The French Connection: French Immersion teachers' perspectives on identity and teaching French Immersion
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Authors
Portelance, François-Daniel
Date
Type
thesis
Language
eng
Keyword
French Immersion , French as a Second Language , FSL , Second Language Education , Bilingual Education , Identity
Alternative Title
Abstract
As Canada continues to struggle with its French as a Second Language (FSL) teacher shortage, it is imperative to examine why this leaky pipeline persists. Despite increasing student enrollment to French Immersion (FI) programs in Ontario, school boards are still facing a challenge in hiring and retaining qualified FI teachers, signaling the need for Ministries of Education, school boards, and educational researchers to investigate contributing factors to the shortage. To understand this scarcity, this thesis examines FI teachers’ professional and personal identities, and beliefs about FI programs in Ontario. Through an exploratory sequential mixed methods (ESMM) approach, this inquiry sought to answer two research questions: (1) What are the roles of Ontario FI teachers’ beliefs in teaching FI and perceptions of the programs?, and (2) How do Ontario FI teachers characterize their professional and personal identities? Participants were recruited through a social media campaign and snowball strategy to complete an anonymous questionnaire online. Once the questionnaire was completed, they had the opportunity to express interest in participating in an interview. Data was analyzed sequentially with questionnaire data thematically informing interview questions. Integration of data occurred at two points in the phased approach: initially during the question development and design, and during the interpretive phase. Results of the study reveal the complex linguistic identities of Ontario FI teachers and how they conceptualize the Francophone identity (i.e., a “true” Francophone). Participants also expressed concern over equity-focused challenges, resource accessibility, and professional development opportunities to support their growth and the increasing demands placed on FI educators. The discussion shares theoretical and practical implications for FI programs in Ontario that may support researchers, educators, policy-makers and higher education institutions in addressing the needs of FI teachers in Ontario, and Canada more broadly.
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Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International
ProQuest PhD and Master's Theses International Dissemination Agreement
Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University
Copying and Preserving Your Thesis
This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International