Precarious Arrangements of Practice: The Affective Labour and Well-Being of Teachers in International Schools

The chapter investigates the work of teachers in international schools, focusing on the precarious practices that emerged in conditions of globalisation, transnationalism and the marketisation of international education. Various conditions have led to uncertain and volatile teaching environments—affective atmospheres—where both local and foreign teachers struggle to manage the demands and complexities placed upon them. This affective labour impacts teachers’ well-being. Anchored in the practice-ontological perspective as a starting point, the chapter explores how precarious arrangements generate affective intensities that influence teachers’ relational practices. Amidst these relational power dynamics, teachers and school leaders find opportunities to transform practices, creating more positive affective atmospheres. Without such changes, international schools risk perpetuating cycles of insecurity and instability that compromise both the quality of education and the well-being of the educators who provide it.