Werklund School of Education Research & Publications
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Item Open Access Gathering stories, gathering pedagogies: Animating Indigenous knowledges through story(University of Nebraska Press, 2021) Hanson, Aubrey Jean; King, Anna-Leah; Phipps, Heather; Spring, ErinIn lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content: This paper brings together four Indigenous and non-Indigenous teacher educators to consider the pedagogical possibilities of Indigenous children's literature in our work with pre-service teachers.1 In this paper, we take up an invitation to consider Indigenous literary arts in relation to pedagogies, land, sovereignty, and Indigenous ways of knowing. Specifically, we do this by sharing pedagogical examples of the ways in which various picturebooks and oral stories work within our classrooms. Over the past year, we have had opportunities to collaborate and co-write in two cities. While we come from different backgrounds, communities, and positionalities, we were brought together by our shared investment in the power of picturebooks as rich pedagogical resources to spark conversations about many of the themes and topics we seek to share with our students—such as land and place, intergenerational kinship networks, community relations, language revitalization, cultural identity, and Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing. Each of us strongly believes that Indigenous children's literature, including picturebooks, offer an opportunity to reiterate to pre-service teachers that "Indigenous literatures matter because Indigenous peoples matter" (Justice, Why Indigenous Literatures Matter 211). For many of our students, picturebooks are a first foray into Indigenous Education. Our students come to our classrooms with varying understandings and lived experiences of colonialism and Indigenous knowledges. Regardless of our students' prior experiences, they are required to weave Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing into their professional practices. For example, Alberta has a new Teaching Quality Standard that was implemented in the fall of 2019. Teachers are now evaluated on their ability to "develop and apply foundational knowledge about [End Page 63] First Nations, Métis, and Inuit" (6). As we share within this paper, we have found picturebooks and oral stories to be a safe entrypoint into this material; they offer insight into particular communities, places, cultures, and identities in an accessible and celebratory way. These texts also have a depth and complexity to them that facilitate conversations about the sometimes-difficult learning we engage in. To make this argument within this paper, we move through four examples of picturebooks and stories within our own teaching practices. Picturebooks open up important opportunities and questions in our teaching. The visual and verbal texts of picturebooks carry multiple meanings that can be read in different ways. Likewise, we have found there to be interesting conversations to be had about the differences between a text that exists on the page and an oral story: does putting a (live) story (spirit) into a book, impaling it on the page, cut off its life force? What happens when an oral culture, which is tied to lifeways and traditions, is recorded in print?2 Is it ethical to share information, such as spiritual customs, in picturebook form? Questions such as these guide our practice with pre-service teachers. We know from Lumbee scholar Bryan McKinley Jones Brayboy that "Oral stories remind us of our origins and serve as lessons for the younger members of our communities; they have a place in our communities and our lives" (439)—how meaningfully do these lessons transfer via the page? Many of our pre-service teachers are afraid of making mistakes, especially early in their journeys, but they need to learn to sit with this discomfort and to take pedagogical risks within the classroom. We believe that discomfort is when deep learning and epistemological and ontological shifts occur. Part of our role as educators is to point our students toward the wealth of resources and tools that are available to them, including Indigenous literatures, and to help them negotiate how to critically evaluate these sources for classroom purposes. While we always encourage our students to collaborate with colleagues, Indigenous community members, and knowledge-keepers, we are well aware that asking Indigenous people to carry the weight of teaching continues to rely on extractivist and exploitative ways of gaining knowledge. Indigenous picturebooks, such as the ones illustrated below, contain cultural knowledge that can help begin the conversation. Through texts, we can...Item Open Access “Through white man’s eyes”: Beatrice Culleton Mosionier’s In search of April Raintree and reading for decolonization(University of Nebraska Press, 2012) Hanson, Aubrey JeanIn lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content: In Search of April Raintree by Beatrice Culleton Mosionier (now Mosionier) is a text that continues, over twenty-five years after its initial publication, to call its readers to reflect on racism in Canada and beyond. It is precisely this call that must incite readers also to exercise a vigilant critical consciousness and to seek out spaces in the text that require—in Sherene Razack's words—"unmapping" ("When" 5). In her essay "Gendered Racial Violence and Spatialized Justice: The Murder of Pamela George," Razack challenges, or unmaps, the naturalization of violence in the social space of Aboriginal womanhood and the converse naturalization of the violent and colonial brutalization of Aboriginal women by white men. In this essay I employ aspects of Sherene Razack's formulations on race and space in a decolonizing reading of In Search of April Raintree, with a twofold purpose: first, to demonstrate and advocate for a decolonizing approach to reading and, second, to locate readers' social responsibility to read with a decolonizing approach within the context of relations of domination in North America. This essay is particularly concerned with the teaching of Aboriginal literatures and emphasizes that such teaching is an endeavor embedded within a broader social context.1 The dynamics of power and domination—rooted in North America's colonial history (and present)—that shape interactions between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples necessarily come into play when teaching Aboriginal texts. As such, this pedagogical endeavor is and must be tied to questions of social responsibility, as it is a political project [End Page 15] with material consequences for Aboriginal people (Episkenew 65; Womack 14). In my work, it is also fueled by personal responsibility; I am, as a Métis educator, working to envision anticolonial education and to employ literature as a tool for challenging Eurocentrism and racism.2 Teaching Aboriginal literatures in a socially responsible manner entails exercising critical reflexivity in reading. Further, it entails a decolonizing approach to Aboriginal literatures. In building my decolonizing approach to In Search of April Raintree, I have drawn upon the work of theorists and literary critics who advocate socially responsible and "Indigenizing" approaches to Aboriginal literatures, which entail their own, anticolonial ways of reading.3 I agree with Sharron Proulx and Aruna Srivastava that, without a critical approach, the potential exists to perpetuate or exacerbate systems of oppression targeting Aboriginal people, particularly in that Aboriginal literatures often examine such oppression (189). As I have stated, the basis for my own critical approach in this essay is Sherene Razack's 2002 collection Race, Space, and the Law: Unmapping a White Settler Society. In this book, Razack analyzes relations between race, space (both material and social), and the law in order to enable the "unmapping"—or denaturalization—of the dynamics that constitute "the racial structure of citizenship [in] contemporary Canada" (5). In her analysis of the rape and murder of Pamela George, an Aboriginal woman working as a prostitute in Regina, Saskatchewan, in 1995, Razack delineates and challenges the naturalization of violence in the social spaces of Aboriginal womanhood and prostitution. The violence enacted against Pamela George, she argues, must be seen within the broader context of Canada's "colonial project" with its intrinsic racializations and racialized hierarchies (126). (I echo this insistence below in my discussion of the violent brutalization of April in Mosionier's novel, which strikingly parallels that of Pamela George.) I wish to take up Razack's constructions, particularly as represented by the concepts of "degeneracy" and "civility," used to characterize racialized social and material spaces. Razack's contention is that when whiteness is characterized by civility and Aboriginality by degeneracy, Pamela George comes to be seen as "a rightful target of the gendered violence inflicted" by [End Page 16] her white killers (144). Consequently, the significance of the murder could be diminished within the legal justice process (126). Razack thus employs these concepts of race and space to challenge the legal articulation of "justice" shaped through the trial of George's murderers. My intent in this essay is to use these...Item Open Access Beyond Translation: Exploring Child Language Brokering in Alberta's Culturally Diverse Landscape(2024-09-26) Kassan, Anusha; Palova, Katerina; Silversides, Halley; Henry, Geneca; Pagtalunan, Amielle; Amery, Erica; Amer, Shekoufeh; Katoue, Walaa; Zak, Michelle“Beyond Translation” represents a seminal work that delves into the intricate world of child language brokering (CLB) within the rich tapestry of newcomer families in Alberta, Canada. With a distinct focus on addressing research gaps, this book showcases a comprehensive understanding of the practice where children act as language and cultural intermediaries for their parents during their settlement and integration into a new country. Through a blend of quantitative analysis and qualitative accounts in multiple languages (i.e., English, French, and Arabic), this research delves deep into the heart of CLB dynamics, offering a nuanced understanding of the challenges, opportunities, and underlying motivations shaping this phenomenon. As an outcome of this comprehensive mixed methods research and resulting workshops, best practices are outlined based on the findings. Central to the project’s significance is its approach to incorporating an ethnoculturally diverse sample of newcomers. This book successfully bridges an extant gap in scholarly literature rooted in the Alberta context. Notably, it diverges from the predominant trend of studies centered on ethnoculturally homogeneous youth samples in the United States, which often lack practical support tailored to address the multifaceted challenges confronted by this population. By contextualizing the research within Alberta’s culturally diverse fabric, the book provides valuable insights into the intricate complexities inherent in CLB. Moreover, by weaving both children’s and parents’ perspectives into the fabric of CLB research, the book adds a fresh dimension to the discourse on the topic, ensuring that key voices and experiences are heard and acknowledged. The insights presented in “Beyond Translation” go further than theory, and in this way, they have direct, practical application. For example, research findings are mobilized through programs that leverage the identified best practices to support newcomer families in their CLB journey. These practical supports reflect the book’s commitment to actionable change and enhancing the well-being of those involved in the CLB process. This book is a valuable resource for scholars, educators, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to comprehend, navigate, and improve the practice of CLB in Alberta’s culturally diverse landscape. “Beyond Translation” transcends language barriers, cultural divides, and generational complexities – offering a holistic vision for enhancing communication, empowerment, emotional wellness, and unity within newcomer families.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 Adapting Descriptive Psychological Phenomenology to Include Dyadic Interviews: Practical Considerations for Data Analysis(NSUWorks - The Qualitative Report, 2019-02-23) Tkachuk, Michelle; Russell-Mayhew, Shelly; Kassan, Anusha; Dimitropoulos, GinaDyadic interviews are an approach to qualitative data collection designed to understand the meaning pairs of individuals make from experiences. The greatest benefit of dyadic interviews, and perhaps a reason for their gaining momentum in the literature, is that they encourage participants to interact, resulting in detailed and complex descriptions of phenomena. However, dyadic interviews pose challenges to qualitative researchers. Researchers must figure out how to account for the presence of two interviewees, any differences in perspective, and interactions. Unfortunately, no known study demonstrates how the interactions of dyadic interviews can be analyzed in accordance with a methodological approach. Rather, researchers tend to observe pre-existing methods without direct mention of modification for conducting and analyzing dyadic interviews. Thus, the degree to which participant interactions are being analyzed in current studies remains unknown. In the following paper, we use Giorgi’s (2009) descriptive psychological phenomenology as an exemplar for how dyadic interviews may be applied to qualitative investigations. The theoretical fit of dyadic interviews with Giorgi’s approach, proposed modifications, and their limitations, are discussed.Item Open Access The Use of AI-Detection Tools in the Assessment of Student Work(2023-05-06) Eaton, Sarah ElaineIn this commentary I offer guidance on how to approach the use of plagiarism detection, with a focus on text generated by artificial intelligence. I include a discussion of the impact of false allegations on student mental well-being.Item Open Access Weight bias as a social justice issue: A call for dialogue.(Canadian Psychological Association, 2017-11-27) Nutter, Sarah; Russell-Mayhew, Shelly; Arthur, Nancy; Ellard, John H.Weight bias is pervasive, impacting the lived experiences of individuals with large bodies in all areas of society. Weight bias negatively impacts psychological and physical health, and contributes to systemic inequity for individuals with large bodies. Given that counselling psychology has been recognised for its commitment to social justice, it is important to provide examples of the many social justice issues associated with weight bias. The purpose of this article is to position weight bias as an important social justice issue for psychologists, through the lens of 3 social justice perspectives; distributive justice, procedural justice, and ecological justice. We examine the lack of equitable distribution of opportunities and resources for individuals with large bodies in health care, the workforce, education, and within interpersonal relationships. We also discuss the lack of voice provided to individuals with large bodies with regard to the policies and practices that affect them, and the social and environmental forces that systemically influence body weight and weight bias. Finally, we encourage further dialogue between professionals across disciplines about weight bias as a social justice issue in the future design of research, education, and practice.Item Open Access A review of the literature from 2015-2024 on the readability of children's books(2024-08-26) Heger-Dorantes, Daniela; Dressler, RoswitaPurpose: This literature review provides an overview of articles that discuss key factors that make a children’s book readable, emphasizing written and non-written elements in children’s books that contribute to early reading abilities. Methods: We conducted a search of scholarly literature articles from 2015-2024. The search was conducted in English. The literature review contains a wide variety of articles found based on key searches, including “just right”, “text complexity”, “second language”, “readability, and “textual features”. We addressed the question: What factors contribute to the readability of children’s books? Results: We found 28 relevant articles based on the themes (1) reader external factors, (2) reader internal factors, (3) text complexity, and (4) literary elements and visual supports. The articles were peer-reviewed and research-based. The findings revealed that the readability of children’s books is based primarily on reader external factors, reader internal factors, text complexity, and literary elements and visual supports. Implications: The literature review highlighted the importance of using a variety of children's books tailored to diverse needs, emphasizing the integration of early literacy practices during classroom instruction. It is crucial to select appropriate books based on the child’s needs, interests, and prior knowledge for the reader to scaffold knowledge and engage them in reading. In addition, implementing strategies like reading to children, including discussing non-written elements in children’s books is essential for improving future literacy abilities.Item Open Access Understanding the readability of children's books(2024-08-26) Heger-Dorantes, Daniela; Dressler, RoswitaItem Open Access Policy with Integrity: Ethical Educational Policies in the Age of Generative AI(2024-08-05) Eaton, Sarah ElaineA thought-provoking overview of the current state of academic integrity policy, including plagiarism, exam cheating, and more. The age of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) has brought many changes to higher education since ChatGPT was released in November 2022. As higher education institutions grapple with the impact of Gen AI for teaching, learning and assessment, there are practical implications for academic and research integrity. Professors, students, and administrators look to policies, procedures, and practices to help guide their decisions and their actions. Professor Eaton will highlight some of the major findings of the FAITH project related to policy, situating the results of this project within a broader global landscape of academic and research integrity. The importance of policy development and implementation for securing a just, ethical, and equitable future provide a conceptual foundation for this keynote address. The practical application of policy will bring the conceptual aspects to the foreground as we explore real-world implications of policy and practice. Recommended citation: Eaton, S. E. (2024, August 5). Policy with Integrity: Ethical Educational Policies in the Age of Generative AI Facing Academic Integrity Threats (FAITH) Conference, Çanakkale, Türkiye.Item Open Access A scoping review of school-based anthropometric measurement(John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2023-08-31) Wilson, Oliver W. A.; Thai, Michella; Williams, Lindsay; Nutter, Sarah; Myre, Maxine; Russell-Mayhew, ShellyThough anthropometric measurement (AM) frequently occurs in school settings, it is not without risks to child wellbeing. The aim of this scoping review was to examine how AM in school settings takes place and is reported on to make recommendations on best practices. We identified and extracted data from 440 studies published since 2005 that conducted AM in school (pre-school through secondary/high school) settings. Privacy and sensitivity of AM were unclear in over 90% of studies. Thirty-one studies (7.0%) reported protecting student privacy, while nine (2.0%) reported public measurement. Only five studies reported sensitivity regarding AM (1.1%). Exactly who conducted AM was not specified in 201 studies (45.7%). Sixty-nine studies did not provide a weight status criteria citation (19.2%), and 10 used an incorrect citation (2.7%). In summary, serious shortcomings in the reporting of how AM is conducted and by whom, along with details concerning weight status classification, are evident. There is considerable room for improvement regarding the reporting of key methodological details. We propose best practices for AM in school settings, which also double as conditions that should be met before AM takes place in school settings.Item Open Access Remembrance across borders: A dialogue on one educator’s experience of studying Indigenous education in Germany(Seminar: A Journal of Germanic Studies, 2019) Morris, Maia; Hanson, Aubrey JeanThis article examines remembrance as an intersecting site for Indigenous and German Studies. Attending to the practice of remembrance, it looks at learners’ relationships with different, difficult pasts as a way of teaching towards better futures. The authors—weaving together the voices of student and instructor—explore a future teacher’s intersectional experience of taking an Indigenous Education course in Canada while simultaneously teaching in an international placement in Germany. Examining her experiences of studying Canadian Indian Residential School history while also visiting Holocaust memorial sites, this educator considers complex questions of pedagogy, memory, and social change through a transdisciplinary dialogue.Item Open Access Indigenous instructors’ perspectives on pre-service teacher education: Poetic responses to “difficult” learning and teaching(Race Ethnicity and Education, 2020-01-27) Poitras Pratt, Yvonne; Hanson, Aubrey JeanInstructors teaching an Indigenous education course face the challenges of shifting students’ understanding and inviting them into the work of decolonizing education. Indigenous instructors take on the embodied and emotional work of highlighting diverse representations of Indigenous peoples, histories, and perspectives in scholarship in order to make this learning meaningful to students. Bringing such views to education students, who are mostly non-Indigenous, is no easy task. In this study, we examine instructor experiences of difficult teaching within a mandatory Indigenous education course in Canada. We adopt a ‘poetics of anti-racism’ to represent and explore the moments of difficult teaching that are indicated by what is said, and unsaid, by the Indigenous instructors we interviewed. We argue that poetic approaches are powerful in articulating the complexity of Indigenous instructors’ experiences, as well as inspiring moments of transformation in education.Item Open Access Experiencing the shift: How postsecondary contract and continuing faculty moved to online course delivery(Brock University, 2021-07-13) Danyluk, Patricia; Burns, AmyThe shift to online learning that occurred in March of 2020 created an unprecedented period of intense work for faculty and sessional instructors at the postsecondary level. This shift necessitated courses be adapted under short timelines, new technology be integrated into course design, and teaching strategies and assessment methods be adapted for an online environment (Van Nuland et al., 2020). This study examines how sessional instructors, referred to in this article as contract faculty, and continuing full-time faculty members delivering the same online courses experienced this shift. While the demands of a continuing faculty position call for balancing of teaching, research, and service responsibilities, contract instructors have their own unique stressors (Karram Stephenson et al., 2020). Contract faculty lack job security, are paid by the course, and often receive their teaching assignments with short notice. By examining their perspectives on delivering the same courses online, we learn that the shift to online teaching resulted in additional work in order to adapt courses to the online environment, with faculty describing the challenges of balancing the additional work with other responsibilities of their position. Concerns of participants focused on a perceived inability to develop relationships with students in an online environment.Item Open Access Almadina Language Charter School Research Partnership Interim Report April 2024(2024) Nadia Delanoy; Barbara Brown; Monica Miller; Jasmine El-HachaThe study and data collected during the 2023-24 school year built on the earlier research focused on the flipped classroom model and has extended to a focus on assessment. The results in this interim report demonstrate a strong commitment to professional learning and growth in leveraging technology-enhanced pedagogy to support assessment in teaching and learning.Item Open Access Positioning of Weight Bias: Moving towards Social Justice(Hindawi Publishing Corporation, 2016-09-22) Nutter, Sarah; Russell-Mayhew, Shelly; Alberga, Angela S.; Arthur, Nancy; Kassan, Anusha; Lund, Darren E.; Sesma-Vazquez, Monica; Williams, EmilyWeight bias is a form of stigma with detrimental effects on the health and wellness of individuals with large bodies. Researchers from various disciplines have recognized weight bias as an important topic for public health and for professional practice. To date, researchers from various areas have approached weight bias from independent perspectives and from differing theoretical orientations. In this paper, we examined the similarities and differences between three perspectives (i.e., weight-centric, nonweight- centric (health-centric), and health at every size) used to understand weight bias and approach weight bias research with regard to (a) language about people with large bodies, (b) theoretical position, (c) identified consequences of weight bias, and (d) identified influences on weight-based social inequity. We suggest that, despite differences, each perspective acknowledges the negative influences that position weight as being within individual control and the negative consequences of weight bias.We call for recognition and discussion ofweight bias as a social justice issue in order to change the discourse and professional practices extended towards individuals with large bodies. We advocate for an emphasis on social justice as a uniting framework for interdisciplinary research on weight bias.Item Open Access Understanding low adherence to an exercise program for adolescents with obesity: The HEARTY trial(John Wiley & Sons Ltd, World Obesity and The Obesity Society, 2019-08) Alberga, Angela S.; Sigal, R. J.; Sweet, Shane Norman; Doucette, Steve; Russell-Mayhew, Shelly; Tulloch, Heather; Kenny, Glen P.; Prud'homme, Denis; Hadjiyannakis, S.; Goldfield, G. S.Introduction: Despite efforts to improve adherence to physical activity interventions in youth with obesity, low adherence and attrition remain areas of great concern. Objective: The study was designed to determine which physiological and/or psychological factors predicted low adherence in adolescents with obesity enrolled in a 6-month exercise intervention study aimed to improve body composition. Methods: Three hundred four adolescents with obesity aged 14-18 years who volunteered for the HEARTY (Healthy Eating Aerobic and Resistance Training in Youth) randomized controlled trial completed physiological (body mass index, waist circumference, per cent body fat, resting metabolic rate and aerobic fitness) and psychological (body image, mood, self-esteem and self-efficacy) measures. Results: One hundred forty-one out of 228 (62%) randomized to exercise groups had low adherence (completed <70% of the prescribed four exercise sessions per week) to the intervention protocol. Logistic regression revealed that there were no baseline demographic or physiological variables that predicted low adherence in the participants. Appearance concern (a subscale of body image) (odds ratio [OR] 1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01, 2.1, P = 0.04), depressive mood (OR 1.12, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.23, P = 0.03) and confused mood (OR 1.16, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.27, P = 0.003) (two subscales of mood) were significant predictors of low adherence. Conclusions: Adolescents with obesity who had higher appearance concerns and depressive and confused moods were less likely to adhere to exercise. Body image and mood should be screened to identify adolescents who may be at high risk of poor adherence and who may need concurrent or treatment support to address these psychological issues to derive maximal health benefits from an exercise programme.Item Open Access Examining Weight Bias among Practicing Canadian Family Physicians(Karger Publishers, 2019-11-08) Alberga, Angela S.; Nutter, Sarah; MacInnis, Cara; Ellard, John H.; Russell-Mayhew, ShellyObjectives: The aim of this study was to examine the attitudes of practicing Canadian family physicians about individuals with obesity, their healthcare treatment, and perceptions of obesity treatment in the public healthcare system. Method: A national sample of Canadian practicing family physicians (n = 400) completed the survey. Participants completed measures of explicit weight bias, attitudes towards treating patients with obesity, and perceptions that people with obesity increase demand on the public healthcare system. Results: Responses consistent with weight bias were not observed overall but were demonstrated in a sizeable minority of respondents. Many physicians also reported feeling frustrated with patients with obesity and agreed that people with obesity increase demand on the public healthcare system. Male physicians had more negative attitudes than females. More negative attitudes towards treating patients with obesity were associated with greater perceptions of them as a public health demand. Conclusion: Results suggest that negative attitudes towards patients with obesity exist among some family physicians in Canada. It remains to be determined if physicians develop weight bias partly because they blame individuals for their obesity and its increased demand on the Canadian public healthcare system. More research is needed to better understand causes and consequences of weight bias among health professionals and make efforts towards its reduction in healthcare.Item Open Access Capturing the shadow and light of researcher positionality: A picture-prompted poly-ethnography(Sage Publications, 2020-12-10) Kassan, Anusha; Nutter, Sarah; Arthur, Nancy; Green, Amy R.; Russell-Mayhew, Shelly; Sesma-Vazquez, MonicaAcknowledging researcher positionality and engaging in ongoing reflexivity are important components of qualitative research. In this manuscript, we share our experiences of examining our positionality and engaging in reflexive practice related to a research project with newcomer women in Canada. As a team of researchers from diverse backgrounds, we engaged in a picture-prompted poly-ethnographic conversation to better understand our attitudes, assumptions, and biases in relation to the topic of our research and gain a better understanding of what were asking of participants. Using thematic analysis, we uncovered four themes: 1) researchers bring multiple identities, 2) researchers bring privilege/power, 3) understanding what we call home, and 4) walking in participants’ shoes. We discuss these themes in detail, highlighting their implications for reflexive research with newcomer communities.Item Open Access Working Together? A Situational Analysis of Combining Prevention Efforts Targeting Obesity and Eating Disorders in Schools(NSUWorks - The Qualitative Report, 2021-05-02) Ireland, Alana; Russell-Mayhew, ShellyThe serious consequences and difficulties with treatment of obesity and eating disorders have prompted many to suggest focusing on prevention. Although most often considered distinct conditions with competing needs, some have advocated for an integrated approach to the prevention of a spectrum of weight-related issues including obesity and eating disorders. Despite a strong rationale for focusing prevention on the spectrum of weight-related issues, tensions exist with regard to whether this is feasible or best practice. The current study used situational analysis to explore the tensions associated with the broader situation of preventing weight-related issues in schools. Semi-structured interviews and document reviews were conducted to explore whether efforts targeting obesity and eating disorders can be combined. Results emphasized the importance of creating space for conversations that acknowledge the complexity of integration and embrace the multiplicity of perspectives.