Becoming In-Between: The Multilingual and Multicultural Consciousness of Three Turkish Women Teachers in the U.S. South
Location
Boston 2&3
Session Format
Presentation
Abstract
This paper examines the evolving multilingual and multicultural consciousness of three Turkish women teachers living and working in the U.S. South as they navigate their identities within transnational educational contexts. Using cross-cultural narrative inquiry (He, 1998, 2003) and grounded in identity and in-betweenness theories (Anzaldúa, 1987; Bhabha, 1994; He, 2003), the study explores how these educators embrace and integrate multiple linguistic and cultural heritages in both their personal and professional lives. The concept of “becoming in-between” captures the fluid and ongoing process of developing a complex, hybrid consciousness that informs their teaching practices, sense of self, and relationships with students and communities.
Findings highlight the critical role of multilingual and multicultural consciousness in supporting immigrant teachers’ professional growth, resisting monolingual and monocultural norms, and fostering inclusive, culturally sustaining pedagogy (Paris & Alim, 2017). This research contributes to scholarship on gender and education by centering the lived experiences and transformative identity work of immigrant women educators in multicultural classrooms, illuminating how narratives of in-betweenness can serve as powerful resources for pedagogical innovation and cultural resilience.
Keywords
Multilingual consciousness; multicultural consciousness; in-betweenness; immigrant women educators; cross-cultural narrative inquiry; Turkish women teachers; U.S. South; culturally sustaining pedagogy; identity formation.
Professional Bio
Dr. Bahar Mentch is a part-time faculty member in Middle Grades and Secondary Education at Georgia Southern University. She earned her Ed.D. in Curriculum Studies, focusing on Chemistry Education, from Georgia Southern University in 2024. Dr. Mentch holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Eskisehir Osmangazi University and M.S. degrees in Chemistry Teaching from Anadolu University and Biochemistry from Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Turkey. Her research interests include inquiry-based and discourse-rich learning environments, science education, curriculum studies, identity, and multicultural and multilingual consciousness.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Mentch, Bahar, "Becoming In-Between: The Multilingual and Multicultural Consciousness of Three Turkish Women Teachers in the U.S. South" (2026). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 68.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2026/2026/68
Becoming In-Between: The Multilingual and Multicultural Consciousness of Three Turkish Women Teachers in the U.S. South
Boston 2&3
This paper examines the evolving multilingual and multicultural consciousness of three Turkish women teachers living and working in the U.S. South as they navigate their identities within transnational educational contexts. Using cross-cultural narrative inquiry (He, 1998, 2003) and grounded in identity and in-betweenness theories (Anzaldúa, 1987; Bhabha, 1994; He, 2003), the study explores how these educators embrace and integrate multiple linguistic and cultural heritages in both their personal and professional lives. The concept of “becoming in-between” captures the fluid and ongoing process of developing a complex, hybrid consciousness that informs their teaching practices, sense of self, and relationships with students and communities.
Findings highlight the critical role of multilingual and multicultural consciousness in supporting immigrant teachers’ professional growth, resisting monolingual and monocultural norms, and fostering inclusive, culturally sustaining pedagogy (Paris & Alim, 2017). This research contributes to scholarship on gender and education by centering the lived experiences and transformative identity work of immigrant women educators in multicultural classrooms, illuminating how narratives of in-betweenness can serve as powerful resources for pedagogical innovation and cultural resilience.
