Feeling culture: The emotional experience of six early childhood educators while teaching in a cross-cultural context

This research uncovers the emotional experience of six US early childhood educators during a 3-week teaching experience at two preschools in Kathmandu, Nepal. The following research questions guided the study and data analysis: What emotions do early childhood educators experience while teaching in a cross-cultural context? How were these emotions related to a Western discourse of teaching young children? Ethnographic methods of data collection consisted of formal and informal interviews, focus groups, weekly journals, group blog with written text and photographs, and participant observation by the lead researcher. Analysis of the themes uncovered the following: (1) a discourse of the Privileged Westerner and Marginalized Other was related to the emotions of excitement and nervousness about teaching/helping young children in Nepal, and (2) the emotion of frustration with the educational practices of the Nepali schools was related to a national love for their own Western educational ideals.