מתבוננים פנימה או מתבוננים החוצה? מורים ערבים חוצי גבולות ומורים ערבים בקהילתם

This mixed-methods study examined the experiences of belonging/otherness among Arab teachers in Israel. A group of boundary-crossing teachers, i.e., Arab teachers in Jewish schools (N = 57), was compared to a group of Arab teachers who work within their community (N = 103). Our findings show that the Arab teachers in Jewish schools felt a multicultural orientation, unlike those who taught within their own community and who experienced an intra-community orientation. This orientation is reflected in the various sources of “otherness”, different motivations for selecting a workplace, and the sub-identity component ratings. While the sense of belonging is nourished by professional and social sources, which constitute the common good inside the teachers’ lounge, the sense of otherness among those who taught in Jewish schools stemmed from the national divide as opposed to the intra-community aspects among those teaching in their own community. Self-efficacy ratings were high in both groups, with a significant advantage for Arab teachers in Jewish schools – which was a surprising finding in light of the demographic data. In a segregated education system that limits opportunities for Jews and Arabs to meet, Arab teachers in Jewish schools provides a viable, albeit limited, alternative. The study provides encouraging data on border-crossing teachers’ experiences and indicates the need to continue to follow-up on this unique population.