Setting the Stage for a Narrative Inquiry: Negotiating Relationships and Understanding School Landscapes

Narrative inquiry is a qualitative research approach that brings rigor and depth to the understanding of human experiences. It is important that the researcher become enmeshed in the school context in order to develop a heightened sense of the world view of participants. Critical to beginning a narrative inquiry are negotiating relationships and understanding the classroom and school landscape in which the inquiry takes place. Negotiating authentic relationships and understanding the school context set the stage for meaningful findings about teaching and learning in schools.L’enquête narrative est une approche en recherche qualitative qui apporte une rigueur et une profondeur aux connaissances sur les expériences des êtres humains. Afin d’acquérir une conscientisation accrue de la vision du monde des participants, il est important que le chercheur soit enchevêtré dans le contexte scolaire. Une enquête narrative doit nécessairement impliquer, d’une part, la négociation de rapports et, d’autre part, des connaissances sur l’école et la salle de classe dans lesquelles l’enquête aura lieu. La négociation de rapports authentiques et la connaissance du contexte scolaire préparent la voie pour arriver à des résultats significatifs portant sur l’enseignement et l’apprentissage dans les écoles

Evolving Practices: Admissions Policies in Ontario Teacher Education Programs

This study investigated the admissions practices of Ontario’s teacher education programs during the 2014–2015 and 2015–2016 academic years. Data were gathered from 15 institutions via online resources and collaborative conversations with stakeholders at each institution. The findings identify that academic averages are used by every Ontario university as a measure of cognitive skills, while non-cognitive written statements and references are used by a majority of institutions. A majority of programs also articulate explicit equity admissions policies. These findings represent the first study of Ontario admissions in the wake of Regulation 283/13, and the first Ontario admissions study to augment online data with province-wide stakeholder input. This research offers a thorough, current overview of admissions practices that may be used to inform policymaking in Ontario teacher education, and serve as a helpful resource to other ITE programs outside of Ontario

Living Alongside: Teacher Educator Experiences Working in a Community-Based Aboriginal Teacher Education Program

Aboriginal education in Canada needs to shift away from the assimilative model to a  model of culturally responsive pedagogy. Teacher education programs that serve Aboriginal teachers have an important role to play in developing an education system that both meets mainstream and Indigenous criteria for success. This paper examines the experiences of teacher educators working in a community-based Aboriginal Bachelor of Education program that was developed through a university-community partnership. Through interviews with eight teacher educators working in the program, five themes emerged as important in effective and culturally responsive practice by teacher educators working with Aboriginal teacher candidates.   L'éducation des Autochtones au Canada a besoin de s'éloigner du modèle d'assimilation à un modèle de pédagogie adaptés à la culture. Programmes de formation des enseignants qui servent d'enseignants autochtones ont un rôle important à jouer dans le développement d'un système d'éducation qui répond à des critères à la fois traditionnels et autochtones de la réussite. Ce document examine les expériences des formateurs d'enseignants travaillant dans un baccalauréat à base communautaire autochtone du programme d'éducation qui a été développé grâce à un partenariat université-communauté. Grâce à des entrevues avec huit formateurs d'enseignants qui travaillent dans le programme, cinq thèmes ont émergé aussi important dans la pratique, efficace et adaptée à la culture par des formateurs d'enseignants travaillant avec les candidats enseignants autochtones

Access and Equity in Ontario Teacher Education: Teacher Candidates’ Perceptions

Access, equity, and equitable representation are ongoing challenges in teacher education. While many Canadian teacher education programs identify equity and diversity as key values, these values do not always result in rates of representation that reflect the student population. Minoritized teacher candidates also experience our programs in unique ways, creating gaps between university equity statements and the lived experiences of our students. This study therefore examines the perspectives of 13 teacher candidates who self-identify as members of various underrepresented groups. Participants’ experiences offer key insights into the challenge of achieving equitable and diverse representation. The presented findings will be of interest to teacher educators and other stakeholders committed to addressing the complex task of increasing equity and access for underrepresented groups in their programs.L’accès, l’équité et la représentation équitable constituent des défis constants en formation des enseignants. Alors que plusieurs programmes de formation des enseignants identifient comme valeurs fondamentales l’équité et la diversité, l’adoption de ces valeurs ne mène pas toujours à des taux de représentation qui reflètent la population des étudiants. Les candidats minoritaires au programme de formation à l’enseignement vivent l’expérience du programme différemment, ce qui crée des écarts entre l’énoncé de l’université sur l’équité et le vécu des étudiants. Cette étude porte sur la perspective de 13 étudiants candidats au programme de formation à l’enseignement qui s’auto-identifient comme membres de divers groupes sous-représentés. Ces expériences offrent des aperçus essentiels sur le défi d’atteindre une représentation équitable et diverse. Les résultats sauront intéresser les formateurs d’enseignants et d’autres parties prenantes qui s’engagent à aborder la tâche complexe qui est celle d’augmenter l’équité et l’accès à leurs programmes pour les étudiants sous-représentés.Mots clés : accès; équité; formation des enseignants; groupes sous-représentés; admission

MAKING SCHOOLS SAFE AND INCLUSIVE: GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCES AND SCHOOL CLIMATE IN ONTARIO

Gay-straight alliances (GSAs) have become widespread in Ontario schools and, starting in 2012, all schools are required to permit students to form GSAs. While American research suggests that GSAs have a positive impact on school safety and inclusion, there is little research on the impact of GSAs in Canadian schools. This study, based on a survey of 41 educators working with GSAs, suggests that policy changes in Ontario have had a positive impact on school climate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) students and that GSAs contribute to the development of safer and more inclusive schools

Where Are We Now? Changing Admission Rates for Underrepresented Groups in Ontario Teacher Education

Equitable representation is an ongoing challenge for Canadian teacher education. While university educators recognize that a diverse teaching force supports both student outcomes and teacher retention, various groups – including first-generation students, students with disabilities, students of Aboriginal descent, and other racialized minorities – are underrepresented in Ontario’s colleges and universities. Further, while many Canadian teacher education programs identify equity and diversity as key values, these values do not always result in rates of representation that reflect the student population. This study therefore examines the changes in application and acceptance rates of self-identifying underrepresented groups in Ontario’s new four-semester teacher education programs. Such data will enable teacher educators to better understand rates of representation, and will be of interest to stakeholders from across Canada as they work to address the complex task of increasing equity and access for underrepresented groups in their programs

Addressing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Issues in Teacher Education: Teacher Candidates’ Perceptions

Homophobic harassment and bullying are persistent issues in Canadian schools despite recent initiatives to improve school climate. Among the reasons is that educators feel reluctant or ill-prepared to address these issues. The purpose of this paper is to examine how teacher education can help make schools safer by addressing LGBTQ issues and homophobic bullying. After examining the issues, with a particular focus on the Ontario context, the authors report on a workshop titled “Sexual Diversity in Secondary Schools” that they conducted with teacher candidates. The findings suggest a two-hour workshop can help teacher candidates develop better understandings of how to address LGBTQ issues in schools. Recommendations are offered for creating safe spaces in schools by developing ethical knowledge among beginning teachers.Le harcèlement et l’intimidation homophobes constituent des préoccupations persistantes dans les écoles au Canada et ce, malgré des initiatives récentes visant à améliorer le climat à l’école. Une des raisons qui expliquent cette situation est le fait que les enseignants hésitent ou se sentent mal préparés pour s’attaquer à ces problèmes. L’objectif de cet article est d’étudier dans quelle mesure la formation des enseignants peut aider à rendre les écoles plus sures en abordant les thèmes d’orientation sexuelle, d’identité sexuelle et d’intimidation homophobe et transphobe. Après avoir examiné les questions (et en mettant l’accent sur l’Ontario), les auteurs décrivent un atelier intitulé « La diversité sexuelle dans les écoles secondaires » qu’ils ont présenté à des étudiants au programme de formation à l’enseignement. Les résultats portent à croire qu’un atelier de deux heures peut aider les étudiants au programme de formation à l’enseignement mieux comprendre comment aborder les questions relatives à la diversité sexuelle dans les écoles. On propose des recommandations qui visent la création de lieux surs dans les écoles en développant des connaissances éthiques chez les nouveaux enseignants

Evolving Practices: Admissions Policies in Ontario Teacher Education Programs

This study investigated the admissions practices of Ontario’s teacher education programs during the 2014–2015 and 2015–2016 academic years. Data were gathered from 15 institutions via online resources and collaborative conversations with stakeholders at each institution. The findings identify that academic averages are used by every Ontario university as a measure of cognitive skills, while non-cognitive written statements and references are used by a majority of institutions. A majority of programs also articulate explicit equity admissions policies. These findings represent the first study of Ontario admissions in the wake of Regulation 283/13, and the first Ontario admissions study to augment online data with province-wide stakeholder input. This research offers a thorough, current overview of admissions practices that may be used to inform policymaking in Ontario teacher education, and serve as a helpful resource to other ITE programs outside of Ontario

Weeding Out or Developing Capacity? Challenges for Aboriginal Teacher Education

Teacher education is critical to the development of Aboriginal teachers able to ensure success among Aboriginal learners and contribute to the preservation and renewal of Aboriginal communities. In a series of talking circles, six beginning Aboriginal teachers discussed their teacher preparation and their first years of practice. They expressed concerns about teacher training programs that they regarded as assimilationist and a need for teacher education that helps Aboriginal teachers examine their individual and cultural identities in order to become effective teachers. Tribal Critical Race Theory (TribalCrit) is used as a discursive framework for critiquing existing approaches and offering culturally responsive alternatives