Editorial

Through its twelve articles and three Notes from the Field, we can hear in this general issue a re-visiting, from various perspectives and contexts, of questions that regularly preoccupy us in education: questions of how to support teachers (from Kindergarten to higher education, including while still feeling the reverberations of an all too recent pandemic) and how to support teacher formation; how to support students (from early childhood to university), and how to better attend to the viewpoints of parents.

Swerve and shift comprise part of the new vocabulary that McDonnell (Concordia) and Reid (University of Lethbridge) urge us to adopt to help see the impact of the pandemic on teachers; specifically, teachers in higher education. The co-researchers used interactive interviews to engage ten teachers from across the country (Maritimes, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia) in conversation about their lived experiences. Response to trauma (expressed as flight, fight or freeze) became an important lens through which to interpret the data, given teacher burnouts and teachers’ encountering of secondary trauma through their students. Teachers also found productive places (in McDonnell’s and Reid’s words) to ‘reset, rest and nest’ while making ‘work from home workable.’ Digital communities of practice helped buoy teachers during a challenging time.

Teacher education is continually preoccupied with creating structures to support pre-service teachers in their teacher identity formation. Leroux, Andwandter Cuellar, Vivegnis and Gélinas-Proulx studied the impact of a revision to the teacher education program within a Francophone university in Quebec. The program revisions (inspired by the work of Fred Korthagen) aimed to help student teachers forge theory-into-practice, practice-to-theory connections. Ninety-four participants (student teachers, mentor teachers, university supervisors, university professors and faculty lecturers) participated. Survey results disclosed important insights into the timing of practica—how different actors experienced the program changes differently—as well as into how to distribute the workload for student teachers so that they had genuine opportunities to (in the co-authors’ words) “re-invest their learning.”

Deschênes presents the results of a study conducted on a professional integration internship scheme created for the integration of new Cree workers at Hydro-Québec, which was mainly based on personalized support from a coach (an experienced worker). These results show that some of the difficulties related to the professional integration of these Cree workers were more related to cultural differences than to the articulation between training and professional practice. By playing the role of cultural mediator, the coach can then facilitate this integration. The discussion of the article thus proposes some avenues to better understand the problems that can arise during professional integration and the means to remedy them.

Bégin-Caouette, Béland, Stephenson, Jones, and Scott Metcalfe explored whether the work of full-time professors in Canada varies depending on the type of universities in which they are employed. The authors analyzed data from the Academic Profession in the Knowledge Society (APIKS) survey through a nonparametric comparison of multivariate samples. The results showed statistically significant, albeit minimal, differences between undergraduate, comprehensive, and research-intensive institutions. The authors show that institutional diversity in Canada is reflected in academic work and argue that vertical and horizontal forms of diversity may exist simultaneously depending on the relative value granted to specific academic activities.

Benrherbal and Rioux’s article describes eight types of didactic incidents that occurred during two Secondary 4 science teaching and learning situations related to energy efficiency. The analysis of the teacher’s interactions during these incidents shows that they are mainly oriented towards the type and prevalence of errors made by these students. The authors underscore that these interactions will generally make the task easier, which can then reduce students’ understanding. To avoid this undesirable effect, the article leads us to reflect on the impact of the forms of assistance that the teacher offers during didactic incidents.

Using a post-structuralist theory on identity, Tavares explored the identity-related experiences of ESL (English as a Second Language) multilingual international students. The article is distinctive in providing insight into what it feels like to “live” an ESL identity at a Canadian university. The qualitative case study involved three international students from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Columbia who were studying (respectively) in three different disciplines (English Literature, Psychology and Criminology) yet experiences were remarkably similar. The students disclosed experiences of exclusion, inferiority, and marginalization that sowed self-doubt. Tavares critiques deficit perspectives taken towards non-native language speakers, recommending that universities do much, much more to support international multilingual students.

The pedagogical relationship is an important element to consider in teaching and learning in a postsecondary context, especially since previous studies have mainly been conducted in primary and secondary contexts. In their contribution, Kozanitis, Thibault, and Farand have identified 27 texts that focus on the pedagogical relationship in a postsecondary context. The results reveal, among other things, that self-reported questionnaires are mainly used to measure the pedagogical relationship.

Lagacé-Leblanc, Rousseau, and Massé present the perception of teaching practices that promote the academic success of students with attention deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD). The perceptions were collected from 29 students and nine counselors from offices of disability services. These have made it possible to target actions that can support the success of students with ADHD. They include actions related to visual support, comprehension, assessment, time management, information organization, and teaching strategies. This contribution reaffirms the importance of the invaluable role of teachers in the success of students with ADHD.

In their contribution on the involvement of parents with children with special educational needs, Rousseau, Thibodeau, Beaudoin, Borri-Anadon, and Ouellet are interested in the way diagnoses and support received at school are perceived. The study conducted by questionnaire among 400 parents shows that they generally perceived their child’s situation through the diagnosis received, testifying to the influence of the medical approach in shaping the understanding of students’ difficulties.

By implementing student-led service-learning projects (SLPs) in middle schools in Manitoba, English Language Arts teachers noticed how students’ sense of well-being was enhanced when wellness became a deliberate focus of their curriculum planning. Watt, Krepski, and Heringer’s research comprises part of the Well-Being and Well-Becoming in Schools Initiative (WB2) involving stakeholders in provincial education, school superintendents, university researchers—and teachers and students. In Watt et al.’s study, teachers invited students to help plan, organize, and implement a project that they believed would improve wellness in their community. The article focuses on the accounts of the five participating teachers. Though student-led projects take more time, teachers found that students’ learning was deeper. Teachers learned how to step back and allow students to take the lead so students could step out their comfort zones and acquire new skills.

Sexual violence can be normalized early, indeed as early as Kindergarten. Prioletta conducted a year-long ethnographic study in two Kindergarten classrooms in Canada, finding that when gender and sexuality are narrowly understood, problematic behaviours go unrecognized or are allowed to perpetuate themselves. Using a feminist standpoint theoretical lens, Prioletta concluded that one of the main obstacles to change was prevailing conceptualizations of the child; rather, children need to be considered as gendered social agents, active in breaking a patriarchal cycle. Gender and sexuality therefore need to comprise integral parts of the Kindergarten curriculum.

Turning to the Notes from the Field, post-secondary institutions in North America are trying to bring about policy and culture change to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) on their campuses. Khwaja, Wager, O'Neil Green, and Lyon discuss the place of smaller institutions, which tend to face barriers due to lack of capacity and personnel. Their Note advocates forming virtual communities of practice so that smaller institutions may learn EDI best practices together. However, for EDI communities of practice to succeed, the authors argue that folks leading the community have to be in ongoing, empowered EDI positions rather than precarious and temporary ones.

Forget and Vanlint’s field note explores the issues and debates surrounding the teaching and learning of language, reading, and writing in schools. More than a simple reflection, the authors favor the “Education to…” approach to provide students with a space for dialogue and investigation around issues related to language in Quebec.

In Button’s Note from the Field, the author/teacher/early career professor reflects on the impact on his practice of trying out a feedforward method of eliciting feedback from students during a course (so as to allow for the possibility of changes during teaching, however stressful that can also be) rather than the traditional method of soliciting feedback only after a course, this for the next iteration. Button was left with as many questions as answers, however persuaded of the worth of hearing students’ voices and meeting students’ needs during the teaching of courses.

We hope the articles and Notes make for interesting, and germane, reading.

TERESA STRONG-WILSON, KEVIN PÉLOQUIN, CHANTAL TREMBLAY,

VANDER TAVARES, & THIERRY DESJARDINS