Canadian Teachers Research Articles

Preparing Educators to Teach and Create With Generative Artificial Intelligence

Teachers skilled in using generative artificial intelligence (GAI) have advantages in terms of increased productivity and augmented instructional capabilities. Alongside the rapid advancement of GAI, teachers require authentic learning opportunities to build the confidence and expertise necessary for engaging with these technologies creatively and responsibly. This article provides an illustrative case of preparing preservice and in-service teachers with the knowledge, skills, and mindsets to teach and create with GAI. Using a self-study method to investigate professional practices, we analyzed the curriculum, instruction, and assessment in an upper-level undergraduate course in multimedia design and production. Thirty-five teachers engaged in experiential activities focussed on developing artificial intelligence (AI) literacy, alongside a collaborative assignment to co-author an open-access textbook, Teaching and Creating With Generative Artificial Intelligence. To support equitable and inclusive access to the educational benefits offered by AI, the Student Artificial Intelligence Literacy (SAIL) framework was developed. SAIL facilitates student AI literacy through curriculum engagement and three distinct types of interactions: cognitive, socio-emotional, and instructor-guided. Building on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic regarding the issues with technology training for teachers in Canada, five recommendations are offered to facilitate the meaningful integration of AI literacy in teacher education programs.

Language teacher self-efficacy beliefs for pronunciation instruction

Abstract Studies on language teachers’ self-efficacy (LTSE) have gained attention in recent years; however, limited research has explored LTSE in specific domains of language instruction, particularly pronunciation. The present study employs a domain-specific survey to measure English as a second language (ESL) teachers’ self-efficacy in pronunciation instruction (PI) in Canadian classrooms. Data from the survey and follow-up interviews were analyzed to explore ESL teachers’ overall self-efficacy beliefs, relationships with language, and pronunciation proficiencies. The findings reveal that ESL teachers in Canada generally report high levels of self-efficacy for teaching pronunciation. While the correlation between general language proficiency and self-efficacy was not significant, the correlation between their pronunciation proficiency and self-efficacy for teaching pronunciation was significant, even though it falls below the benchmark for small effect size.

The Integration of Pre-Service Training and In-Service Support Models in Canada and Their Impact on Multicultural Education

This paper explores the integration of pre-service training and in-service support models for immigrant teachers in Canada and examines how these mechanisms assist in their adaptation to the Canadian education system and diverse cultural environments. The study discusses the unique challenges faced by immigrant teachers, including credential recognition, cultural adjustment, and the potential for bias or discrimination. Through an analysis of training programs and professional development opportunities, the paper highlights the importance of mentorship, cultural awareness, and continuous language and career support in promoting the success of immigrant teachers. Furthermore, the paper evaluates the impact of immigrant teachers on multicultural education, emphasizing their role in fostering inclusive classrooms and improving student outcomes. By creating a dynamic and diverse workforce, the integration of these models contributes to the development of an equitable and responsive education system that reflects the multicultural nature of Canadian society.

The Affective Dimensions of Historical Empathy: Opportunities, Problems, and Challenges

Emotions and feelings play an important role within history education. Yet, the affective dimensions (feelings, emotions, connections) of learning about the past are understudied within research on historical empathy—defined here as a cognitive-affective process of attempting to understand the thoughts, feelings, experiences, decisions, and actions of people from the past within their historical contexts. Drawing from interviews with secondary school history teachers in Canada, this article offers insight into teachers’ perspectives on constructive ways that they approach the affective dimensions within history classrooms, as well as problems and challenges that arise when they intentionally elicit emotions or encounter them unexpectedly. In doing so, the article aims to further conceptualize the affective dimensions of historical empathy and expand understandings of emotions in history and social studies education, while positioning these discussions in relation to history education in Canada.

Prevalence and Correlates of High Stress and Low Resilience among Teachers in Three Canadian Provinces.

Objective: High stress levels can be problematic for teachers and indirectly affect students. Resilience may be a protective factor for overcoming stress. Knowledge about the prevalence and correlates of high stress and low resilience will provide information about the extent of the problem among teachers in Canada. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study among teachers in Alberta, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. Participants self-subscribed to the Wellness4Teachers supportive text messaging program and completed the online survey on enrollment. Baseline data collection occurred from 1 September 2022 to 30 August 2023. Resilience and stress were, respectively, assessed using the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). The data were analyzed with SPSS version 28 using chi-squared tests and binary logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 1912 teachers subscribed to the Wellness4Teachers program, and 810 completed the baseline survey, yielding a response rate of 42.40%. Most of the participants, 87.8%, were female, and 12.2% were aged 18 to 61 and above. The prevalence of low resilience was 40.1%, and high stress had a prevalence of 26.3%. After controlling for all the other variables in the logistic regression model, participants with low resilience were 3.10 times more likely to experience high-stress symptoms than those with normal to high resilience (OR = 3.10; 95% CI: 2.18-4.41). Conversely, participants who reported high stress were 3.13 times more likely to have low resilience than those with low to moderate stress (OR = 3.13; 95% CI: 2.20-4.44). Additionally, junior and senior high school teachers were, respectively, 2.30 times (OR = 2.30; 95% CI: 1.25-4.23) and 2.12 times (OR = 2,12; 95% CI: 1.08-4.18) more likely to have low resilience compared to elementary school teachers. Conclusions: Our study findings suggest a high prevalence of stress and low resilience among teachers in the three Canadian provinces. Administrators, policymakers in the educational field, school boards, and governments should integrate stress management and resilience-building strategies into teachers' training and continuing professional development programs.

An update to the technology education teaching framework: factors that support and hinder technology education teachers in Canada

An update to the technology education teaching framework: factors that support and hinder technology education teachers in Canada

Designing historical empathy learning experiences: a pedagogical tool for history teachers

This article explores the pedagogies that history teachers use to foster historical empathy, drawing from interviews with secondary school history teachers in Canada. The findings highlight that historical empathy is nurtured by teachers over time using a variety of different teaching approaches and activities, tasks and projects. The article begins by examining the pedagogical choices that teachers make when designing and implementing historical empathy lessons, categorised as implicit, thematic, student-centred, scaffolded and comparative approaches. Next, consideration is given to the types of learning experiences that teachers use to develop historical empathy, and some of the opportunities and challenges involved. These learning experiences include role plays and simulations, first- and third-person writing tasks, experiential learning and virtual reality, and collaborative and project-based learning. The perspectives shared by the teachers in this study contributed towards the development of a research-informed pedagogical tool to guide the future design of learning experiences that foster historical empathy, which may be applied by teachers across educational jurisdictions, and adapted for various grade levels.

Burnout among elementary and high school teachers in three Canadian provinces: prevalence and predictors.

Burnout is a longstanding issue among educators and has been associated with psychological and physical health problems such as depression, and insomnia. To assess the prevalence and predictors of the three dimensions of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and lack of professional accomplishment) among elementary and high school teachers. This is a quantitative cross-sectional study with data collected via an online survey. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educator Survey (MBI-ES), the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) and the Perceived Stress Scale were used, respectively, to assess burnout, resilience and stress among teachers. Data was collected between September 1st, 2022 and August 30th, 2023. SPSS (version 28, IBM Corp) was used for the data analysis. Overall, 1912 educators received a link to the online survey via a text message, and 780 completed the burnout survey questions, resulting in a response rate of 41%. The prevalence of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of professional accomplishment were 76.9, 23.2, and 30.8%, respectively. Participants with high-stress symptoms were 6.88 times more likely to experience emotional exhaustion (OR = 6.88; 95% CI: 3.31-14.29), 2.55 times (OR = 2.55; 95% CI: 1.65-3.93) more likely to experience depersonalization and 2.34 times (OR = 2.34; 95% CI: 1.64-3.35) more likely to experience lack of professional fulfilment. Additionally, respondents with low resilience were 3.26 times more likely to experience emotional exhaustion symptoms (OR = 3.26; 95% CI: 2.00-5.31), than those with high resilience. Males were about 2.4 times more likely to present with depersonalization compared to female teachers, whilst those who indicated their marital status as partnered or cohabiting and those who selected "other" were 3.5 and 7.3 times, respectively, more likely to present with depersonalization compared with those who were single. Finally, Physical Education were 3.8 times more likely to present with depersonalization compared with English teachers. The current study highlights the predictive effects of low resilience and high stress on the three dimensions of burnout among teachers in Canada. Interventions aimed at addressing systemic stress and fostering resilience are needed to reduce burnout among teachers.

Predictors of Self-Efficacy for Inclusive Education: A Comparison of Canada and Germany

This study investigated group and individual differences in beginning secondary school teachers’ self-efficacy for the inclusive classroom in Canada and Germany. This research complements previous Canadian and German research that compared the self-efficacy of pre-service teachers in each country, as well as those experiences that contributed to their self-efficacy. In the current study, 110 Canadian and 90 German beginning teachers completed the Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practice scale and the Beliefs About Learning and Teaching Questionnaire and described their experience with diverse populations. As a group, Canadian teachers were higher in their self-efficacy for implementing inclusive instruction and for engaging in collaboration with families and colleagues. The groups did not differ on self-efficacy for managing behaviour, though males felt more efficacious than females. Overall, country accounted for 18% and 11% of the variance in self-efficacy for inclusive instruction and for collaboration, respectively. Additional individual differences in self-efficacy for instruction and for managing behaviour were accounted for by participants’ experiences with diverse populations. Finally, participants’ beliefs that aligned with student-centred approaches accounted for unique variance in self-efficacy for inclusive instruction and collaboration. Results are discussed in the context of prior research and possible considerations for teacher education programs.

Teaching about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People: Implications for Canadian Educators

The 2019 National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls called on educators at all levels to raise awareness about the phenomenon of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people (MMIWG2S) and its root causes as connected to centuries of colonial violence and ongoing systemic discrimination. This article responds to that call by showcasing the experiences of eight teachers already teaching about MMIWG2S, the recommendations of 11 adolescent Indigenous girl activists, and the guidance provided in the Their Voices Will Guide Us teaching and learning guide, published alongside the National Inquiry’s final report. We draw upon the combined perspectives to encourage teachers in Canada to address the issue of MMIWG2S with their students, moving past representations of colonial violence as historical to examining how it affects the lives and deaths of far too many Indigenous people in Canada today.

Perceived Gender wise Judgement of NETs on English Language Errors

The purpose of this study entitled 'Perceived Gender wise Judgement of English Language Errors' was to evaluate and determine the gravity of English language errors in terms of acceptability and intelligibility by the native English speaking teachers. Quantitative research methodology was utilized in this study. An error evaluation questionnaire consisting of 100 questions which were collected from the works of the higher secondary school level students was prepared with a Likert scale survey. The questionnaire was mailed to the teachers of colleges and universities of the native English speaking countries and 100 useable surveys were received electronically for a response rate of 50%, which is a good response rate for a mail survey. Received responses were analyzed using an SPSS programme and explained descriptively. The result of the study revealed that country wise native English speaking teachers judge the ESL errors alike in acceptability judgement whereas in intelligibility judgement, female teachers are found to judge the errors slightly ahead by 3.49%. Overall, both these sub-groups of teachers have perceived the errors almost similar. Moreover, the results reveal that out of the five country English speaking teachers, Australian male teachers have shown their most severity in evaluation of errors and the New Zealander teachers employed lenient patterns in their evaluation patterns. Likewise, the most severe male teachers are the Australian teachers (77.55%/58.78%) and the most severe female teachers are the New Zealander (70.96%) and American (70.12%/56.13%) teachers whereas the most lenient male teachers are the Canadian teachers (56.62%/44.10%) and the most lenient female teachers are the Australian (65.98%) and Canadian (50.84%) teachers. It is recommended that the native English speaking teachers’ evaluation of the learner errors should direct to formulate a common error evaluation pattern which can be utilized in the classrooms so that the teachers of English become aware of such universal rating scales of the ESL errors.

Linking digital, visual, and civic literacy in an era of mis/disinformation: Canadian teachers reflect on using the Questioning Images tool

ABSTRACTThe spread of mis- and dis-information during elections creates an opportunity and an imperative to cultivate and develop critical civic literacy with young people. Leading up to the 2019 Canadian federal election, researchers worked with Canadian non-governmental organisation (NGO) CIVIX to translate research on visual media literacy into an innovative and timely teaching resource: Questioning Images. This paper explores what teachers’ responses to using this particular resource can highlight about the links between visual literacy, digital literacy, and civic literacy, to support critical digital citizenship education. After setting up the background to the study, we present key themes from focus groups with teachers who used the resource and then consider implications. Overall, we found the tool supported teachers in deepening their understanding of, and approach to, digital literacy and highlighting the importance of visual literacy, and it supported political education and civic literacy during and beyond the 2019 election. We argue, however, that further resourcing is needed to support a comprehensive approach to visual culture where digital, visual, and civic literacies are mutually constitutive and where visual analysis goes beyond verification to offer ways of understanding visual disinformation in terms of its broader civic implications.

From Missionary Zeal to Holiday Appeal: Summer School, Professionalization, and Teachers in Canada, 1915-1959

Abstract For over forty years, presidents of the Summer School Association of Queen’s University wrote annually to teachers across Canada, encouraging them to attend summer courses for credit toward a bachelor of arts. In the 1920s, presidents’ messages associated attendance with societal progress and the professionalization of teaching. In the 1930s, such messages linked attendance with personal growth and career development. In the 1940s and 1950s, they linked attendance with having an enjoyable summer vacation. This article analyzes how and why these messages evolved and argues that the underlying structure of the messages remained consistent: they were means through which Queen’s Summer School Association presidents marked symbolic boundaries between more and less professional teachers. This article contributes to our understanding of the social history of teacher education by interpreting a unique primary data source to explore the participation of teachers themselves in the construction of symbolic boundaries marking professional status.

Examining digital capital and digital inequalities in Canadian elementary schools: Insights from teachers

Research on digital inequalities and their societal implications has garnered significant attention from scholars around the globe, emphasizing the urgency to understand their impact on individuals' everyday lives. However, studies investigating these inequalities within educational settings from teachers' perspectives remain scarce. This study addresses this gap by examining the experiences of eight elementary school teachers in Canada through a collective case study approach. Despite diverse urban and rural backgrounds, teachers unanimously recognized digital inequalities among their students. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews that explored available technologies, usage patterns, and frequency of implementation; the development of students’ digital literacies skills; and the digital inequalities that may or may not impact students. Analyses reveal inequalities including disparities in device availability and ratio, discrepancies in the types and purposes of online engagement and skill development, and inequalities of digital confidence and empowerment. The findings highlight the prevalence and exacerbation of digital inequalities among students, underscoring the influential role of students' digital capital in shaping their digital experiences and offline outcomes. Moreover, the study reveals that the inequalities faced by teachers can further intensify the digital divide among students. Consequently, concerted efforts are needed to address these inequalities to promote more equitable access to digital resources and opportunities for all students, as well as targeted professional development for educators. This research emphasizes the importance of considering teachers' perspectives in understanding and mitigating the impact of digital inequalities on culture and society.

Multilingual pedagogies and digital technologies to support learning STEM in schools in France and Canada

ABSTRACT For many years, French and Canadian schools have welcomed students from around the world. This article presents the Binogi/ESCAPE project, which supports the integration of a multilingual digital resource in the classroom that presents STEM content through a multilingual lens with associated animated videos and quizzes. The study aims to encourage the inclusion of multiple languages in STEM content in both language-based (FSL/ESL) and content-based (STEM) classrooms. Researchers collected data during the 2020–2022 school years through focus groups, interviews, logs, observations, and questionnaires. Study participants included 17 teachers in France and 18 teachers in Canada. The results show that opening up to languages through a multilingual resource works as a springboard, allowing teachers and their students to find innovative ways to include other languages. Teachers who have used the resource have also appreciated the use of Binogi for instructional differentiation. Binogi's multilingual features supported translanguaging activities in the classroom, linking STEM content to literacy activities. However, more research is needed to understand how to train teachers to use multilingual resources to better support newcomer students.

Teachers’ Collaborations in a Secondary School Learning Commons: Designing for Success

Few studies focus on secondary school teachers’ reactions to learning commons with respect to their collaborations with each other, and with teaching librarians—especially before and after a retrofit. The present case study gathered data from Canadian teachers about their former library, as well as a new learning commons. Teachers’ attitudes about the learning commons were significantly more positive compared to the previous library. Technology, communication, and flexibility were aspects noted to predict satisfaction. Teachers were concerned with the loss of desktop computers. This study showcases the importance of (and a method for) asking teachers how a learning commons affects their work.

Facilitating students’ return to school following a concussion: Perspectives of Canadian teachers and school administrators

Facilitating students’ return to school following a concussion: Perspectives of Canadian teachers and school administrators

Conceptions of classroom assessment and approaches to grading: teachers’ and students’ perspectives

ABSTRACT Classroom assessment and grading play central roles in education, with important impacts on teachers and students. This study examined the interactions between Canadian teachers’ and students’ conceptions of assessment and approaches to grading. 219 teachers and students completed a survey with two scales: Teachers’ Conceptions of Assessment (TCOA) and Teachers’ Approaches to Grading (TAG). Factor analysis of the TCOA scale showed four factors: assessment to improve teaching and learning, negative or irrelevant assessment, assessment for student and school accountability, and inaccurate assessment. Analysis of the TAG survey also showed four factors: social-emotional pressures for grade increases/changes, situational considerations for grade increases/changes, contextual-based grading, and achievement-based grading. Discriminant analysis showed that four out of these eight factors from the two scales had the strongest effects on teachers’ and students’ membership in their respective groups. The results contribute to a more complete understanding of assessment cultures as conceived by teachers and students.

Teacher anger as a double-edged sword: Contrasting trait and emotional labor effects

In contrast to teachers’ positive emotions, such as enjoyment and enthusiasm, teachers’ negative emotions and the regulation of negative emotions have received limited empirical attention. As the most commonly experienced negative emotion in teachers, anger has to date demonstrated mixed effects on teacher development. On the one hand, habitual experiences of anger (i.e., trait anger) exhaust teachers’ cognitive resources and impair pedagogical effectiveness, leading to poor student engagement. On the other hand, strategically expressing, faking, or hiding anger in daily, dynamic interactions with students can help teachers achieve instructional goals, foster student concentration, and facilitate student engagement. The current study adopted an intensive daily diary design to investigate the double-edged effects of teachers’ anger. Multilevel structural equation modeling of data from 4,140 daily diary entries provided by 655 practicing Canadian teachers confirmed our hypotheses. Trait anger in teachers was found to impair teacher-perceived student engagement. Daily genuine expression of anger corresponded with greater teacher-perceived student engagement; daily faking anger impaired perceived student engagement, and daily hiding anger showed mixed results. Moreover, teachers tended to hide anger over time, and were reluctant to express anger, genuine or otherwise, in front of their students. Finally, genuine expression and hiding of anger had only a temporary positive association with teacher-perceived student engagement, with student rapport being optimal for promoting sustained observed student engagement.

Declining nudes: Canadian teachers’ responses to including sexting in the sexual health and human development curriculum

ABSTRACT Addressing sexting in sexual health education classrooms is one way of supporting young people to become good sexual citizens and to emphasise respect and consent in their sexual practices and in their lives. While a fair amount of research has worked with youth to understand their motivations for sexting, less research has been conducted with in-service teachers to understand their perspectives, pedagogical approaches, and beliefs regarding young people and sexting. Set in this context, this paper discusses findings from interviews with Canadian teachers who were teaching a new Ontario Health and Physical Education curriculum that included discussions of sexting. Our findings suggest that many teachers are still engaging discourses of risk, shame and blame when they talk to their students about sexting. Likewise, longstanding gender norms and stereotypical sexual scripts are evident in the ways in which many teachers both understand and teach sexting. Some teachers, however, are engaging in more promising pedagogical practices that frame sexting as having a range of uses, outcomes, and purposes, painting a more holistic picture of young people’s sexting landscapes. Findings from this paper may be useful for educators and policymakers creating sexting curriculum for young people in educational settings.