Refugee-background students in French immersion programs: Exploring the perspectives and ideologies of educators across the Canadian Prairies
| dc.contributor.advisor | Sterzuk, Andrea | |
| dc.contributor.author | Davis, Stephen Henry | |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Massing, Christine | |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Swapp, Donna | |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Akinpelu, Michael | |
| dc.contributor.externalexaminer | Kristmanson, Paula | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-07-12T15:26:00Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-07-12T15:26:00Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024-03 | |
| dc.description | A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education, University of Regina. xii, 187 p. | |
| dc.description.abstract | French immersion (FI) programs are becoming more culturally and linguistically diverse because of increased global migration to Canada. Researchers have found that multilingual families and learners are often highly motivated to learn both French and English in Canada (Dagenais & Jacquet, 2000; Dagenais & Moore, 2008; Davis et al., 2019). Moreover, multilingual learners tend to develop strong language proficiency in FI programs (Bourgoin & Dicks, 2019; Knouzi & Mady, 2017; Mady, 2015). However, multilingual learners are often excluded from FI programs on the basis of ostensibly low English language abilities (Davis et al., 2021; Mady & Masson, 2018; Roy, 2015). In the present study, I explore the perspectives and ideologies of educators with respect to refugee-background students in FI programs in eight school divisions across Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta. Adopting the theoretical perspective of sociolinguistics for change, I examine the perspectives of FI teachers, principals, and central office staff through semi-structured interviews (n=40) and questionnaires (n=126). My analysis and triangulation of data generated findings pertaining to eight areas: 1) diversity in FI programs; 2) perceived suitability of FI programs for refugee-background students; 3) perspectives on the learning of refugee-background students in FI programs; 4) challenges facing refugee-background students and families; 5) beliefs about inclusion in FI programs; 6) gatekeeping practices in FI programs; 7) perspectives on policy in FI programs; and 8) supports in FI programs. The findings of this research are presented in a manuscript-style dissertation, including an introduction, three peer-reviewed journal manuscripts, and a conclusion. In the final chapter, I discuss the contributions of this research, propose ideas for future inquiry, and advance recommendations for school divisions to create more equitable and inclusive FI programs across Canada. Keywords: French immersion; multilingualism; immigration; language ideology; policy | |
| dc.description.authorstatus | Student | en |
| dc.description.peerreview | yes | en |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10294/16360 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en |
| dc.publisher | Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina | en |
| dc.title | Refugee-background students in French immersion programs: Exploring the perspectives and ideologies of educators across the Canadian Prairies | |
| dc.type | Thesis | en |
| thesis.degree.department | Faculty of Education | |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Education | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | University of Regina | en |
| thesis.degree.level | Doctoral | en |
| thesis.degree.name | Doctor of Philosophy (PHD) | en |