Journal of Research in International Education 2015, Vol. 14(1) 16–28 © The Author(s) 2015 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1475240915570548 jri.sagepub.com JRIE Characteristics of the international educator and the strategic role of critical incidents Maria Savva University College London Institute of Education, UK Abstract This study explored the characteristics of the international educator through a qualitative analysis of initial decisions to teach abroad. Using interview data from 30 Anglophone educators based across three international schools in China and the Netherlands, the investigation looked beyond surface motives to explore the deeper values which propelled educators overseas. Dominant characteristics included a high value ascribed to travel, as well as a high value ascribed to change and/or risk. How international educators came to ascribe these values was often explained through critical incidents during their formative or young adult years. Analysis of critical incidents suggested that early or repeated exposure to travel, including study abroad experiences, contributed significantly to the development of predispositions towards international employment. Keywords Critical incidents, international educator, international schools, study abroad, teaching abroad, values Introduction The findings on which this article is based emerged somewhat unintentionally through a broader study which explored the relationship between the overseas placement of school-level educators and its effect on intercultural abilities (Savva, 2014). One objective of the broader study was to identify changes in the world views of educators as a result of their overseas employment. In order to gauge such changes, however, it was first necessary to establish the views and dispositions that educators came with prior to embarking on their international careers. It was during the process of exploring these initial world views that dominant characteristics among international educators materialized, including conditions which contributed to their development. It is these specific find- ings that this article seeks to disseminate. While research exists on educator transience between international schools (Hardman, 2001; Hawley, 1994; Mancuso et al., 2010; Odland and Ruzicka, 2009), the current research focused on Corresponding author: Maria Savva, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL, UK. Email: msavva2001@yahoo.com 570548JRI 0 0 10.1177/1475240915570548Journal of Research in International EducationSavva research-article 2015 Article