Teaching English Language Arts Across Cultures: Acculturative Challenges and Pedagogical Adaptation among Filipino Exchange Teachers in U.S. Public Schools

Abstract

This study examined the acculturative challenges and pedagogical adjustments of Filipino exchange teachers teaching English Language Arts to native English-speaking students in Broward County Public Schools, Florida, USA. The study used a descriptive phenomenological design with 12 Filipino exchange teachers selected through purposive and snowball sampling. Data were generated primarily through semi-structured interviews, transcribed verbatim, coded iteratively, and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. Trustworthiness was supported through bracketing, peer review, member checking, an audit trail, and reflective documentation. Six themes emerged: teaching strategies and methods; professional growth and rewards; cultural differences and classroom dynamics; cultural adjustment and understanding; challenges in language teaching; and adaptation to the educational system and curriculum. Participants described shifts toward student-centered instruction, differentiated and multimedia-supported teaching, simplified and explicit communication, stricter time management, and greater sensitivity to informal discourse and classroom participation norms. Mentorship, district training, and continuous professional learning were central to successful adjustment. Findings show that acculturation is not merely cultural accommodation but a reciprocal professional learning process that reshapes teacher identity, pedagogy, communication, and resilience in transnational classrooms and strengthens intercultural professional competence.