‘Every place requires showing a different part of my identity’: bicultural identity performance and frame-switching among Arab pre-service teachers

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.