Somali Refugee Students In Canadian Schools: Postmigration Experiences

Authors

  • Mohamad Ayoub University of Windsor
  • George Zhou University of Windsor

Keywords:

postmigration experiences, challenges, Somali refugee students, support, Canadian school

Abstract

This paper reports on the postmigration experiences of a group of Somali refugee students attending public schools in a southwestern city in Ontario, Canada. The findings were drawn from a qualitative study conducted to investigate the participants’ postmigration experiences. Data were collected through semi-structured, one-on-one interviews with six participants. Study participants faced many postmigration learning difficulties and socio-cultural challenges. The findings show the strengths of the participants related to resiliency and perseverance. Educators, administrators, peer students, and members of the school community could play a central role in supporting Somali refugee students after resettlement. This paper proposes strategies and approaches to support educators and the school community in their work with refugee students of Somali background and other cultural backgrounds.

Author Biographies

Mohamad Ayoub, University of Windsor

Faculty of Education

George Zhou, University of Windsor

Professor, Faculty of Education

References

Alves, D. E., Roysamb, E., Oppedal, B., & Zachrisson, H. D. (2011). Emotional problems in preadolescents in Norway: The role of gender, ethnic minority status, and home- and school-related hassles. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 5(37), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/1753-2000-5-37

Ayoub, M., & Zhou, G. (2016). Somali refugee students in Canadian schools: Premigration experiences and challenges in refugee camps. Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale, 45(3), Article 5. http://dx.doi.org/10.5206/cie-eci.v45i3.9300

Beltekin, N. (2016). Turkey's progress toward meeting refugee education needs: The example of Syrian refugees. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, (66), 175–190. http://dx.doi.org/10.14689/ejer.2016.66.10

Berg, B. L., & Lune, H. (2012). Qualitative research methods for the social sciences (8th ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.

Bokore, N. (2018). Canadian Somali studies: Resilience and resistance conference report. International Journal of Social Work, 5(2), 100–112. http://dx.doi.org/10.5296/ijsw.v5i2.14001

Courtney, R. H. (2015). Looking at racial segregation: An exploratory case study of a predominately Somali charter school. Multicultural Education, 22(2), 22–29.

Creswell, J. W., & Guetterman, T. C. (2019). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions (6th ed.). Sage Publications, Inc.

Ehntholt, K. A., & Yule, W. (2006). Practitioner review: Assessment and treatment of refugee children and adolescents who have experienced war-related trauma. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47(12), 1197–1210. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2006.01638.x

Ferfolja, T., & Vickers, M. (2010). Supporting refugee students in school education in greater western Sydney. Critical Studies in Education, 51(2), 149–162. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17508481003731034

Gay, L. R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. W. (2011). Educational research: Competencies for analysis and applications (10th ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.

Government of Canada. (2016, May 13). The refugee system in Canada. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/refugees/canada.asp

Guerrero, A. L., & Tinkler, T. (2010). Refugee and displaced youth negotiating imagined and lived identities in a photography-based educational project in the United States and Colombia. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 41(1), 55–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1548-1492.2010.01067.x

Hos, R. (2016). Education in emergencies: Case of a community school for Syrian refugees. European Journal of Educational Research, 5(2), 53–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.5.2.53

Howard, T. C. (2003). Culturally relevant pedagogy: Ingredients for critical teacher reflection. Theory into Practice, 42(3), 195–202. http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4203_5

Keles, S., Friborg, O., Idsøe, T., Sirin, S., & Oppedal, B. (2018). Resilience and acculturation among unaccompanied refugee minors. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 42(1), 52–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0165025416658136

Kilbride, K. M., & Anisef, P. (2001). To build on hope: Overcoming the challenges facing newcomer youth at risk in Ontario. http://atwork.settlement.org/downloads/Build_On_Hope_Final_Report.pdf

Kopish, M. A. (2016). Preparing globally competent teacher candidates through cross-cultural experiential learning. Journal of Social Studies Education Research, 7(2), 75–108.

Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). Toward a theory of culturally relevant pedagogy. American Education Research Journal, 35(3), 465–491. http://dx.doi.org/10.3102/00028312032003465

Loerke, K. (2009). Global migration and education: Schools, children, and families. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 55(2), 259–262. https://doi.org/10.11575/ajer.v55i2.55325

McBrien, L. J. (2011). The importance of context: Vietnamese, Somali, and Iranian refugee mothers discuss their resettled lives and involvement in their children's schools. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 41(1), 75–90. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2010.523168

Miller, J., Windle, J. A., & Yazdanpanah, L. K. (2014). Planning lessons for refugee-background students: Challenges and strategies. International Journal of Pedagogies & Learning, 9(1), 38–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/18334105.2014.11082018

Ministry of Education: British Columbia. (2015). Students from refugee backgrounds: A guide for teachers and schools. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/administration/kindergarten-to-grade-12/diverse-student-needs/students-from-refugee-backgrounds-guide.pdf

Ministry of Education: Ontario. (2013). Supporting minds: An educator’s guide to promoting students’ mental health and well-being. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/reports/supportingminds.pdf

Mthethwa-Sommers, S., & Kisiara, O. (2015). Listening to students from refugee backgrounds: Lessons for education professionals. Penn GSE Perspectives on Urban Education, 12(1), 9.

Nilsson, J. E., Barazanji, D. M., Heintzelman, A., Siddiqi, M., & Shilla, Y. (2012). Somali women's reflections on the adjustment of their children in the United States. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 40(4), 240–252. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1912.2012.00021.x

Nofal, M. (2017). For our children: A research study on Syrian refugees’ schooling experiences in Ottawa (Master’s thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa).

Ogilvie, G., & Fuller, D. (2016). Restorative justice pedagogy in the ESL classroom: Creating a caring environment to support refugee students. TESL Canada Journal, 33(10), 86–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.18806/tesl.v33i0.1247

Oikonomidoy, E. (2007). “I see myself as a different person who [has] acquired a lot...”: Somali female students' journeys to belonging. Intercultural Education, 18(1), 15–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14675980601143611

Oppedal, B., Røysamb, E., & Heyerdahl, S. (2005). Ethnic group, acculturation, and psychiatric problems in young immigrants. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 46(6), 646–660. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.00381.x

Pine, B. A., & Drachman, D. (2005). Effective child welfare practice with immigrant and refugee children and their families. Child Welfare, 84(5), 537–562.

Roxas, K. (2008). Who dares to dream the American dream? The success of Somali Bantu male students at an American high school. Multicultural Education, 16(2), 2–9.

Roxas, K. (2011a). Tales from the front line: Teachers responses to Somali Bantu refugee students. Urban Education, 46(3), 513–548. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0042085910377856

Roxas, K. C. (2011b). Creating communities: Working with refugee students in classrooms. Democracy & Education, 19(2), 8.

Roxas, K., & Fruja, R. (2019). Teacher education and refugee students. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education. https://oxfordre.com/education/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.001.0001/acrefore-9780190264093-e-285

Roxas, K., & Roy, L. (2012). “That's how we roll”: A case study of a recently arrived refugee student in an urban high school. Urban Review: Issues and Ideas in Public Education, 44(4), 468–486. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11256-012-0203-8

Savin-Baden, M., & Howell Major, C. (2013). Qualitative research: The essential guide to theory and practice (1st ed.). Routledge.

Segal, U. A., & Mayadas, N. S. (2005). Assessment of issues facing immigrant and refugee families. Child Welfare, 84(5), 563–583.

Smyth, H. (2013). Somali students' perceptions of a New Zealand primary school. Kairaranga, 14(1), 39–45.

Statistics Canada. (2015, November 27). National Household Survey, 2011. https://www12.statcan.gc.ca

Szente, J., Hoot, J., & Taylor, D. (2006). Responding to the special needs of refugee children: Practical ideas for teachers. Early Childhood Education Journal, 34(1), 15–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10643-006-0082-2

Taylor, S., & Sidhu, R. K. (2012). Supporting refugee students in schools: What constitutes inclusive education? International Journal of Inclusive Education, 16(1), 39–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13603110903560085

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Canada. (2020). Home. https://www.unhcr.ca/

VanderPlaat, M. (2017). Refugee access to education in Canada. In A. Korntheuer, P. Pritchard, D.B. Maehler (Eds.) Structural context of refugee integration in Canada and Germany (pp. 53–58), GESIS-Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences.

Wilbur, A. (2016). Creating inclusive EAL classrooms: How language instruction for newcomers to Canada (LINC) instructors understand and mitigate barriers for students who have experienced trauma. TESL Canada Journal, 33(10), 1–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.18806/tesl.v33i0.1243

World Population Review. (2020). Somalia population 2020. http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/somalia-population/

Downloads

Published

2022-02-15

How to Cite

Ayoub, M., & Zhou, G. (2022). Somali Refugee Students In Canadian Schools: Postmigration Experiences. McGill Journal of Education / Revue Des Sciences De l’éducation De McGill, 56(1). Retrieved from https://mje.mcgill.ca/article/view/9678

Issue

Section

Articles