The Educational The Educational Integration of Immigrants Integration of Immigrants
and Their Children:and Their Children:
Update of Research Results in Update of Research Results in the Education Domainthe Education Domain
Presentation to the 3rd Presentation to the 3rd Regional Conference and Regional Conference and
WorkshopWorkshop
Prairie Centre, MetropolisPrairie Centre, Metropolis
Saskatoon, September 2000Saskatoon, September 2000
Yvonne Hébert, domain leaderYvonne Hébert, domain leader
Original Mandate of Original Mandate of Education DomainEducation Domain
Functionality in an official languageFunctionality in an official language
School-work transitionSchool-work transition
Awareness and understanding of Awareness and understanding of
Canadian cultureCanadian culture
Appreciation of diversityAppreciation of diversity
Original Research Original Research ObjectivesObjectives
Immigration and Immigration and
educational attainmenteducational attainment
Educational settings as Educational settings as
agents of socializationagents of socialization
Policies and programs Policies and programs
aimed at improving aimed at improving
cross-cultural relationscross-cultural relations
Effects of language Effects of language
education on education on
integrationintegration
Effects of various Effects of various
contexts on language contexts on language
learninglearning
Disability and Disability and
immigrant populationsimmigrant populations
Impact of immigration Impact of immigration
on policies, programs, on policies, programs,
practices, and practices, and
curriculacurricula
Current Priorities of Current Priorities of Education DomainEducation Domain
Systemic Barriers to Lifelong ESL Systemic Barriers to Lifelong ESL LearningLearning
Nature and Impact of Racial Nature and Impact of Racial Stereotyping and Discrimination Stereotyping and Discrimination within the Educational Systemwithin the Educational System
Construction and Enactment of Construction and Enactment of Citizenship EducationCitizenship Education
as of October 1999as of October 1999
Some basic facts...Some basic facts...
13 research projects funded by 13 research projects funded by PCERIIPCERII
18 researchers18 researchers
4 teams and 7 solos 4 teams and 7 solos
Over 4 year period from 1996-Over 4 year period from 1996-
1997 to 1999-20001997 to 1999-2000
MERF Themes:MERF Themes:
Across the four Centres of Excellence:Across the four Centres of Excellence:– Language Learning and LiteracyLanguage Learning and Literacy– Identity and CitizenshipIdentity and Citizenship– Education and Social MobilityEducation and Social Mobility– Institutional Adaptation, Teacher Institutional Adaptation, Teacher
Education, and Intercultural Education, and Intercultural CompetenciesCompetencies
PCERII themes PCERII themes
Literacy, Institutional Literacy, Institutional Adaptation to Diversity, and Adaptation to Diversity, and
Social MobilitySocial Mobility
Integration and Integration and
Language ProficiencyLanguage Proficiency
Family and Family and
Community Literacy Community Literacy
Cultural Integration Cultural Integration
and Diversityand Diversity
Valuing Diversity:Valuing Diversity: Formal and Lived Formal and Lived CurriculumCurriculum
Supporting Supporting Survivors of Survivors of TortureTorture
Informal Learning, Informal Learning, Educational Educational Credentials and Credentials and Work TransitionsWork Transitions
Citizenship, Identity and Citizenship, Identity and VoiceVoice
Citizenship Citizenship Instruction for Instruction for Adult ImmigrantsAdult Immigrants
Citizenship Citizenship Concepts in ESL Concepts in ESL and FSL for Adults and FSL for Adults in Four Provincesin Four Provinces
Citizenship ValuesCitizenship Values
Influence of Contexts Influence of Contexts on Identity Formation on Identity Formation of of Immigrant Immigrant AdolescentsAdolescents
Voices of Immigrant Voices of Immigrant
Children in Canadian Children in Canadian
SchoolsSchools
Oral History NarrativesOral History Narratives::
Immigrant Children and Immigrant Children and
SchoolsSchools
Some findings: Some findings: Language Learning & LiteracyLanguage Learning & Literacy
Why differential Why differential educational success? educational success? (Archibald)(Archibald)
Maintaining dual Maintaining dual proficiency is correlated proficiency is correlated with success in an with success in an educational institutioneducational institution
Deficit in vocabularyDeficit in vocabulary Kids who enter ESL at 5-7 Kids who enter ESL at 5-7
years take more time to years take more time to ‘catch up’ than those ‘catch up’ than those who enter at 8-11 yearswho enter at 8-11 years
What is socio-cultural What is socio-cultural environment of environment of literacy development? literacy development? (Wason-Ellam)(Wason-Ellam)
Dreams and hopes of Dreams and hopes of goodness for familygoodness for family
Alienation and isolationAlienation and isolation Lack of English and focus Lack of English and focus
on survival limit integration on survival limit integration into new culture and its into new culture and its literacy practices literacy practices
Hope for their children and Hope for their children and generations beyondgenerations beyond
Some findings: Some findings: Institutional Adaptation to Institutional Adaptation to
Diversity Diversity
Ethno-cultural Ethno-cultural
differences between differences between
secondary school secondary school
students and teachers students and teachers
in 3 cities? in 3 cities? (Carson et al)(Carson et al)
Preservice teachers’ Preservice teachers’ resistance; refusal to resistance; refusal to acknowledge their own acknowledge their own implication in racism/sexism; implication in racism/sexism; passion for ignorance; issues passion for ignorance; issues of cultural difference, racism of cultural difference, racism and teacher identity;and teacher identity;
High school students’ High school students’ complex responses to complex responses to promotion of cultural promotion of cultural harmonyharmony
Video production that Video production that
highlights school-based highlights school-based
initiativesinitiatives
Difficulties surrounding Difficulties surrounding
collaborative research collaborative research
with a variety of with a variety of
stakeholdersstakeholders
More findings: Institutional More findings: Institutional Adaptation to DiversityAdaptation to Diversity
Documentary Documentary
Analysis of Provincial Analysis of Provincial
Programmes of Programmes of
Study Study (DePass)(DePass)
1989 Alberta Social 1989 Alberta Social Studies conceptualized Studies conceptualized within a structural within a structural functional perspectivefunctional perspective
Additive approach to Additive approach to inclusion of cultural and inclusion of cultural and racial minority voicesracial minority voices
Different cultural groups, at Different cultural groups, at
home or abroad, presented home or abroad, presented
in a flat, unidimensional in a flat, unidimensional
and stereotypical mannerand stereotypical manner
Province and country Province and country
depicted as fair, tolerant, depicted as fair, tolerant,
Modern, industrial, high-Modern, industrial, high-
tech society, with a strong tech society, with a strong
reputation for being non-reputation for being non-
aggressive and a key aggressive and a key
peace-keeper on the world peace-keeper on the world
stagestage
More findings: More findings: Institutional Institutional Adaptation to Diversity and Intercultural Adaptation to Diversity and Intercultural
CompetenciesCompetencies
Supporting Supporting Survivors of Survivors of Torture Torture (Arthur)(Arthur)
– identification of identification of competencies for competencies for training community-training community-based professionals and based professionals and volunteersvolunteers
– unique circumstances unique circumstances of involuntary migration of involuntary migration and especially of and especially of torturetorture
– parallel process of parallel process of
secondary traumatization secondary traumatization
among professionals and among professionals and
volunteers who work with volunteers who work with
survivors of torturesurvivors of torture
– managing vicarious managing vicarious
traumatrauma
– a multicultural approach a multicultural approach
to working with refugeesto working with refugees
– advocacy roleadvocacy role
– numerous program numerous program
recommendationsrecommendations
Work in progress:Work in progress: Social Mobility and Social Mobility and
Education:Education:Informal Learning, Educational Credentials and Work Informal Learning, Educational Credentials and Work
TransitionsTransitions
2 key problems: 2 key problems: (Wotherspoon)(Wotherspoon)
– non-recognition of non-recognition of
considerable skills and considerable skills and
capacities acquired capacities acquired
outside of formal outside of formal
learning contexts; learning contexts;
– schools set up to ignore schools set up to ignore
or de-value informal or de-value informal
knowledge of knowledge of
immigrantsimmigrants
Research tasks: Research tasks: to identifyto identify
– obstacles to recognition obstacles to recognition & validation;& validation;
– key issues from the key issues from the perspectives of perspectives of immigrants;immigrants;
– strategies/initiatives strategies/initiatives used by immigrant used by immigrant groups to enable use groups to enable use and recognition of such and recognition of such knowledgeknowledge
Some findings: CitizenshipSome findings: Citizenship
How do adult How do adult
immigrants learn immigrants learn
about their rights about their rights
and responsibilities and responsibilities
prior to application prior to application
to become Canadian to become Canadian
citizens? citizens? (Derwing)(Derwing)
Decline...Decline...
Reduction in civicReduction in civic instruction in adult ESL instruction in adult ESL classesclasses
Funding cuts & Funding cuts &
introduction of multiple introduction of multiple
choice citizenship testchoice citizenship test
Test promotes superficial Test promotes superficial
and reductionist notion of and reductionist notion of
citizenshipcitizenship
Current procedures highly Current procedures highly
depersonalizeddepersonalized
More findings: Citizenship More findings: Citizenship ValuesValues
Confusion between Confusion between terms: values, terms: values, principles, principles, dispositions, conceptsdispositions, concepts
Analytic framework Analytic framework proposed proposed (Wilkinson & (Wilkinson & Hébert)Hébert)
Four orders of logical Four orders of logical relationships relationships according to four according to four domains of citizenshipdomains of citizenship
Civil-civic domainCivil-civic domain: loyalty, : loyalty,
sincerity, openness and sincerity, openness and
civic-mindednesscivic-mindedness
Political domainPolitical domain: freedom, : freedom,
liberty, equality, justiceliberty, equality, justice
Socio-economic domain:Socio-economic domain:
solidarity, self-reliance, solidarity, self-reliance,
valuing the earthvaluing the earth
Cultural domain:Cultural domain: sense of sense of
belonging and human belonging and human
dignitydignity
Some findings: Some findings: Identity and Identity and VoiceVoice
Influence of contexts Influence of contexts on identity formation on identity formation of immigrant youth? of immigrant youth? (Hébert et al)(Hébert et al)
Mixity and fidelity to selfMixity and fidelity to self
Disparate, fragmentary Disparate, fragmentary
views of language and views of language and
citizenshipcitizenship
Religion as central marker Religion as central marker
of collective identity within of collective identity within
a diverse communitya diverse community
Racialized Identity as Racialized Identity as
central to both individual central to both individual
and collective identity; as and collective identity; as
forms of social actionforms of social action
Religion as organizing Religion as organizing
concept for raising concept for raising
children in a new contextchildren in a new context
More Findings: More Findings: Identity and Identity and VoiceVoice
Voices of immigrant Voices of immigrant children & youth in children & youth in Canadian schools Canadian schools (Schissel)(Schissel)
Paper for Vancouver Metropolis Paper for Vancouver Metropolis
Conference: “The Jeopardy of Conference: “The Jeopardy of
Victimization on the Well-Being on Victimization on the Well-Being on
Immigrant Children in Canadian Immigrant Children in Canadian
Schools” in session on Schools” in session on Immigrant Immigrant
and Refugee Youth: Integration and Refugee Youth: Integration
and Transition into Adulthoodand Transition into Adulthood, ,
November 2000.November 2000.
Two MA theses:Two MA theses:– Trisha Keith, Trisha Keith, The Impact of The Impact of
Victimization at School Victimization at School and Away from School on and Away from School on Student Well-Being and Student Well-Being and Adjustment: An Analysis of Adjustment: An Analysis of Immigrant Children and Immigrant Children and YouthYouth (Spring, 2000) (Spring, 2000)
– Alison Whittmore, Alison Whittmore, Immigrant Families’ Immigrant Families’ Perceptions of and Perceptions of and Experiences with Experiences with Elementary & Secondary Elementary & Secondary Education Systems in Education Systems in CanadaCanada (in progress) (in progress)
More findings: More findings: Identity and Identity and VoiceVoice
Oral history narratives Oral history narratives of immigrants whose of immigrants whose children attend children attend Canadian schools Canadian schools (Hirabayashi et al)(Hirabayashi et al)
Two MA theses, with Sikh and Two MA theses, with Sikh and
Greek data respectively Greek data respectively
Racism as common Racism as common
experience of childrenexperience of children
Diverse patterns of parentingDiverse patterns of parenting
Home teaching of language Home teaching of language and culture - fear of loss of and culture - fear of loss of heritageheritage
Teasing for limited knowledge Teasing for limited knowledge of Englishof English
Parents critical of quality of Parents critical of quality of schooling in Canadaschooling in Canada
Positive portrayals of cultures Positive portrayals of cultures of origin; community based of origin; community based activities and associations activities and associations
Negative views of self as Negative views of self as member of group of origin - member of group of origin - distancing of cultural group distancing of cultural group membership and rejection membership and rejection from peer group for skin colourfrom peer group for skin colour
Future DirectionsFuture Directions Development of domain-driven, prairie-wide, Development of domain-driven, prairie-wide,
multi-site research projects led by several multi-site research projects led by several senior affiliated researcherssenior affiliated researchers
Clarification ofClarification of – Definitional issues, ex., what is ‘culture’?Definitional issues, ex., what is ‘culture’?
– Whose perspective(s) are reflected in analysis and Whose perspective(s) are reflected in analysis and
interpretation?interpretation?
– Differences between research and student Differences between research and student
assignments...assignments...
– Tensions in collaborative research...Tensions in collaborative research...
– Depth of analysis for dissemination...Depth of analysis for dissemination...
More future directions...More future directions... Improved reporting and posting of ongoing workImproved reporting and posting of ongoing work
Completion of all projects within 1 1/2 yearsCompletion of all projects within 1 1/2 years
Developing workable solutions to isolation, Developing workable solutions to isolation,
individualism and fragmentationindividualism and fragmentation
Building on commonalities, Building on commonalities, ex., training of research ex., training of research
assistants, exchange of readings and writings, drafting assistants, exchange of readings and writings, drafting
research proposals…research proposals…
Developing effective working teams of researchersDeveloping effective working teams of researchers
Moving towards more comparative research, regionally, Moving towards more comparative research, regionally,
nationally and internationallynationally and internationally
The Educational The Educational Integration of Immigrants Integration of Immigrants
and Their Children:and Their Children:
Update of Research Results in Update of Research Results in the Education Domainthe Education Domain
Fall 2000, SaskatoonFall 2000, Saskatoon