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