Acculturation Experiences of Non-Tribal Teachers and Their Influence on the Academic Performance of Scheduled Tribe Students in Car Nicobar, Andaman and Nicobar Islands

This study investigates the acculturation experiences of non-tribal (non-ST) teachers posted in the tribal-dominant district of Car Nicobar, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and examines how these experiences influence the academic performance of Scheduled Tribe (ST) students. The study was prompted by the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 findings, which reported persistent underperformance among ST students across the Foundational, Preparatory, and Middle stages. Guided by Berry's (1997, 2005) Acculturation Model, the study adopted a qualitative case-study design (Creswell, 2013) involving semi-structured interviews with fourteen non-ST teachers (NST01–NST14). Data was analysed using Braun and Clarke's (2006) thematic analysis, while trustworthiness was ensured through the criteria of credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability (Lincoln & Guba, 1985; Nowell et al., 2017).The analysis generated four global themes: Language and Cultural Alignment, Contextualised Pedagogy and Instructional Adaptation, Structural and Institutional Constraints, and Community Engagement and Home–School Ecology. Findings indicate that teachers who adopted an integration orientation by incorporating Nicobarese language, culture, and locally relevant pedagogical practices fostered greater student engagement, participation, and foundational learning. These findings support culturally responsive teaching frameworks (Gay, 2018; Ladson-Billings, 1995) and relational approaches to Indigenous education (Bishop et al., 2019). In contrast, teachers reflecting separation or marginalisation orientations experienced communication barriers, weaker teacher–student relationships, and greater reliance on rote instructional practices. The study concludes that teacher acculturation is both a psychological and an institutional process that significantly influences educational quality and equity in tribal contexts. It recommends institutionalising pre-deployment cultural orientation, structured mentoring, culturally responsive professional development, and sustained school–community partnerships to strengthen teacher adaptation and improve learning outcomes for ST students in culturally diverse island settings.

Acculturation, teacher adaptation, tribal education, Berry's model, culturally responsive pedagogy

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