“Every place requires showing a different part of my identity”: Bicultural Identity Performance and Frame-Switching among Arab Pre-Service Teachers

Abstract: Minorities often face the task of bicultural identity integration—sometimes termed ‘cultural frame-switching’—in which they adapt their identities across different contexts through ‘bicultural identity performance’. This task is especially difficult for minorities who live in high-conflict societies. This study examines the identity performances of Palestinian pre-service teachers (PSTs) studying to become teachers in Jewish schools in Israel. We conducted interviews and held focus groups with 13 PSTs over the course of a one-year retraining program for those seeking to become boundary-crossing teachers. Our qualitative analysis identified four primary themes when it comes to PSTs’ identity integration: cultural frame-switching, presentation of the self as a ‘good Arab’, reserved Israeli identity, and visibility and invisibility. The findings reveal PSTs’ intricate identity negotiations, blending Palestinian heritage with Israeli citizenship and engaging in both acceptance-seeking and stereotype-challenging efforts. The intercultural educational setting fosters a type of transcendence that promotes openness, reframing, and dialogue.

Keywords: : Bicultural identity integration, Palestinian pre-service teachers, Bicultural identity performance, Cultural frame-switching, Boundary-crossing teachers