International Baccalaureate (IB) development in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore is distinct from Asian counterparts like Japan and South Korea due to Chinese cultural influences (Li, Hameed, & Tsao, 2021). These societies share a “re-contextualisation” approach to embedding IB programmes within their local educational systems (Lee, Kim, & Wright, 2021). Hong Kong’s IB schools vie with other diploma options, relying on academic excellence to attract parental support (Tsao, Li, & Hameed, 2023). With limited presence within the local school system, IB in Singapore is mainly adopted in international/independent schools (Morrissey et al. 2014) and exhibits hybrid curricula that balance local/national and international elements. In Taiwan, the IB’s integration came later, primarily within private and international schools, and recently expanded to government schools, scrutinising its alignment with the national curriculum (Li, Hameed, & Tsao, 2021).

In this context, the international mobility of teachers in IB schools presents a rich area for inquiry due to its imbrications with technology, tourism, immigration, and social culture. Teacher mobility in international schools is a byproduct of globalisation, serving the transient needs of expatriate families as a symbol of the school’s global identity and fostering the international mobility of the students. This research aims to dissect and understand the complexities of teacher mobility in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, where the confluence of Chinese cultural influences, global educational frameworks, assessment-focused culture and local educational policies create unique settings for international education.

The following research questions guide the study:

1. What are the characteristics and experiences of international mobility among IB school teachers in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore?
2. How does the establishment and evolution of the IB curriculum influence the international mobility of teachers within these regions?
3. What implications does international mobility have on the professional trajectories and pedagogical practices of teachers engaged in international education?

The primary objective of this study is to explore the interplay between the international mobility of teachers and the operational dynamics of IB schools in distinct socio-educational landscapes. It seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of how mobility shapes educational practices and professional identities within the globalised context of IB schooling and European and Western educational contexts. The study is embedded in the conceptual framework of the “mobility turn” in contemporary sociology (Sheller & Urry, 2006), which regards movement and fluidity as central to understanding modern social life. By examining the mobility of teachers as a phenomenon that encompasses not only geographic relocation but also cultural, intellectual, and experiential shifts, our study acknowledges the potential tension outlined by Deleuze and Guattari (1987) between mobility and the fixed. Consequently, it considers the role of state power and educational policies in guiding and constraining teacher movement. This research recognises the “re-contextualisation” of the IB program as a process influenced by both global aspirations and local educational imperatives (Lee, Kim, & Wright, 2021). It views teacher mobility through the lens of this re-contextualisation, considering how teachers navigate and negotiate their professional roles amid different curricular and cultural demands. It will build on the foundational work of scholars such as Madge, Raghuram, and Noxolo (2015) and Sorensen and Dumay (2021), who have highlighted the need for further exploration of the international teaching labour market and its relation to globalisation. The research is also aligned with calls for a more nuanced approach to the study of education and mobility, one that factors in the diverse experiences of teachers and the multifaceted impacts of their mobility on international education (Gulson & Symes, 2019).

The study responds to Resnik’s (2012) call for research on the sociology of international education to develop conceptual frameworks for understanding the new social constructions impacted by globalisation that incorporate the dimension of teacher mobility. By studying the international mobility of teachers in IB schools in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, this research project attempts to break through the limitations of nationalist methodology in observing teacher professionalism and teaching careers by using a dynamic comparative approach. This research project further disrupts the boundaries between national territories in education and between global and local contexts (Sorensen & Dumay, 2021) by analysing the context, meaning, and social environment of mobility. Our analysis draws on Cresswell’s (2006, 2010) notions of mobility, which include measurable or analysable mobility, cultural and intellectual mobility, and habits shaped through various mobility experiences, to interrogate international teacher mobility. This is also analysed through postcolonial and critical theoretical lenses to understand the IB’s embedded Western norms and Europe’s legacy within the global economy of knowledge and people. Through a comparative qualitative approach, we explored teacher mobility’s complex and nuanced phenomena, including the motivations, challenges, and impacts associated with this mobility process. Data was gathered using two primary methods: semi-structured interviews and archival document analysis. Interviews of schoolteachers and administrators from IB schools across the three contexts elicited rich, detailed narratives of their lived experiences, perceptions, and insights that illuminated how teacher mobility was related to the interplay between personal agency and structural constraints and the resultant professional and pedagogical implications. Schools selected were a mix of public, private, and international schools and targeted teachers and administrators with experience within IB programmes. Reviewing relevant documents from IB schools, such as teaching records, program descriptions, and policy documents, provided the detailed contextual background for our interview data.

The study makes a substantive contribution to the limited research on teacher mobility in the field of international education, particularly within East Asia. By adopting a comparative perspective across three distinct regions, the study sheds light on IB educators’ shared and divergent experiences and the regional and cultural dynamics that shape their professional paths, illustrating mobility as a multifaceted phenomenon deeply interconnected with the nuances of local curricular demands and global educational movements, that is still saliently shaped by assumptions of European and Western centrality. We, therefore, hope to contribute to how intercultural and mobility practices among European societies act as a reference vis-a-vis the tensions between universal educational models and demands for localised relevance arising from globalisation. The findings reveal distinct patterns of mobility influenced by regional cultural influences, the presence of international and local educational pathways, and the strategic positioning of IB programmes within these societies. The research highlights how mobility is entangled in the negotiation and construction of teachers’ professional identities and pedagogical practices within these fluid contexts and how their mobility experiences contribute to the broader discourse on international education and globalisation. The anticipated outcomes point towards a complex interplay between personal agency, institutional strategies, and national educational policies shaping IB educators’ mobility and impacting teaching methodologies and career trajectories. The findings also provide insights into how the IB curriculum serves as a vehicle for international mobility and a site of convergence for global and local educational imperatives. The empirical evidence and theoretical insights can inform policymaking, curriculum development, and the professional development of teachers, ensuring the sustainability of high-quality international education that is responsive to the global and local contexts in which it operates.

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