Browsing by Author "Lenters, Kimberly"
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Item Open Access The Conceptualizations of Educators Regarding Multimodal, Embodied Literacy Experiences in Early Years Classrooms Within a French Immersion Context: An Exploratory Case Study(2021-11-09) Novosel-Ulbrich, Sarah; Lenters, Kimberly; Aukerman, Maren; Roy, SylvieExperience with language plays a key role in language development for French immersion students. Multimodal, embodied literacy experiences are critical elements of language growth; thus it is imperative for educators to recognize their role in the development of language learning. Teachers can capitalize on children’s playful curiosities, explorations, and creations by recognizing their role in a child’s language journey and bringing considerations of children’s everyday desires into their pedagogical practice. The purpose of this study was to see how early years (kindergarten and grade 1) educators conceptualize multimodal, embodied learning experiences in their French immersion classrooms. Eight early years teachers were interviewed using semistructured interviews to inquire into their pedagogical practices. All of the teachers discussed the ways in which they create multimodal, embodied experiences to assist their students with language development. However, although the teachers reported affording their students these opportunities, none of them referred to these pedagogical experiences as multimodal or embodied literacies. Finally, teachers did not seem to separate oral or physical experiences from one another; teachers viewed that movement and voice must occur simultaneously for students to grasp the language activity. Lastly, none of the teachers agreed on the specific difficulties experienced by French immersion students, but unanimously stated that there is a substantial lack of resources for immersion educators. This void could be filled by multimodal, embodied literacy practices that students practice naturally throughout the day.Item Open Access “Digging a Hole With a Fork”: Investigating Reading Difficulty in Manitoba: An Exploratory Case Study of Adults(2021-07-27) Bjornson, Valdine Christine Virginia; Lenters, Kimberly; Aukerman, Maren; Roessingh, HettyUnderstanding the daily life and school experiences of adults in Manitoba can inform important structural and systemic priorities to better meet the needs of those with reading disabilities (RD). The research questions for this study were (a) how have adults with severe RD experienced school in Manitoba and (b) how has RD had an impact on their life experiences? Following a constructivist stance, this study employed a case study approach in which 11 Manitoba adults who self-identified or were diagnosed with RD participated in one-on-one semi-structured interviews. They expressed feelings of pain and the impact of unmet needs, as well as joy when feeling understood and embraced. The results suggest that a diagnosis of RD, especially earlier on, created a more defined self-image and acceptance of RD. Further, when the system of support provided tools, accommodations, and understanding, participants felt encouraged and optimistic. Schools were found to have an emotional impact and therefore have an important role to play. Some participants reported that diagnosis and advocacy were due to happenstance encounters or family influence. Community supports were found to be largely absent. Although those who were in post-secondary study typically found accommodations, only one participant reported utilizing a public disabilities organization for advocacy in the workplace or school. Individuals who moved towards self-actualization appeared to embrace diversity and challenges while at the same time developing strong compensation skills to work through problems caused by RD. Further, individuals who persistently worked towards personal goals had come to a more peaceful reconciliation of their struggles. A conceptual model was developed that identified the essential interaction of self-identity, community, and personal traits. Given the complexity and variety of experiences, community and school systems meant to support those with RD must coordinate efforts by learning more about RD and listening to their voices.Item Open Access Embeddedness through Utilitarianism: An Example of Cultural Identification of Post-85s in Alberta(2016-01-29) Li, Xiang; Steinberg, Shirley; Donlevy, Kent; Lenters, KimberlyThis research study utilizes the theoretical perspective of critical inquiry, and employs multi-disciplinary methodologies within a critical bricolage, to contextualize Christotainment in Alberta, Canada, analyze its nature, and the reasons for its acceptance by Chinese Post-85s (people who were born between 1985 and 1990 in China), and examine its effects. The compound word of Christotainment refers to the merging of “Christ” and “entertainment”, indicating the socio-political and socio-cultural marketing of Christian fundamentalism. The findings are as follows: a) Christotainment to Chinese Post-85s in Alberta represents a power of cultural embeddedness; b) The motivations for the involvement of Chinese Post-85s in Alberta in Christotainment are both external and internal due to the utilitarian characteristics of their cultural identification; c) The embedding effect of Christotainment on Chinese Post-85s in Alberta imposes upon the Chinese a Western cultural hegemony characterized by its ostensibly profiteering purpose. At the same time, bricolage as methodology opened possibilities for alternative understanding as the study unfolded and the author wrote about struggles, confusion, emotions, and her personal achievement, as well as that of the interviewees during the four-and-a-half-years of exploration. The study is constantly in progress with the pace of the constantly shifting values and cultural identity of the special group of Chinese Post-85s in Alberta.Item Open Access Embeddedness through Utilitarianism: An Example of Cultural Identification of Post-85s in Alberta(2016-01-29) Li, Xiang; Steinberg, Shirley; Donlevy, Kent; Lenters, KimberlyThis research study utilizes the theoretical perspective of critical inquiry, and employs multi-disciplinary methodologies within a critical bricolage, to contextualize Christotainment in Alberta, Canada, analyze its nature, and the reasons for its acceptance by Chinese Post-85s (people who were born between 1985 and 1990 in China), and examine its effects. The compound word of Christotainment refers to the merging of “Christ” and “entertainment”, indicating the socio-political and socio-cultural marketing of Christian fundamentalism. The findings are as follows: a) Christotainment to Chinese Post-85s in Alberta represents a power of cultural embeddedness; b) The motivations for the involvement of Chinese Post-85s in Alberta in Christotainment are both external and internal due to the utilitarian characteristics of their cultural identification; c) The embedding effect of Christotainment on Chinese Post-85s in Alberta imposes upon the Chinese a Western cultural hegemony characterized by its ostensibly profiteering purpose. At the same time, bricolage as methodology opened possibilities for alternative understanding as the study unfolded and the author wrote about struggles, confusion, emotions, and her personal achievement, as well as that of the interviewees during the four-and-a-half-years of exploration. The study is constantly in progress with the pace of the constantly shifting values and cultural identity of the special group of Chinese Post-85s in Alberta.Item Open Access The Experiences of Youth from Immigrant and Refugee Backgrounds in a Social Justice Leadership Program: A Participatory Action Research Photovoice Project(2019-03-11) Ko, Gina; Gereluk, Dianne T.; Lenters, Kimberly; Poitras Pratt, YvonneResearch about the negative experiences of youth from immigrant and refugee backgrounds commonly emphasizes a lack of English language proficiency, criminal activity, and underachievement. More recently, a strengths-based, resilient, and social justice lens has been used to look at this historically oppressed population. In this research, I examined the experiences of immigrant and refugee youth in their involvement in a social justice leadership club in a secondary school in Calgary, Canada. I drew from Iris Marion Young’s theoretical framework using her five faces of oppression: exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism, and violence; and her four normative ideals of a deliberative model of democracy: inclusion, political equality, reasonableness, and publicity. I used photovoice and semi-structured interviews as part of the research design to work collaboratively with six female high school youth between 16 and 17 years of age to share their social justice initiatives with educational powerholders. The themes of identity and belonging, advocating for social justice, mental health awareness, and aspirational stance to dream emerged from photovoice participant analysis and interview data. I share the overarching themes of resiliency, self-efficacy, and empowerment; troubling Islamophobia; and reshaping the narratives of the school and community despite pressures to conform to the dominant culture. I also present future directions and recommendations to support youth from immigrant and refugee backgrounds in their social justice endeavours.Item Open Access Extemporaneous Lessons on Place, Space, and Identity: Graffiti as a Pedagogical Disruption(University of Saskatchewan, 2019-06) Jubas, Kaela; Lenters, KimberlyIn this interdisciplinary article, we employ scholarship from educational studies, cultural studies, geography, and sociology. We use graffiti texts we have encountered ourselves in places where we have lived or visited as examples of how graffiti becomes pedagogical. Theoretically, the concepts of public pedagogy, new mobilities, and affect theory — notably Sara Ahmed’s ideas — complement Doreen Massey’s ideas about place, space, and identity, and are cornerstones of our framework. As we consider them, pedagogy and learning are multidimensional processes, which involve intellect or cognition, affect or emotion, sensation, and perception. Place, space, and identity are taken up as sociomaterial phenomena, whose meanings develop as people, texts, physical structures, and various cultural artifacts come into contact with one another and with ideologies about what is (ab)normal and (un)desirable that circulate throughout and across societies. In presenting and discussing examples of graffiti texts we have encountered where we live or visit, we identify three pedagogical purposes that graffiti artists might employ: contemplation, reflection, and action. We close by considering implications for teaching and learning across disciplines, age groups, and context.Item Open Access Eyes Up, Down, All Around: Mind Wandering and Reading in Adolescents with ADHD(2016) Gray, Christina Maria; Climie, Emma; Lenters, Kimberly; Schroeder, MeadowThe current study explored the relationships between reading skills and self-reported mind wandering tendencies in adolescents between 13 to 17 years of age with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD; n = 14) in comparison to a control group (n = 19). Each adolescent participant completed reading-based tasks, a measure of attention, and self-report measures addressing mind wandering tendencies. Results indicated statistically significant differences in mind wandering tendencies on the Mind Wandering Questionnaire (MWQ) between adolescents with ADHD compared to controls. No statistically significant analyses were yielded between the self-report mind wandering measures and the measure of attention, or between the self-report mind wandering measures and measures of reading skills between groups. These results suggest that additional research investigating the relationships between mind wandering tendencies and reading skills is necessary in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of both constructs in ADHD populations.Item Embargo Families with Emergent Bilinguals of English and Chinese: A Case Study of Family Language Policy in China(2023-04-28) Ma, Yue; Dressler, Roswita; Lenters, Kimberly; Chua, CatherineParents and grandparents in China are implementing family language policies (FLPs) to promote their children’s bilingualism, which needs a detailed study focusing on them. This study investigated the FLPs of families of young children who are non-native speakers of English living in China. Using a case study methodology (Merriam, 1998), I examined the FLPs of five Chinese families who are raising their children bilingually. This study described, compared, and contrasted the language ideologies, language management, and language practices among the families by using semi-structured interviews with parents and grandparents, parent-child audio recordings, weekly literacy activities, and children’s artefacts. The study draws from Spolsky’s (2004) language policy model as its conceptual framework. The findings revealed that almost all mothers believe that English and Chinese were equally important, while all fathers believed Mandarin was more important, and different beliefs about English were found among grandparents. Although most of the fathers had good English abilities, it was the mothers who conducted most of the English language management and practice at home, revealing a gendered division of labour in FLP. The study also found that grandparents played vital roles in children’s Mandarin language development. These families faced similar challenges and obstacles in raising a bilingual child in China: lack of English environment and time; occasional demotivation; financial burdens; and, misunderstanding from others. The findings from this study reveal the importance of participation by all family members in supporting each other in raising bilingual children, including the grandparents. Finally, contrary to some parents’ beliefs, the mothers’ English abilities and educational background should not be a constraint to English FLP and the children’s English development.Item Open Access Implementing Changes to Practice Based on Alberta Education's Inspiring Education: A Case Study of Speech-Language Pathologists(2016) Walker, Sharon; Lenters, Kimberly; Arthur, Nancy; Brandon, JimThe role of the speech-language pathologist working within a school district should be responsive to the Ministry of Education’s mandates and initiatives toward supporting students. In Alberta, the Ministry’s Inspiring Education initiative was introduced in 2008 and influenced changes to the way that speech-language pathologists work in schools, especially within early learning classrooms. The purpose of this study was to explore these changes and the perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of those speech-language pathologists that have been working within the Inspiring Education initiative. The four research questions that guide this exploration are (1) How does Alberta Education’s Inspiring Education documentation conceptualize student support services and how does it provide direction for speech-language pathology practice within education?, (2) How do speech-language pathologists, currently working in early education settings, conceptualize their role in relation to Alberta’s new Inspiring Education initiative?, (3) How do speech-language pathologists think about their own individual capacity to implement changes to their own practice to reflect this provincial initiative?, and (4) What factors do speech-language pathologists identify as barriers and/or supports that impact practice changes? To gather data for this qualitative case study, a document review of the relevant Inspiring Education documentation was completed, an open-ended qualitative survey of speech-language pathologists working for Alberta school districts was conducted, and semi-structured interviews of five participants were completed. Based on the analysis of the data and my conclusions, the following evidence emerged: (1) the Inspiring Education initiative needs to move beyond conceptualization of student support services toward developing policies and procedures for implementation; (2) speech-language pathologists are not fully aware of the Inspiring Education initiative and its’ role in their current practice; (3) speech- language pathologists do not feel clinically prepared to implement changes to their practice to reflect this educational reform initiative; and, (4) there are practical supports and barriers that can be addressed by leaders in order to support successful implementation of practice changes. Striving for a collaborative, coordinated, and integrated continuum of support in supporting students within education and speech-language services is a worthwhile pursuitItem Open Access Leadership to Support Teacher Beliefs and Practices of Fostering Critical Thinking(2017) Tapajna, Richard; Brandon, James; Mombourquette, Carmen; Spencer, Brenda; Brandon, James; Boz, Umit; Mombourquette, Carmen; Spencer, Brenda; Lenters, Kimberly; Brien, KennethThe purpose of this qualitative case study of an urban school district in southern Alberta was to examine the role of school leaders in supporting the development of teacher beliefs and practices to foster critical thinking by students. In Alberta, this is particularly relevant to school leaders who are required to support teachers to implement the Ministerial Order on Student Learning (Alberta Education, 2013) requirement that students think critically across subject and discipline areas for learning, work, and life. The literature review examined definitions, development, and educational significance of critical thinking by all children. Current research concerning the relationship between teacher beliefs and teacher practices to foster critical thinking was explored. Leadership practices to support teacher change were surveyed, with a focus on setting clear goals and expectations, involvement in instructional programming, and promoting and participating in a positive school learning climate. Qualitative questionnaires, classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussion, and document review methods were used to collect data and examine the phenomenon from multiple perspectives. Findings indicated that while teachers believe fostering critical thinking is an important goal of education, they believe some students are less able to benefit from critical thinking opportunities. Teachers and school leaders identified supportive leadership practices to help develop teacher beliefs and practices to foster critical thinking by students. The twelve findings are synthesized to provide meaningful recommendations for school leaders and for future research.Item Open Access “Let Them Play”: Embodied Literacy Learning Through Play in the Early Years Classroom(2024-04-22) Hanzel, Stacey; Lenters, Kimberly; Mosher, Ronna; McDermott, MairiLiteracy programs and curricula define literacy primarily through cognition, and this privileges an assumption that all learning is situated in the brain, separate from the body. Early-years classrooms are being filled with literacy programs designed with this definition in mind, and as a result, play is diminishing from these classrooms. Posthumanist theoretical perspectives identify the role of the body in learning, identifying play as an example of embodied learning. This study considers the role of the mind and body in embodied literacy-learning through play. The literature review considers posthumanist theories and literacy while also identifying research surrounding playful literacy learning in the 21st century. The context of this study is a Grade 1 classroom in an urban centre that borders a large city in Western Canada. The observations occurred over four months during the daily 45-minute free playtime. The data collection consisted of unstructured interviews, images, videos, and observational notes. Rhizoanalysis was used to identify the emergent nature of embodied literacy practices through play by mapping entities of humans, materials, and language in the play assemblages. Additionally, writing was used as a method of analysis through the creation of data stories, which are shared in the findings chapters. This case study research thinks with posthumanist concepts as the Grade 1 play stories were explored. In identifying embodied literacy practices through play, the findings of this study challenge traditional notions of play and literacy-supporting play as a generative means for literacy learning in the early years classroom.Item Open Access Play-based learning as a context for culturally responsive teaching for young Indigenous children: Insights from a bounded case study(2022-04-25) Neogi, Prama; Roessingh, Hetty; Lenters, Kimberly; O'Brien, MaryDespite the growing urgency for the preservation and revitalization of, and education in Indigenous languages, very little research has been done on effective pedagogical practices that promote strong bilingual development for early learners. This study investigates the effects of an early bilingual play-based intervention among Chakma youngsters in a small rural community of Bangladesh. A case study research approach is adopted to glean deep qualitative insights into various dimensions of the program and its implementation. Photographic evidence, field notes and a reflective journal, interview data, and artefacts of children’s learning constitute the data, analyzed holistically for emergent themes. Three key themes are identified in the findings: (1) the centrality of the teacher, (2) the value of the first language and culture in accounting for a number of outcomes, and (3) the importance of play as a space for engaging children in purposeful, meaningful ‘work’ that promotes the goals of early childhood learning – especially in setting the foundations of language and early literacy learning yet to come. Five promising practices evolve from the data, most important of which are early intervention and a play-based approach that provides a context for culturally responsive practices. Cautions include the transitional nature of the program that threatens the stability of the children’s first language. This may lead to subtractive bilingualism, leaving these children linguistically and, in turn, educationally vulnerable for life.Item Open Access Playful(l) Literacies in a First Grade Classroom(2024-03-27) Lenters, Kimberly; Mosher, RonnaThis video describes and animates a Canadian grade school teacher's approach to working with children's play in intentional and purposeful ways in her first grade classroom. The teacher was a part of the Playful(l) Literacies research project, funded by SSHRC and by the Canada Research Chairs program.Item Open Access Reciprocal Literacies: A Post-Qualitative Case Study of Artists’ Ephemeral and Matterless Connections Amongst Place(2024-01-18) Boschee Ellefson, Jana Kirsten; Lenters, Kimberly; Chambers, Cynthia; Spring, ErinMeaningfully connecting with our social and natural environments becomes challenging in an increasingly digital and globalized world. Affective language and literacy practices carry potential for affirming and fostering generative entanglements amongst people and places; furthermore, such relationships are important to the well-being of the individual participants and the collective community of human and more-than-human. Beyond traditional, text-based literacies, ephemeral and matterless literacies offer modes of positive reciprocal interactions within assemblages. The literature review considers Indigenous and posthuman theories as they relate to literacy, place, and research approaches. The studied assemblages include the human and more-than-human participants of creative contexts in Southern Alberta, including a photographer, a musician/painter, an installation artist, and a performance artist. The methodological approach reflects ethico-onto-epistemological commitments to the openings and transformation Indigenous and posthumanist theories suggest. The multi-case study illuminates and sparks potentials existing in creative, cultural, and communal practices when constraints of educational institutions are removed and textless communication is emphasized. Attending to these literacies requires that literacy researchers and educators reconsider institutional concepts of literacy / literacy spaces focused on culturally biased, individual, text-based performance, and begin afresh. The study explores and describes the flows of intention and surrender that inspire and incite ephemeral and matterless communicative practices existing in adult lives and in doing so, imagines pedagogical possibilities to honour reciprocal relationship with places, in the dynamic and all-encompassing sense of the word.Item Open Access Social Presence in Two Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs): A Multiple Case Study(2017) Stranach, Matthew; Lock, Jennifer; Lenters, KimberlyThe purpose of this study was to explore the role social presence plays within two Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) offered by two American institutions of higher education through the Canvas and Ed.X learning software consortia. Social presence is one of three presences that comprise Garrison and colleagues’ Community of Inquiry (CoI) conceptual framework (Garrison, Anderson & Archer, 2000; Garrison, 2013). Descriptive multiple case study methodology was used for the study, with data collected through surveys, individual interviews, focus group interviews, and discussion board postings. Findings show that, while participants in MOOCs felt comfortable expressing themselves “as real people” (a key indicator of social presence), the majority did not view themselves as being part of a community of learners within their respective courses. Overall, in both MOOCs, participants experienced social presence least among the three CoI presences. Participants in both MOOCs experienced social presence as it helped them to realize learning objectives (i.e., to successfully complete their respective courses). Social presence played a supportive role to cognitive presence. Factors affecting social presence included participants’ ability and/or willingness to direct their own learning, types of available technology, availability of time, and depth of course content. There were three implications for practice for MOOC designers and facilitators. The first implication is that leveraging students’ personal interests through course activities and content can help enhance social presence. The second implication is that making more varied use of the features and functionality of learning management software can afford students additional and better opportunities for social interaction. The third implication is that encouraging greater amounts and quality of collaboration through the design of assignments and other assessment and evaluation items can lead to improved social presence, and an enhanced educational experience overall. Further MOOC research should address different kinds of MOOCs than were studied as part of this research, and a greater number of MOOCs, and using different research methodologies, and including greater amounts of MOOC designer and instructor perspectives. Further research on different elements of the CoI model and the areas of overlap among the three CoI presences within MOOCs is also warranted.Item Open Access Teachers' Images and Narratives of Good Teachers: An Interpretive Inquiry(2017) Grant, Kimberley; Lenters, Kimberly; Friesen, Sharon; Burwell, CatherineDespite significant amounts of rhetoric and research on the importance of good teachers, little attention has been paid to how practicing teachers conceptualize what it means to be a good teacher. Using a research process informed by philosophical hermeneutics, this study explores the experiences of practicing teachers in order to better understand the phenomenological aspects of being a good teacher. Although the phrase good teacher continues to defy simple definition and was even actively avoided by the participants, their stories of classroom experiences begin to reveal how the concepts of flow and Bildung might provide helpful language and concepts to frame the intuitive, often wordless experiences of teachers. By focusing on the images and narratives teachers used to describe their understandings, the reflexive notions of seeing and being seen, reading and being read came to the fore. These ideas contribute in new ways to the ongoing conversations about teacher assessment and teacher self-assessment.