Join us at the ECE Graduate Student Research Day on May 31, 2024

Presenter: Antonia Soldovier

About this session

Given the changing landscape of education as well as our collective, evolving understanding of the neurodiversity inherent to it, understanding educators’ experiences and feelings of preparedness in teaching to diverse classrooms is needed. Educators play a critical role in creating classrooms where diverse (neurodivergent) learners feel welcome and can meaningfully access instruction; conditions which hinge upon teachers’ own knowledge and attitudes about neurodiversity. The proposed study will explore elementary school educators’ training experiences as they relate to neurodiversity in the general education classroom, as well as their day-to-day inclusive teaching practices. How educators were trained to address learning differences, their understanding of neurodiversity in the classroom, and perceptions of their role in promoting inclusion will be explored. Interview data will be coded using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to construct a rich account of educators’ neurodiversity-affirming teaching practices, as well as the meanings they associate with neurodiversity and their role in supporting its’ inclusion. Possible implications for educator training and pathways towards inclusion will be emphasized in the final work.

The presentation on Research Day will focus on presenting the issue of neurodiversity in elementary school education, highlight gaps in literature and understanding, and generate a discussion about how we conceptualize learning differences as educators, psychologists, and school-based professionals, as well as in our own lives.

Presenter: Fatemeh Arian Nejad

About this session

This study is prompted by the need for newcomer parents with special needs children to have a platform for sharing their experiences and needs with others going through the same process of navigating the school system and service providers at schools and the healthcare system. Having a clearer understanding of the parents' perceptions of these experiences, challenges and beliefs can assist service providers, policymakers and professionals in reconsidering policies and procedures that are more culturally competent. The healthcare system may be particularly challenging for new immigrants to comprehend and use and they might also encounter cultural difficulties or disagreements with mainstream healthcare professionals (Baker et al., 2010). Newcomer families' concerns impact their access to and use of services, as well as their experiences (Rhoades et al., 2004).

Employing narrative inquiry methodology in-depth interviews of two newcomer parents who have a child with special needs (aged between 4 to 9) in Vancouver, were conducted to look into how involved these parents are in their child’s education plan and their role, how connected they are to the service providers and their experiences of accessing services, support, information, and resources. The phenomenon of investigation is to look deeply into newcomer parents’ experiences through their stories which is the focus of the research question. Their experiences will be explored through analysis of their narratives to understand their challenges and where they stand concerning the new educational system.

Presenter: Shirina Aktar

About this session

In the field of early childhood education, understanding communication practices between early childhood educators (ECEs) and parents is paramount, particularly in culturally diverse contexts (Ponciano & Shabazian, 2012; Tobin, 2020). Research indicates challenges in balancing pedagogical beliefs with cultural responsiveness among ECEs. Furthermore, parents often struggle to voice their concerns in ECE settings, especially those from immigrant backgrounds (Lastikka & Lipponen, 2016). With increasing cultural diversity in most large cities, effective communication between ECEs and parents is crucial for children's education. Shirina's proposed study aims to investigate intercultural communication between immigrant ECEs and families in Vancouver and Toronto focusing on challenges and opportunities. Drawing on qualitative methods such as unstructured interviews and storytelling (Mukherji & Albon, 2018), data will be analyzed thematically based on the UNESCO framework of intercultural competencies (UNESCO, 2013). The study seeks to explore how ECEs from immigrant backgrounds communicate in multicultural settings, identify barriers to effective communication, and propose implications for practice. Through purposive sampling and following ethical guidelines of research, trustworthiness and validity will be ensured.

By shedding light on this under-explored area, the study intends to contribute to the development of intercultural communicative competencies among ECEs, ultimately fostering inclusive teaching-learning environments in diverse settings of early childhood education.

Presenter: Jaylene Murray

About this session

The strengths-based approach is a multidisciplinary framework that builds upon people’s strengths to set and reach goals, learn skills, and experience personal success. It has been shown that focusing on strengths promotes strong relationships and increases engagement. In early childhood education, the strengths-based approach serves to promote inclusion and equity. Our research programme is currently co-creating an evidence-informed and interactive learning module to increase awareness of the strengths-based approach and its importance in the early years. Central to the module will be a case study or story approach to learning. We are currently in the development phase with the goal of piloting in the Fall of 2024.

The presentation will introduce the strengths-based approach in the context of early childhood education, and share the process of creating an interactive online module. There will be focus on various aspects of knowledge translation. Some of these considerations will be accessibility features, relevance of information to the learner, and interactive content to increase engagement. We plan to create the module with options for user feedback and adjustable templates to create strengths-based modules for other disciplines. Overall, the module aims to prioritize the learner in disseminating evidence-based information.

Presenter: Xi (Sisilia) Chen

About this session

Art offers an evidence-based solution for supporting family lives as well as the education systems. Parents and children may take the experience of emotional well-being through art-based projects on their own. Consequently, with parent-child interactions involving art-based projects, child emotions should have seen positive impacts on self-confidence, mental health, and social ability. In this presentation the use of arts-based project in research with young children and their parents will be explored. A brief review of the literature on research on ways to support emotions and relationships between parents and their young children will be highlighted. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of ways in which arts-based approaches might be used in research with young children and their parents.

Presenter: Yilin Song

About this session

The power of children's literature in shaping the identity and understanding of immigrant children has never been more profound. Multicultural children's literature has been recognized for its potential to reflect diverse experiences and foster inclusivity among young readers. However, gaps persist in understanding how immigrant children interact with and interpret these literary works, particularly in the context of their identity construction. This research seeks to address the gap in understanding by exploring how Chinese immigrant children in preschool settings within Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, negotiate their identities through engagement with multicultural children's literature. The primary aim of the research is to investigate the interplay between multicultural children's literature and the identity negotiation of Chinese immigrant children in preschool settings.

To achieve this aim, the research will employ a qualitative approach, utilizing discourse analysis to analyze data collected from observations, interviews with children, and children’s books. This research underscores the importance of recognizing and valuing children as active agents in their identity construction process. It highlights the potential of multicultural children's literature to facilitate meaningful conversations about identity, diversity, and inclusion in early childhood education. Moreover, this study holds implications for educators, parents, and stakeholders involved in producing and utilizing children's literature, emphasizing the need for authentic and diverse representations that resonate with the experiences of immigrant children. Ultimately, this research contributes to fostering a more inclusive and empathetic society by nurturing a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between literature and identity in young children.