Analysis of Migrant Teachers' Life Experiences in Early Childhood Education in Canada
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35719/educare.v5i2.314Keywords:
Migrant Teachers, Early Childhood Education, Cultural Diversity, Multilingual EducationAbstract
This study explores the lived experiences of migrant early childhood education (ECE) teachers in Canada, emphasizing their contributions to cultural and linguistic diversity as well as the challenges they face in professional integration. With Canada’s diverse population and increasing number of migrant educators, understanding their experiences is essential to support inclusive educational practices. The study investigates how migrant ECE teachers contribute to multiculturalism and multilingualism in classrooms, enhancing children's social, cognitive, and cultural development. Despite these positive impacts, migrant teachers encounter obstacles such as credential recognition, language barriers, and systemic biases, which hinder their professional integration and potential contributions. Utilizing qualitative methodology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine migrant educators representing diverse cultural backgrounds. The findings of this study suggest that systemic barriers hinder the full integration of migrant educators into Canada’s early childhood education (ECE) system despite their significant contributions to cultural and linguistic diversity. Better recognition of their credentials, increased professional support, and more inclusive policies are needed to maximize their potential and reflect their experiences well in Canada’s ECE system. The contribution of this study is to identify and highlight systemic barriers that hinder the full integration of migrant educators into the Early Childhood Education (ECE) system in Canada. The findings call for better credential recognition, increased professional support, and more inclusive policies to maximize the potential of migrant educators and ensure their experiences are well reflected in the Canadian ECE system. This study contributes to proposing changes that can help address these inequities and increase diversity and inclusion in early childhood education in Canada.
References
Adair, J. K., Tobin, J., & Arzubiaga, A. E. (2012). The Dilemma of Cultural Responsiveness and Professionalization: Listening Closer to Immigrant Teachers who Teach Children of Recent Immigrants. Teachers College Record, 114(12), 1-37. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146811211401203
Adewusi, O. E., Al Hamad, N. M., Adeleke, I. J., Nwankwo, U. C., & Nwokocha, G. C. (2023). Adaptive Teaching Strategies In Early Childhood Education: A Review For Nigeria And The UK. International Journal of Advanced Research in Social Sciences, 5(8). https://doi.org/10.51594/ijarss.v5i8.575
Afshari, L. (2022). Managing Diverse Workforce: How To Safeguard Skilled Migrants’ Self-Efficacy And Commitment. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 22(2), 235-250. https://doi.org/10.1177/14705958221096526
Agazu, B. G., Dejenu, A. K., & Debela, K. L. (2022). A Comparative Review of Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation. The Qualitative Report, 27(8), 1499-1508. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2022.5748
Ajani, O. A. (2020). Teachers’ Professional Development In South African High Schools: How Well Did It Suit Their Professional Needs? African Journal of Development Studies, 10(3), 59-78. https://doi.org/10.31920/2634-3649/2020/10n3a4
Alam, A., & Mohanty, A. (2023). Cultural Beliefs And Equity In Educational Institutions: Exploring The Social And Philosophical Notions Of Ability Groupings In Teaching And Learning Of Mathematics. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 28(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2023.2270662
Allan, K. (2016). Going Beyond Language: Soft Skill-Ing Cultural Difference And Immigrant Integration In Toronto, Canada. Multilingua, 35(6), 617-647. https://doi.org/10.1515/multi-2015-0080
Anderson, K. T., & Holloway-Libell, J. (2014). A Review of “Interviewing as Qualitative Research: A Guide for Researchers in Education and the Social Sciences”: Seidman, I. (2013). (4th ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College Press. 178 pp. The Journal of Educational Research, 107(5), 428. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2014.938514
Antony-Newman, M., & Niyozov, S. (2023). Barriers and Facilitators for Academic Success and Social Integration of Refugee Students in Canadian and US K–12 Schools: A Meta-Synthesis. Canadian Journal of Education Revue Canadienne De l’éducation, 46(4), 980–1012. https://doi.org/10.53967/cje-rce.5859
Arzubiaga, A. E., Artiles, A. J., King, K. A., & Harris-Murri, N. (2008). Beyond Research on Cultural Minorities: Challenges and Implications of Research as Situated Cultural Practice. Exceptional Children, 74(3), 309-327. https://doi.org/10.1177/001440290807400303
Bascia, N. (2014). The School Context Model: How School Environments Shape Students’ Opportunities To Learn. In L. Darling-Hammond & A. Lieberman (Eds.), Teacher Education Around the World: Changing Policies and Practices (pp. 109-125). Routledge. https://peopleforeducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/MWM-Quality-Learning-Environments.pdf
Block, K., Cross, S., Riggs, E., & Gibbs, L. (2014). Supporting Schools To Create An Inclusive Environment For Refugee Students. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 18(12), 1337–1355. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2014.899636
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using Thematic Analysis In Psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Brough, P., & Biggs, A. (2015). Job Demands?×?Job Control Interaction Effects: Do Occupation-specific Job Demands Increase their Occurrence?. Stress Health, 31, 138–149. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2537
Buchs, C., & Maradan, M. (2021). Fostering Equity In A Multicultural And Multilingual Classroom Through Cooperative Learning. Intercultural Education, 32(4), 401–416. https://doi.org/10.1080/14675986.2021.1889985
Buchs, C., Margas, N., & Hascoët, M. (2023). Evaluating An Inclusive Program For Promoting Equal-Status Participation In Classrooms With High Sociolinguistic Diversity: Diversity Valuation And Multilingual Cooperative Activities. Front. Psychol. 14, 1257372. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1257372
Buzzai, C., Passanisi, A., Aznar, M. A., & Pace, U. (2022). The Antecedents Of Teaching Styles In Multicultural Classroom: Teachers’ Self-Efficacy For Inclusive Practices And Attitudes Towards Multicultural Education. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 38(3), 378–393. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2022.2107679
Castelino, L. M., & Shinde, R. (2023). A Review On Evolution And Importance Of Diversity Education And Inclusion In Building An Effective Organizational Culture. International Journal of Case Studies in Business, IT and Education (IJCSBE, 7(3), 62–89. https://doi.org/10.47992/IJCSBE.2581.6942.0288
Chen, X., & Fougère, M. (2014). How Persistent Is The Occupation-Education Mismatch In Canada? International Scholarly Research Notices, (490914), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/490914
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative Inquiry And Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications. https://spada.uns.ac.id/pluginfile.php/510378/mod_resource/content/1/creswell.pdf
Del Percio, A., & Sokolovska, Z. (2016). Discourses of Diversity. Language & Communication, 51, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langcom.2016.07.007
Doan, L.K. (2021). Early Childhood Teacher Education in Canada: Challenges and Opportunities. In: Boyd, W., Garvis, S. (eds) International Perspectives on Early Childhood Teacher Education in the 21st Century. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-5739-9_2
Gimbert, B. G., Miller, D., Herman, E., Breedlove, M., & Molina, C. E. (2023). Social Emotional Learning in Schools: The Importance of Educator Competence. Journal of Research on Leadership Education, 18(1), 3-39. https://doi.org/10.1177/19427751211014920
Gorski, P. C., & Parekh, G. (2020). Supporting Critical Multicultural Teacher Educators: Transformative Teaching, Social Justice Education, And Perceptions Of Institutional Support. Intercultural Education, 31(3), 265–285. https://doi.org/10.1080/14675986.2020.1728497
Govender, S. & Ajani, O. A. (2021). Monitoring And Evaluation Of Teacher Professional Development For Resourceful Classroom Practices. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 9(4), 870-879. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2021.090421
Govender, S. A., Ajani, O. A., Ndaba, N. H., & Ngema, T. (2023). Making In-Service Professional Development Effective In A Rural Context. In Mphahlele, R. S. & Maphalala, M. C. (Eds.), Contextualising Rural Education in South African Schools (pp. 78-95). Brill Publisher. ISBN: 978-90-04-54702-5. https://brill.com/display/title/63551
Gultekin, O. (2024). Bridging The Language Gap: Strategies For Teaching English To Young Learners In Multilingual Classrooms. https://doi.org/10.37609/akya.3160
Guo, Y. (2012). Exploring Linguistic, Cultural, and Religious Diversity in Canadian Schools: Pre-Service Teachers' Learning from Immigrant Parents. Journal of Contemporary Issues in Education. 7. https://doi.org/10.20355/C5QC78
Guo, Y., & Guo, S. (2022). Internationalization of Canadian Teacher Education: Teacher Candidates’ Experiences and Perspectives. ECNU Review of Education, 5(3), 425-449. https://doi.org/10.1177/2096531120946045
Habib, Md. R., Chowdhury, A. R., & Uldanov, A. (2024). Creating Pathways to Opportunity: Non-formal Educational ‘Inclusion’ for Rohingya Refugee Children in Bangladesh. Journal of South Asian Development, 19(1), 61-82. https://doi.org/10.1177/09731741231202872
Higgen, S., & Mösko, M. (2020). Mental Health And Cultural And Linguistic Diversity As Challenges In School? An Interview Study On The Implications For Students And Teachers. PloS one, 15(7), e0236160. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236160
Hong, Y., Chen, L.-G., Huang, J.-H., Tsai, Y.-Y., & Chang, T.-Y. (2022). The Impact Of Cooperative Learning Method On The Oral Proficiency Of Learners Of The Training Program For English Tourist Guides. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 866863. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.866863
Hou, F. (2024). The Improvement In The Labour Market Outcomes Of Recent Immigrants Since The Mid-2010s. Economic and Social Reports, 4(12). https://doi.org/10.25318/36280001202400200004-eng
Hou, F., Lu, Y., & Schimmele, C. (2021), Trends in Immigrant Overeducation: The Role of Supply and Demand. Int Migr, 59: 192-212. https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.12764
Hummelstedt, I. P., Holm, G. I. M., Sahlström, F. J., & Zilliacus, H. A.-C. (2021). Diversity as The New Normal And Persistent Constructions Of The Immigrant Other: Discourses On Multicultural Education Among Teacher Educators. Teaching and Teacher Education, 108, 103510. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103510
Iraola, E. A., Romero, G. R., & Millera, M. J. (2024). Dialogue Among Educators: Rethinking And Recreating Scenarios Of Cooperative And Inclusive Learning. International Journal of Educational Research Open, 6, 100322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2024.100322
Liang, J. (2019). Qualitative research methods: collecting evidence, crafting analysis, communicating impact (2nd Edition): by S. J. Tracy, West Sussex, UK, John Wiley & Sons, 2019, Ltd. 368 pp., $115.50 (paperback), ISBN: 978-1-4051-9202-3. Communication Research and Practice, 5(4), 408–409. https://doi.org/10.1080/22041451.2019.1688620
Lincoln, Y.S. and Guba, E.G. (1985). Naturalistic Inquiry. SAGE, Thousand Oaks, 289-331. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0147-1767(85)90062-8
Lowenstein, K. L. (2009). The Work of Multicultural Teacher Education: Reconceptualizing White Teacher Candidates as Learners. Review of Educational Research, 79(1), 163-196. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654308326161
Lucido, F., Jimenez, D., & Tang, S. (2024). Affirming Culture And Cultural Identity In The Bilingual/ESL Classrooms. Frontiers in Education, 9, 1338671. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1338671
Margas, N. (2023). Inclusive Classroom Climate Development As The Cornerstone Of Inclusive School Building: Review And Perspectives. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1171204. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1171204
McIvor, O., & Ball, J. (2019). Language-In-Education Policies And Indigenous Language Revitalization Efforts In Canada: Considerations For Non-Dominant Language Education In The Global South. FIRE: Forum for International Research in Education, 5(3). https://doi.org/10.32865/fire201953174
Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative Research: A Guide To Design And Implementation (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass. https://librarysearch.library.utoronto.ca/permalink/01UTORONTO_INST/blpd0s/alma991106906416806196
Mokikwa, H., & Mokhele-Ramulumo, M. (2024). Navigating Language Diversity In Multilingual Stem Classrooms: Strategies For Inclusive Education. International Education Trend Issues, 2(2), 92 - 106. https://doi.org/10.56442/ieti.v2i2.421
Msimango, W. N., Kok, E. C. A., Xulu, S. C. B., & Ajani, O. A. (2024). Pre-service teachers’ practicum in Grade R: Insights from South Africa. International Journal of Innovative Technologies in Economy, 3(47). https://doi.org/10.31435/rsglobal_ijite/30092024/8239
Myles, J., Cheng, L., & Wang, H. (2006). Teaching In Elementary School: Perceptions Of Foreign-Trained Teacher Candidates On Their Teaching Practicum. Teaching and Teacher Education, 22(2), 233–245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2005.09.001
Niyubahwe, A., Mukamurera, J. & Jutras, F. (2013). Professional Integration of Immigrant Teachers in the School System: A literature review. McGill Journal of Education / Revue des sciences de l'éducation de McGill, 48(2), 279–296. https://doi.org/10.7202/1020972ar
Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods (4th ed.). SAGE Publications. https://aulasvirtuales.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/qualitative-research-evaluation-methods-by-michael-patton.pdf
Peungcharoenkun, T., & Waluyo, B. (2024). Understanding Migrant School-Aged Children’s Education in Public Schools Thailand: Teachers’ Perspectives and Classroom Narratives. Sage Open, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241245379
Phan, M. L., Renshaw, T. L., Caramanico, J., Greeson, J. M., MacKenzie, E., Atkinson-Diaz, Z., Doppelt, N., Tai, H., Mandell, D. S., & Nuske, H. J. (2022). Mindfulness-Based School Interventions: A Systematic Review Of Outcome Evidence Quality By Study Design. Mindfulness, 13(7), 1591–1613. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-022-01885-9
Prentice, S., & White, L. A. (2018). Childcare Deserts And Distributional Disadvantages: The Legacies Of Split Childcare Policies And Programmes In Canada. Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy, 35(1), 59–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/21699763.2018.1526700
Quezada, N. F., Fernández, C. F., & Jessica Contreras Alvarez, J. C. (2024). Exploring the Initiatives to Incorporate Immigrant Teachers into School Systems: A Scoping Review. Sage Open, 14(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241298870
Sadownik, A.R. (2023). Bronfenbrenner: Ecology of Human Development in Ecology of Collaboration. In: Sadownik, A.R., Višnji? Jevti?, A. (eds) (Re)theorising More-than-parental Involvement in Early Childhood Education and Care. International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education and Development, vol 40. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-38762-3_4
Sánchez-Cubo, F., Mondéjar-Jiménez, J., García-Pozo, A., & Maltagliati, M. (2023). Keep It Simple: A Methodological Discussion of Wage Inequalities in the Spanish Hospitality Industry. Mathematics, 11(5), 1163. https://doi.org/10.3390/math11051163
Santinho, C., & Rebelo, D. (2024). Integrating Refugees And Migrants Into Higher Education In Portugal? An Action Research Experience In A Portuguese University. Etnográfica, 28(2). https://doi.org/10.4000/11sua
Schimmele, C., & Hou, F. (2024). Trends In Education-Occupation Mismatch Among Recent Immigrants With A Bachelor's Degree Or Higher, 2001 to 2021. Economic and Social Reports, 4(12). https://doi.org/10.25318/36280001202400500002-eng
Smits, T. F. H., & Janssenswillen, P. (2019). Multicultural Teacher Education: A Cross-Case Exploration Of Pre-Service Language Teachers’ Approach To Ethnic Diversity. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 33(4), 421–445. https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2019.1681536
Stunell, K. (2020). Supporting Student-Teachers In The Multicultural Classroom. European Journal of Teacher Education, 44(2), 217–233. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2020.1758660
Sunam, R. (2023). When Bare Life is Bearable: The Life Projects of Rohingya and Hazara Refugees Living in Malaysia. International Migration Review, 57(1), 449-474. https://doi.org/10.1177/01979183221106174
Thomassen, W., & Munthe, E. (2020). Educating Norwegian Preservice Teachers For The Multicultural Classroom – What Knowledge Do Student Teachers And Mentor Teachers Express? European Journal of Teacher Education, 44(2), 234–248. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2020.1758661
Torres, C. A., & Tarozzi, M. (2019). Multiculturalism In The World System: Towards A Social Justice Model Of Inter/Multicultural Education. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 18(1), 7–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2019.1690729
van Manen, M. (1997). Researching Lived Experience: Human Science for an Action Sensitive Pedagogy (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315421056.
Wilkinson, L. (2002). Factors Influencing the Academic Success of Refugee Youth in Canada. Journal of Youth Studies, 5(2), 173–193. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676260220134430
Yip, S. Y., & Xu, Y. (2024). Increasing The Diversity Of The Teaching Workforce: A Review Of Minority Teacher Candidates’ Recruitment, Retention, And Experiences In Initial Teacher Education. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2024.2384492
Yu, X. (2024). Expected Occupational Contexts and Postgraduate Pursuit among Skilled Immigrants and Natives in the United States. International Migration Review, 58(3), 1351-1383. https://doi.org/10.1177/01979183231162623
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Gugulethu Ncube, Oluwatoyin Ayodele Ajani
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright Notice
The author holds the copyright and grants the journal the right of first publication of the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License which allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
All material contained on this site is protected by law. It is prohibited to cite part or all of the contents of this website for commercial purposes without the approval of this journal's editorial board.
If you find one or more articles contained in EDUCARE: Journal of Primary Education that violates or has the potential to violate your copyright, please report it to us via email at Principle Contact.
The formal legal aspect of access to any information and articles listed on this journal website refers to the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike (CC BY-SA) license.
All Information contained in EDUCARE: Journal of Primary Education is academic. EDUCARE: Journal of Primary Education is not responsible for any losses incurred due to misuse of information from this site.
1.png)
