Finnish teacher trainers’ transnational teaching experiences in education export programmes for Chinese teachers: an intercultural perspective

Over the past decade, Finnish in-service teacher training programmes have been exported to Chinese teachers. Little has been known about how Finnish teacher trainers experience these programmes. The current study seeks to examine the transnational teaching experiences of Finnish teacher trainers in these programmes, with a particular focus on the intercultural aspect. In this study, four Finnish teacher trainers were interviewed using a semi-structured approach with narrative characteristics to elicit their accounts of intercultural experiences while training Chinese teachers through their education export services. The interviews were analysed using inductive content analysis through the theoretical lens of Holliday’s Grammar of Culture. The findings indicate that the interviewees articulated their intercultural experiences primarily through their Finnish and personal positionalities while recognising the nuances of diversity within the Chinese society and school system. The interviewees encountered several challenges when training Chinese teachers, particularly about language barriers, communication issues, and the ambiguous dynamics of each training group. By modifying their pedagogical approaches and behaviour, they were able to surmount these challenges. Despite these challenges, they have benefited from enriching their professional practice, and broadening horizons and their professional identity.