adherence consistent adherence
adherence