Transnational Education Dynamics in Migrant Child Populations

Migrant childhood today often spans multiple national contexts, reshaping educational trajectories far beyond the nation-state. Transnational education dynamics encompass the formal and informal ways in which migrant children engage with curricula, languages and social norms in both origin and destination settings. These dynamics are shaped by policy frameworks—such as host‐country integration measures and family reunification regulations—as well as by the agency of children, families and communities in navigating school enrolment, language acquisition and cultural identity work. Digital communication with peers and relatives abroad often supplements in-class learning, fostering what is sometimes called family-sponsored or community-based schooling. The result is a hybrid educational experience in which children draw on multiple repertoires of knowledge and cultural capital. As schools adapt or fail to adapt curricula and teaching practices to these transnational realities, outcomes vary widely in terms of academic achievement, psychosocial well-being and long-term trajectories. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for policymakers, educators and community organisations aiming to promote inclusion, reduce educational inequities and harness the global competencies that migrant children often develop.

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Technical terms

Transnational education: Educational processes and practices in which learners, curricula or pedagogical frameworks span more than one nation, often involving cross-border movement of students and materials.

Acculturation: The psychological and cultural changes experienced by individuals as a result of contact with a different culture, affecting identity, language use and social integration.

Intercultural competence: The ability to communicate effectively and appropriately in intercultural situations, drawing on awareness of one’s own and others’ cultural norms and values.

Cultural hybridity: The blending of elements from multiple cultural backgrounds to form new, fluid identities and practices, frequently observed in migrant childhood experiences.

References

1. Formación Inicial Docente (FID) y educación intercultural: cómo prevenir la violencia hacia la niñez migrante. Apuntes Revista de Ciencias Sociales (2023).
2. ¿Y si quiero regresar a mi país? Niños estadounidenses en escuelas de Cuernavaca. Carta Económica Regional (2018).
3. Barreras en la reunificación familiar de personas migrantes y refugiadas en México. LATAM Revista Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades (2024).