template pme28 emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca forward dr. nancy arthur professor and associate dean research, werklund school of education university of calgary it is my pleasure to introduce the inaugural issue of emerging perspectives: interdisciplinary graduate research in education and psychology. this journal was conceptualized to support graduate students to participate in a culture of research through interdisciplinary collaboration. that idea prompted discussion between graduate students in the werklund school of education about the importance of knowledge mobilization and publishing in professional journals. many students enter a graduate program with little information about the publishing process and the importance of publishing their scholarly work. rather than viewing academic publishing as an exception for graduate students, i invite the readership to consider knowledge mobilization, in forms such as academic publishing, to be a responsibility associated with conducting research. yet, many graduate students feel shy or intimidated about the process, mostly due to lack of experience or mentorship. launching a new journal takes both courage and leadership. the courage part involved stepping into unknown territory to shape new directions. the leadership part, in this case, involved a few individuals who developed an idea, who expended the effort to bring together colleagues that shared in the vision, who consulted and sought mentorship about how to get started, and who sustained the momentum necessary to move this initiative forward. the idea of a graduate student journal was nurtured to offer graduate students with more opportunities to submit manuscripts through a blind, peer-reviewed process. this would not have been possible without supporting graduate students to learn about the operations and functions of producing an international journal. as a result, the basic idea has transformed into the first issue of an international and interdisciplinary journal focused on graduate student research. this journal is unique in several ways. first, the journal has been developed by a dedicated group of graduate students who, beyond minimal encouragement and resources, have taken the idea forward in a process that they have designed and implemented. second, the journal was grounded in education in a broad manner, through recognition of the many streams that comprise educational research. the title of the journal connotes the strong connections between education and arthur / emerging perspectives (2017) i-ii ii psychology that inform the aims of the journal. as a result, emerging perspectives is interdisciplinary in scope, offering an important forum for the exchange of scholarly perspectives. i want to applaud the editors and editorial team who embraced the vision for the journal and who mobilized other people to develop emerging perspectives. i also want to encourage other graduate students to get involved through submitting articles or learning about ways to support the journal as a reviewer or future member of the editorial team. these are the kinds of experiences that stretch your learning, help you to expand your professional skills, and contribute to the culture of research. i look forward to seeing the future growth of this important initiative to showcase the scholarly writing of graduate students. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca introduction doctoral seminar 2017: an international journey janet groen, professor and associate dean graduate programs sylvie roy, professor and associate dean research werklund school of education university of calgary it is our pleasure to introduce this special issue called doctoral seminar 2017: an international journey for the emerging perspectives: interdisciplinary graduate research in education and psychology. the international doctoral seminar (ids) emerged out of a formal partnership between the faculties/schools of education at beijing normal university (bnu), china, queensland university of technology (qut), australia and the werklund school of education, here at the university of calgary. within the international doctoral research seminar, we promote research collaborations and cultivate cross cultural competencies among doctoral students and faculty members at our three universities. a central component of this partnership involves a joint annual international doctoral research seminar, where four to five doctoral students from each university (12-15 students in total) come together to spend a week at the hosting university to consider doctoral research across cultures, through the chosen theme of the seminar. the international doctoral seminar (ids) held in brisbane in 2017, focusing on research in education: transcultural perspectives, was the last iteration of the first three-year cycle and the articles found in this special issue are a sample of what our doctoral students achieved and learned during their time in this program. as you will see, the articles are written from two or more team members across the universities making this special issue exceptional in demonstrating the impact of this program; specifically, the emergence of doctoral student collaborative research across the three universities. the first article offers reflective space that focuses on decolonizing dissertations. specifically, czuy and hogarth discuss how indigenous ways could allow a blurring of the boundaries typically associated with the standard dissertation. the authors of the next two articles explore how the transcultural journey they undertook expanded their perspective as emerging scholars. first, becker and yin consider how the opportunity to engage in collaborative writing, beyond the actual seminar event itself, was pivotal in developing their transcultural development. second, ko, jiao, and corser reflect on how the intertwining of both the formal events, such as lectures and presentations, as well as informal opportunities, like the visit to the koala sanctuary, offered a rich context for their shifting understanding of themselves as researchers. finally, downes and kim, who both take up critical discourse analysis (cda) as their analytical framework in their respective dissertation work, consider how their transcultural experiences have benefitted their understanding of cda and its application to their research. congratulations to all the authors and the editorial team of this special issue of epigrep. this is an exciting and inspirational achievement that we hope will be the beginning groen & roy/ emerging perspectives (2019) iii-iv iv iv of special issues focused on collaborative writing that emerges from doctoral students located in universities around the world. articles circling the square: indigenizing the dissertation by kori czuy and melitta hogarth a tale of two scholars: developing transculturally through dialogue and writing by sandra becker and melody yue yin a transcultural journey: an ensemble of canadian, chinese, and australian doctoral students’ experiences by gina ko, nan jiao, and kristy corser critical discourse analysis in transcultural spaces by lynn downes and marcia kim emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca book review / recension d’ouvrage the mathematics education of prospective secondary teachers around the world by marilyn e. strutchens, rongjin huang, leticia losano, despina potari, márcia cristina de costa trindade cyrino, joão pedro da ponte, and rose mary zbiek springer international publishing, 2017, 58 pages isbn: 978-3-319-38964-6 (paperback) reviewed by/ revu par donghyun seo1 university of calgary seo, d. (2018). [review of the book the mathematics education of prospective secondary teachers around the world, by m. e. strutchens, r. huang, l. losano, d. potari, m. c. de c. t. cyrino, j. p. da ponte and r. m. zbiek]. emerging perspectives, 2(1), 1-2. the mathematics education of prospective secondary teachers around the world, by strutchens et al. (2017), reviews current research on prospective secondary mathematics teachers’ (psmt) knowledge, preparation and technology, professional identity, and field experiences. therefore, this book will be very useful for researchers who are interested in the recent studies on psmts. the first part, chapter two, clearly outlines current research on psmts’ knowledge of mathematics and mathematics teaching by reviewing journal articles. the authors focused on studies about psmts’ knowledge of mathematical content, aspects of knowledge, and theoretical perspectives governing the articles. chapter two also describes the studies focusing on the relationship between psmt’s content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. lastly, the authors review studies on the impact of teacher education programs on knowledge and the actual process of development in the teacher education program. the authors conclude that research shows psmt knowledge is plagued by conceptual difficulties in mathematics. chapter three addressed the relationship between psmt preparation and technology. the authors had searched mathematics education journals and had surveyed how psmts' knowledge is framed by technological, pedagogical and content knowledge and the relationship between teacher practica and technology. they concluded that studies show that preparing psmts to teach secondary mathematics with technology is important, and technology can help with questions about student-centered instruction and in lesson planning. chapter four analyzed how psmts establish their identities through pre-service education. the authors reviewed 14 articles related to professional identity, and they concluded that most of the articles argue for the importance of field experiences, and 1 donghyun.seo@ucalgary.ca seo / emerging perspectives (2018) 2 according to the current research, the teacher education programs should offer more time for psmts to think about their professional identity. chapter 5 focused on psmts’ field experiences. the authors reviewed studies related to field experiences including field experiences connected to methods courses, student teaching experience, relationships with cooperating teachers and university supervisors, and program organization of field experiences. the authors concluded that the studies provide valuable insights into how to effectively incorporate field experiences into the preparation of psmts. there are two things that could have been better in this book. first, the authors did not try to survey journal articles about the quality of the faculty of the teacher education programs, and they only focused on studies showing that psmt knowledge is plagued. this book would have been more useful if the authors had reviewed articles reviewing both psmts and the faculty members because the qualities of the faculty members have a major influence on psmt knowledge (baştürk, 2011). second, it would have been better if the authors had tried to review journal articles also arguing whether the faculty of the teacher education programs are ready to teach how to use technology. for example, the authors could find articles asking the following questions: are college faculty members fully capable of teaching psmts how to use technology? how many faculty members know more about the smart board than teachers? do psmts need to learn how to use the smart board during student teaching practice, but not in college? the authors concluded that studies show technology is important. however, the authors did not focus on studies arguing how to prepare psmts to teach secondary mathematics with technology. blackwell and yost (2013) found that there are many teacher candidates who possess the ability to use technologies on multiple levels, but baby boomer teacher educators are not capable of creating opportunities for these students that allow them to use their technology skills. in summary, this book serves as a sufficient source of information on current studies about the education of psmts. however, this book would have had a nice balance if it had also focused also on the studies about the quality of the faculty of the teacher education programs. references baştürk, s. (2011). mathematics teacher candidates’ evaluations of teaching and learning process in faculty of education. international journal of human sciences, 8(1), 58-94. blackwell, j., & yost, n. (2013). teacher education programs and technology: preparing teacher candidates for working with p-8 students. childhood education, 89(5), 325. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca review of the book developing self-regulation of learning and teacher skills among teacher candidates by héfer bembenutty, marie c. white and miriam r. vélez new york, /usa: springerbriefs in education, 2015, 134 pages isbn: 978-94-017-9949-2 (paperback) reviewed by lena barrantes elizondo* university of calgary barrantes elizondo, l. (2017). [review of the book developing self-regulation of learning and teacher skills among teacher candidates, by h. bembenutty, m. c. white, & m. r. vélez]. emerging perspectives, 1(2), 1-2. zimmerman and schunk (2011) defined self-regulation learning as “the processes whereby learners personally activate and sustain cognitions, affects and behaviours that are systematically oriented toward the attainment of personal goals” (p.1). these processes make learners cognizant of their academic strengths and weaknesses. in their book, bembenutty, white and vélez (2015) shared an integral account of a 4-year, longitudinal case study that reports the success of enhancing self-regulatory skills, self-efficacy and the sense of agency of undergraduate students in their teacher preparation program (p. 1). the book has seven chapters, preceded by the editors’ preface and two forewords by w. mckeachie and a. kitsantas, respectively. each chapter has a well-crafted discussion of the topics that make the book particularly easy to follow. however, each chapter also has its own abstract, keywords and a list of references that interferes with fluent reading of the book. this text is targeted to an audience of education college and university instructors. unfortunately, it is loaded with particular research details of the study reported. in chapters, one, three, four and six, the authors introduce and develop in detail their research methodology. this book describes step by step the case study design used; however, i would have liked to see more attention to the findings and their contribution to similar contexts and future research. instead, the book devotes most of its pages to document one specific study. chapter seven presents a brief but clear examination of the major findings. here lies some of the main contribution of this section and the book itself, which is that it reveals that teacher candidates can be more effective teachers if they have training on self-regulation and have strong support from their peers, their instructors and their institution. there is much of value in this book for teacher education program stakeholders seeking to foster self-regulatory strategies in teacher candidates’ learning experiences. i suspect; however, that students reading alone will find the book limited to a report of a study. the theoretical heart of the book, though short, is the chapter that deals with the theoretical contributions and brings into perspective the issue of student self-regulation. it is an asset that * lena.barrantes@ucalgary.ca barrantes elizondo / emerging perspectives 2 takes a look at the understanding of self-regulation and self-efficacy. to be specific, self-efficacy is approached by examining its role in learning and in teachers’ beliefs where bandura (1997) and zimmerman’s (2000; 2002) theoretical constructions are the basis of understanding. this chapter then explains the cyclical phases and developmental levels of self-regulation. furthermore, the book presents research evidence of the contribution of these theories in the documented experiences of four teacher candidates. supporting themes in this book are derived from the main findings described in chapter seven. the researchers reported motivation, cognition, resource management and academic environment as the main themes each of them with a list of subcategories. for example, selfefficacy beliefs for learning and teaching, intrinsic motivation, and goal setting were important guides for student-teachers’ actions and motivation. similarly, organizational skills and metacognitive self-regulation informed cognition. regarding resource management, control of time and study, and academic delay of gratification were key findings. finally, four external environmental factors influenced participants' learning and teaching endeavours: the resources available, instructor expectations, the nature of learning activity and the nature of the social context and level of support. along with these main findings, the role of social skills such as seeking for help and asking questions was a distinguishing characteristic of the teacher candidates. this book’s greatest strength is that it shows how self-regulation can be fostered and studied in teacher preparation training. in addition to proving of particular interest for professional and graduate student audiences interested in self-regulation issues, the book should provide a valuable resource for teacher trainers examining self-efficacy, self-control, help seeking and support from the institution for teacher candidates and in-service teachers. the authors give a report on their case study and share an extensive reference list. they highlight the importance of taking a proactive and strategic approach by teacher trainers. the main limitation of this book is that it is restricted to be a brief report of a single research in a particular context; however, it certainly makes the reader want to delve deeper into the subject. regarding research procedures, the limited participant sample size (four studentteachers) makes the conclusions reported restricted to four hispanic teacher candidates in an urban setting. also, the findings report in chapter seven is shorter than expected. the lack of a thick description when putting all pieces together in this section makes for too brief of an account. references bandura, a. (1997). self-efficacy: the exercise of control. new york, ny:w.h. freeman. bembenutty, h., white, m.c., & vélez, m.r. (2015). developing self-regulation of learning and teacher skills among teacher candidates. new york, ny: springer. zimmerman, b.j. (2000). attainment of self-regulation: a social cognitive perspective. in m. boekaerts, p.r. pintrich, & m. zeidner (eds.), handbook of self-regulation (pp.13-39). san diego, ca: academic press. zimmerman, b.j. (2002). becoming a self-regulated learner: an overview. theory into practice, 41(2), 64-70. zimmerman, b. j. & schunk, d. h. (2011). handbook of self-regulation of learning and performance. new york, ny: routledge. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca review of the book aboriginal student engagement and achievement: educational practices and cultural sustainability by lorenzo cherubini vancouver, british columbia/canada: ubc press, 2014, 200 pages isbn: 978-0-7748—2656-3 (paperback) reviewed by gabrielle lindstrom university of calgary lindstrom, g. (2017). [review of the book aboriginal student engagement and achievement: educational practices and cultural sustainability, by l. cherubini]. emerging perspectives, 1, (1), 31-33. “the asp is successful because students believe that it can sustain their cultural identity and foster their abilities as learners” (cherubini, p. 104). introduction in his book, lorenzo cherubini, a professor in education from brock university, presents the culmination of a comprehensive and holistic research study that evaluates an aboriginal student program (asp) implemented at a secondary school in ontario in order to address high dropout rates amongst aboriginal students attending grades 9-12. importantly, the book not only tells a story of aboriginal students in public education systems but also situates the narrative within a broader socio-historical context that serves to provide the reader with significant insights into how the education system in canada has failed aboriginal youth. cherubini’s exploration of the asp offers educators, administrators, parents, policymakers and other stakeholders an alternate vision of aboriginal student engagement that is grounded in traditional aboriginal cultural practices and integrated with mainstream academic supports, thus fostering positive cultural identity and nurturing the academic success of aboriginal students. in this review, i will provide an overview of the contextual background and organization of the book, highlight key points within each chapter, and offer an evaluative and critical commentary on its overall impact. background of the study using an education policy document put forth by the ontario ministry of education (2007) as the impetus for the undertaking this study, cherubini establishes that the asp was implemented because of high aboriginal student dropout rates resulting from a general lack of cultural supports and culturally-appropriate learning materials. the asp is mandated to provide peer leadership opportunities and culturally relevant supports to instil positive attachment to aboriginal identity and awareness in aboriginal students. lindstrom / emerging perspectives (2017) 31-33 32 organization of the book the book consists of five chapters that are divided into two parts. part one offers an introduction and background of the study coupled with the author’s methodological approach to the research and accompanying methods. cherubini employed a mixed-methods, case study, or ‘case-story,’ approach, and a qualitative, social constructivist approach to data analysis that was translated into a sequential narrative. qualitative and quantitative data were supplemented with document analyses of student attendance records and progress reports. part two, encompassing chapters three to five, provides an overview of the qualitative data from the perspectives of students, teachers, school administrators, aboriginal parents and community members, as well as quantitative findings and recommendations. specifically, chapter three findings highlight the importance of relationship-building and implementing cultural practices to foster student identities, and address power imbalances and epistemic conflicts within the context of contemporary educational practices. chapter four provides a snapshot of the findings gleaned from the quantitative survey data and document analysis geared specifically to school administrators, and program and curriculum developers. in chapter five, the concluding chapter, cherubini offers a holistic vision of aboriginal student engagement using the aspects of the medicine wheel as the framework for realizing this vision, and argues that educational relevance means creating opportunities for aboriginal students to connect to their culture to create a “positive self-image that speaks to their everyday realities” (p. 119). critical evaluation the aim of the cherubini’s book was to develop a holistic framework for evaluating an aboriginal student support program in a high school that has a large population of aboriginal students, and it successfully achieved this goal. this undertaking was especially challenging in that cherubini approached the project from an aboriginal perspective and incorporated aboriginal research methods; a difficult task for one who is not aboriginal. the faculty survey was most telling of how teacher education programs and entrance benchmarks are reflective of an overall eurocentric worldview endemic to canadian society. moreover, cherubini highlights how teacher education programs are effective in replicating this worldview and smothering the perspectives of aboriginal students. the eurocentric approach of teacher education programs points to a general need for the overhaul of teacher education programs in universities in order to provide pre-service teachers with opportunities to foster reflexive practice, confront eurocentrism and develop a culturally-inclusive approach to teaching. additionally, cherubini provides alarming evidence that professional development (pd) aimed at increasing awareness of the learning needs of aboriginal students goes largely unheeded and has little impact on teachers’ evaluation or teaching strategies regardless of teaching experience or number of pd opportunities offered by school districts. although cherubini provides a comprehensive analysis of his data and synthesizes this into useful recommendations for supporting aboriginal students in high school in the context of accommodating their learning styles, he does not identify or make reference to what these learning styles are or how they might differ from mainstream students. this was an aspect of the book that created a cognitive separation between aboriginal and non-aboriginal students, which relationship-building and cultural supports seemed inadequate to bridge. reports similar to cherubini’s, such as the canadian council on learning (2007), also emphasize how education systems must take into account the lived realities of aboriginal students but further considers aboriginal learning in a more tangible and focused way than cherubini is able to offer. lindstrom / emerging perspectives (2017) 31-33 33 conclusion as an aboriginal person who has both experienced mainstream schooling within a high school context and now instructs pre-service teachers, certain aspects of cherubini’s overall narrative validate these experiences but also provide significant insight into the future challenges we need to overcome in order to successfully engage aboriginal students and increase school completion rates. cherubini’s book offers a significant contribution to the landscape of aboriginal education, opportunities to make further advances in this field, and expands on specific areas related to learning in order to provide increased clarity into the nature of how aboriginal students learn most effectively. references canadian council on learning. (2007). redefining how success is defined in first nations, metis and inuit learning. ottawa: communications, canadian council on learning. cherubini, l. (2014). aboriginal student engagement and achievement: educational practices and cultural sustainability. vancouver: ubc press. ontario federation of indian friendship centres. (2007). ontario first nations, metis and inuit policy framework. toronto: aboriginal education office. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca book review / recension d’ouvrage issues in materials development by maryam azarnoosh, mitra zeraatpishe, akram faravani, and hamid reza kargozari (eds.) rotterdam, the netherlands: sense publishers, 2016, 225 pages isbn: 978-94-6300-430-5 (paperback) reviewed by/ revu par rahim pira university of calgary pira, r. (2019). [review of the book issues in materials development, by maryam azarnoosh, mitra zeraatpishe, akram faravani, and hamid reza kargozari (eds.)]. emerging perspectives, 3(3), 1-4. issues in materials development, edited by maryam azarnoosh, mitra zeraatpishe, akram faravani, and hamid reza kargozari, is a resource for materials developers and other readers who are new to the field of english as a second language (esl) and english as a foreign language (efl). it offers a practical guide on how to incorporate theoretical foundations into practical aspects of designing materials for esl and efl learners. in this book, the editors introduce the basic principles of materials development, assert the importance of materials development, and show its evolution over the past years. the book also discusses the importance of considering learners’ needs in materials development, and designing appropriate materials for four language skills: reading, listening, speaking, and writing. furthermore, the text explains the process and strategies for developing various types of materials for pronunciation, english for specific purposes (esp) vocabulary, and computer assisted language learning. this resource also delves into some important issues in materials development: authenticity of the materials, motivating materials that engage language learners, and universal design in materials development. finally, the authors address the current english language teaching (elt) materials development and propose approaches for further improvement. content and structure issues in materials development consists of sixteen chapters, and each chapter is authored by different contributors. the first chapter, written by brian tomlinson, explains the process and significance of materials development in general and its importance for teachers, material writers, researchers, and applied linguists. in the second chapter, alan malay addresses the principles and procedures in materials development. he lists principles proposed by applied linguists and materials writing practitioners and argues that these “principles need to be based on pragmatic experience, not simply on pira / emerging perspectives (2019) 1-4 2 theoretical systems” (p. 27). while emphasizing human creativity in materials design, the author also discusses macro-level and micro-level processes that are involved in materials design and writing. in the third chapter, alper darici argues for the importance of needs analysis in materials development. darici strongly supports this notion by discussing the reasons for conducting needs analysis and how it can be performed. he further suggests that needs analysis is necessary because “students can sometimes observe or sometimes feel if the lesson plan and the material facilitate their learning. … [and they] can provide the best feedback by drawing our attention to their needs” (p. 31). based on the languageand learner-centered syllabuses, in the fourth chapter of this book, akram faravani and mitra zeraatpishe highlight the process and importance of selection and gradation of materials when designing teaching materials for english language learners. guiding readers to be effective language teachers, john macalister writes about adapting and adopting materials in the fifth chapter. adapting materials occurs through changes made to the content and sequencing, format and presentation, and monitoring and assessment of materials. moreover, the author also outlines the model of language curriculum design that “can be used to inform decisions about adapting materials … [and] about what to adopt. the biggest investment is often the choice of a course book, and so it is important to make the best possible decision” (p. 63). the next four chapters are about developing appropriate materials to support the language skills of esl learners. in the sixth chapter, jayakaran mukundan, abdolvahed zarifi, and seyed ali rezvani kalajahi highlight “important elements that material developers should take into account in selecting and presenting the reading materials…. [and attend to] the selection and presentation of vocabulary items that have proven to significantly affect reading performance” (p. 65). parviz maftoon, hamid reza kargozari, and maryam azarnoosh discuss guidelines for developing listening materials in chapter seven. the chapter describes listening processes, types of listening materials, technologies used for developing these materials, and characteristics of effective listening materials. this is followed by a discussion on developing materials for speaking skills in chapter eight by ivor timmis. timmis points out a gap between theory and practice in speaking skills, and to fill this gap, he promotes designing activities for learners that considers “accuracy, fluency and complexity at specific phases of the planned activity and how learners can be best prepared for each phase” (p. 92). he advocates designing activities that provide scaffolding for the learners and motivate them to speak in english. finally, in chapter nine, jayakaran mukundan, seyed ali rezvani kalajahi, and ruzbeh babaee support developing materials for teaching writing to efl and esl learners. in this chapter, the authors stress the importance of using authentic materials of different types in teaching writing to students and argue that these materials should be developed “after gaining a clear picture of the needs and interests of the target audience” (p. 106). the authors also emphasize making writing an enjoyable activity for language learners. pira / emerging perspectives (2019) 1-4 3 john levis and sinem sonsaat explore designing pronunciation materials for efl and esl learners in chapter ten. they examine three materials development principles: intelligibility in pronunciation materials, integration of pronunciation with the teaching of other skills, and provision of sufficient support for teachers in developing pronunciation materials. in chapter eleven, handoyo puji widodo recounts his research study that was carried out in indonesia to investigate “the pedagogical roles of portfolios in the development of students’ esp vocabulary” (p. 121). he argues that “a portfolio as a tool for learning technical vocabulary aims to expand depth and breadth of technical vocabulary knowledge of students” (p. 121). in chapter twelve, hassan soleimani and maryam mola esmaili document the issues surrounding the contribution of technology and computer in the field of materials development. this interdisciplinary field of study is known as computer assisted language learning (call). chapter thirteen brings up the issue of authenticity in materials development. in this chapter, soufiane trabelsi accentuates the importance of developing authentic texts and materials for enhancing efficient language learning. he also discusses four authenticity approaches from his review of the literature on authenticity in elt area. maria heron, in chapter fourteen, writes about stimulating students’ motivation by using affectively engaging texts. she contends that “if the learners are not affectively engaged with the texts because the content is trivial or they cannot relate to it, they will disconnect and learning will not take place” (p. 159). furthermore, she emphasizes the connection between emotion and motivation, and how this connection can lead to learning and autonomy. chapter fifteen focuses on universal designs when developing materials for english for speakers of other languages (esol). in this chapter, lilia savova investigates esol instructional design that is drawn from “cognitive and constructivist theories of learning as well as from principles of universal design derived from disciplinary and cross-disciplinary design knowledge” (p. 184). savova also provides examples of two universal principles of design: the principle of 80/20 and gestalt principle of similarity. finally, in chapter sixteen, dat bao presents the core qualities of second language teaching materials while stressing on major areas for improvements in today’s elt materials development. bao outlines “four major dimensions that mark the desirability of second language materials” for esl learners: linguistic values, cultural content, learning resources, and learners’ identity and living environment (p. 195). critique one of the strengths of issues in materials development is the discussion of various resources used for developing materials for language learners. for instance, widodo presents the british national corpus (bnc) and the corpus of contemporary american english (coca) and shows how these online resources help the language learners to comprehend “the frequencies of identified words and recognize how words are used in context” (p. 128). within the same chapter, the author also writes about various online dictionaries and the importance of these resources in providing the language learners “with quick access to the meanings of unfamiliar words” (p. 128). pira / emerging perspectives (2019) 1-4 4 according to widodo’s research, these resources have been proven to be successful for language learners; hence, they are invaluable for new and experienced teachers and material developers who want to take advantage of these free, online resources. issues in materials development also provides ample recommendations and suggestions for implementing different strategies when developing teaching materials for esl, efl, and esp learners. its greatest strength lies in promoting a learner-centered approach, one that considers the needs and strengths of the learners, and that values the notion of “one-size-does-not-fit-all.” language learners come from different backgrounds; hence, it is critical for teachers to “consider starting their year applying needs analysis in small scales and then decide what the best is for themselves and their learners” (p. 40). the research studies included in this book are contextualized for learners outside of canada such as indonesia and tunisia. canada is a multicultural society, and language learners in canadian classrooms come from a range of different backgrounds. hence, from a canadian perspective, this book is somewhat limited in providing effective strategies for developing materials for language learners in canada. teachers and materials developers may have to seek additional research that proves the success of these strategies in canadian classrooms. additionally, as a text for developing materials for english language learners, it falls short of being edited carefully, and contains several spelling mistakes, sentences with missing articles and punctuation marks, and minor printing errors. overall, issues in materials development provides a practical and theoretical overview of the issues encountered when developing materials for language learners. language teachers, practitioners, researchers, and educational materials developers would benefit from reading this book because it offers resources for designing classroom content that can build and enhance english language learners’ vocabulary, pronunciation, and reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills. moreover, this book will also provide readers with sufficient knowledge and skills in developing materials that are predominantly learner-centered. as a contemporary text, the book also provides enough exposure to readers on how to integrate technology when developing materials for language learners. reference azarnoosh, m., zeraatpishe, m., faravani, a., & kargozari, h. r. (eds.). (2016). issues in materials development. rotterdam, the netherlands: sense. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca what should i do? what would you do? a counselling psychologist’s interpretation emily pauline williams* university of calgary this article is the product of being asked to reflect on the practice of counselling psychology as an interpretative practice. the author illustrates how her work as a student clinician is nothing but interpretive, and argues that interpretation is a necessary means of understanding and moving with one’s client throughout the therapy process. keywords: interpretive practice, counselling psychology williams, e. p. (2017). what should i do? what would you do? a counselling psychologist’s interpretation. emerging perspectives, 1(2), 1-5. counselling psychology (cp) is an interpretive practice. in the absence of mind reading, counselling psychologists must look and listen for both latent and tangible meanings being produced by the individuals they work with, attending to the bigger story in which clients are involved (patterson, 1974). primarily using words and body language to work with individuals experiencing mental illness is anything but simple. the psychologist must rely on the ever-evolving process of interpretation before ever meeting with the client, all the way to the point of discharge and beyond. this paper is a reflection on the nature of cp as an interpretative practice, emerging from a graduate course in hermeneutic inquiry. as a result of the question—what role does interpretation play in a practice discipline such as psychology?—i offer this position. i provide a brief background on what interpretation is and how it is inherent throughout a counselling psychologist’s interactions with clients. further, i offer an example from my clinical experience, to illustrate the interpretive characteristic of this discipline. the term interpret means to tell the meaning of, or to imagine in the light of individual conviction, judgment, or situation (merriam-webster, n.d.). similarly, cp requires clinicians to use their experiences from academia, training practica, and more generally the experience of their own lives, to enter into someone else’s experience, at times read between the lines, and to set off into unknown territory, all for the possibility that one may flourish (klingle, 2015). no amount of training in the classroom, reading from textbooks, or studying from the great psychotherapists of history totally prepares counselling psychologists for the work they do. human experience is complicated; human experience in addition to mental illness is arguably even more complex (klott, 2013). so, what happens when we interpret this complex experience? how does one arrive at an understanding in the face of ambiguity? perhaps these questions might never be answered in full, nor can they be, but rather, one might better understand life experience as not only constantly changing and evolving, but also always in relation to others (moules, mccaffrey, field, & laing, 2015; sullivan, 2012). * emily.williams@ucalgary.ca williams / emerging perspectives (2017) 2 in order to demonstrate how interpretation is key to cp, one may consider how clinicians might make sense of another’s life, with the aim of improving the other’s quality of life, or improving one’s own practice (klott, 2013). before ever meeting the individual seeking services, a counselling psychologist reads the referral paperwork. a referral may include any amount of information or none at all. nevertheless, this initial process often acts as the rocket launcher into interpretation about that particular client. before even meeting with the client, the counselling psychologist is already interpreting, playing with pieces of the mystery that might be the other, sitting across from them in the therapy room. the counselling psychologist begins case formulation with the pieces of information available to them, including childhood experiences, developmental milestones, attachments to others, and beliefs about themselves and the world around, to name a few (klott, 2013). comprehensive conceptualizations, meaning an integrated formulation of how the individual came to therapy, also include strengths and resources that individuals possess and their goals for treatment (klott, 2013). without this tool to guide us in our work with clients, a clinician without a case conceptualization is directionless while providing services, not fully understanding the client’s background, needs, or where to go next. once services commence, the counselling psychologist engages in the constant interpretative nature of reading the client. based on punctuality, tone of voice, displays of affect, levels of disclosure, use of language, and willingness to try new things to combat symptoms, to name a few, the counselling psychologist gathers a thorough, but never complete understanding of the client. at times, the counselling psychologist is surprised by the client’s accounts. sometimes, being caught off guard by the client’s statement causes the counselling psychologist to pursue further questioning of both the client and the psychologist’s self. why is it that that statement surprised me? was i assuming something of my client? what does it mean that the client chose to tell me this? how does this new information fit into my conceptualization of this client? where do we go from here? the questions can come faster than the answers. the counselling psychologist is also trained to look beyond the individual, to consider how broader social forces might be impacting the client’s presenting concerns (arthur & collins, 2010; bedi et al., 2011). in doing so, the counselling psychologist must also consider the psychologistself as a factor influencing the outcome of services, as the relationship between the client and psychologist is the strongest and most consistent predictor of outcome (martin, 2011; lambert & simon, 2008). there are countless examples that demonstrate how both clients and counselling psychologists act in relation to the other, and to the world around them (martin, 2011). some of these examples include: being touched by a client’s story, becoming invested in the success of the client’s progress, eagerly awaiting to hear how the client’s week was, or the client genuinely wishing to understand the counselling psychologist’s perspective. to be a receptive, tuned in, empathic, and ethical counselling psychologist, one must approach practice knowing and looking for people and experiences to interpret, while also realizing that the client and their experiences may be never fully understood. in the same vein, counselling psychologists must also be aware that the interpretations they are making might not be accurate. interpretations are guided by biases and personal experiences, as everyone comes to a topic with some background knowledge or already acquired belief or value (gadamer, 2013). as moules et al. (2015) articulated, “understanding is always about something that is already there, which means we can never start as if with a blank slate” (p. 43). given that these biases are inescapable, it is critical that counselling psychologists be aware of their preconceived biases or concerns for a topic and remain open to other possibilities. williams / emerging perspectives (2017) 3 the practice of cp is always in fluctuation; the same can be said of interpretation. the following is an example of a relationship that i have with a client. it is a therapeutic relationship that frequently challenges my patience and efforts at better understanding the client’s chaotic world. this particular therapeutic relationship is calling to be interpreted, pulling on my experiences of both theory and people, and what it means to be a professional helper. the client who is dependent and persistent for answers to life’s deepest questions it is 12:25 p.m. on a tuesday, i am sitting at my desk, quickly trying to finish my lunch while also hastily completing the progress note from the client before. i should have enough time to nourish myself and prepare for the client coming in 30 minutes. the phone rings at 12:30 p.m. and i am surprised to see that the call is originating from the clinic’s check in area. “hello, your client is here. she says you have agreed to see her early today,” says the unit clerk. my anxiety and frustration surface, “no her appointment is at 1:00 p.m., like it has been for the last 18 weeks… did she tell you she wanted to be seen early regardless of our regular time?” i hear the unit clerk’s voice and words reflect that this is not his responsibility, to sort out why a client arrived early for her appointment. upon hearing the clerk’s tone, i hang up, not yet having made a decision. the cyclical pattern of thinking continues. is this a teaching moment? do i just let her wait? do i start this session early and be firm that the session will end early as well? my thoughts go on, all the while thinking about the client’s presenting concerns, her need and persistence of me to give her the answers to all of her concerns, many of which happen to be about life’s unanswerable questions. interpretation has already begun. i am reminded of my case conceptualization, which is really a story comprised of many puzzle pieces, packed with salience, exploding with information. this should not surprise me. my interpretation is contextualized by integrating it with my earlier conceptualization. using a case conceptualization is a great tool for counselling psychologists, as it roots us in our client’s experiences, assists us with making sense of the situation, and helps us to identify developmental, precipitating, and maintaining factors contributing to the individual’s difficult experience (klott, 2013). it also provides us with greater empathy for our clients, as we see their actions not as random events, but as contextualized within their unique situations. it is 12:45 p.m. after minutes debating, i walk into the waiting room. while sitting at my desk moments before, i decided it would be best to greet the client and inform her that since she was not scheduled until 1:00 p.m., she will have to wait; however, not everything that is planned in advance is followed through. upon seeing the client’s face and her pacing back and forth throughout the waiting area, i decide to modify the original plan and usher the client into my office. “i have wasted so much of my life already. what should i do? what would you do?” as soon as the client steps foot through the secure threshold, she talks so fast that she nearly runs out of breath. she says that she does not know what to do to get her life “back on track” to where it “should be.” in a completely flat tone and with muted facial expression, the client reports that she is “completely depressed.” i see the client’s typical pattern of communication starting to take flight, scattered speech and big claims without the matching affect. my case conceptualization is coming to life before my eyes. it has not even been three minutes since seeing the client, and i am already making sense of the client’s language, specific word choice, tone of voice, and intense eye contact. the session continues in much of the same way: the client presenting a situation that she perceives as a crisis, persistently and boldly asking me what i would do if i were her. after alerting the client that therapy time is wrapping up, the client launches into another topic, pulling out a notebook to jot down my words, appearing apprehensive that she will have to williams / emerging perspectives (2017) 4 wait another week until her next appointment. i try multiple times to address this dependency and interpersonal style issue, at least interpreted as such through my clinical lens. ten minutes later, the client is escorted back into the waiting room. saying good bye and see you next week feels like a struggle, requiring effort to balance gentle but firm boundaries. frazzled is how i feel every tuesday at 2:15 p.m. the last 75 minutes has been nothing short of a superhuman effort, requiring me to make sense of the client’s ever evolving experience of the world and her persistent and scattered interpersonal style. not only do i apply evidence based interventions and empathically connect with the client, but i also simultaneously attempt to respond and make sense of my own internal reactions to the client. the interpretation of the client, her world, and her experience is not the same understanding that i had the previous week, and certainly not the same as it will be at the time of discharge. in addition to trying to guide the client to a more stable place in life, i must also consider my personal style, my values as a psychologist, and how i present to the client. the client’s world is alive. my world is alive. both of these lives, especially the client with chronic mental illness, are to be interpreted. next tuesday at 1:00 p.m., hopefully not 12:30 p.m., the interpretation continues. regardless of the timing of our sessions, i as well as all counselling psychologists must rely on training and relationships in order to honour the interpretation that makes this discipline what it is. counselling psychology is an interpretive practice. references arthur, n., & collins, s. (2010). culture-infused counselling (2nd ed.). calgary, canada: counselling concepts. bedi, r. p., haverkamp, b. e., beatch, r., cave, d. g., domene, j. f., harris, g. e., & mikhail, a. m. (2011). counselling psychology in a canadian context: definition and description. canadian psychology/psychologie canadienne, 52, 128-138. doi:10.1037/a0023186 gadamer, h. g. (2013). truth and method (bloomsbury revelations; j. weinsheimer & d. g. marshall, trans.). london, uk: bloomsbury. interpret. (n.d.). merriam-webster. retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interpreting klingle, k. (2015). batman and the sticky-fingered maiden: psychology as an interpretive practice. journal of applied hermeneutics. retrieved from http://jah.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/jah/index.php/jah/article/view/95/pdf_1 klott, j. (2013). integrated treatment for co-occurring disorders: treating people, not behaviors. hoboken, new jersey: john wiley & sons, inc. lambert, m. j., & simon, w. (2008). the therapeutic relationship: central and essential in psychotherapy outcome. in s. f. hick & t. bien (eds.), mindfulness and the therapeutic relationship (pp. 19-34). new york: guilford. martin, d. g. (2011). counselling and therapy skills (3rd ed.). long grove, il: waveland press. moules, n. j., mccaffrey, g., field, j. c., & laing, c. m. (2015). conducting hermeneutic research: from philosophy to practice. new york, ny: peter lang. williams / emerging perspectives (2017) 5 patterson, c. h. (1974). relationship counseling and psychotherapy. new york, ny: harper & row. sullivan, e. a. (2012). a critical psychology: interpretation of the personal world. new york, ny: springer science & business media. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca *qianyun.wang@ucalgary.ca weaving identities: experiences of bereavement among chinese immigrants in calgary qianyun wang*, christine walsh university of calgary the loss of a loved one is one of the most stressful events experienced by older adults or young children. bereavement adjustment is more challenging for immigrants, due to social isolation and migratory stress. however, literature on this topic is sparse. to fill this gap, i adopted a phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of spousal bereavement among older chinese immigrants living in calgary. my own bereavement related to the loss of my father as a young child,and witnessing my mother’s grief since then allowed me to reflect on my family’s loss in relation to the experiences of participants. also, our shared identity, as newcomers from china provided me with an insider’s perspective of how immigration and chinese cultural factors played an important role in participants’ bereavement adjustment. this article includes research findings interwoven with my own grief experiences. with 12 in-depth interviews with older chinese immigrants, we shared long-lasting grief, and expressed it in private, with certain rituals. family and ethno-cultural communities were unable to directly help participants in coping with their spousal loss. further, the migratory grief, as experienced by participants and myself, contributed to vulnerability to mental heath issues. there is a need for culturally appropriate bereavement supports and family/community involvement. key words: chinese immigrant, older adult, bereavement, lived experiences, migratory grief wang, q., & walsh, c. (2020). weaving identities: experiences of bereavement among chinese immigrants in calgary. emerging perspectives, 4(1), 1-7. about three years ago when i first arrived in canada from my home in china, i had a conversation with a professor, also an immigrant from china. as we discussed our feelings concerning our respective families living in china and shared our common experiences of parental loss, i unexpectedly burst into tears. this was the first time i was introduced to the english term, bereavement. bereavement refers to the state of and/or responses to losing a loved one (zisook & shear, 2009). i came from a bereaved family as my father passed away when i was seven years of age. bereavement is like air in our small family even though my mother and i never acknowledge it directly. spousal bereavement is one of the most stressful events that adults will experience (holmes & rahe, 1967), similar, in many ways, to parental loss for a young child (lin, sandler, ayers, wolchik, & luecken, 2004). when i was young, i experienced wang & walsh/ emerging perspectives (2020) 2 the absence of fatherhood and kept the grief to myself, and i was never sensitive to my mother’s experiences of bereavement. researchers have suggested that spousal bereavement in immigrants is further complicated by social isolation and migratory stress (martin-matthews, tong, rosenthal, & mcdonald, 2013; saito, 2013). in my social work practice with low-income older chinese immigrants in calgary, i bore witness to their social and economic marginalization and migratory stress. this research, on spousal bereavement among older chinese immigrants, provided me with an opportunity to reflect on the grief experienced in my own family, both the spousal bereavement my mother has been through and the child bereavement that i have experienced. these experiences kindled my interest and consequently, for my master’s thesis i chose to examine spousal bereavement among 12 older chinese immigrants in calgary. through this research i reflected upon the ways in which spousal grief, as expressed by my study participants, was interwoven with my family’s loss. one of my research questions was: what are the lived experiences of widowed older chinese immigrants in coping with their spousal bereavement? in this article, study findings from my master’s thesis are woven together with my own experiences, creating a tapestry illustrating parental and spousal loss complicated by migratory grief. literature review i conducted a systematic literature review of studies on bereavement published in the last 10 years. forty articles focused on older adults in general. i categorized these articles into three themes: effects of spousal loss, adjustment of spousal bereavement, and long-term consequences of widowhood. the themes highlight the breadth of research on spousal bereavement and widowhood among older adults. however, few studies focus specifically on immigrant older adults and older chinese adults, suggesting that cautions are warranted in employing findings from this body of research. only five studies specifically focused on older immigrants in western countries. in terms of studies among older chinese immigrants, one study quantitatively found that older widowed chinese women were more like to live alone, whereas widowed chinese men were more likely to live with family (nguyen & shibusawa, 2013). a qualitative study explored the lived experiences among chinese older women (martin-matthews et al., 2013), and highlighted the importance of supports from ethno-cultural communities. through this literature review i identified service barriers among chinese older immigrants in terms of culture, language and ethnic differences from service providers (dong, bergren, & chang, 2015; lai & chau, 2007). older chinese immigrants also reported feeling unwelcome and unwilling to use any professional supports even though they were in need of these supports (lai & chau, 2007). i also found that older immigrants had limited awareness of mental health services, and that there were low levels of awareness of professional mental health services among ethno-minority older adults, specifically among chinese older adults (sadavoy, meier, & ong, 2004). further, the stigma and self-stigma of mental health issues in chinese communities systematically would prevent chinese from accessing professional mental health services (kung, 2004; li, logan, yee, & ng, 1999; sadavoy, meier, & ong, 2004). methodology the present study explored the experiences of bereavement among older chinese immigrants in calgary through descriptive phenomenology. creswell (2009) suggested that a phenomenological study “describes the meaning for several individuals of their lived experience of a concept or a phenomenon” (p. 57). based on husserl’s (1970) philosophical ideas, lopez wang & walsh/ emerging perspectives (2020) 3 and willis (2004) identified the following three main tenets for descriptive phenomenology: 1) a person’s consciousness is focused as an object of the study; 2) researcher’s biases, including prior personal knowledge and lived reality, could be bracketed allowing the researcher to approach the phenomenon based purely on subjectivity of persons who have the experience; and 3) there are commonalities existing among persons who have the experience. i conducted this study using descriptive phenomenology because i intended to answer “what” instead of “how” or “why”. namely, i am interested in understanding the meaning of a phenomenon (lived experiences of coping with spousal bereavement and widowhood) as it is understood by other subjects (older chinese immigrants living in calgary). thus, descriptive phenomenology was chosen for this study as it allowed me to develop a description of this subjectivity (davidsen, 2013). thus, i focussed on older chinese immigrants’ lived experiences coping with spousal bereavement and widowhood based on what was shared by participants (creswell, 2009). methods twelve participants (three males, nine females) were recruited from various sectors, such as faith communities, ethno-cultural communities, service-providing organizations, and so on. their ages ranged from 65 to 89, and the average age was 76. semi-structured interviews conducted in mandarin or cantonese were audiotaped with participants’ permission and were subsequently transcribed and translated into english. i used colaizzi’s (1978) method for data analysis in descriptive phenomenology as summarized in seven steps by wojnar and swanson (2007): 1) reading and rereading descriptions (interview transcriptions); 2) extracting significant statements of the phenomenon; 3) formulating meanings from significant statements to illustrate contexts of the phenomenon; 4) categorizing into theme clusters and validating with original data; 5) integrating the findings into description of the phenomenon; 6) returning to some participants to ask how it compared with their experiences; and 7) incorporating any changes offered by the participants (if available) into the final description of the essence of the phenomenon. this study received ethics approval from the conjoint faculties research ethics board, university of calgary. findings the study found that participants in my study had long-lasting grief, which was an average of 11 years. individuals grieved in private since family and ethno-cultural communities did not provide direct support for spousal bereavement. however, family and ethno-cultural communities played an important role in their well-being. also, most participants in the study did not access social services for bereavement support. there was a need for culturally appropriate services. quotations were labeled with the self-chosen pseudonym, gender, and age of the participants. long-lasting grief participants in my study reported long-lasting grief, averaging some 11 years after spousal loss. in terms of long-lasting grief, ying, a 73-year-old widowed woman, who lost her partner 15 years ago, articulated: wang & walsh/ emerging perspectives (2020) 4 i don’t lead a comfortable life by myself. why? i am thinking of him, thinking of him... i think it is more horrible to the survivor than the deceased, because the survivor will think of the deceased all the time. the long-lasting bereavement among participants could be explained by some researchers who suggested that in chinese culture long-lasting bereavement could be interpreted as demonstrating respect for the deceased (prigerson et al., 2009). my bereavement has also been long-lasting, casting a 19-year shadow over my life. through my bereavement, i was also demonstrating respect to my father. participants’ long-lasting grief was mediated through memories. as the two next interview excerpts from ying and lan hua demonstrated, they shared memories of the deceased, their caregiving experiences, and their spouse’s death and the funeral. as participants shared: he was the one who does the cooking, i could not cook. when i was ill, and my back was so painful, he would feed me food. he has a good temper…when i was angry, and i would talk loudly. if i had worries, i would say them. he would go away. as soon as he came back, he said, “you won't be angry when i come back”. we would be all right when he came back. (ying, female, 73) as long as we had eye contact he would understand what i mean. he is a person like that. he is a nice guy. we were all feeling very well, and the family was very harmonious. (lan hua, female, 65) keep grief personal similarly, my mother occasionally mentioned my father: “your dad is a very good guy and excellent at his job”; “i dreamt about your dad last night”. i rarely talk about my father, since i do not want to reveal my own grief. like my own family, study participants chose to keep their grief private. according to traditional chinese cultures, chinese people do not talk about loss or death in order to avoid evoking bad luck (yick & gupta, 2002). however, opposite to the traditional cultures shared between me and participants towards loss or death, not only was i entering into a situation where i would be forced to think about my own bereavement, i would be asking older chinese adults to reflect upon and share their experiences. it had been challenging to conduct this research. once during recruitment in a chinese senior centre, i was chastised by a woman who asked “why you would like to recruit widowed seniors? talking about the death is too sad and unlucky.” during my first interview, both the participant and i began to cry soon after the interview started and continued to weep until the interview concluded. our tears arose from sadness but were more muddied. it may have been the first time sharing our bereavement to others without the complications of a previous relationship. in subsequent interviews, i came to understand that chinese immigrants were both eager to talk about their grief related to spousal loss as well their need for mutual support. for me, it encouraged me to further my own healing. in line with cultural principles, some participants practiced certain rituals to maintain a continuous bond with their deceased spouse (jiang, 2005). san gui, an 82-year-old widow, offered, “i wrote a letter to him every anniversary. i have written 10 letters in 10 years.” so too for my family, every year since his death we visit my father’s tomb and i have worn the jade that my father gave me since my birth, to keep him close. wang & walsh/ emerging perspectives (2020) 5 family and ethno-cultural communities played an important role in participants’ well-being. they enjoyed instrumental support provided by the family, such as transportation, housing, and financial support. also, participants relied almost exclusively on ethno-cultural communities, such as chinese churches, the chinese senior centre, and the chinese senior apartment for social engagement. however, family or ethno-cultural communities were not a direct support for spousal bereavement since participants grieved in private instead of expressing their bereavement openly to their family or community members. as ying, a 73 year old widow shared: i will not let her [my daughter] know. because if i am sad, my daughter will be very sad as well. i will not let her know… i don’t want her to worry about me, i don't want my girl to feel stressful. while conducting my research, i returned to china and asked my mother how she coped with her bereavement. she acknowledged that she had been diagnosed with depression several years after my father’s death. interestingly, facing my own bereavement, although it was difficult for me, it was not as challenging as knowing that i was not present to support my mother’s bereavement. migratory grief migratory grief, caused by a symbolic loss, such as loss of a homeland, status, social environment, and cultural identity (casado, hong, & harrington, 2010), played a central role in participants’ narratives. liang, an 89 year old widow articulated, “most of time i watched tv shows from hong kong. usually i played the shows repeatedly…i try to have some connection with hong kong, and i try to know what is happening in hong kong.” many participants shared difficulties in adaptation and social integration, post-migration. as a newcomer, the experiences of immigrating, adaptation, acculturation, and migratory grief are familiar to me. post-migration, i experienced depression as a consequence of the challenges related to adaptation, academic pressure, and migratory grief. however, different from participants in this study, most of whom did not access to professional services to emotional health, i accessed counseling as part of my treatment for depression. the literature has identified barriers for older chinese immigrants in accessing social services to mental health (lai & chau, 2007), and specifically in terms of bereavement support. my own experiences also helped me to understand how the migratory grief and migratory stress could result in complicated grief and vulnerability to mental health issues for older chinese adults who experienced spousal loss. discussion findings from my study, illustrating the grief experiences related to spousal loss, make a contribution to the extremely limited body of research on this topic specifically among older immigrants (martin-matthews et al., 2013). because of their migratory experiences, chinese older immigrants are vulnerable to mental health problems, such that scholars have suggested the need for extra attention and services involved (casado & leung, 2002; lai, 2004). this vulnerability might also contribute to complicated spousal bereavement experiences and greater challenges to grief adjustment. findings also suggested the need to develop culturally appropriate ways to involve families and communities in supporting bereavement adjustment of older chinese immigrants. wang & walsh/ emerging perspectives (2020) 6 conclusions my ongoing bereavement caused by my parental loss led me to conduct a study on the lived experiences of spousal bereavement among widowed older chinese immigrants living in calgary. the study allowed me to reflect upon my own family’s bereavement experience as interwoven with those of the older chinese adults in my study. participants shared their longlasting grief and expressed it in private, with certain rituals. they hardly expressed their grief in front of family or community members. also, migratory grief could contribute to more challenges to older chinese immigrants in terms of mental health. further research is necessary to explore lived experiences among older immigrants from an intersectionality perspective, where gender, immigrant background, age, and ethnicity have influenced these populations systematically. culturally appropriate bereavement supports and family/community involvement are required, as a response to the extremely limited reliance on family and community, in providing direct support for spousal bereavement. references casado, b. l., hong, m., & harrington, d. 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(2013). ethno-cultural diversity in the experience of widowhood in later life: chinese widows in canada. journal of aging studies, 27(4), 507–518. prigerson, h. g., horowitz, m. j., jacobs, s. c., parkes, c. m., aslan, m., goodkin, k., ... & bonanno, g. (2009). prolonged grief disorder: psychometric validation of criteria proposed for dsm-v and icd-11. plos medicine, 6(8), e1000121. sadavoy, j., meier, r., & ong, a. y. m. (2004). barriers to access to mental health services for ethnic seniors: the toronto study. the canadian journal of psychiatry, 49(3), 192–199. saito, c. (2013). bereavement and meaning reconstruction among japanese immigrant widows: living with grief in a place of marginality and liminality in the united states. pastoral psychology, 63(1), 39–55. wojnar, d. m., & swanson, k. m. (2007). phenomenology an exploration. journal of holistic nursing, 25(3), 172–180. yick, a. g., & gupta, r. (2002). chinese cultural dimensions of death, dying, and bereavement: focus group findings. journal of cultural diversity, 9(2), 32–42. zisook, s., & shear, k. (2009). grief and bereavement: what psychiatrists need to know. world psychiatry, 8(2), 67–74. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca review of the book impacts of cyberbullying, building social and emotional resilience in schools by sharlene chadwick north ryde, nsw australia: springer briefs in education, 2017, 89 pages isbn: 978-3-319-04030-1 (paperback) reviewed by christina gray university of calgary gray, c. (2017). [review of the book impacts of cyberbullying, building social and emotional resilience in schools, by s. chadwick]. emerging perspectives, 1(1), 3436. introduction impacts of cyberbullying, building social and emotional resilience in schools, by sharlene chadwick, provides an overview describing cyberbullying and its impact on the social and emotional wellbeing of youth. chadwick’s book integrates american, australian, and british research findings to provide a foundational summary of current understandings of the cyberbullying construct and related factors. the scope of this book extends cyberbullying research to applied practice that can be implemented for future research and within school settings to promote social and emotional resilience in youth. chadwick’s thesis identifies cyberbullying as a recent phenomenon that is relational-behavioural at its core rather than primarily a technological problem. she argues that cyberbullying is simply another form of bullying that has the potential for serious long-term effects on youth wellbeing. thus, chadwick proposes there is a need for cyberbullying safety that must begin in school settings and include student-driven programs. content and structure impacts of cyberbullying, building social and emotional resilience in schools is divided into five chapters. much of the book involves providing concise overviews of research findings, operational definitions of cyberbullying-related terms, and understandings from existing cyberbullying literature. chadwick integrates information within and across each chapter to instill a foundational understanding of the nature of cyberbullying in the reader. the introduction forms the first chapter of the book. chadwick’s introduction broadly describes the construct of cyberbullying and outlines different types that have been identified by researchers, such as harassment and denigration. integrated with descriptions of the cyberbullying construct are australian and british statistics to describe its prevalence, as well as various online environments that youth are involved in. the chapter concludes by identifying similarities and differences in bullying that occur in online and offline contexts. the second chapter of the book focuses on the holistic nature of youth involvement in online environments, particularly with cyberbullying challenges. although cyberbullying tends to gray / emerging perspectives (2017) 34-36 35 occur outside of school settings, the impacts of cyberbullying trickle across different settings. chadwick identifies gender differences in cyberbullying found within recent research. she discusses challenges with cyberbullying research as stemming from the absence of a commonly accepted definition of the construct. differing assumptions of the nature of cyberbullying subsequently inform different methodologies across studies. the chapter concludes with an outline of lasting online risks beyond cyberbullying instances, including a lack of youth understanding of privacy and of the concept of the digital footprint. the third chapter speaks to the developmental changes experienced by youth as they transition into adulthood, with a focus on factors contributing to social and emotional resilience. in this chapter, chadwick identifies key researchers in resilience and makes links between resilience research findings and youth social and emotional wellbeing. in this chapter, she also summarises research on building social and emotional resilience in youth. fostering social and emotional resilience is presented as critical for teaching coping strategies as youth become more immersed online, potentially becoming exposed to cyberbullying. this chapter incorporates diagrams, charts, and bulleted key points to emphasize protective factors, mental wellbeing, and resilience concepts in a clear manner for readers. the fourth chapter focuses on educational approaches and applied implications of the cyberbullying research discussed in preceding chapters. chadwick discusses australian study findings from a whole-school approach to bullying intervention. from this example, key areas of focus for policy and considerations for action to combat cyberbullying are identified from australian policies. this chapter outlines key considerations with respect to promoting cybersafety, preparing educational materials, and the importance of peer education and youth empowerment. the role of parents and promoting changes in school culture are also acknowledged in relation to addressing cyberbullying. in the final chapter, chadwick closes the book with identification of international initiatives to address cyberbullying. she specifically outlines cyberbullying interventions within the united kingdom and the united states. she acknowledges that cyberbullying is gaining international attention through law and international arrangements to target the phenomenon, for example, the united nations crime prevention and criminal justice commission movements. the theme of cyberbullying and teachers was also briefly addressed in this concluding chapter as an area of growing interest and importance when developing cyberbullying school-based policies. critique there are several strengths inherent in chadwick’s impacts of cyberbullying, building social and emotional resilience in schools. a major strength of the book is its broad overview of cyberbullying literature in relation to youth wellbeing and school settings. the book is empirically-informed from research across several countries. literature findings and key points are presented in a manner that is easily understandable. the inclusion of summative abstracts preceding text chapters as well as images, diagrams, and charts within each chapter to present information contribute to the overall readability of the book. chadwick visually bolds and clearly defines jargon throughout the book, and this contributes to its readability for a range of readers. the book presents a foundational cyberbullying resource that may be useful to a range of professionals, from researchers and teachers to educational professionals and school psychologists. the inclusion of an applied focus in the text that is supported with cited empirical research contributes to the academic integrity of the book. gray / emerging perspectives (2017) 34-36 36 from a north american perspective, a limitation of chadwick’s book lies in the predominant focus on australian-based cyberbullying research and interventions in comparison to the other references. no explanation for the australian focus was identified in the book, which can leave readers wondering how research and initiatives across other countries compare. another limitation of the book is that chadwick covers the surface of cyberbullying literature, and readers who are looking for greater depth in a subtopic area will require additional resources. in summary, impacts of cyberbullying, building social and emotional resilience in schools provides an overview of cyberbullying in relation to youth wellbeing. the book provides the reader with a foundational understanding of the construct of cyberbullying, factors salient to its occurrence, factors that protect against the harm it may cause, and interventions that address cyberbullying within school settings. chadwick integrates research findings with applied educational interventions and identifies challenges and gaps with existing cyberbullying research for future expansion. as an introductory, summative text, readers can gain an appreciation of the challenges that cyberbullying presents for youth as well as ways to promote wellbeing despite these challenges within school environments. references chadwick, s. (2015). impacts of cyberbullying, building social and emotional resilience in schools. north ryde, nsw australia: springer briefs in education. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca afterword jon woodend, maisha m. syeda university of calgary within academic circles, it is widely accepted that diverse perspectives contribute to a broad knowledge-base in the field, which results in innovative ways forward. the articles in this special issue are exemplary of this idea, as each casts light on previously shadowed areas of exploration. importantly, each article is grounded in personal experience with a focus on supporting the community. this commitment and success in conducting such rewarding research is astonishing given the challenges newcomer scholars can face in academia, as noted by lena, the lead editor for the special issue, in her introduction. we, maisha and jon, would like to thank the authors and lena for their generosity in sharing their experiences and research in service of moving their respective conversations. this special issue highlights the unique research contributions and journeys of our authors, and each of the contributions easily compels us to note the importance of supporting these conversations, regardless of whether this is a research area of personal interest. haggerty’s writing emphasized that the learning and teaching french as a foreign language with a group of students in uganda expanded beyond the basics and complexities of linguistic training, and the integration of the learner’s and the teacher’s cultures and narratives was almost organic to the process. lei’s work with internationally educated chinese academic returnees highlighted the tensions between the academics’ preferences to grow as scholars through collaborations versus the government’s competing motivation to internationalize their knowledge-base and research institutes. kojo otoo, on the other hand, shared the challenges and successes of male, ghanian newcomers seeking employment in canada to formulate recommendations for immigration reform for skilled immigrants. wang and walsh wrote about the bereavement adjustments of elderly chinese newcomers to highlight the importance of family and community supports to cope with spousal loss as well as to advocate for culturally safe and relevant services to support grieving. finally, kusari reflected about and argued for how in-between identities and realities of emerging newcomer scholars could enrich their contributions as transdisciplinary academics. together, these contributions enrich our global academic knowledge and advance the respective fields forward in meaningful ways. a high level take-away from this special issue echoes the message from dr. kawalilak in her forward to the special issue: in the wake of polarizing political and societal shifts that directly affect newcomer scholars, how can academia support them and their vital research? as editors, our hope is that this special issue illustrates one such example of honoring newcomer scholars’ journeys and expertise as researchers, and creating a meaningful platform to disseminate their voices within academic, while simultaneously creating avenues for them to gain critical publishing knowledge and experience. thank you again to the authors for their contributions to this special issue, and we, the editors, are looking forward to their continuing contributions within their respective fields. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca how should the educational researcher speak? thoughts from a beginning researcher nancy helena matthews university of new brunswick understanding that researchers are already aware of the gap between theory and practice, this article seeks to add to the dialogue, through a look at the gap, relating the gap to effective communication. the article offers a brief look at effective research, including the perspective as a practitioner, as well as that of a researcher. it is not so much that the practitioner and researcher always have different views on the issues being studied, but that effective communication of the research is essential for the research to be understood and considered. keywords: educational researcher, research delivery, research perspectives matthews, n. h. (2019). how should the educational researcher speak? thoughts from a beginning researcher. emerging perspectives, 3(2), 1-4. whether one is an educational practitioner or a researcher, there is an awareness that both roles come with responsibility and that responsibility is intertwined with the power of words. we know this through the famous words of numerous gifted orators. at the furthest extreme, words can incite hate and violence, from the narratives spoken by hitler and mussolini, to words that move generations, such as those spoken by martin luther king jr., john f. kennedy, and sir winston churchill. not to trivialize their greatness by making a comparison, or to say that my words are going to inspire greatness, however, like all educational researchers, i want my words to matter to someone, in particular, educators in the field. as a beginning researcher, but a longtime practitioner, i began to wonder about the gap between researchers and practitioners. from the perspective that researchers and practitioners come from different spaces and as such would not totally understand each other, my questions were: what is it about practitioners that i, as a researcher, have to figure out so that educators will consider what i am saying? what is it about being a researcher that i must figure out so that my message is clear? how should i, as an educational researcher, speak? i realized that i must first consider some perspective regarding gathering information. foucault (1972) and latour (1993) have argued that gathering information can be somewhat complicated. however, if we, as researchers, investigate into one source, despite how valid the information that is provided, we are probably missing a point of view from that limited inquiry, from a few insights and opinions of others. the limited inquiry might reveal some awareness, but it will not help us reveal a depth of knowledge or construct a depth of knowledge. it can be assumed though, that whatever we are reading comes from a definite perspective; a personal knowledge of what is and what isn’t, so that does not mean that we have not gathered any knowledge. it might even encourage us or spark us to learn more about a particular subject, which is what is done in research. however, we know that our audiences have different perspectives, matthews/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-4 2 perhaps coming from a theoretical point of view, or from the view of a practitioner, or a combination of both. considering the process of gathering information, hooks (1994) believed that there is no gap between theory and practice. in fact, she believed that one informs the other and that theory allows us to think of things differently, from a different perspective, without any limitations. she showed us that we can think of things in a different way and act on things, and that perhaps information does not have to be too complicated like foucault (1972) and latour (1993) described. according to her, it is a matter of perspective. entwistle (2013) initiated a discussion saying that there is a gap between educational theory and practice. his initial thoughts about practitioners may be summed up as: practitioners believe theorists do not understand what education is really like first hand; practitioners do not understand the perspective of the theorists; and practitioners do not understand that it is a theory, not an exact science, application, or rule and thus requires judgment. he also stated though that “the theory is often not alright; it is misleading and inadequate theory that practitioners have a perfect right to dismiss” (entwistle, 2013, p. 7). he comes down hard on practitioners and theorists; nevertheless, he wants to marry the two, saying that it comes down to an awareness of both practice and theory for research to be effective. understanding the importance of having an awareness of both encouraged me to consider the perspective as a practitioner, and the perspective as a researcher. perspective as a practitioner in education it can be difficult, at the best of times, to have credibility when delivering educational research, in particular, to an audience of teachers. justifiably though, as labaree (2003) pointed out, “teachers take on an enormous moral responsibility to make sure that the changes they introduce are truly in the best interest of the student and not merely a matter of individual whim or personal convenience” (p. 17). thus, the research potential may be lost if it does not relate to the practitioner. if the research does not address a priority issue, deal with an action, or answer a question; if the writing is too academic for the audience, or if there is not a relationship between the researcher and practitioner, then the research may fail (yates, 2005). as an example of this, maclellan (2016) provided a transcript of his talk on the gap between teaching and education research. he shared the results of an experiment that looked at how teacher-practitioners received research. in the experiment, the teacher-practitioners received research (work published in 2007 by john hattie and helen timerpley), that explained how to provide student feedback. the researchers in the experiment were not looking so much at the increase in student learning, but on how the teacher-practitioners implemented the intervention, moving the theory presented to practice. maclellan (2016) argued that student learning did not improve even though teacher-practitioners agreed with hattie and timperley (2007) about the impact of student feedback. maclellan (2016) pointed out that the reason for its failure was that teacher-practitioners struggled to understand the research paper that explained hattie and timperley’s (2007) work. the teacher-practitioners felt it was not written for practitioners, and they did not have time to figure it out. the practitioner’s perspective was not taken into consideration. perspective as a researcher even though i believe having experience in the field can offer perspective and depth and breadth to my educational knowledge as a researcher, i agree with labaree (2003) that it is not enough without theory building. as well, biesta (2006) argued that we need to look at things matthews/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-4 3 differently, not just what we learned and know. learners need to engage in dialogue or discourse that fosters alternative points of view and critical examination of the evidence. it is difficult to change someone’s mind. thus, making an idea flourish from information gathered can be a difficult task for an educational researcher. however, that is what makes research intriguing and challenging; investigating the things that do not fit and how those things can represent a breakdown in the order of how things are done, then sharing those findings and having those findings be meaningful and understood. researchers who have practice in the field can add another dimension to their delivery of research because they are practitioners. however, as a beginning researcher, i learned that i must embrace this notion of letting go of what i already know. for all researchers, it requires taking risks, challenging ourselves, violating our thinking on things, and interrupting our path of knowledge and belief. the knowledge that has been revealed to us, the foundation that we have relied upon and helped us understand much of what we know, may not even be true. thus, we must question, which is what research does. i see value in the work done by theoreticians and practitioners, and i believe merging both frames of reference should not be discounted. however, as a researcher, ensuring that others understand the research is the ultimate test. perspective on effective communication yates (2005) argued that those doing educational research are “concerned about what it contributes to knowledge, about the quality of its methodology, and about the type of contribution it makes to the field, that it does something that matters” (p. 13). research can inform policy, address a need, refute a claim, improve a program, and empower a group; thus, the importance of effective communication. in any field of study however, including education, there are highly complex writers and some can write very abstractly and theoretically because they are theoreticians. i believe these writers challenge us as readers and push us to a higher level of understanding. nevertheless, while challenging the audience to ponder certain ideals, we, as educational researchers, have to be somewhat straightforward in our delivery of research, understanding that using highly abstract and obscure language may be a tool that excludes. not that educators cannot understand complex language, but the language used in the writing should be clear enough so that the message does not get lost. ultimately, i came to the understanding that there has to be a point to what we, as educational researchers, are doing, and in turn, we need to communicate what we have uncovered to an audience. if any message, theory, change, or idea is to be embraced, as a researcher speaking my claim, i must consider the perspective as a practitioner and perspective as a researcher; without losing the message that my research is important. i must understand the importance of meeting a common ground between researcher and practitioner when considering how the educational researcher should speak. references biesta, g. j. (2006). against learning: reclaiming a language for education in an age of learning. in g. j. biesta (ed.), beyond learning: democratic education for a human future (pp. 1332). london, en, uk: paradigm publishers. entwistle, h. (2013). the relationship between educational theory and practice: a new look. in w. hare & j. portelli (eds.), philosophy of education: introductory readings (4th ed.) (pp. 5-15). edmonton, ab: brush education. matthews/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-4 4 foucault, m. (1972). two lectures. in c. gordon (ed.), power/knowledge: selected interviews & other writings, 1972-1977 (pp. 78-108). new york, ny: pantheon books. hattie j., timperley, h. (2007). the power of feedback. review of educational research, 77(1), 81-112. hooks, b. (1994). theory as liberatory practice. in b. hooks (ed.), teaching to transgress: education as the practice of freedom (pp. 59-75). new york, ny: routledge. labaree, d. f. (2003). the peculiar problems of preparing educational researchers. educational researcher, 32(4), 13-22. latour, b. (1993). crisis. in c. porter (ed.), we have never been modern (pp. 1-12). cambridge, ma: harvard university press. maclellan, p. (2016, august 9). why don’t teachers use education research in teaching? [web log post]. retrieved from http://www.rsc.org/blogs/eic/2016/08/why-dont-teachers-useeducation-research-teaching yates, l. (2005). what does good education research look like? new york, ny: open university press. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca *corresponding author elizabeth.mcneilly@ucalgary.ca disrupting cisnormativity: decentering gender in families elizabeth mcneilly* university of calgary within the last decade, researchers and activists in the sphere of transgender and gender non-binary (tgnb) persons have documented a burgeoning vocabulary and evolving perspectives. families of tgnb persons are often challenged to re-evaluate understandings of gender, of sexuality, and the family unit itself. the conceptual model of decentering cisnormativity allows researchers to analyze when tensions grow taut as society members are confronted with gender nonconformity. parents often undergo transformation when they choose to explore these tensions, as they deconstruct their assumptions about gender, and critically reflect on their underlying biases, belief systems, values, and understandings. in this way, it is not only tgnb children who transition, but also those around them (malpas, 2017) as their belief systems and social constructions of gender are called into question. keywords: transgender, gender variance, gender non-binary, cisgender, cisnormativity, family mcneilly, e. (2019). disrupting cisnormativity: decentering gender in families. emerging perspectives, 3(2), 35-41. since the turn of the century, a growing generation of gender fluid, gender queer, nonbinary, transgender, transsexual, “born this way” (lady gaga, 2011) youth and young adults (shumer, nokoff, & spack, 2016; spack, 2013) have disrupted cisnormativity, the traditional binary system of male and female gender. considerable debate roils on regarding nurture versus nature (bau & schaub, 2011; diamond, 2006; garcia-falgueras & swaab, 2008; russo, 2016), but whether transgender and gender non-binary (tgnb) people were “born this way” or not, they have forged ahead making connections with one another on the internet in chatrooms, forums, tumblr, and face-to-face in community and school club support groups. there is also evidence to suggest that parents of these emboldened youth have inadvertently prepared them to assert themselves; parents born in the 1960s-1970s are more likely to raise children, especially daughters, to value autonomy, independence, individualism, personal gratification, and self-expression (alwin, 1990; pearlman, 2006). moreover, today there is vocabulary for transgender identity and issues, advanced medical and surgical technology, and insurance companies willing to cover the costs of surgery, partially or in full (pearlman, 2006). of course, while the younger generation “come out” as transgender, many parents face an emotional or ethical crisis and reach out to support groups with the heart to understand, but a head steeped in confusion and grief. with their child a few steps (or many steps) ahead of them, parents embark on a journey, a transformative one for many, that challenges their notions of what is “normal.” while some family members ultimately reject their child’s transition, as the disproportionately high rate of homeless tgnb youth attests (kattari & begun, 2017; pyne, 2011), others re-emerge with a new understanding of mcneilly/ emerging perspectives (2019) 35-41 36 what it means to be family. through the lens of queer and transgender theory, i turned to research to better understand why some family members reacted positively to a family member’s disclosure while others reacted with negativity or even with violence. i analyzed the tgnb “coming out” experience as it disrupts cisnormativity by decentering gender, sexuality, and the family itself. it is because of this lack of equilibrium, this sense of vertigo, that family members need time to examine gender, its implications for the family, and the powerful need to appease the status quo. the complexity of gender oswald, blume, and marks (2011) wrote an article for family science scholars to challenge them to deconstruct the ideology of heteronormativity by disrupting gender, sexuality, and the family unit. for this article, i would like to apply their approach to cisnormativity. the acronym for transgender/gender non-binary—tgnb will be used to be “inclusive of the spectrum of individuals whose assigned sex at birth does not align with their own sense of gender identity and those who do not conform to social gender norms” (mcguire, kuvalanka, catalpa, & toomey, 2016, p. 60). i experienced the transition of my tgnb teenage son, and later led a parents, friends and family of lesbian and gays (pflag) support group for parents of tgnb children of all ages in which i witnessed an array of reactions from parents to their child’s “coming out” and subsequent transition. gender transition, or simply transition, is the “process of changing outwardly . . . to present themselves with their gender identity” (brill & kenney, 2016, p. 315). this may include a social transition through social gender markers such as clothing and hairstyles, a medical transition with the use of medicine or hormones, a surgical transition when the body itself is modified, a legal transition through officially changing identification, or any combination of these (brill & kenny, 2016). some parents who attended the pflag support group came only once, some came devastated and burdened with a deep sense of loss, while others needed support and education but were ultimately relieved that their child had found happiness within their authentic self. cisnormativity, the “assumption that all those born male will naturally become men, and all those born female will naturally become women” (pyne, 2011), was disrupted at the discovery or disclosure of their child’s gender variance. certainly, the distress of the child or the parents’ own inability to grapple with the implications brought them to the support group. they, even more than parents of lesbian and gay children, have a “more prolonged, complex, and difficult course of adjustment and reconciliation—one compounded by greater stigmatization and shame as well as the actual loss of a [child]” (pearlman, 2006). with regard to transition, parents of tgnb youth face the unique situation of making serious decisions regarding hormone blockers, crosssex hormones, sex reassignment surgery, and a very public transition that will undoubtedly invite public judgement, emotional turmoil, and possible physical harm. despite the tangible concerns for parents of tgnb families, parents’ reactions to their child’s disclosure are as diverse as their children—some deeply mourn the loss of their child, others outright reject them, and still others need only some education to guide their child through the next few years of change. one group of parents, coined gender-subversive parents by ryan (2016), welcome gender nonconformity in their homes. unlike gender-expansive parents, the term ryan used for the majority of mothers in her study whose journey with gender was most often led by their child, gender-subversive moms tended to have prior tgnb friends, were highly educated, and had liberal ideological leanings before having children. thus, these parents could, while supporting their child’s gender experience, actively disrupt dominant gender norms. for my experience as a support group leader, all parents i met fell into the category of gender-expansive parent. mcneilly/ emerging perspectives (2019) 35-41 37 gender construction and confinement gender, it has been argued, is largely developed through socialization; that is, we are socialized to “perform” gender (butler, 2004; mcguire et al., 2016). manspreading, for instance, or the male act of sitting and spreading his legs wide, is gender performance. conversely, a woman has learned to “perform” her gender by crossing her legs. these acts are but two performances that are either implicitly or explicitly reinforced or discouraged within a particular society. judith butler (2004) described gender as a “practice of improvisation within a scene of constraint” (p. 1), and it is within this “scene of constraint” that we are judged on our performance (wahlig, 2015). gender is how we organize relationships, create meaning, identify people, and, as suggested by hausman (2001), it is an “epistemology for knowing and understanding the operation of culture in defining identities” (nagoshi & brzuzy, 2010, p. 432). this organizational binary system of male and female, is maintained by a system of power (butler, 2004). this cultural power of gender is reinforced through emotional and physical harm to the offender, that is, any person who fails to perform gender. breaking these gender rules “can be a profound threat to the established order, extremely provoking and personally threatening, or unsettling in ways that often seem beyond reason” (pearlman, 2006, p. 94). butler (2004) argued that “norms determine who is human and who is not, which lives are livable, which are not” and this power “demeans the complex ways in which gendered lives are crafted and lived” (p. 4). when one is transgender, when one breaks gender roles or crosses gender boundaries (nagoshi & brzuzy, 2010), the “harassment suffered . . . cannot be underestimated” (butler, 2004, p. 6), and it is because of this that many parents of tgnb children seek counselling and support. their own socialized prejudices, judgments, and fears are often at odds with their values, their love of the child, and their need to do what is ultimately best for their child. gendered losses and ambiguous loss it is not surprising then that parents came to my support group distraught, having felt the decentering of gender in their families. while there were many reasons for parents experiencing distress, most of them were due to fears developed from this system of enforcing gender norms and losing the dreams they had created for their sons and daughters. of parents’ fears and frustrations, the most frequently discussed in counselling (ritenour, 2014) were those related to the loss of dreams for their child (such as bearing a child), loss of certain rites of passage (walking his daughter down the aisle), or the grief at having “lost” their daughter or son (to the opposite gender). ambiguous loss (boss, 2000), the intersection of the family experience of loss with the added stress of ambiguity (wahlig, 2015), was felt deeply by some who grieved the “death” of their child’s gender (such as removing pictures from the walls) or had difficulty reconciling that the physical child before them was indeed the same person they thought they knew before the revelation (ritenour, 2014). from my experience, most parents felt terribly alone, having no one to confide in about the transition, and many feared the rejection of their family members, friends, and social or religious groups; unfortunately, some did experience this rejection and shaming. through the lens of queer theory, however, we can see the muscle of cisnormativity flexed here. each fear and frustration can be classified into categories such as the socially created cisnormative dreams, the rigid enforcement of cisnormativity, or a combination of both. the dreams, for instance, tended to be the “losses”—the dream of having grandchildren, the closeness of a same gender child relationship, the loss of past memories a parent now feels uncomfortable sharing with those they meet. on the other hand, real and imagined fears of the enforcement of cisnormativity contribute to the loneliness one feels when they lack a support system or when a parent faces the mcneilly/ emerging perspectives (2019) 35-41 38 school, medical personnel, or social groups such as a church for the first time with their child. there is no predicting how people will react to gender transition—who will be for disrupting cisnormativity and who will be for enforcing it. most parents in my support group ultimately came to accept their child’s transition, but some did not. at first, the fears and frustrations listed above were reasons enough for parents to hope this transition was all simply a phase (pearlman, 2006). if the child is “consistent, insistent, and persistent,” however, then it is likely that transition will proceed. subversive parents who willingly accepted their child’s gender diversity had already witnessed the decentering of gender and were familiar with the concept of a gender spectrum. these parents are involved in “complex gendering” because of their ability to “resist or subvert stereotyping” and challenge the gender binaries (oswald et al., 2011). other parents who came to accept their child educated themselves on gender identity development and the spectrum of gender and were able to tolerate grey areas (ritenour, 2014). valuing a close relationship with their child, seeing to their happiness and wellbeing, and having a supportive network all aided in a parent’s eventual acceptance of their child and resistance to cisnormativity (ritenour, 2014). indeed, some parents were challenged to their limits. the parents in my support group who seemed to experience the greatest anxiety and sense of ambiguity were the parents of gender nonconforming children, children whose very being challenged the status quo. that is, children who were gender queer, gender fluid, bi-gender, non-gender, agender, etc. did not fit into the gender binary and, once they transitioned, they did not seamlessly blend into cisnormative society (wahlig, 2015). parents of these children were called upon to live in a state of gender disruption, rejecting “cultural ideas of masculinity and femininity” (mcguire et al., 2016, p. 62) instead of tolerating a transition that can be hid away. some parents were unable to accept their child’s transition because they ultimately upheld a biological essentialist view of a gender binary, they felt pressure from community or religious leaders, they lacked a supportive network, or they experienced extensive fear (norwood, 2012; wright-maley, davis, gonzalez, & colwell, 2016). other parents were unable to separate the child’s experience from their own experience, such as when a parent asked, “why are you doing this to me?” (pearlman, 2006, p. 115). for the most part, parents who were able to accept their child were the ones who could tolerate the decentering of gender long enough to educate themselves and then, for their child, challenge the status quo. gender and sexuality: distinct yet connected not only is gender disrupted when tgnb children transition, but sexuality is often decentered, as well. although over the last decade researchers have strived to separate the concept of gender and sexuality, the former identified as the cultural meaning we attach to gender and the latter one’s sexuality, in life the two are often intertwined (mcguire et al., 2016; nagoshi & brzuzy, 2010; oswald et al., 2011; pearlman, 2006). transgender theory purports that gender and sexuality are two distinct yet intersecting identities of tgnb people (nagoshi & brzuzy, 2010). simply, if someone assigned female at birth who is attracted to males then transitions to male, he would now be labeled gay. while for many this is not problematic, for some family members homosexuality remains a challenging concept that disrupts heteronormativity. the notion of the transgender child as “trapped” in the body of the “opposite” gender has been a popular conceptualization of transgenderism in the west (norwood, 2010). consequently, many parents find that supporting a transition is an act of mercy, the key to fitting into a cisnormative society. an extreme example of this is when iran famously legalized sex change operations in 1984 in an effort to aid citizens with transition to heteroand cisnormativity (najmabadi, 2014). mcneilly/ emerging perspectives (2019) 35-41 39 homosexuality in iran, however, remains a crime, often a capital offense. in canada and the us, some family members also are willing to accept gender transition so long as one transitions into a binary society, upholding cisnormative culture, but they are uncomfortable with gender non-binary statuses and homosexuality (norwood, 2010). they can accept the transition from one gender to another, hence realigning the binaries, but decentering sexuality pushes them too far. moreover, sexuality has also been found to be fluid. to extend the example above, when transitioning, a transgender male may begin testosterone shots and his social life may very well change (mcguire et al., 2016). this change of hormones and social life has been shown to influence sexuality, as well (mcguire et al., 2016). instead of becoming gay, he may become bisexual, pansexual, asexual or queer, thus he decenters sexuality again. therefore, in addition to gender being decentered when a tgnb person transitions, sexuality often disrupts heteronormativity and creates another dimension of adjustment for the parents. from family crisis to coping the third area of possible cisnormative disruption is the traditional family itself. the family, which exists not only physically, but psychologically as well, needs to make meaning of this transition, and the meaning it makes will determine whether the family pulls together or pulls apart (wahlig, 2015). this experience will test family conventions and norms, stretch them, and challenge their thinking with regard to gender, sexuality, and family. each member is affected to varying degrees as the tgnb child may seem the same, and yet they are different, a living coexistence of male and female traits (norwood, 2013). often cisnormative privileges and roles change, disrupting the familial power dynamics (mcguire et al., 2016). boundary ambiguity (boss, 2000), “the sense that someone is still a part of the family—in or out, here or gone” (allen, 2007) may be tenuous as each family member attempts to queer the traditional family unit. for some families, the boundaries are not wide enough to allow for such disruption and we find transgender teens and young adults homeless on the street (grossman, d'augelli, & salter, 2006; wahlig, 2015). the greater the boundary ambiguity within a family, the greater the stress on all members as they each untangle new identities, resolve conflicting notions of past and future selves, determine what the change means for them, and consider for themselves how gender is formed (wahlig, 2015). studies show that those who feel that gender is determined by, or partially determined by, biological causes are more apt to accept tgnb family members (kuvalanka, weiner, & mahan, 2014), whereas those who feel it is the tgnb person’s choice frequently feel it is selfish and immoral (norwood, 2013). although some studies suggest there is a biological element to gender (garcia-falgueras & swaab, 2008; olson-kennedy et al., 2016; russo, 2016), there is not enough evidence to prove that either biological elements or social construction is chiefly responsible for gender (butler, 2004; mcguire et al., 2016). without a verdict, families are left to make meaning for themselves, to make or prevent room for identity, role, and relationship changes (norwood, 2013), and to decenter cisnormativity and, often, heteronormativity. a transformative journey the door to our support group was like a revolving door. at any one time we would have a newcomer, raw and tender, while another parent was doing battle between the myth of cisnormativity and the gender spectrum. one parent grasped decentering gender but struggled with ambiguous loss, the heart and head at odds. and then there was the parent who marveled that she was once that newcomer, overcome with grief, for now she volunteered as a tgnb advocate. once the illusion of cisnormativity is exposed and family members understand that decentering gender mcneilly/ emerging perspectives (2019) 35-41 40 and sexuality need not deteriorate the family, the “disruption” of transition becomes less violent. many who sat on our support group’s thread-worn couches demonstrated a complex mix of each of these values, some conflicting with another, and yet this was normal. psychologist sarah f. pearlman (2006), whose research on the mothers of transgender sons speaks to most parents of tgnb children, shared that “grief and acceptance were neither mutually exclusive nor contradictory, but existed side-by-side, a normal response to condemnation, marginality, daughterloss, and a transphobic, persecutory world” (p. 120). if it is indeed true that the past few generations of parents have instilled values within their children that have emboldened them to strive for autonomy, independence, individualism, personal satisfaction, and self-expression, then perhaps parents, too, will eventually appreciate the authentic child they have raised who is true to the self in ways that many in their generation thought impossible. references allen, k. r. 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(2016). considering perspectives on transgender inclusion in canadian catholic elementary schools: perspectives, challenges, and opportunities. the journal of social studies research, 40, 187–204. doi: 10.1016/j.jssr.2015.12.001 https://doi.org/10.1177/0886109910384068 https://doi.org/10.1080/03637751.2012.739705 https://doi.org/10.1097/med.0000000000000236 https://doi.org/10.1300/j461v02n03_06 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yapd.2016.04.018 http://www.hrc.org/resources/transgender-children-and-youth-understanding-the-basics http://www.hrc.org/resources/transgender-children-and-youth-understanding-the-basics https://doi.org/10.1080/1550428x.2014.945676 emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca challenges of leading expatriate academics david michael st. germain* university of calgary to attract a greater number of students both at home and abroad, many higher education institutions have made internationalization a priority. the trend towards internationalizing by opening branch campuses, arranging cross-border collaborations, twinning, franchising, and having joint or double degree arrangements has led to an increase in the mobility of academic labour. often, higher education leaders are promoted through the ranks of academia and are underprepared for leading a diverse workforce that includes expatriate academics. expatriate academics face many challenges as they attempt to adjust to new roles and lives in foreign countries. thus, they usually require more support than local staff. leadership style can have a large impact on an employee’s job satisfaction and performance. given the emphasis placed on internationalization at higher education institutions, it is important for universities to develop leaders with the abilities to incorporate a range of leadership styles. this can help leaders to effectively meet the challenges of their increasingly complex roles. in this context, i propose the consideration of servant leadership as a potential leadership style that may be well suited to help higher education leaders meet the needs of their expatriate academic staff. keywords: internationalization, leadership, higher education st. germain, d. m. (2017). challenges of leading expatriate academics. emerging perspectives, 1(2), 1-10. knight (2015) defined internationalization as “the process of integrating an international, intercultural, or global dimension into the purpose, functions, or delivery of postsecondary education” (p. 2). knight further noted that internationalization has become a key driver for growth for many higher education institutions around the world. the most noticeable way in which internationalization has impacted higher education is in the flow of students across national boundaries (altbach, reisberg, & rumbley, 2010). however, international mobility is not confined to the student body; it is also found increasingly among academics (richardson & mckenna, 2003). although the higher education literature demonstrates significant interest in the mobility of tertiary students, the internationalization of academic staff has been less well analyzed, even though scholars from many regions have become increasingly mobile (richardson, 2000). the management and leadership of expatriate academic staff is an important consideration for most higher education institutions that wish to be competitive in today’s globalized higher education landscape, yet this aspect of leadership in higher education is still understudied (selmer & lauring, 2013). leading expatriate academics adds an extra dimension to traditional leadership thinking, as expatriates must grapple with challenges not faced by local employees (richardson & * david.stgermain@ucalgary.ca st. germain / emerging perspectives (2017) 2 zikic, 2007). these unique challenges extend the scope of what may be thought of as a leader’s traditional role, as leaders must provide supports for expatriate academics that frequently fall outside of official job duties. to foster a positive work climate, a wide mix of leadership skills and behaviours must be incorporated into a leader’s “toolbox” to lead expatriate staff as they grapple with the challenge of not only adjusting to a new role, but also a new life in a foreign country (goleman, 2000). failure to understand the needs of expatriate academics can lead to low job satisfaction and organizational commitment, poor work performance, high turnover, and impact employee performance and productivity (nanjundeswaraswamy & swamy, 2014). strategic and effective leadership can improve an organization’s ability to sustain profitability, productivity, and a competitive advantage (yahaya & ebrahim, 2016). in light of these concerns, this article begins with an examination of the trend towards the internationalization of higher education and the impact it is having on the mobility of academic labour across international borders. next, there is an overview of some of the challenges faced by expatriate academic staff. this is followed with a discussion of the leadership challenges involved in leading expatriate academic staff. then there is a discussion of the effects of leadership styles on organizational outcomes. finally, there is an examination of the potential of servant leadership as a leadership style in the context of leading expatriate academic staff. internationalization of higher education in the era of globalization, internationalization has become an opportunity for higher education institutions across the world to increase their revenue and profits (altbach & knight, 2007). whether it be to increase enrolment, expand market access, or develop an institution’s reputation and international ranking, the concept of the internationalization of higher education has moved from the fringes of institutional interests to the very core (brandenburg & de wit, 2015). universities have dramatically expanded the volume, scope, and complexity of international activities during the past two decades (altbach & knight, 2007). internationalization for a university consists largely of two main spheres of action, commonly characterized as internationalization at home and internationalization abroad (altbach, reisberg, & rumbley, 2009). internationalization at home includes internationalization strategies that occur on the home campus, while internationalization abroad happens across borders (knight, 2004). furthermore, the mobility of the labour market and the increase in cultural diversity of communities and the workplace require that both students and academics have an increased understanding of what is needed to work and live in a culturally diverse environment, and demonstrate such skills (knight, 2004). the primary focus of this article relates to internationalization abroad, as many higher education institutions around the world have internationalized their degrees and programs and established foreign branch campuses in other countries (gopal, 2011). altbach and knight (2007) identified the factors driving the focus on internationalization as (a) commercial advantage, (b) knowledge and language acquisition, and (c) curriculum enhancement with international content. altbach and knight noted many different initiatives that universities pursue to internationalize including (a) branch campuses, (b) cross-border collaborative arrangements, (c) twinning, franchising, and (d) joint or double degree arrangements. any of these initiatives may require expatriate faculty to operate effectively. knight (2004) explained that from a national perspective, an increasing emphasis on the knowledge economy, demographic shifts, mobility of the labour force, and increased trade in services are all factors that drive nations to place more importance on developing and recruiting st. germain / emerging perspectives (2017) 3 human capital or brain power through international education initiatives. thus, knight concluded, there are signs of heightened pressure and interest to recruit the brightest scholars from other countries to increase scientific, technological, and economic competitiveness. altbach, reisberg, and rumbley (2009) asserted that the burgeoning number of international agreements between tertiary institutions often includes long and short-term faculty exchange components, and these programs move countless numbers of scholars around the globe each year to teach and conduct research abroad. the movement of academic staff across borders can bring with it many benefits including (a) prestige, (b) quality control in program delivery, (c) language expertise, and (d) the potential for professional development in the areas of pedagogy and research. this movement also creates greater diversity within university staff (altbach & knight, 2007). the problem of managing expatriate academics is an important and complex issue that needs to be addressed strategically (richardson & mckenna, 2002). much of the focus of internationalization seems to be on student recruitment and retention as these aspects are the main source of revenue for higher education institutions (brandenburg & de wit, 2011). however, efforts to monitor international initiatives and ensure quality are integral to the international higher education environment (altbach & knight, 2007). academic staff are responsible for delivering the programs that students enroll in and for differentiating the university from others in the market. the expanding numbers of expatriate academics has resulted in more international faculty representing different national cultures, and this increase in diversity presents growing challenges for institutions of higher education who must prepare their academic leaders to manage expatriate academics effectively (selmer & lauring, 2011). challenges faced by expatriate academics many expatriate academics initially view their new job in a foreign country as an adventure potentially full of the excitement of overseas travel (garson, 2005). however, working overseas presents some challenges that need to be considered by leadership, whether local or expatriates themselves, at higher education institutions that employ foreign academic staff. in getting ready for such an experience, it is important that academics are prepared for the some of the possible phases of culture shock: (a) the honeymoon, in which euphoria and adventure initially overshadow the mundane tasks of house hunting, finding schools for children, and finding acceptable food; and (b) irritation and hostility, which involve numerous adjustment problems (xia, 2009). as well, it is commonplace to hear stories within expatriate academic circles of “nightmare” schools with poor leadership. the harsh reality is that some academics will find themselves in situations where they must overcome difficulties at the hands of an overseas employer, and this can extend beyond problems at work to engaging in battles with employers to secure basic living arrangements (richardson & mckenna, 2002). with the ever-increasing movement of labour across international borders in higher education, leaders must understand the challenges faced by expatriate academic staff, both at the office and in the host country, and help to overcome these challenges, as this may be useful in attracting international faculty, as well as retaining incumbent faculty (richardson & mckenna, 2007). froese (2012) identified three distinct facets of expatriate cross-cultural adjustment: (a) general adjustment, which involves coping with living in a foreign country; (b) interactive adjustment, which involves establishing relationships with locals; and (c) work adjustment, which involves the way expatriates fit into the workplace. this places a greater responsibility for their care in the hands of academic leaders, as researchers found a link between perceived organizational support and the work adjustment of expatriates (kraimer, wayne, & jaworski, 2001). adjustment st. germain / emerging perspectives (2017) 4 problems experienced by expatriates may have fundamental consequences for an organization (selmer & lauring, 2009). richardson (2000) found that expatriates’ ability to adjust had a major influence on their professional and personal experiences during their overseas appointment. an inability to adjust both professionally and personally had a detrimental effect on their performance at work, which had a detrimental effect on their home life (richardson, 2000). challenges faced by leaders of expatriate academics leadership is identified as one of the key features of effective internationalization (francis, 1993). higher education institutions must be prepared for the changes and challenges of a highly competitive and increasingly global environment and addressing these changes means finding ways to align organizational capacity with environmental demands and opportunities (taylor & machado, 2006). leadership in higher education is fundamental for institutional development and sustainability in today’s rapidly changing world, yet there is a lack of formalized leadership preparation for this important role (gonaim, 2016). academic leaders require a diverse set of leadership capabilities, such as well-honed communication skills, problem-solving skills, conflict resolution skills, cultural leadership skills, coaching skills, and transition skills (wolverton, ackerman, & holt, 2005). in addition to these capabilities, bryman (2007) identified some of the behaviours of effective educational leaders which include (a) being considerate, (b) treating academic staff fairly and with integrity, (c) being trustworthy and having personal integrity, and (d) creating a positive and collegial atmosphere. effective leadership can affect the satisfaction and performance of employees within an organization (drury, 2004). in addition, leadership style has been found to directly affect organizational commitment (nanjundeswaraswamy & swamy, 2014). leaders who want to become successful need to learn and adapt to and lead people from diverse cultures (eken, özturgut, & craven, 2014). in addition to the already long list of leadership capabilities and behaviours expected when managing academic staff, increased diversity of staff demands that leaders employ these capabilities and skills with a global mindset (chuang, 2003). leadership styles and organizational impact given the challenges faced by leaders of expatriate academics, it is important to understand different leadership styles and their organizational impact. specifically, leadership is a blend of special traits and behaviors that influence followers to achieve a common goal. it is the process of influencing others to understand and agree on what needs to be done and how to do it, as well as the process of facilitating individual and collective efforts to accomplish shared objectives (eken, özturgut, & craven, 2014). leaders carry out this process by employing a blend of traits and behaviours known as a leadership style. the leadership style at a higher education institution can impact the quality of life and job satisfaction of expatriate academic staff and this, in turn, can have a direct impact on the achievement of organizational objectives (nanjundeswaraswamy& swamy, 2014). kraimer, wayne, and jaworski (2001) found that expatriates who had high-quality relationships with their supervisors were more effective in completing their job responsibilities and that effort extended by the supervisors translated into better expatriate performance at work. therefore, careful consideration should be given to leadership styles when managing expatriate academic staff. leadership style is an important variable influencing how members of an organization function. leadership style has a direct impact on employee job satisfaction, organizational commitment, as well as employee performance and productivity (yahaya & ebrahim, 2016). st. germain / emerging perspectives (2017) 5 leaders who can effectively integrate various leadership styles can help higher education institutions achieve their internationalization goals (nanjundeswaraswamy & swamy, 2014) by creating a supportive work environment that positively impacts expatriate work performance (kraimer, wayne, & jaworski, 2001). yahaya and ebrahim (2016) found that leadership style is an important predictor of organizational performance and it is an antecedent of organizational commitment, which is the factor that links employees to the organization and helps the organization succeed. yahaya and ebrahim also noted that commitment has been found to be related to positive organizational outcomes such as job performance, employee satisfaction, and turnover. the authors concluded that there is a positive relationship between effective leadership style and organizational commitment that leads to highly committed, more satisfied employees, the result of working under the right type of leader. vroom and jago (2007) noted that all leadership styles present some form of benefit and are effective in certain contexts. there is no single leadership style that can be effective in all situations. furthermore, vroom and jago contended that the appropriate leadership style depends on the situation faced by the leader. situational variables play into the leadership process in three distinct ways: (a) organizational effectiveness is affected by situational factors not under a leader’s control, (b) situations shape how leaders behave, and (c) situations influence the consequences of leader behavior (vroom & jago, 2007). given the complexity of managing culturally diverse academic staff, leaders should be aware of and able to employ various leadership styles when necessary. goleman (2000) noted that instead of adherence to one style, the most effective executives use a collection of distinct leadership styles when necessary. such flexibility is tough to put into action, but it pays off in performance. academic leaders may find that they are naturally more suited to certain leadership styles over others, and this may lead them to favour these leadership styles; however, goleman suggested that the most effective leaders switch among the leadership styles as needed. this approach seems most appropriate given the rapidly changing landscape of higher education leadership in the 21st century. leadership styles can affect the quality of work life and overall happiness of expatriate academics (nanjundeswaraswamy & swamy, 2014). given the impact leadership style has on achieving an organization’s goals, higher education institutions should invest in formal leadership development for academic leaders. specifically, this development should seek to improve leaders’ awareness of leadership styles, to give them the skills to recognize when different styles are appropriate and, to help them be able to effectively integrate styles depending on the situation they face. moving forward: the potential of servant leadership for expatriate academic staff at present, leadership that is rooted in ethical and caring behavior is becoming important as a key factor for engaging employees and flourishing organizations (van dierendonck, 2011). the increased mobility of labour in higher education brings with it greater freedom of movement than ever before for academic staff. universities benefit from being able to recruit from a global talent pool and recruiting the best talent is important. however, retaining it is equally, if not more, important. today, with the benefit of internet forums, expatriate academic staff can easily spread the word about good and bad schools, which has an impact on a school’s ability to attract teachers from abroad. by supporting staff and creating the conditions for them to successfully do their job, an organization will be better able to meet its goals through better job performance and long-term retention of talent (yahaya & ebrahim, 2016). st. germain / emerging perspectives (2017) 6 kraimer, wayne, and jaworski (2001) found that perceived organizational support had a direct effect on expatriate adjustment, which in turn had a direct impact on work performance. perceiving little or no support from senior leadership, individuals may feel isolated and frustrated (francis, 1993). to address these problems, one possible approach which appears to be a good fit with the general needs of expatriate academic staff is servant leadership. anderson and sun (2017) stated that servant leadership is a style that focuses on the growth of those who are being simultaneously led and served. servant leadership takes place when leaders assume the position of servant in their relationships with fellow workers and the main motivation is to focus on the needs of others (greenleaf, 1997). servant leadership aligns well with expatriate academics’ need for support when they transition to a new life in a host country. servant leadership is a broad concept encompassing many key characteristics, including: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, foresight, commitment to the growth of people, and building community (russell & stone, 2002). based on these characteristics and the overall goal of serving others, servant leadership aligns well with the values of higher education institutions, as many of these characteristics must be applied when nurturing the development of students at the post-secondary level (barnes, 2015). gonaim (2016) suggested that since many academics who transition into leadership roles within departments or colleges have no experience leading large-scale organizations, the need for a servant leadership perspective is significant. the act of teaching and helping students to achieve their goals is itself a form of servant leadership. servant leadership is demonstrated when leaders empower and develop people; express humility, authenticity, interpersonal acceptance, and stewardship; and provide direction (van dierendonck, 2011). servant leadership is anchored in the human drive to bond with others and contribute to the betterment of society. an emphasis on service motivation, as demonstrated by empowering and developing people with empathy and humility, differentiates servant leadership from other leadership frameworks (mittal & dorfman, 2012). academics who transition into leadership roles should already have a solid servant leadership foundation and should be comfortable in applying it (barnes, 2015). the key is recognizing the transferable characteristics and behaviours between teaching and servant leadership, and knowing when they are most suitably applied. although it is not a one-size-fits-all solution to leadership challenges, servant leadership could be considered by academic leaders managing expatriate academic staff due to its focus on developing and supporting people, and wide acceptance across cultures (mittal & dorfman, 2012). in addition to this, servant leadership shares many of the characteristics and behaviours of good teachers, so adopting it is not a stretch for academics who are promoted to leadership positions. expatriate academic staff will face many challenges both inside and outside the office, and servant leadership can be directly applied to helping them with the challenges. one of the drawbacks of this leadership style however, is that it is not a firmly established leadership theory. russell and gregory stone (2002) indicated that although many theorists and researchers espouse servant leadership as a valid model for modern organizational leadership, it is still a somewhat undefined and unsupported theory that lacks empirical evidence of real-world application and success. designing a training program to promote the development of servant leadership skills among academic leaders may be challenging as the theory lacks credibility in relation to other leadership theories. i suggest that future research could explore the work/life satisfaction of expatriate academics at institutions that embrace servant leadership. additionally, there is scope for research into academic leaders’ experiences with servant leadership and their perceptions of its effectiveness in relation to their needs in managing expatriate academics. st. germain / emerging perspectives (2017) 7 conclusion a shift towards a more market-oriented higher education sector in many countries, combined with the increase in demand for higher education across the world has led many universities to engage in internationalization as a method to grow their tuition base (barber, donnelly, & rizvi, 2013). internationalization has created an increase in the international mobility of labour in the higher education sector, and an increasing number of academic staff find themselves working outside of their home country (richardson & mckenna, 2003). expatriate academic staff often face challenges when working abroad and require additional support both at the office and in their daily lives. gonaim (2016) suggested that many leaders in higher education are promoted through the ranks of academia and are not properly trained in leadership. the current role of an academic leader is highly complex, and many may find it difficult to adapt. in addition to this, academic leaders may not possess the knowledge and skills required to create the necessary conditions for expatriate academic staff to adapt and thrive in their new work environment. a leader’s style can have a significant impact on employee output and the ability for an organization to meet its goals (nanjundeswaraswamy & swamy, 2014). with the huge university investments in internationalization efforts, it is essential that leaders can lead a diverse workforce to achieve success. more investment needs to be made by higher education institutions in training academic leaders to become confident in their leadership roles. leadership is highly dependent on situation (hersey, blanchard, & natemeyer, 1979). there is no one best way to lead in today’s increasingly complicated world. academic leaders need to be able to understand and apply many different leadership styles in order solve the diverse problems they face every day (goleman, 2000). one possibility is servant leadership, which is a leadership style that is in line with the values of higher education. academics who become leaders could apply servant leadership in many situations, since it shares many of the same principles as being an educator. its key traits of empowering and developing people are well-suited for supporting expatriate academic staff as they adjust to their new lives in new countries. higher education institutions need to put more emphasis on developing the leadership skills of their academic leaders, and could consider including the principles of servant leadership in their leadership development programs as managing expatriate staff becomes more important with the increased internationalization of universities. references altbach, p. g., & knight, j. 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(2016). leadership styles and organizational commitment: literature review. journal of management development, 35(2), 190-216. doi:10.1108/jmd-01-20150004 emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca *corresponding author m.mildenberger@ucalgary.ca book review / recension d’ouvrage teaching each other: nehinuw concepts & indigenous pedagogies by linda m. goulet and keith n. goulet vancouver, bc: ubc press, 2014, 248 pages isbn: 978-0-7748-2758-4 (paperback) reviewed by/ revu par marion mildenberger* university of calgary mildenberger, m. (2019). [review of the book teaching each other: nehinuw concepts & indigenous pedagogies, by linda m. goulet and keith n. goulet]. emerging perspectives, 3(2), 42-44. attention to indigenous education has become more prevalent in canada, especially since the truth and reconciliation commission was created in 2008. as a canadian with european heritage, i was ignorant of the hardship and disturbing abuse experienced by indigenous populations because of the residential school system, until the commission released its findings. i had studied the history of canada in school, including a summary of the riel rebellion, but the repercussions of the negative influence of colonization were never completely clear to me. after all, throughout all of history, it is rare for the group in power to openly discuss the negative actions that they have used to build that power. so, when i picked up teaching each other by linda and keith goulet, i came to the reading with a lot of questions. why is there such a large population of young indigenous people who do not finish high school? what are the challenges that this group faces, and why have we not been able to address them? we are now at the precipice of significant social change in our society, and the goulets provide insight on these and many other questions from both an indigenous and european perspective. their method of blending storytelling with theory and practice creates a voice in this book that turns educational theory into a page-turner. i found myself spending hours with this book, re-reading the theories and the teaching framework as presented – something which does not often happen for a book meant to inform teacher training. keith and linda goulet are a nehinuw (cree) policy maker and a euro-canadian teacher husband-and-wife team based in saskatchewan. the duality of their perspectives lends itself well to the writing style of the book, which discusses teaching methods from both world views and how they can contribute to the other’s knowledge. instead of emphasizing the “otherness” of indigenous learners, the authors discuss the values of the nehinuw and how their methods of imparting knowledge within their culture can be used to make learning accessible for all learners. the book explores the factors contributing to the challenges that indigenous students may experience within the euro-centric education system, and by identifying these colonial mildenberger / emerging perspectives (2018) 42-44 43 prejudices within that system, the authors begin to break down the cultural hurdles standing in the way of indigenous students’ success. the book’s introduction gives an overview of the history of indigenous education in canada, addressing the deficiencies evident in indigenous education articulated in the research since 1970. at the heart of these deficiencies is a lack of understanding of indigenous culture, epistemology, and teaching practices on the part of the euro-canadian education leaders. to provide culturally-relevant teaching, one must be aware of the culture itself. indigenous culture has been repressed throughout the canadian curriculum, where it is usually presented as ancient history and no longer relevant in today’s world. in fact, indigenous culture is alive and well, and the teaching methods that respect these ways of teaching will make the learning more relevant to indigenous learners. indigenous ways of knowing are threaded throughout the book, which is written in a narrative voice centred on relationships—among children, their families, friends, and elders. as the authors describe, elders are key members of indigenous society who hold the cultural knowledge and values of that society (p. 18). this historical knowledge builds the base for the authors’ “model of effective teaching,” which highlights the cyclical nature and interconnectedness of the learner, their teacher, and their environment for developing successful indigenous learners. contrary to the european model, where the teacher is the holder of knowledge and doles out this knowledge in parcels for the students to understand, indigenous ways of knowing are learner-centred and encourage exploration, self-awareness, and interconnectedness with the community (p. 20). elder ken goodwill of the nakoda, as quoted by the authors, saw human development “as learning about your place in this world— finding out who you are in relation to the world, discovering the gifts that you have, developing those gifts to make your contribution to the world, and assuming the responsibility for the use of those gifts” (pp. 77-78). it is this repeated method of discovering that forms the foundation of the authors’ teaching framework. after addressing the overarching social and cultural basis for current stresses on indigenous learners, the authors delve into their framework through an exploration of nehinuw cultural values. these values are introduced by their nehinuw names and the authors make a different foreign language accessible by incorporating a bit of linguistic background for the cree words. this method of introduction not only makes the words more relevant to the reader, but also points out how important it is to use the words in their original form to fully understand their meaning and connection to the culture—another key theme in this book. the model is based on four major values: helping and supporting relationships, working together, connecting to the learning process, and connecting to the content. once the framework is presented in chapter four, the authors use the next four chapters to explore each value in depth. the presentation of the information draws the reader in by connecting them to the content, through stories from teachers currently working with indigenous learners. finally, the last two chapters pave the way into the future, discussing how this method of teaching spreads outside of the classroom, and how it is driving further innovation in indigenous education. with the recommendations of the truth and reconciliation commission now formally presented and being incorporated into future educational strategy, teaching each other should be made required reading for teacher education programs across the country. the insights of this book give a valuable window into cree culture and the traditional ways of understanding the world. these values are not only valuable for indigenous classrooms, but will be useful in any classroom where multiple cultures exist. after all, the ability to identify individual gifts and hone the skills to use those gifts in the world is something that every student should learn to do. mildenberger / emerging perspectives (2018) 42-44 44 references federation of saskatchewan indian nations (fsin). (2002, february). a research report on the schooling, workforce and income status of first nations persons in saskatchewan. regina, sn: federation of saskatchewan indian nations. goulet, l. & goulet, k. (2014). teaching each other: nehinuw concepts & indigenous pedagogies. vancouver: ubc press. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca *corresponding author tiffany.beks@ucalgary.ca working it out: physical activity and cognitive performance among school-aged children tiffany beks* university of calgary a growing body of evidence suggests that modern society is facing a physical activity deficit of unprecedented magnitude. furthermore, research suggests that physical inactivity is associated with decreased cognitive performance and diminished academic competence. the growing implications of physical inactivity among schoolaged children have necessitated an urgent response from health professionals and educators to develop innovative and timely solutions. psychologists who work with school-aged children are in the position to raise awareness of the link between physical inactivity and cognitive development and integrate this body of knowledge into their practice frameworks. this article covers the role of physical activity in the development of cognitive skills, critical research findings in this area, and implications for psychologists who work with school-aged children. keywords: physical activity; cognitive development; school-aged children; psychologists; professional practice beks, t. (2019). working it out: physical activity and cognitive performance among school-aged children. emerging perspectives, 3(2), 5-13. in this age of technological revolution and knowledge-based economies, the increasingly prevalent use of computer technology has raised concerns about the coinciding decrease in physical activity among school-aged children (hillman, erickson, & kramer, 2008). physical inactivity is associated with poor physical health outcomes among school-aged children, including obesity, decreased musculoskeletal fitness, and increased risk for cardiovascular disease (tremblay, leblanc, et al., 2011). conversely, physical activity (pa) is associated with positive effects on mental health, physiological functioning, cardiovascular fitness, and quality of life among school-aged children (ortega, ruiz, castillo, & sjöström, 2008). furthermore, pa plays an important role in the development of cognitive abilities needed for youth to participate fully in academic, social, and vocational spheres throughout life (booth & lees, 2006; ellemberg & stlouis-deschênes, 2010; vaynman & gomez-pinilla, 2006). a complete review of the bodies of literature on cognitive development and pa is beyond the scope of this article. therefore, the role of pa in the development of cognitive abilities among school-aged children (i.e., youth aged 5 to 17; statistics canada, 2015) is briefly discussed. this article will begin by introducing the importance of cognitive development, followed by a discussion of the societal changes that have occurred concurrently with decreased physical activity. the next section provides a review of the critical research findings elucidating the effects of pa beks/ emerging perspectives (2019) 5-13 6 on cognitive performance. this article will conclude with a discussion of the implications for psychologists who work with school-aged children. school-aged children and cognitive development in the field of developmental psychology, cognitive ability refers to the capacity to correctly or appropriately process information in a way that leads to successful knowledge acquisition and manipulation (bjorkland & myers, 2015; floyd, 2010). accordingly, cognition includes such processes and faculties as perception, attention, memory, motor skills, language, visual and spatial processing, and executive functioning (bjorkland & myers, 2015). by extension, cognitive development concerns changes in the way information is represented, acquired, and manipulated across the lifespan (bjorkland & myers, 2015). for the purpose of this article, it is important to note that cognitive ability is distinguished from academic achievement in that variance in academic achievement takes into account more variables than cognitive faculties and processes alone, and includes such factors as learning environment, parental involvement, school demographics, motivation, affect, and quality of instruction (kaufman, reynolds, liu, kaufman, & mcgrew, 2012). thus, the literature discussed herein will focus on the constructs of cognitive abilities and cognitive development. psychologists who work with school-aged children have long focused on cognitive development because it is considered critical to problem-solving (keen, 2011), language acquisition (dodd & mcintosh, 2010), social functioning (krogh-jespersen, liberman, & woodward, 2015), academic success (lu, weber, spinath, & shi, 2011), and the development of employability skills (broecke, quintini, & vandeweyer, 2015). that is, cognitive abilities are an important element of what enables human beings to adapt to changing environments and societal conditions (heyes, 2012). in a society characterized by rapid advancements in information and communication technologies, cognitive abilities continue to be a vital competency across the lifespan (voogt, erstad, dede, & mishra, 2013). for these reasons, cognitive abilities are a frequent target of psychological assessments and interventions in schools (floyd, 2010). physical inactivity in school-aged children a growing body of evidence suggests that modern society is facing a pa deficit of unprecedented magnitude (agatston, 2012; kohl et al., 2012; tremblay, 2012; world health organization [who], 2010). children, who depend on pa to reach developmental milestones (ellemberg & st-louis-deschênes, 2010), are among the most vulnerable to the ill effects of sedentary behaviour (who, 2010). in accordance with the canadian physical activity guidelines (cpag), pa involves any form of aerobic exercise (canadian society for exercise physiology [csep], 2011). the cpag (csep, 2011), which serves to promote and assist canadians in being more physically active, recommends that children between the ages of 5 and 17 incur approximately 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous pa per day. this recommendation has evolved from years of research confirming the benefits of pa for youth (csep, 2011; tremblay, warburton, et al., 2011). despite the plethora of evidence highlighting the importance of pa for healthy youth development, school-aged children are not engaging in the recommended pa advised by the cpag (statistics canada [sc], 2015). specifically, only 13% of male and 6% of female schoolaged children are averaging the daily recommended 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous pa (sc, 2015). equally alarming is that youth between the ages of 5 and 17 spend an average of 8 hours and 27 minutes per day engaged in sedentary activities (sc, 2015). research suggests that major beks/ emerging perspectives (2019) 5-13 7 social, economic, and political changes are largely responsible for decreased pa among schoolaged children (engström, 2004; sattelmair & ratey, 2009). for instance, the significant shift from high levels of physical exertion to a life much less physically demanding (bonde & viikarijuntura, 2013), increased reliance on the automobile (kohl et al., 2012), and the reduced emphasis on physical education programs within schools in favour of academics (sattelmair & ratey, 2009) have been implicated in decreased pa among children. however, the ill effects of physical inactivity among school-aged children have only recently begun to surface and are associated with a number of serious health conditions such as heart disease, obesity, and communicable diseases (kohl et al., 2012; tremblay, leblanc, et al., 2011). furthermore, and of particular importance to psychologists, research suggests that physical inactivity is associated with decreased cognitive performance and diminished academic competence (ardoy et al., 2014; budde et al., 2010; esteban-cornejo et al., 2015; van der niet et al., 2015). while this body of research is in its infancy, it is likely that future studies will continue to illuminate the impact of physical inactivity on cognitive development among children. physical activity and the development of cognitive abilities while the majority of empirical research has focused on the relationship between pa and physical health outcomes among school-aged children, less attention has been paid to the role of pa in cognitive functioning in this population (ellemberg & st-louis-deschênes, 2010). however, research suggests that improvements in cognitive abilities result from the effects of pa on the brain. pa increases the development of new neurons and levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, enhances cerebral blood flow and oxygen concentrations, and heightens synaptic plasticity (chaddock, pontifex, hillman, & kramer, 2011; hamer & chida, 2009; hillman et al., 2008). these changes are associated with attention, information processing, storage and retrieval, and concentration (eddy, stansfield, & green, 2014; mcmorris, 2015; wipfli, landers, nagoshi, & ringenbach, 2011). furthermore, because childhood and adolescence are periods of marked plasticity, pa may be an important stimulus to enhance cognitive abilities (romeo & mcewen, 2006). for example, van der niet et al. (2015) found that sedentary behaviour was negatively associated with inhibition performance whereas moderate to vigorous pa was positively associated with planning speed and performance. budde et al. (2010) found that 15 to 16 year-old adolescents with poorer working memory profited the most from the pa intervention, and that moderate pa intensity was most strongly associated with working memory performance. esteban-cornejo et al. (2015) examined levels of pa among adolescents (i.e., aged 11-18), which were subsequently divided into three ranges of activity level: low pa (an average of 109 minutes per week [min/week] and 36 minutes per week among boys and girls, respectively), moderate pa (an average of 335 min/week and 151 min/week among boys and girls, respectively), and vigorous pa (an average of 767 min/week and 413 min/week among boys and girls, respectively). at the age of 18, cognitive performance was assessed using the wechsler adult intelligence scale-iii (wais-iii) short form, which measures verbal comprehension, perceptual organization, working memory, and processing speed (wechsler, 1997). adolescents categorized as moderate performed significantly better on the wais-iii, whereas those who were categorized as vigorous or low demonstrated poorer cognitive performance (esteban-cornejo et al., 2015). the authors theorized that moderate levels of pa benefit cognitive performance, whereas low levels of pa may lack adequate stimulation to improve learning and high levels of pa may replace the time that would be devoted to learning activities thereby undermining cognitive performance (esteban-cornejo et al., 2015). however, it is evident from this study that additional research is needed to better beks/ emerging perspectives (2019) 5-13 8 understand the relationship between poor cognitive performance and high levels of pa. nevertheless, the abovementioned studies provide early evidence of the important role of pa in cognitive performance and cognitive development among school-aged children. furthermore, these studies suggest that pa may be an important intervention for school-aged children with cognitive difficulties. while a comprehensive review of the body of literature examining the relationship between pa and cognitive development in school-aged children is beyond the scope of this paper, chaddock-heyman, hillman, cohen, and kramer (2014) provide a detailed review for further reading. school-based intervention the growing implications of physical inactivity among school-aged children have necessitated an urgent response from health professionals to develop innovative and timely solutions. schools provide an accessible conduit through which to promote pa and intervene against pa deficits and their subsequent effects on cognitive abilities (ardoy et al., 2014). however, interventions have focused largely on reducing obesity (dobbins, husson, decorby, & larocca, 2013). to date, few school-based interventions target the relationship between pa and cognitive abilities, in part because of the limited research in this area. the education for fitness (edufit) program represents one program that operates within a naturalistic school setting in murcia, spain, and has focused on measuring the effects of pa on cognitive abilities (ardoy et al., 2014). this program focuses specifically on increasing pa as a means to enhance cognitive performance among 12 to 14 year olds. the program is intended to increase and intensify students’ pa over and above the current physical education curriculum of the murcia school, which previously adhered to the national curriculum standards in spain. during the pilot stage of this program, researchers from the university of granada conducted a grouprandomized controlled trial. sixty-seven adolescents (43 males and 24 females) between the ages of 12 to 14, from three different classes participated in the study. groups were assigned to one of three conditions. in the control group, adolescents received 2 x 55 minutes of physical education per week as mandated by law. these sessions followed the typical pedagogical practice in spain, meaning the 55 minutes included time for physical education teachers to organize the session, for students to change their clothes, and for shower time at the end of the session. in the first experimental condition, adolescents received 4 x 55 minutes of physical education per week, all of which followed the same pedagogical parameters as the control group. in the second experimental condition, adolescents received 4 x 55 minutes of physical education per week at increased intensity (i.e., activities requiring a heart rate of 120 beats per minute); otherwise, all pedagogical parameters remained the same. prior to beginning the intervention, all adolescent participants completed the spanish overall and factorial intelligence test as a measure of overall cognitive abilities, as well as specific domains including non-verbal and verbal abilities, abstract reasoning, spatial ability, verbal reasoning, and numerical ability (yuste-hernández, 2001). following the 4-month intervention period, performance in all cognitive domains, except for verbal reasoning, increased significantly among adolescents in the increased intensity physical education group (i.e., experimental group 2). there were no significant differences in cognitive improvements between experimental group one and the control group. based on the categorization of activity level, these findings appear to contradict the results of esteban-cornejo et al.’s (2015) study. cain, sallis, conway, van dyck, and calhoon (2013) point out that the field of pa research employs inconsistent methods for measuring and defining activity levels among youth, thereby limiting the comparison of findings across studies. thus, in order to design effective pa beks/ emerging perspectives (2019) 5-13 9 interventions, it is critical that this growing field of research move toward standardization of measuring and operationally defining pa levels (cain et al., 2013). nevertheless, programs like edufit provide compelling evidence for the benefit of naturalistic, school-based interventions to enhance cognitive performance through pa. with few programs like edufit in operation, it is crucial that psychologists take an active stance toward promoting the benefits of pa for cognitive abilities. implications for practice: psychologists as change agents in an era where physical education and physically-active play are increasingly viewed as expendable aspects of schooling (simon & childers, 2006), psychologists who work with schoolaged children are in the position to advocate for the continued need for school-based pa. the growing evidence suggesting a linkage between moderate levels of pa and cognitive development among school-aged children provides a compelling impetus for psychologists to consider pa in psychological service delivery (fedewa & clark, 2010). psychologists are not only privy to the emergent research on the cognitive benefits of pa, but they are also subject to the canadian code of ethics for psychologists, which delineates the ethical principles, values, and standards that guide all canadian psychologists (canadian psychological association [cpa], 2000). under principle ii: responsible caring, psychologists are urged to keep up-to-date on research findings and how they affect individuals and broader society “in order that their service or research activities and conclusions will benefit and not harm others” (cpa, 2000, p. 16). in addition, under principle iv: responsibility to society, psychologists are encouraged to “provide the public with any psychological knowledge relevant to the public’s informed participation in the shaping of social policies and structures” (cpa, 2000, p. 30). thus, psychologists have an ethical obligation to remain abreast of research on the interactions between pa and cognitive abilities, and when necessary, to integrate this information into their practice to advance the effectiveness of the psychological services they provide. psychologists also have an ethical duty to promote the link between pa and cognitive abilities where it applies to policies or decisions that affect children within broader society. pa has more recently emerged as a palpable treatment for severe mental health conditions, including major depressive disorder, postpartum depression, schizophrenia, generalized anxiety disorder, and bipolar disorder (rosenbaum, tiedemann, ward, curtis, & sherrington, 2015). additionally, pa has been implicated as a viable intervention for children and youth with executive functioning difficulties, including children with adhd (chaddock et al., 2011; hillman et al., 2008). while these emerging cases of pa-based interventions are encouraging, the application of pa in routine psychological assessments and treatment planning for cognitive skills is in its infancy (fedewa & clark, 2010; weir, 2011). this suggests that more work is needed to increase awareness of the link between pa and cognitive development. future research should focus on the development of evidence-based interventions that are directly applicable to psychological practice involving school-aged children. conclusion the purpose of this article was to elucidate the important link between pa and cognitive abilities among school-aged children, and to stimulate dialogue as to the role of psychologists in raising awareness of the pa-cognitive development relationship. pa is a vital component of cognitive development. likewise, the development of cognitive abilities remains a vital competency needed for individuals to participate fully in all facets of life. some of the most beks/ emerging perspectives (2019) 5-13 10 significant changes in cognitive abilities and functioning occur during childhood and adolescence. although pa is an important contributor to cognitive developmental processes, children and adolescents are not engaging in adequate levels of pa. cognitive development may be compromised by this deficit. pa may be a viable intervention for school-aged children with certain cognitive weaknesses; 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(2001). inteligencia general y factorial-igf. madrid: tea ediciones. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca corresponding author: alysha.chankent@ucalgary.ca an autoethnography of my journey through autoethnography alysha s. chan kent university of calgary autoethnography is a qualitative method which allows the researcher to incorporate one’s professional and personal identities to share an aspect of their everyday experiences. upon examining my experience of parental divorce, i discovered that my personal voice, one of a chinese-canadian woman, was missing from the dominant discourse within the divorce literature. due to the incongruence between the literature and my experiences, i was drawn to autoethnography as a method which would allow me to add a personal voice to the body of literature on divorce. this project did not unfold as expected. my journey through autoethnography led me to re-engage with the emotional experience that originally inspired my research. this shifted the focus to how autoethnography can be used as a transformative tool which reconnects researchers to the personal and emotional experiences that initially motivated their interest in a specific topic. therefore, autoethnography can be used as a method to answer questions in which researchers must move from cognitive to emotional domains of experiencing. as autoethnography is an important but under-used qualitative methodology, this study provided evidence for the utility of autoethnography in thickening the storyline of an experience, awakening and reinspiring one’s desire to explore research questions with a newfound passion. chan kent, a s. (2020). an autoethnography of my journey through autoethnography. emerging perspectives, 4(2), 79-88. autoethnography is an approach to qualitative research that has been used to depict elusive and complex feelings or experiences which cannot be tapped into conventionally, allowing researchers to tell stories and share personal experiences so that others may better understand them (muncey, 2010). all autoethnographies start with a personal story as this provides purpose and direction for the research (wall, 2008). i began this project as a part of a qualitative research course, in which my course instructor suggested autoethnography as a method for exploring my experience of parental divorce as a young child. this journey commenced with the primary aim of articulating my understanding of parental divorce, and how my status as a chinese-canadian woman influenced this experience. to construct an understanding of this divorce experience, i sought to examine moments which significantly influenced the trajectory of my life. in the beginning, i assumed that i would be able to offer a narrative of how familial and cultural obligations distinctively shaped one such experience. my own experience of parental divorce contributed to my budding curiosity to study familial dynamics, pursue research in the realm of relationships and culture, and finally led me to a career in counselling psychology. i initiated this project because i felt as though the existing literature did not accurately represent my experience as a chinese-canadian woman, particularly chan kent emerging perspectives (2020) 80 pertaining to how the consequences of parental divorce ultimately altered the trajectory of my life. i identify as belonging to a racial/ethnic and gender minority; therefore, i believed it was imperative for the literature to represent my story, knowing that there are others who share this experience. in essence, i felt that due to the underrepresentation of these intersections of identity (i.e., chinese-canadian woman) in the literature, this was a gap that i could help address. i began with the question, “how do i, as a chinese-canadian woman, understand my experience of childhood parental divorce?” however, as i progressed through this project, it did not unfold as expected. the nature of qualitative research is “reflective, interpretive, descriptive, and usually reflexive” (fischer, 2006, p. xvi); therefore, the final results of a study may look vastly different from what the researcher may have originally anticipated. although the findings were unexpected, morrow (2005) noted that this outcome is normative, with reflexivity as one of the strengths of qualitative research. my journey through autoethnography became a transformative process of re-engagement with the emotional experience that originally motivated my research question. the focus shifted to “how can autoethnography be used as a transformative tool to re-engage researchers in the personal emotional experiences that motivate their research questions?” in this article i outline how this unexpected process unfolded and what i learned from undertaking autoethnography as a method of qualitative research. deepening the story: tensions arising between the existing literature and my experience as i initiated the literature review for this project, i noticed that despite the magnitude of divorce literature within the western context, the consequences of parental divorce on the adjustment of children from chinese families, including the long-term impact, are largely unknown (eldar-avidan, haj-yahia, & greenbaum, 2009). indeed, most of this divorce literature focused on individualistic cultures, was largely quantitative in design, had limited generalizability, and, thereby, inadequately addressed the experience of divorce in collectivist cultures, such as the chinese (xu, zhang, & xia, 2008). in addition, the vast majority of research regarding the experience of parental divorce for women, in particular, primarily focused on implications for female development. however, results of such studies yielded conflicting results pertaining to the impact of divorce on girls (kalter, riemer, brickman, & chen, 1985). specifically, kalter and colleagues (1985) explained that several studies determined that parental divorce minimally or only temporarily affected daughters, while others demonstrated intensified difficulties in the areas of self-esteem, depression, and rebellious behaviours. although the existing divorce research has considered gender, specifically that of being a woman, investigations into the intersections of identity (e.g., racial/ethnic and gender identities) are missing. i am uniquely situated to have insight in this area not only because of my experience of parental divorce, but also because of my identification with a particular racial/ethnic group (i.e., chinese-canadian) and my gender identity (i.e., cisgender woman). consider the following excerpts from the dominant literature which i viewed as incongruent to my own experience: 1) “offspring from divorced families hold ambivalent views about intimate relationships and marriage” (amato & booth, 1997, p. 108). contrary to this, my experience of parental divorce has led me to seriously uphold the sanctity of marriage. this attitude is notably prevalent in chinese societies, because marriage cuts to the core of the chinese family value system: a focus on the centrality of family (hung, 2008). chan kent emerging perspectives (2020) 81 2) “children with divorced parents, compared to children with continuously married parents, have more emotional problems, obtain lower academic scores, and have more problems with social relationships. disadvantages persist into adulthood” (amato, 2010, p. 653). following my parents’ divorce, i did not encounter these disadvantages. i remained hyperconscientious of these issues and focused on building healthy relationships and achieving academic success. 3) “adult children of divorce tend to look back on this period of their lives with some degree of negative affect” (amato, 1988, p. 460). looking back, i believe divorce prompted positive, growth-inducing effects in my life. i had to mature quickly, fostering skills such as independence, decision making, empathy and compassion, all of which have contributed to my development as a person and a counsellor. due to the incongruence between the literature and my experience, i was drawn to autoethnography as a method which would allow me to add a personal voice to the body of literature on divorce. researchers have used autoethnography as a method to depict elusive and complex feelings or experiences which cannot be tapped into conventionally, allowing researchers to tell stories that may have been neglected in the dominant literature (muncey, 2010). in addition to exploring experiences which are missing in the dominant literature, autoethnography connects these personal experiences with the larger social realm, providing readers with a mechanism through which “personal experiences are explored as a window to the understanding of others in society” (chang, 2016, p. 445). my original goal was to share my experience of parental divorce as a chinese-canadian woman and express this as a valid and credible lived experience (peterson, 2014). i was curious as to why my experience starkly contrasted those which i had read about; therefore, i intended to weave a story of my parental divorce experience so that others could imagine or make sense of this life event. an additional goal for autoethnographers, and for my originally planned study, was to sensitize the reader to important client issues, which may be beneficial to researchers and clinicians alike. however, secondary findings emerged from this study; specifically, that researchers may be able to utilize autoethnography as a tool to assist them in moving from cognitive to emotional domains of experience. therefore, this article explicitly focused on how researchers may be able to personally reconnect to emotionally-rich experiences and enhance their description of their experience by engaging in autoethnography. consequently, individuals pursuing autoethnography as a method of qualitative research may find value in the results of this study. methodology autoethnography produces meaningful, accessible, and evocative research grounded in personal experience (ellis, adams, & bochner, 2011). researchers hold twofold identities of academic and personal self to share stories about an aspect of themselves in their daily lives (ellis et al., 2011). therefore, researchers use themselves as their primary research subjects. the subjective nature of this methodology can enhance one’s work (muncey, 2010). emotions are placed in the foreground to acknowledge the subjective nature of knowledge (butz & besio, 2009), enabling authors to produce a thick description of an experience and serving to facilitate understanding for those who have or have not experienced a particular phenomenon (peterson, 2014). my journey through autoethnography not only provided me with the opportunity to tell my story but it was also a transformative process that reminded me of the emotions that i had chan kent emerging perspectives (2020) 82 previously experienced throughout my parents’ divorce, thereby re-engaging me in the emotional experience that originally motivated my research question. research question immersing myself in the existing literature raised my awareness to the underrepresentation of my own experience in the dominant discourse around divorce. this prompted my desire to construct a narrative that could speak to others who experienced parental divorce similarly. my early intentions were to relay my own divorce story; one that had not yet been represented. in particular, i wanted to focus on how being a chinese woman may have contributed to the differences i observed between my experience of parental divorce and those studies illustrating the experience within the dominant western culture. therefore, my preliminary research question was: how do i, as a chinese-canadian woman, understand my experience of childhood parental divorce? this guiding question evolved, and although highly unanticipated, a second question emerged as a natural result of the qualitative process: how can autoethnography be used as a transformative tool to re-engage researchers in the personal emotional experiences that motivate their research questions? for the purposes of this paper i have chosen to concentrate my attention on the process of autoethnography and how it can act as a catalyst for researchers to reconnect to the experiences which may have originally led them to pursue autoethnography. data and analysis as per the autoethnographic tradition (ellis et al., 2011), i began by writing journal entries specifically for this project. i chronicled details of my life, from 3–22 years old. as i wrote, i asked: how did i make sense of the divorce? how have i changed as a result of my parents’ divorce? what were some of the typical situations i encountered through the process of parental divorce? how was my divorce experience similar to, or different from, those described in the literature, given my being raised in a chinese-canadian household? how did my gender role socialization as a female shape my experience of divorce? i analyzed my journal entries in an attempt to organize my experience, but i struggled to accurately depict and establish a coherent meaning regarding that experience. although autoethnography is flexible in its approach, it is a complex method that does not proceed linearly. in fact, ellis (2004) equated the undertaking of autoethnography to “being sent into the woods without a compass” (p. 120). my project had come to a standstill, and upon re-reading my detailed journals, i found that they sounded disconnected from the emotionally charged event that had originally compelled me to pursue parental divorce as a research topic. upon sharing this struggle with my father, he asked me if i would like to read the psychological assessment conducted on me and my family members, used during child custody proceedings in 1998. this document provoked a re-engagement with my personal emotional experience of the divorce event, breathing new life into a story that had, after numerous retellings, become overshadowed by my thoughts around the experience. my review of this document reminded me of the emotions i had associated with the divorce event (e.g., initial sadness, followed by relief, contentment, and motivation to grow) and also led me to better understand the thoughts i had connected to this experience. i recalled and reconstructed conversations, following the example by ellis and bochner (2000) to substantiate my findings. these snippets of reconstructed narrative are not verbatim; rather, the intention was to capture the essence of each conversation. chan kent emerging perspectives (2020) 83 findings: a movement through five stages, from inquiry to inspiration my involvement with autoethnography moved me through five key stages: inquiry, stagnation, re-engagement, transformation, and inspiration. these conversations illustrate how i developed and experienced a movement from inquiry to inspiration through this project. these key stages are briefly explained, with an example of each provided in the following diagram: figure 1. the development of the five stages: a movement from inquiry to inspiration inquiry an experience or event which holds significant meaning to an individual is commonly the motivator that attracts researchers to particular areas of interest; this is the case with autoethnographies, which stem from deeply personal stories (wall, 2008). at the commencement of this project, i wanted to find a way to express how my experience of parental divorce was uniquely shaped by family and cultural obligations. my instructor recommended i pursue autoethnography as this method would allow me to develop a personal narrative of my experience, integrating personal aspects of myself that are routinely siphoned out when using other qualitative methods. for example, as is intended through the practice of bracketing (i.e., identifying preconceived beliefs about the phenomenon being studied and “bracketing” them out in an attempt to approach one’s research from an unbiased perspective) in traditional phenomenological research (tufford & newman, 2010). inquiry autoethnography starts with a personal story. i began with the story i had woven of my experience of parental divorce as a child. to construct an understanding of this experience, i sought to examine moments which significantly impacted the trajectory of my life. stagnation the first step was to write about my experience in a detailed, evocative manner. i wrote. page and pages. but the results were stale. cold. lifeless. i was lost, uninspired, and disconnected. i turned to my dad, an individual who has been with me through every step of this journey. re-engagement my research was motivated by the very event contained in the assessment documents, but an internal battle raged on. i struggled with the decision to read it. this meant refamiliarizing myself with an experience that i have become comfortable thinking about, but no longer feeling. transformation through conversation with a peer, i identified how re-engaging with my emotional experiences enabled me to better understand my cognitions connected to this experience. by exploring and reengaging in the story of my life, i came to understand my life as it is now. inspiration autoethnography allowed me to thicken the storyline of my divorce experience, awakening and inspiring a desire to explore my research question with a newfound passion. this realization became apparent in a conversation between my supervisor and myself. professor: “what exactly is it that you are interested in discovering?” me: “i’m attracted to the idea of expressing how my experience of parental divorce as a chinese canadian woman was uniquely shaped by family and cultural obligations.” professor: “that sounds like personal narrative, have you thought about autoethnography?” father: “hi hun, how’s it going?” me: “i’m frustrated! i’ve been working on this project, writing and writing, but i feel disconnected, like i don’t even know why i’m doing this research anymore...” father: “hmm… i have an idea. i can send you a report that might help. i don’t think i’ve shared it before…” (in reference to the assessment used in child custody proceedings) excerpt from journal: “i am afraid that what i read will change how i view a situation that has become my reality. i am afraid to be thrust into the consuming darkness i once considered inescapable. the sadness of a child who experienced the love of four parents, but did not know what to make of this love. i fear that this reality, an insidious darkness, will creep back in. a reality that took me so long to escape, so long to recover from.” me: “i don’t know what to make of it. i re-engaged with an emotional side of the experience i thought was lost... that i had purposefully replaced with logic.” peer: “do you think there is a way your emotions and cognitions can come together, as a woven tapestry?” me: “i never really thought of it like that. it’s almost as if autoethnography reopened a locked door to those emotions.” supervisor: “what has this process been like for you?” me: “discouraging. aggravating. challenging. but as a result, i’ve changed. my identity, as a daughter, as a researcher, has evolved because of this. for years i felt obligated to remove myself from my work. through autoethnography i was finally able to find a place where i fit back in, and that was inspiring. uplifting. encouraging.” chan kent emerging perspectives (2020) 84 stagnation the first steps of autoethnography are to write about the experience. autoethnographers are challenged to present their experiences in a detailed, evocative manner (ellis & bochner, 2000). following this procedure, i wrote pages and pages, but the results were stale, cold, and lifeless. i was lost, uninspired, and disconnected from how the divorce had truly impacted me. autoethnography is commonly used as a form of expressing self-narratives because it is adaptable. the lack of prescribed stages allows the user to adjust their next moves based on what best suits the given circumstance (ellis & bochner, 2000). however, as an emerging researcher attempting autoethnography for the first time, the lack of a “how-to” guide left me feeling overwhelmed. my depiction of parental divorce read as a mechanical story. although this event was saturated with personal emotional turmoil, numerous reiterations and re-tellings of the divorce had allowed me to package and present it as a clean-cut process. years of critically analyzing the paradigm of divorce in my life and in the lives of others led me to view this event through a clinical and objective lens, a far cry from my initial goal for this project. re-engagement in contrast to feeling “stuck” in the cognitive reiterations of my parents’ divorce, i could clearly identify emotionally reengaging with my experience of parental divorce the moment i read the psychological report conducted during the divorce and custody proceedings. this document opened with a description of my parents’ marriage and subsequent dissolution of their relationship. however, the excerpt that had the largest impact and elicited the strongest emotions was a description of myself as a young girl and an account of parental treatment prior to the divorce. this section of the document described specific scenarios i had encountered as a child facing parental divorce, serving as a vivid reminder of the emotions (e.g., initial feelings of grief and loss, followed by an increased desire to grow and learn from the experience) that i had previously felt. following exposure to this document, i moved from a phase of stagnation to reengagement with the project, as the content detailed in this text revitalized feelings i had associated with a previously emotionally charged event. i was reminded of the sadness i felt upon realizing that i would never again live in a home with both of my biological parents. i remembered the guilt that possessed me when wondering if i had played a role in my parents’ divorce. i reminisced on the anxiety i experienced when i assumed the role of mediator between my parents. however, i also came to realize how this experience prompted growth, development, and maturity in myself. my own view of marriage was influenced by my parents’ divorce, in that i placed intense value on the sanctity of this relationship. my response to my parents’ divorce was also notably different than that which was portrayed in the dominant literature; specifically, i focused on excelling academically and building strong relationships. overall, i am able to look back on this experience through a strengths-based lens – to see how my parents’ divorce positively impacted and changed the trajectory of my life. the process of autoethnography differs from one individual to the next; however, in my experience i was able to re-engage with strong emotions following exposure to a document containing emotionally explicit language and events. transformation the act of reading the psychological assessment that was conducted on me as a child facing parental divorce was a transformative experience, especially pertaining to my view of the chan kent emerging perspectives (2020) 85 event. through conversation with a peer, i identified how assessment of this artifact allowed me to re-engage with my personal emotional experience of divorce, enabling me to better understand my cognitions connected to this experience. i was placed back into the shoes of my former self, which not only served as a transformative encounter, but also allowed me to understand how years of research in this particular area had moved me from emotional to cognitive domains of experiencing. through the process of completing this autoethnography i was able to understand how this form of research has the potential to allow authors to personally reconnect to emotionally-rich experiences, in addition to enhancing one’s detailed description of their experience. inspiration re-exploring previous parts of my life led to a greater understanding of the influence that the divorce had on me. working through the process of autoethnography allowed me to thicken the storyline of my divorce experience, awakening and inspiring my desire to explore a particular research question with a newfound passion. a true gift can come from autoethnography in that the process of working through one’s experience from start to finish is as much a reward as the finished product. discussion i initially pursued autoethnography as a method which would allow me to share my own experience of parental divorce. however, as i progressed through this project, i came to realize that autoethnography can result in much more than sharing one’s story and experience. in turn i recognized that the process, not solely the final product, can generate highly informative knowledge to the researcher. the following is a brief summary of what i came to learn through this experience; specifically, my personal discoveries, applicability of this study to researchers and clinicians, limitations of this study, and directions for future research. what i discovered through autoethnography my initial interest in the topic of divorce was due to experiencing it first-hand as an emotionally salient event in childhood. however, after engaging in numerous years of research pertaining to the experience of divorce, i was detached from the emotionally significant aspects of my experience, giving way to an evaluation from a primarily cognitive perspective. at the onset of this project, i had difficulty recalling the affective aspects of my parents’ divorce. my journey through autoethnography led me to rediscover a part of my family and personal history that would not have been made known to me had i not employed this method of research. autoethnography allowed me to access and re-live the emotional experience that had formerly driven and inspired my research idea – the grieving and loss i felt as my family no longer remained a cohesive unit, followed by the subsequent motivation i felt to grow through this experience. in the process, an idea that had become stale was brought back to life. autoethnography became a tool to not only share an authentic understanding of my experience, but by which a greater appreciation and use for this methodology was recognized. the process of writing personal stories can be therapeutic for authors, as we write to make sense of ourselves and our experiences (ellis et al., 2011). autoethnography allowed me to reengage with a personal emotional experience as a researcher and a daughter. this process forced me to look at who i was in the past and integrate that into the person i am now. further, this study enabled me to better understand who i am and the roles i hold within the context of the chan kent emerging perspectives (2020) 86 cultures i am situated in. this is not limited to the cultural understanding i have gained through examining the intersection between chinese and canadian cultures, but also the sub-culture within my own family, within my relationships with my parents, and with other women who experienced parental divorce in childhood. how can re-engagement be useful to researchers and clinicians? autoethnography not only sensitizes researchers and clinicians to important client issues but goes further in that it adds a personal voice to the existing body of research. this is significant when working with clients from specific populations as their concerns may differ from those in the dominant literature. philaretou and allen (2006) noted that the knowledge obtained through this methodology is academically valuable as it provides an insider’s perspective into sensitive topics that may not be readily approached by recruited participants. this study explicitly focused on engaging researchers in moving from cognitive to emotional domains of experiencing, particularly in regard to the topic they have chosen to investigate. autoethnography prompted me to re-engage in the personal emotional experience that originally motivated my question. by engaging in the emotional aspects of my experience, i was able to provide a comprehensive description of this experience, which may differ from the knowledge obtained through using alternative qualitative methods. limitations when taking into consideration the self-selecting nature of what i chose to speak to, a potential limitation of this research is the quality of the information i obtained. that is, this study was highly dependent on my ability to self-reflect and communicate my experiences. specifically, the depth of the data i was able to obtain may have been limited by the fact that i was reflecting on the emotions i experienced in childhood. therefore, this renders it impossible to fully access the exact emotions i felt as a child, emotions which led me to develop my current beliefs and values around marriage and divorce. critics of autoethnography have judged it as narcissistic, excessively focused on the individual, and self-indulgent (coffey, 1999). however, bochner and ellis (1996) countered that the subjective stance taken by the researcher “allow[s] another person’s world of experience to inspire critical reflection on your own” (p. 22). therefore, autoethnographic research not only provides readers with a fuller understanding of a particular experience, but also challenges them to consider and reflect on their own experiences. the basis of qualitative research is humanistic in nature and therefore, the experience is considered through the eyes of the individual (creswell, 2009). with this approach in mind, qualitative researchers consider personal stories and narratives to be valid and credible data by which researchers can answer the questions they have asked. therefore, one of the main strengths of autoethnography is that it provides personal narratives and provides rich data pertaining to a particular experience (ellis & bochner, 2000). future research exposure to an artifact prompted my movement from cognitive to emotional domains of experiencing; specifically, the psychological assessment which was conducted during the divorce and custody proceedings. future studies could extend beyond a one-person sample and examine how other researchers engaging in autoethnography experience the introduction of an artifact. in chan kent emerging perspectives (2020) 87 this case, it would be interesting to note whether or not researchers outside of this particular study also experience a movement from cognitive to emotional domains of experiencing. conclusion my initial aim for this study was to enhance my understanding of divorce within a collective culture, with the colossal hopes of one day furthering the development of theory pertaining to divorce and identity; thereby, enabling researchers and clinicians alike to provide more effective counselling services for young chinese-canadians. i intended to explore how family and cultural obligations uniquely shaped my experience of divorce and construct an understanding of this experience by examining how my parents’ divorce significantly influenced the trajectory of my life. unexpectedly, the process of autoethnography moved me from a specific topic of exploration to better understanding how engagement with this methodology can allow researchers to access underlying emotions associated with particular research topics. i came to understand that, through autoethnography, it is possible for a researcher to not 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(2008). impacts of parents’ divorce on chinese children. marriage & family review, 42(3), 91–119. doi:10.1300/j002v4n03_05 data and analysis re-engagement transformation inspiration discussion what i discovered through autoethnography how can re-engagement be useful to researchers and clinicians? limitations future research conclusion references emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca foreword doctoral seminar 2017: an international journey gina ko, jon woodend, and lena barrantes university of calgary gina welcome readers to the emerging perspectives special issue on the international doctoral seminar. the international doctoral seminar (ids) is a collaborative project involving three universities, one each in australia (queensland university of technology—qut), canada (university of calgary—uc), and china (beijing normal university—bnu). this special issue idea began serendipitously on a beautiful evening in brisbane after a meal of delicious vietnamese and chinese food, shared amongst the doctoral seminar participants during the 2017 cycle, at which i was a student participant. we were standing outside the restaurant chatting and saying goodnight when one of the faculty mentors and one of the student participants approached me. they told me that they had been discussing publishing opportunities for international graduate students. the faculty mentor knew i was one of the editors of epigrep and exclaimed, “wouldn’t it be neat to publish a special issue of our ids 2017 experience?” we continued to talk about the possibility and let it sit. the next day, we headed to a market and beach. while we were loading the bus, the faculty mentor asked me to pick up the microphone and introduce epigrep to everyone, where i asked if they would be interested in collaborating for a special issue. thinking back, the ride was bumpy, and i had to think organically to represent our journal positively. there were some questions and excitement in the air, despite it being a long and somewhat tiring day already. upon returning to our respective homes, our canadian group met, and we decided to pitch the special issue idea to the epigrep team. first, we invited jon woodend, also an epigrep editor, to assist, as he was part of ids 2015. jon showed enthusiasm and the epigrep team invited lena, another epigrep editor, to edit the special issue since we wanted to mentor and work with her to become a full editor. at the time, she was a guest editor and this seemed like a good fit as she was considering joining the ids at a later cycle. jon when gina presented the idea of a special issue covering the learning discovered through the doctoral seminar to the epigrep board, i was excited to join and assist in this project. i had also participated in the doctoral seminar during the inaugural cycle, including uc, and i knew firsthand how the seminar advances doctoral work. for me, a critical insight from my experience of the 2015 seminar was that, often, we are not aware of our biases or gaps in knowledge until we are exposed to them. the seminar provides that exposure by bringing together international scholars and reciprocally expanding perspectives, regardless of one’s research topic. a special issue could then allow participants to only consolidate and continue their learning, as well as provide an opportunity to share the wealth of experience with students who were not able to take foreword – emerging perspectives special issue (2019) i-ii ii part in the seminar. as a proponent for the seminar, i also hoped that this special issue would inspire future participants. lena as well as jon, when i was invited to be an editor in this special issue, i was really excited to join the team. in my journey as an international student, i have witnessed and lived cultural processes that provided me with unique opportunities to immerse myself into other cultures; immersions that could not be done otherwise. participating as an editor in this special issue granted me an additional opportunity to closely live the authors’ initiatives in their search for making sense of their own transcultural experiences. similar to my journey, authors in this special issue were exposed to a large and diverse pool of people and ideas. their papers show how this event in their lives has strengthened their knowledge creation, enhanced their diversity of knowledge, and raised their awareness of new outlooks and cultures. overall, authors in this issue are opening their understandings to the readers, who will encounter distinctive analysis on the authors’ transcultural experiences. using this special issue as an opportunity to highlight the remarkable quality of the experience, we would like to thank the organizers and participants who made the 2017 international doctoral seminar possible. the seminar’s contribution to the students’ lives is exemplified in the articles of this special issue. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca decolonizing indigenous educational policies zuhra abawi, janelle brady ontario institute for studies in education, university of toronto the paper addresses three educational policy documents created by the ontario ministry of education and the ontario ministry of advanced education and skills development (formerly known as the ontario ministry of training, colleges and universities [mtcu]) to target and minimize the ‘achievement gap’ of indigenous children and youth. the policy documents come at a critical time in which statisticians predict a significant increase in indigenous populations across ontario as well as canada (mtcu, 2011). we critique the policy documents and argue that they represent tools of neo-colonialism that maintain dichotomous power relations in which indigenous communities are positioned as dependent on the white settler canadian state as providers. through an anti-colonial theoretical framework, we interrogate the self-purported altruism on the part of the canadian government toward indigenous education initiatives, which masks the neo-liberal agenda of ensuring that the growing indigenous populations are conforming to the competitive demands of the marketeconomy. keywords: decolonization, indigeneity, neo-liberalism, eurocentric, selfidentification, policy abawi, z., & brady, j. (2017). decolonizing indigenous educational policies. emerging perspectives, 1(1), 20-31. “i want to get rid of the indian problem. i do not want to think as a matter of fact, that the country ought to continuously protect a class of people who are unable to stand alone…our objective is to continue until there is not a single indian in canada that has not been absorbed into the body politic and there is no indian question, and no indian department”. -duncan campbell scott: head of the department of indian affairs (1913-1932) introduction in 2007, the ontario ministry of education (edu) created two documents: the ontario first nations, métis and inuit education (fnmi) policy framework and the building bridges to success for first nations, métis and inuit (fnmi) students. these documents were to serve as provincial educational policy for indigenous students in ontario’s publicly funded education system, grades k-12. in 2011, following these policies, the ontario ministry of training, colleges and universities (mtcu)1 collaborated with the edu to draft the aboriginal postsecondary education and training 1 the ontario ministry of advanced education and skills development was formerly known as the ontario ministry of training, colleges and universities (mtcu) and will be referred to as mtcu in this paper as that was the name of the said ministry at the time of publication of the policy document. abawi, brady / emerging perspectives (2017) 20-30 21 policy framework. these three policy documents were implemented at the kindergarten to grade 12 (k-12) level as a mechanism to increase literacy and numeracy, retention of students in publiclyfunded schools, graduation rates, and enrolment and acceptance to sites of postsecondary education (pse). the aboriginal pse policy framework was drafted to create partnerships between indigenous communities, school boards and sites of government, to reduce the achievement gap between indigenous and non-indigenous pse students, and to provide funding and resources (ontario mtcu, 2011). funding and resources were to be delivered on colonial government terms as manifested in the dichotomous power relations of dominance perpetuated by the white colonial government. we argue that terms or conditions bear resemblance to those imposed by western imperial nations on former colonized nations of the global south in the form of saps (structural adjustment programmes) regulated by the international monetary fund (imf) and the world bank (wb). the conditions include rigorous and invasive data collection concerning ‘self-identification’ of indigenous students, performance measures, accountability markers, and transparency for such funds to be released. although the policy frameworks are outlined as altruistic, well-meaning, committed pledges on part of the provincial government to address educational gaps between indigenous and non-indigenous students, such policies reinforce the dichotomous oppressor/oppressed power relations embedded in indigenous and colonial state relationships (razack, 1998). the policies are platforms, which reproduce tracking, objectifying and subsequently ‘knowing’ the colonized other as a strategy of dominance and control according to the will of the colonizers. we analyze and interrogate the ways in which the discursive practices encapsulating the policy frameworks benefit a neoliberal agenda of conformity-demanding, resultsbased, market-oriented education which seeks to maintain and promote ontario, and, more largely, canada as competitive players on both domestic and international fronts. our work disrupts the government’s asserted altruistic approach to addressing indigenous educational approaches through an anticolonial theoretical framework deconstructing the imperial/colonial relationship that privileges white settlers at the expense of indigenous communities. we address and critique the policy context and rationale in which the documents were drafted and implemented, discuss the government imposed notions of indigenous selfidentification and provide a genealogy of settler policies as a mechanism of imperialism. theoretical framework anti-colonialism seeks to dismantle past and present colonialisms, which remain embedded and implicated in ongoing white settler colonial states and western militarized imperial states, as well as neo-colonial states. anti-colonialism is therefore against colonialism in all of its manifestations. asante (2006) described the multifaceted pervasiveness of colonialism: colonialism seeks to impose the will of one people on another and to use the resources of the imposed people for the benefit of the imposer. nothing is sacred in such a system as it powers its way toward the extinction of the wills of the imposed upon with one objection in mind: the ultimate subjection. (p. ix) the canadian nation-state imposed such an all-encompassing, pervasive colonial structure with its early implementation of the indian act (1876), which continues to exist. dei (2006) articulated the necessity of contextualizing power relations and alternate historical accounts from nondominant perspectives in order to take up anti-colonial work, in which history and context are crucial and an understanding of our collective past is significant for pursuing political resistance. anti-colonialism differs from post-colonialism, as post-colonialism assumes that occupation or abawi, brady / emerging perspectives (2017) 20-30 22 colonization has come to a conclusion and that power and autonomy have been restored to the indigenous communities of a particular land. as waziyatawin (2010) posited, anti-colonialism challenges power relations in and sets forth indigenous knowledge recovery as an anti-colonial project, resulting in a “conscious and systematic effort to revalue that which has been denigrated and revive what has been destroyed” (p. 121). waziyatawin stated that anti-colonialism effectively dismantles the “fallacy of european superiority” (p. 122), thus creating an entry point for systemic change rooted in resistance. anti-colonial resistance, in the case of decolonizing white settler state indigenous policy-making, requires the interrogation of power relations in which the white colonial settler state imposes itself, its norms, values, and social systems, on colonized indigenous people and inherently positions indigenous people as inferior to white, euro-canadian settlers. dei (2011) described “processes of knowledge production, validation and dissemination, and claims of indigeneity and indigenous knowledge” (p. 112), and outlined the implications of colonialism and neo-colonialism on power relations. the three policy frameworks highlighted in this paper are rooted in eurocentric notions of what education is and what it ought to look like without any consultation of indigenous communities and leaders for self-determination and agency over educational outcomes. the fact that these documents continue to be drafted by the same white settler populations and institutions which have historically created genocidal legislation is highly problematic. power relations are also solidified by the very existence of such policy frameworks and educational strategies, as they are indicative of which groups have the power, the right or the autonomy to create such documents and which communities are not afforded such privilege. policy-making is yet another tool of the colonization, control and domination of indigenous communities, in which many of the policies are highly racialized and operate on the homogenization, tokenization and white supremacist stereotypical conceptions of indigenous communities. schick (2014) noted: stereotypes about aboriginal people and federal policies that hampered their progress were useful in creating the mythology of the vanishing indigenous peoples, and later, producing management systems that enabled the state to control the progress of aboriginal peoples when they refused to go away. (p. 93) such tokenized, derogatory depictions of indigenous people as one homogenous, static group continue to inform and dictate settler government interactions with indigenous communities. schick discussed issues of “white resentment” in terms of the colonial settler state and a moral panic, in which white people fear their fate as a possible minority and must therefore re-assert white supremacy or what schick referred to as “a re-affirmation and re-narration of cultural and social identities” operating to legitimize white privilege and white supremacy (p. 96). policy-making and legislation are components of the ongoing white settler colonial apparatus, which seeks full domination over indigenous people, lands and resources. although the policy documents express the fact that indigenous knowledge systems, epistemologies and pedagogical approaches vary from eurocentric paradigms, this acknowledgement is a colour-blind, multiculturalist, difference acknowledgement (coulthard, 2014). there is a lack of interrogation of how such eurocentric legislation, policy-making and implementation, education, social services, and legal and government structures have and continue to serve as systems of genocide and assimilation. anti-colonialism disrupts liberal, multicultural, discursive practices, which claim to advocate for indigenous education and success, yet operate to ensure that the white settler neo-liberal agenda remains hegemonic. such policies exist to ensure that canada’s fastest growing demographic remains economically competitive and fills labour shortages (cherubini, 2010). how can anticolonialism be implemented through praxis, acts of resistance and indigenous knowledge systems abawi, brady / emerging perspectives (2017) 20-30 23 at the policy-making level? is such an anti-colonial coalition as described even possible in a truly authentic way, free from neo-colonial influence? policy context and rationale the increasing indigenous demographic has led to the implementation of the three policy documents that cite statistics canada projections, estimating a 16% increase in ontario’s aboriginal population, to 267,700 by 2017, and the number of young aboriginal adults aged 20-29 is expected to grow by more than 22%, which is well beyond the projected growth of 9% among those in the same age group in the non-aboriginal population.” (mtcu, 2011, p. 8) the increase of the indigenous population has enabled a pathological response on behalf of the government, in which the settler state must frantically formulate policies in order to ensure that such an increasing demographic is productive and conforming to the competitive, neo-liberal, market-economy demands (cherubini, 2010). it is important to be critical of the purported increase in the population in the first place; it can instead be an acknowledgement of indigenous demographics and existence in canada, rather than the historical silencing and erasure of indigenous populations in such policies (razack, 1998). we must be critical of why this acknowledgement is taking place now and who benefits. cherubini (2010) cited the 2007 ontario first nations, métis and inuit education policy framework which indicates a “28% increase in the indigenous population, compared to 6% mainstream population” (p. 12). the forecasted increase of the indigenous populations amounts to the provincial government’s panic to fill pending market and labour shortages due to both the aging of ontario’s population and the declining birth rate of non-indigenous canadians (cherubini, 2010). the anticipated increase in indigenous people has led to the emergence of the noted policy frameworks to aggressively close achievement gaps and increase graduation rates so that ontario can maintain its status as a productive market economy (cherubini, 2010). the national on-reserve k-12 drop-out rate of indigenous students is 58%, the off-reserve drop-out rate is 30%, and the overall métis drop-out rate stood at 20% in 2011 in comparison to 10% of the non-indigenous general student population (dehaas, 2014). the onand off-reserve disparity is widely attributed to the severity of funding gaps between provinciallyfunded school boards, which operate off-reserve schools, and federally-funded on-reserve schools (dehaas, 2014). the funding gaps have been estimated to be as severe as 40% and upwards (dehaas, 2014). the rationale for the closure of such educational gaps is not meant for the wellbeing of indigenous communities and histories but for the purpose and benefit of the labour market agenda and canada’s economic competitiveness and viability (sharp, 2010). sharp (2010) asserted: the desire for gdp increase, closing the education and labour gap by 2026 will allow a $36.5 billion increase in gdp…this is a direct result of canada’s initiative to compete in a global economy which relies on canada being able to implement a productive workforce in order to maintain and perpetuate its neoliberal capitalist ideologies and ambitions. (p. 32) the policies which will be analyzed in the next section emerged as a governmental mechanism to once again deal with the ‘indian problem’ by regulating, tracking, controlling and enforcing white supremacist, eurocentric paradigms of knowledge, education and student success masked by the narrative of equality-driven multiculturalist discursive practices and dialogue (cherubini, 2010). indigenous education policies and the white settler state education has historically been a focal point of brutal, white settler colonial government sanctioned assimilationist and genocidal policies toward indigenous people and the indigenous abawi, brady / emerging perspectives (2017) 20-30 24 community (thobani, 2007). there is an inherent degree of mistrust and fear among indigenous communities in terms of colonial state-sanctioned educational policy initiatives toward indigenous people (cherubini, 2010). education as a means of genocide was enforced through the nation-wide residential school system implemented by the canadian government and run by the churches with the ambition of assimilating, dehumanizing and ultimately intending the forced disappearance of “the indian” from the white settler state. the assimilation of indigenous children was carried out by the indoctrination of children in euro-canadian, christian values, which rendered indigenous languages, cultural practices and histories as backward, savage and deficit in relation to eurocentric norms (thobani, 2007). the truth and reconciliation commission of canada (trc) report highlights that the residential school system was based on assumptions of the superiority of european civilization and christian religions to aboriginal culture, which were portrayed as being “savage” and “brutal” (trc, 2015, p. 2). the schools were in place from the 1830s under prime minister john a. macdonald until 1996. children were forcibly removed from their homes and family members and subjected to violence of all kinds, such as physical, psychological, sexual, and emotional. abuse was rampant and pervasive, as the trc estimates that some 4,000 indigenous children died or were killed at the hands of their abusers in residential schools. an unknown number of children died by drowning or freezing while trying to escape their captors, while others committed suicide (trc, 2015, p. 58). the federal indian act was initiated in 1867 and it determined who was an indian and could claim indian status under canadian law. those who went on to higher education lost their status, and women who married non-indigenous men also lost their status (trc, 2015, p. 53). in 1969, under prime minister pierre trudeau’s white paper proposal, indian status was almost entirely revoked in a quest for the final elimination of the “indian problem” (turner, 2006). the trc report highlights that the indian act served as colonial legislation by which, in the name of protection, one group of people controlled another (trc, 2015, p. 55). much of the discourse of the trc assumes a post-colonial dialogue in which colonization is something of the past and that indigenous and non-indigenous peoples and government relations are post-colonial. the descriptive language of the trc is markedly presented in the past tense rather than the present, even though the indian act as a piece of colonial legislation continues to exist and continues to dictate who is indian enough through blood quantum to qualify as indian and who is not indian because the goal of white assimilation has watered such indigenous blood down. from the 1940s onward, residential schools also operated as orphanages and child welfare sites, as the colonial government conceptualized indigenous peoples as unfit and incapable parents from white norms of parenting and child rearing (comack, 2012). such derogatory discursive practices provided the state with the power to intrusively remove alarming numbers of children from their homes and communities (comack, 2012). by the 1960s, it is estimated that more than half of all children in residential schools were there as a result of colonial child welfare systems. in the “60’s scoop” (razack, 2015), social workers, operating under a eurocentric, white supremacist paradigm of good parenting, violently and forcefully took children from their homes and placed them into foster care with predominantly settler families. indigenous children at that time were either institutionalized in child welfare facilities or in residential schools (razack, 2015). abuse, neglect, malnutrition and child labour in the facilities was rampant, so much so that all documents concerning correspondence between the schools and physicians was destroyed. the death rates for indigenous children in such institutions were disproportionately higher that the nonindigenous school aged population (trc, 2015). the trc (2015) noted the following: the high death rates in the schools were, in part, a reflection of the high death rates among the aboriginal community in general. indian affairs officials often tried to portray these rates abawi, brady / emerging perspectives (2017) 20-30 25 as simply the price that aboriginal people had to pay as part of the process of becoming civilized. (p. 99) the document and the passage itself fail to grasp the irony of the continued murder, suicide, displacement, and ongoing genocidal practices and policies of the settler nation. indigenous self-identification and policy making until the 1940s, indigenous people graduating from high school and enrolling into pse institutions were required to surrender their indian status and thus assimilate into mainstream, white, eurocentric, canadian society (parliament of canada, 2014). this loss of status and identity reinforces the notion of education as a predominant facet or agent of colonization, as it resulted in the loss of the right to live on their reserves and communities, and, as papovich (2011) reinforced, “further destroy[ed] aboriginal families and communities” (p. 11). in 1989, the indian studies support program (issp) was created to provide funding opportunities to indigenous students pursuing pse. however, as it was funded by the federal government, conditions were attached which only permitted funding to those who held indian status (parliament of canada, 2014). the controversial and problematic issue of status as a colonial divide-and-conquer tool has and continues to plague indigenous families, communities and bands through rigid measures of blood quantum and authenticity. this conception of blood quantum and status emerge from eurocentric conceptions concerning ‘what’, ‘who’, or ‘how much’ blood and ancestry constitutes legitimate indian-ness and subsequently determines the eligibility of a person to claim their own identity, history and heritage. the colonial government-imposed restrictions and definition prohibits the right of indigenous peoples to self-identify and claim their own identity (cherubini, 2010). the issue of status within education policy emerged in the 2007 ontario edu’s building bridges to success for first nations, métis and inuit students, which developed policies to facilitate voluntary and confidential student self-identification within ontario’s publicly funded school boards. however, as colonial patterns demonstrate, conditions were attached to this socalled liberating notion of self-identification. although the process of self-identification was presented as one which respected confidentiality, the ontario edu planned to rigorously track such identification for progress and accountability purposes by mandating that school boards release demographic statistics concerning indigenous and non-indigenous learners (cherubini, 2010). the education act asserts the obligation of such disclosure in the following excerpt: “a school board must understand its legal obligations with respect to disclosing the personal information of students to the ministry of education and educational quality and accountability office (eqao)” (ontario edu, 2007, p. 12). the ontario edu justifies such pervasive data collection and retention as a means to track indigenous enrolment rates, eqao test results, and course completion and graduation rates. the ontario edu can thus track and publish the indigenous and non-indigenous demographic test scores, particularly the racially-biased, standardized eqao tests (cherubini, 2010). self-identification as policy re-emerged in the (2011) mtcu aboriginal pse policy framework, after the two 2007 policy documents outlined the following: the self-identification of aboriginal learners within the postsecondary education and training system will be an integral component of the aboriginal pse performance measures strategy. self-identification is generally understood to be a process which learners/potential learners are asked to identify their aboriginal ancestry or heritage, often at the time of the application to an institution or program. (p. 20) abawi, brady / emerging perspectives (2017) 20-30 26 we explore the ways in which the proposal of self-identification is not for the well-being, healing and success of indigenous learners; it is for the government to effectively track, regulate, know and control indigenous students and formulate policies to exert colonial, paternalistic power and control over indigenous students and communities. cherubini (2015) emphasizes such imperialist power relations, noting: the respective public finances, human capital, and resources associated to the goods and services that the ome promises will be determined and managed in the best interest of aboriginal students and their communities. there may be, at the very least, a scent of the assimilationist practices imposed upon aboriginal peoples in the not so distant past. (p. 15) cherubini argued that such policies fundamentally portray indigenous people through a deficitlens in which: the derogatory depiction is further complicated by eurocentric and capitalist rhetoric and paradigms…these rhetorical constructions within the policy framework also seem to accentuate the ome’s status as provider of the necessary skills and services that will redeem the aboriginal population and enhance their potential to more meaningfully contribute to a capitalist and market-driven economy-an intention that may not necessarily be too strikingly different from the assimilationist colonial practices of years gone by. (p. 15) rooted in modernity, such paternalistic relationships are similar to those which enhanced the operatives of oppression through colonialism and imperialism. as such, this similarity demonstrates the issues in identifying the ‘post’ in post-colonialism. policy-making approaches of today have neoliberalism and the need to compete in the market economy as their historical underpinnings. it takes an anti-colonial framework to reconceptualise, re-imagine and resist such dominant, hegemonic and white supremacist agendas. critiquing the policy frameworks and documents through anti-colonialism the policy frameworks have contributed to the perpetuation of the racialization and marginalization of indigenous people on the part of the white settler colonial state. the dominant white hegemonic agenda imposes itself through the discourses of helping and bridging gaps to achieve its own neoliberal market agenda of economic productivity. the documents claim they are “intended for the benefit of aboriginal learners” (mtcu, 2011, p. 11). the stated policy documents essentially dictate what indigenous people need and what is good for conformity and success in a eurocentric education system. the policy documents cite the ambition for potential partnerships with indigenous organizations including the aboriginal peoples council of toronto and native child and family services of toronto. however, none of the above groups mentioned for the purposes of facilitating such positive partnerships were consulted in the formation and implementation of this document or the 2009 realizing the promise of diversity: ontario’s equity and inclusive education strategy (cherubini, 2010). the documents are not consensual or transparent, as they did not consult with indigenous communities or organizations and thus homogenize indigenous peoples through colonial, tokenized conceptions of indigeneity. cherubini (2010) critiqued the policies’ assumption that indigenous people and communities would even wish to collaborate with such an oppressive system in which white settler privilege remains the hegemonic status quo. the policies and documents do not provide space for indigenous communities and learners to address their own particular needs and concerns, such as endemic racism, discrimination, bias, institutionalized colonialism and missing and murdered indigenous women (mmiw). furthermore, there is a lack abawi, brady / emerging perspectives (2017) 20-30 27 of recognition of proposals and calls for autonomy over indigenous education, pedagogies and epistemologies as the documents effectively and discursively speak for a homogenized indigenous entity (cherubini, 2010). the policy documents fail to acknowledge the fundamental differences of epistemologies and educational paradigms of indigenous identities in relation to eurocentric pedagogical approaches. the documents thus prescribe what and how education ought to look like, be implemented, assessed, evaluated, tracked, monitored and taught. welton (2013) expands on the issue of whose knowledge is considered valid, important and legitimate and whose is deemed irrelevant. he describes how: the pedagogical encounters between european and first nations peoples inhabiting the land were premised on racialized assumptions, which took shape in european thought rooted in aristotle’s strange notion that some people were born as ‘natural slaves’ and not capable of being educated. (p. 21) the policy documents operate on multicultural discursive practices which preach equity, inclusiveness and diversity, while refusing to interrogate, disrupt or dismantle ongoing colonial practices masked by multicultural rhetoric. such documents serve to reinforce colonial dichotomies of oppressor/oppressed, white/indigenous, dominant/subjective by perpetuating the colonial parent-child relationships in which the white colonial government decides which educational practices are best suited for indigenous learners. cherubini (2010) described the racialized discourses embedded in the documents by focusing on two aspects: first, the documents conjure “rhetorical constructions that position the governing body as the ‘provider’”(p. 13); this positionality dichotomizes indigenous people by relegating them to ‘children’ dependent on their ‘parent’, the white, settler government. secondly, cherubini articulated that the “value-orientations of student achievement and accountability” are both questionable and problematic concerning the proposed methods in which indigenous students are to be assessed and evaluated. such assessments follow specific criterion for success which is rooted in eurocentric values of meritocracy, competitiveness, individuality and marketized educational priorities. cherubini stated the inherent and incompatible difference in education and knowledge has led to calls for indigenous educational autonomy. he noted that “aboriginal scholars have endorsed these calls for control over education and have referred to the notion that aboriginal epistemologies are distinct from colonial paradigms of teaching and learning” (p. 12). welton (2013) reinforced calls for indigenous autonomy of education, citing the “discordant and outcast pedagogies,” which he asserts “arise in the interplay between dominant elite control of knowledge and learning processes and the forms of knowledge of those who are objects of control or domination. first nations, workers, and women objectify discordance” (p. 22). the centre for social justice (csj) asserts that education is always imposed on indigenous children “with a blatant disregard for first nations languages, cultures and collective knowledge and wisdom” (2016, p. 2). the policy documents omit the necessary conversation concerning the historical, social, geographic and cultural barriers to indigenous peoples accessing education, particularly pse. malatest (2004) indicated that many indigenous people are distrustful of education and view it as an assimilationist mechanism due to the horrors of the residential school system. as the csj articulated, “the legacy of eurocentric, paternalistic views of the residential school system continues to affect aboriginal children today in our schools” (2016, p.1). the delivery models used to teach and instruct children are based on european, westernized thought and culture (csj, 2015). calls for indigenous autonomy of education have been administered by colonial governmental systems that dictate what such educational autonomy would look like and how it would operate. for example, the proposal of bill c-33 first nations control of first nations abawi, brady / emerging perspectives (2017) 20-30 28 education act under harper’s conservative government outlined its commitment to allow chiefs and council to administer on reserve schools (indigenous and northern affairs canada, 2014). however, as in the past, the document was drafted solely by harper’s government and conditions were attached in order for educational funding to be released. the language in the proposed bill was racialized and reinforced white settler state control of indigenous educational affairs, as the bill would still remain under the control of the ministry and its decision-making processes (information on bill-c33, 2014). conclusion the policy framework documents are inherently problematic and one-sided, and they reinforce power dichotomies based on eurocentric colonial theories of race, anthropology, eugenics and cultures, which privilege whiteness as the norm. the discursive practices embedded in such documents raise grave concerns in terms of who is speaking on behalf of which community, who decides what needs they have and how to help marginalized people. the ongoing colonial narrative of white settler dominance is evident in the legislated policies to deal with othered indigenous communities without their consent. these narratives therefore perpetuate ongoing imperialism through assimilationist ambitions which seek to have indigenous students conform to western, market-driven knowledge, practices and standards that systematically devalue indigenous epistemologies, and which are culturally unresponsive and irrelevant. the policy frameworks thus conceptualize indigenous communities from what cherubini (2010) refers to as a “deficit lens” (p. 15), by implementing strategies and initiatives to fill labour voids, rather than respecting autonomous indigenous ways of knowledge and teaching practices. the notion and pervasive concept of self-identification removes any discourse of failure from the settler-colonial state, as the supposedly altruistic documents encapsulate the fallacy that the nation-state is making all the right decisions and providing the necessary resources; therefore, it cannot be held accountable should indigenous students not meet eurocentric, standardized measures of success. governmental policy-making towards indigenous education continues to be met with resistance and mistrust by indigenous communities and leaders due to the implications of past and continuing colonial legislation, which has had devastating consequences on indigenous communities. as mentioned previously, calls to autonomy over education have been bureaucratized and managed by intrusive and pervasive governmental conditions. cherubini (2010) argues that only through self-determination can culturally-relevant pedagogical practices be realized; however, even what autonomous indigenous control ought to look like is prescribed by the white settler colonial state. the significant challenge that remains is the lack of governmental recognition and acknowledgement that canada is a white settler colonial state, which sustains itself on the ongoing domination and marginalization of indigenous people. such ‘altruistic’ proposals of autonomous educational self-determination remain rooted in colonial systems of domination, which seek to maintain authority and control over indigenous lives, from overtly racialized control in terms of residential school systems and child welfare policies to covert policies such as the legal inaction concerning mmiw and ongoing police brutality toward indigenous people. for indigenous autonomy over education to occur, it cannot be tainted by governmental intrusion and agendas; it must be formed among bands, elders and communities to address the specific needs among various indigenous communities. the barrier that such activism will continue to face is the removal of the dominant colonial government voice which silences indigenous voices and reinforces power relations. for indigenous voices to be heard and autonomous there must be admission that canada is and remains a white settler colonial state with the ongoing pursuit of abawi, brady / emerging perspectives (2017) 20-30 29 indigenous assimilation and appropriation of lands. moving forward, it is essential that policy, similar to education, incorporates what dei (2006) refers to as a “centric” approach whereby educational policy initiatives do not compete with one another for hierarchical reasons but rather, draw from one another (p. 177). the centric approach to educational policy allows for a multitude of perspectives, narratives and social locations to engage in dialogue as shared policy. when dialogue is facilitated, and power relations among policy makers are interrogated, ‘courageous conversations’ (singleton, 2005) based on the 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(2010, april 30). indigenous knowledge, anti-colonialism and empowerment. retrieved from http://www.ideas-idees.ca/blog/indigenous-knowledge-anti-colonialismand-empowerment welton, m. (2012). unearthing canada’s past: a short history of adult education. toronto, on: thompson educational publishing. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/aboriginal/buildbridges.pdf http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/pepg/publications/apetpframework.pdf http://www.parl.gc.ca/housepublications/publication.aspx?docid=2683969&file=57 http://cprn.org/documents/51980_en.pdf http://www.ideas-idees.ca/blog/indigenous-knowledge-anti-colonialism-and-empowerment http://www.ideas-idees.ca/blog/indigenous-knowledge-anti-colonialism-and-empowerment emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca special issue: a spotlight on newcomer graduate students’ research in higher education contexts, the term “newcomer” can be interpreted in particular ways in different contexts. for some, a newcomer refers to an international student traveling abroad from their home country, under study permit status, for academic purposes. newcomers may also include individuals from international locations who are in the process of being awarded or have already secured permanent residence in another country. regardless of interpretation and category, however, newcomers bring rich diversity of voice, perspective, and experience. it is also common knowledge that universities seek to attract newcomers to their institutions; this intention is frequently identified as a goal in higher education academic plans. shifting the lens to current political and economic trends—locally, nationally, and globally, it is clear that these are troubling times when diversity is often feared and subsequently not welcomed. my sense is that this stems from a hesitancy to step beyond our own “comfort and familiarity” to experience other ways of viewing, knowing, and being in the world and to also transcend beyond differences to find common ground. this hesitancy also contributes to a privileging of knowledge and, consequently, to inequity in power dynamics and relations. as educators, we are called to be bold in our advocacy and support for diversity and for supporting the learning journeys of newcomer graduate students who participate in our academic communities. we need to set the bar high, ethically and morally, to support their experience, well-being, and progress. in my own work as a professor and associate dean international, i continue to be inspired by newcomer graduate students i am privileged to engage with and mentor. the richness of experience and perspective they generously share contributes monumentally to my own learning journey. in relationship, we recognize and celebrate the “teacher and learner” within each of us and the reciprocity from learning with and respectfully challenging one another. as educators who are privileged to welcome and work with newcomer graduate students in our respective work and learning contexts, we need to remain humble to the learning potential that resides there and to the cogent role we take up when mentoring and supporting newcomers. the potential to achieve their academic goals is directly impacted and influenced by the relationships they form along the way, and to their experience of inclusion, authentic welcoming, and support. i applaud the editors and authors who have brought this special issue to fruition. this is compelling work and provides an earnest and welcoming space for diversity of voice, perspective, and experience to be shared and valued. newcomer graduate students contribute significantly to the texture and landscape of our research and learning cultures and contexts. when these voices, perspectives, and experiences are authentically welcomed and supported, the learning potential for all who engage in these relationships is boundless. colleen kawalilak, phd professor and associate dean international, werklund school of education university of calgary, canada emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca teachers’ knowledge of adhd: review and recommendations laura flanigan1 & emma climie university of calgary attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (adhd) is a highly prevalent and concerning disorder in the classroom (bekle, 2004). teachers need to provide supports for these students, yet it is often the case that they lack sufficient knowledge to do so (e.g., alkahanti, 2013). this paper provides a review of recent literature (2004 to the present) regarding teacher knowledge of adhd in english-speaking countries. this includes a discussion of overall themes, areas of knowledge and misunderstanding, with emphasis on the need to ensure that teachers have basic knowledge of the etiology, symptoms, and treatments of adhd. accurate adhd knowledge and ongoing professional development would likely benefit schools and communities. keywords: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, adhd, teacher knowledge, teacher beliefs, professional development flanigan, l. & climie, e. (2018). teachers’ knowledge of adhd: review and recommendations. emerging perspectives, 2(1), 1-13. it is assumed that teachers completing their university programs will enter the classroom with the most current and relevant information regarding teaching and learning. pre-service teachers frequently receive excellent training in many areas of school practice, including curriculum development, formative and summative assessment techniques, and classroom management (mccrimmon, 2015). however, although novice teachers are generally equipped to deal with the learning needs of typically-developing students in their classrooms, they often struggle when it comes to working with children with exceptional learning needs. in today’s schools, it is anticipated that most classrooms will have some students with social-emotional, learning, or behavioural challenges. as a poignant example, mental health concerns in children are at an all-time high, with up to 20% of canadian students identified as having mental health concerns (waddell, mcewan, shepherd, offord, & hua, 2005). learning disabilities currently affect 5-15%, while attentional and behavioural concerns are identified in 5-7% of students (american psychiatric association [apa], 2013). the wide range of percentages may result from differing diagnostic criteria or procedures (nigg & barkley, 2014). given the high percentage of children with learning and attentional difficulties in the classroom, it is important to ensure that teachers have an adequate understanding of the issues that may be impacting their students and how they, as teachers, may be able to best support their students. unfortunately, not all teachers may receive this training, potentially resulting in daily frustrations with challenging students and sometimes leading to teacher burnout (bekle, 2004). 1 lkflanig@ucalgary.ca flanigan & climie/ emerging perspectives (2018) 2 one population that often experiences challenges in the classroom environment is children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (adhd). teachers are an incredibly important resource in the diagnosis and intervention of children with adhd. sax and kautz (2003) found that since teachers are generally the first to witness children in an academic context, they are often the first to suggest an assessment for adhd. although children with adhd are present in most classrooms, teachers report that they often feel unprepared as to how to best support these students (vereb & diperna, 2004). having a strong knowledge of the important aspects of adhd (e.g., symptoms, incidence, evidence-based treatments) may help teachers to feel more confident working with students with adhd (ohan, cormier, hepp, visser, & strain, 2008). accurate knowledge of adhd may also help to reduce the perpetuation of common myths and stigmas about adhd, which may create a more positive learning environment for these students (bell, long, garvin, & bussing, 2011). the purpose of this article is to review and critique the current state of teacher knowledge regarding children with adhd. specifically, following a brief review of the current literature surrounding adhd, the primary emphasis is on exploring what is currently known about teacher knowledge of adhd, highlighting the limited number of published studies that address this issue. a detailed analysis of teacher knowledge regarding the etiology, incidence, characteristics, and treatment of adhd will be examined. finally, recommendations regarding specific areas of teacher professional development are provided as a guide for increasing teacher capacity in working with students with adhd. the primary goal of this review is to provide incentive to further the education of teachers in the realm of adhd, and inform areas in which teacher education and training can be focused or improved. attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder adhd is one of the most prevalent childhood disorders, with 5-7% of children under 18 years affected by the condition (apa, 2013), suggesting that in a typical classroom of 30 students, at least one student will have adhd. boys are more often impacted by adhd than girls, with a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio of males to females and it can affect children in their preschool years through childhood and into adulthood (barkley, 2014), highlighting the lifelong impact that adhd may have on individuals. the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders – 5th edition (dsm-5) indicates that adhd is characterized by persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity (apa, 2013). children and youth with inattentive symptoms have difficulty sustaining attention, persisting on tasks, following instructions, and resisting distractions. parents and teachers often note that these children do not listen well, cannot concentrate, and fail to finish assignments (barkley, 2014). in the classroom, these symptoms may appear as making careless mistakes on assignments, difficulty organizing materials (e.g., their desk or notebooks), as well as frequently losing materials. hyperactive symptoms often appear as excessive motor activity at inappropriate times. children who demonstrate these symptoms are often described as being “driven by a motor,” or always on the go. in the classroom, these symptoms may appear as constant fidgeting, leaving their desk when staying seated is expected, inappropriate running or climbing, or excessive talking (apa, 2013). lastly, symptoms of impulsivity involve actions without forethought that could potentially harm the child or others. they often stem from a desire for immediate reward or difficulty delaying gratification (apa, 2013). these symptoms often include some form of social intrusiveness or inappropriate motor action. in the classroom, these behaviours may appear as flanigan & climie/ emerging perspectives (2018) 3 blurting out answers, intruding into others’ conversations, and playing with or using others’ belongings without permission. while the symptoms and characteristics of adhd have been well-documented and outlined in the dsm-5, there are still many misconceptions surrounding adhd, including those related to its actual existence (i.e., “is adhd a real disorder?”; strydom & du plessis, 2001), dietary treatments (bekle, 2004), use of medication for treatment (scuitto, 2015), and parenting practices (selekman, 2002), to name a few. some individuals propose that the symptoms of adhd are better accounted for by other conditions (e.g., lack of sleep) or learning identifications (e.g., giftedness), and that adhd does not exist as a distinct disorder (strydom & du plessis, 2001). as well, others believe that adhd is caused by ingesting too much sugar or red food dye and that simple changes in diet may alleviate problems (bekle, 2004). others deem that the use of stimulant medication, an evidence-based treatment for adhd, leads to “drugging” of a child and may be a potential gateway drug for more problematic substances (scuitto, 2015). poor parenting techniques are also often thought to be a cause of childhood adhd, where some individuals believe that had parents been more (or less) strict in their child-rearing, the difficulties with adhd could have been avoided (selekman, 2002). taken together, it is clear that there is still some inconsistency regarding the overall knowledge of adhd. parents, teachers, and the general public may benefit from an accurate awareness of the issues surrounding adhd and are able to discern fact from fiction so as to ensure that individuals with adhd are better understood. it may be particularly important for teachers to have an accurate understanding of the etiology, behavioural presentation, and effective treatment and intervention strategies for children with adhd, given that there is a high likelihood that they encounter these children on a daily basis. teacher knowledge of adhd teachers play a vital role in the early identification, diagnosis, and support of children with adhd. teachers may be the first individuals to witness children in a context where there are demands that challenge the attentional capabilities of students (i.e., where children are expected to remain seated in their desks, etc.). as such, teachers are often among the first individuals to identify atypical levels of attention abilities in a student and suggest that further investigation into these issues is warranted (sax & kautz, 2003). to provide the best support and education to students with adhd, it would be ideal for teachers to have an in-depth knowledge surrounding the incidence, etiology, symptoms, interventions, and difficulties associated with the disorder. however, some studies have suggested that elementary-school teachers do not possess an adequate or sufficient amount of knowledge of the factors related to adhd (e.g., alkahtani, 2013; ghanizadeh, bahredar, & moeini, 2005). having limited or incorrect knowledge of adhd may lead to the ongoing perpetuation of misconceptions (bekle, 2004), gender biases (jackson & king, 2004), poor use of classroom interventions (blotnicky-gallant, martin, mcgonnell, & corkum, 2015), or the use of inappropriate punishment techniques (ghanizadeh et al., 2005). conversely, when teachers are found to have a greater knowledge of adhd, a greater likelihood of more positive outcomes for these students are reported. for example, ohan et al. (2008) reported that teachers with a higher knowledge of adhd were more likely to believe that students exhibiting adhd-like symptoms would benefit from an assessment to better understand the specific challenges that these students may be facing. teachers also saw benefits to making changes in the home and school environments to improve adhd symptoms, rather than simply flanigan & climie/ emerging perspectives (2018) 4 relying on medication to “fix” the concerns (ohan et al., 2009). those with greater knowledge of adhd were also more likely to have more positive attitudes towards those with adhd (bekle, 2004), understand the academic and social difficulties that these children may face (ohan et al., 2008), and recognize and acknowledge the potential stigma faced by those with adhd (blotnicky-gallant et al., 2015). however, knowledgeable teachers may also experience a “label bias,” where with higher knowledge of adhd, they see more impairment and feel more negative emotions towards those identified with adhd (ohan, visser, strain, & allen, 2011). as well, greater teacher knowledge of adhd is also associated with lower levels of confidence in teaching those with adhd (ohan et al., 2008), perhaps as a result of teachers having a better understanding of their own strengths and limitations in working with this population. measuring teacher knowledge there are numerous assessment tools that may be used to measure knowledge of adhd, such as the knowledge of attention deficit disorder scale (kadds; sciutto, terjesen, & frank 2000), the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder knowledge and opinion survey (akos; bennett, power, rostain, & carr, 1996), the adhd knowledge scale (jerome, gordon, & hustler, 1994), the knowledge of adhd rating evaluation (kare; vereb & diperna, 2004), and the knowledge about adhd questionnaire (kadd-q; west, taylor, houghton, & hudyma, 2005). the kadds (sciutto et al., 2000) is a commonly-used adhd knowledge scale. it is a 36-item true/false and “don’t know” scale that is divided into three subscales: symptoms/diagnosis of adhd, general information (nature, causes, impact of adhd), and treatment. this scale includes 18 positive and 18 negative items. for example, one negative item states “electroconvulsive therapy (i.e., shock treatment) has been found to be an effective treatment for severe causes of adhd.” the kadds has been found to have adequate reliability and validity for both the overall scale and each of the subscales. the akos (bennett et al., 1996) is unique in that it measures the rater’s opinions of concepts related to adhd (e.g., medication use), in addition to their objective knowledge. the knowledge section includes 17 true/false items regarding the symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, causes, and prevalence of adhd (e.g., “medication often reduces a child’s tendency to be aggressive with others at school”). the opinion section includes twenty-five 6-point likert items (strongly disagree – strongly agree) with items related to medication acceptability, counselling acceptability, and counselling feasibility, such as “i believe that medication could help my child with adhd.” the adhd knowledge scale (jerome et al., 1994) is believed to be the first scale developed to measure the knowledge of elementary school teachers regarding adhd. many of the other measurement tools mentioned in this review were developed from this scale. this scale includes 20 items in true/false format and can be divided into subscales regarding the biological and non-volitional factors of adhd, family influences, causation, and medical and educational interventions; for example, “adhd often results from a chaotic, dysfunctional family life.” the kare (vereb & diperna, 2004) includes items regarding the knowledge of adhd and the acceptance of medication and behavioural treatments. the knowledge section includes 43items in two subscales: knowledge of etiology, symptoms, and prognosis, and knowledge about treatments used for adhd. the acceptance section includes 10 items in two subscales: level of acceptance of medication use, and level of acceptance of behavioural intervention. the knowledge section uses a true/false/don’t know format and the opinion section uses a 4-point likert format (not at all likely – very likely). sample items include “to be diagnosed with adhd, a child must flanigan & climie/ emerging perspectives (2018) 5 exhibit relevant symptoms in two or more settings (e.g., home, school)” from the knowledge section, and “how necessary are behaviour management techniques for treating students with adhd?” from the opinion scale. finally, the kadd-q (west et al., 2005) was developed in australia and is an extended version of the kadds (scuitto et al., 2000). it includes 67 items in a true/false/don’t know format, measuring three areas of knowledge: causes, characteristics, and treatment of adhd. the scales described above are all psychometrically sound and used frequently within the adhd knowledge literature (soroa, gorostiaga, & balluerka, 2013). the kadds (sciutto et al., 2000) is possibly the most accessible and useful to teachers, as it is frequently used in the literature, is relatively short, includes solely knowledge (rather than opinion) items, and includes a “don’t know” response option. other scales, such as the akos (bennett et al., 1996) and the kare (vereb & diperna, 2004) may be particularly useful when looking to assess both knowledge and opinions about adhd. the kadd-q (west et al., 2005) may be useful when looking for a very in-depth assessment of teachers’ knowledge, as it is quite long (67 items). review parameters the authors obtained empirical studies using the psycinfo database, as well as google scholar to ensure that no relevant papers were overlooked. the key search terms entered into psycinfo included “adhd”, “adhd and teachers”, “knowledge and adhd”, and “teachers and knowledge and adhd.” the authors included studies that assessed in-service elementary school teachers’ knowledge of adhd only and were based in english-language countries. studies that solely examined pre-service teachers or undergraduate populations were excluded. the search of peer-reviewed articles was limited to the last ten years (2004 to the present) to provide the most up-to-date information regarding teacher knowledge. previously published review articles of adhd knowledge that may incorporate teachers were not included in the current review, although these articles were examined to ensure that no papers were missed. the authors reviewed reference lists of all appropriate articles to ensure no studies were overlooked. teacher knowledge: etiology empirical studies have shown mixed information in terms of teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the etiology (causes), of adhd. however, typically teachers perform relatively well on these questions, with accuracy scores often falling with the range of 50-92% correct (blotnicky-gallant et al., 2015; ohan et al., 2008; west, et al., 2005). this wide range may be a result of differing scales used to measure knowledge of adhd etiology. specifically, teachers correctly identified questions related to the biological nature of adhd and the lack of relationship to ineffective parenting. interestingly, west et al. (2005) noted that teachers were generally aware that adhd was not caused by a lack of motivation to control behaviour, indicating a more positive attitude towards the disorder than those who simply attributed poor behaviour to poor choice. teachers were also more confident in their answers on questions related to etiology, as this category had the lowest number of “don’t know” responses compared to the other subscales. bekle (2004) noted that teachers had strong and appropriate knowledge of the etiology of adhd. specifically, it was found that teachers correctly believed that adhd has a biological basis, and that this disorder was not caused by a lack of behavioural volition, familial environments, or racial background. similarly, ohan et al. (2008), also using the adhd knowledge scale, found high levels of knowledge regarding the causes of adhd and provided a breakdown of the number of correct responses for each item. they indicated that in their sample, flanigan & climie/ emerging perspectives (2018) 6 teachers knew that adhd was not related to poor parenting practices (78.8%) or a chaotic/ dysfunctional family life (85.5%), that children with adhd were born with biological vulnerabilities towards inattention and poor self-control (79.5%), and that the disorder could be inherited (62%). teachers from this sample also knew that adhd was not caused by a lack of desire to follow rules or complete assignments (92%), lack of willingness to try (91.2%), nor a consequence of defiance or oppositionality (78.5%). few teachers, however, were able to identify that adhd was not caused by sugar or food additives (27%). anderson, watt, and noble (2012), using the kadd-q (west et al., 2005), found that teachers answered 65.5% of the causation-related questions correctly, while blotnicky-gallant et al. (2015), using the kadds (scuitto et al., 2000), indicated that teachers knew that adhd was not a result of ineffective parenting, but did not mention teachers’ responses regarding the biological nature of adhd. these findings suggest that teachers generally have an adequate knowledge of some aspects of the etiology of adhd, and are particularly aware of the biological and familial influences on the disorder. however, some aspects, particularly around food-related influences, appear to have lower accuracy, although this result may be due to individual differences within each paper (i.e., each of these studies used different assessment measures). it may be that teachers do have a sufficient knowledge of the etiology of adhd, but an extended and in-depth measurement may be warranted to properly assess this dimension of knowledge. ensuring that teachers have an understanding of the etiology of adhd—mainly, that it is biologically-based and not driven by motivation or parenting practices, may help reduce teachers’ negative views, thus creating a more understanding and supportive school environment. teacher knowledge: prevalence and incidence there is little empirical research on teachers’ knowledge of the prevalence and incidence of adhd, as this information is usually included as a single item in a general knowledge of adhd subscale. for example, the kadds stated “most estimates suggest that adhd occurs in approximately 15% of school age children” (scuitto et al., 2000). results from these types of scales have shown that information in this area is also not common knowledge for teachers. among the questions on the scale, the single question asked regarding the incidence of adhd in west et al. (2005) provided the highest “don’t know” responses from teachers. similarly, in kos, richdale, and jackson (2004), only 35% of teachers were correctly able to identify that adhd occurs in about 5% of school-aged children, while bekle (2004) noted that many teachers (55%) did not know that in most classrooms, there is at the minimum one child with adhd. kos et al. (2004) did, however, show that their sample had significant knowledge of the sex differences in the prevalence of adhd, indicating that teachers were aware that adhd, although more common in males (81.7% of teachers correctly responded), impacts both males and females (95.8%). bekle (2004) also found that teachers had sufficient knowledge of the sex differences in adhd. further, all teachers surveyed were aware that adhd does not occur more frequently in minority groups than in caucasians (bekle, 2004). it may be important for teachers to have an understanding of the prevalence of adhd, so they are able to accurately estimate the number of students with adhd they may have in their classrooms. additionally, teachers who do not know actual prevalence rates may be more at-risk of over-identification of students (ohan et al., 2011). as many of the reviewed studies did not examine teachers’ knowledge of prevalence rates, it is difficult to pinpoint where teachers stand, even though an understanding of the incidence of adhd may be incredibly important to the flanigan & climie/ emerging perspectives (2018) 7 success and education of students with adhd. a more accurate understanding of incidence rates of adhd may help to mitigate or prevent these negative effects. teacher knowledge: symptoms and diagnosis overall, research has found that teachers tend to have a sufficient knowledge of the characteristics, symptoms, and diagnostic process associated with adhd. kos et al. (2004) found that most teachers were able to correctly identify that inattentiveness in the absence of hyperactivity is sufficient for a diagnosis of adhd (77.5% of the sample of teachers), that there are subtypes of adhd (75% of the sample), and that children from any walk of life can have this disorder (96.7% of the sample). they also understood that the ability to focus in some situations (e.g., playing video games) does not rule out a diagnosis of this disorder (77.5%). however, they did lack an understanding that adherence to set rules is difficult for children with adhd (22.5%). bekle (2004) as well as ohan et al. (2008) both found promising results regarding teachers’ knowledge of the symptoms and diagnosis of adhd using the adhd knowledge scale. both groups indicated that they knew that a child can be diagnosed with adhd (97% of sample responded correctly), but not necessarily be overactive (79.8%), that these children are often quite variable in their day-to-day school performance (100% and 93.6%, respectively), and that they often have good focus for things such as video games (100% and 88.1%, respectively). there were some discrepancies between these two studies regarding teacher knowledge surrounding the fact that children with adhd do not outgrow their disorder and become symptom-free as adults (70% and 57.3%, respectively), and are at high risk of becoming delinquent as teenagers (73% and 50.4%, respectively). ohan et al. (2008) suggested that these discrepancies may be due to the limited sample size of the bekle (2004) study (30 teachers), compared to their own (140 teachers). west et al. (2005), using the kadd-q, found that teachers from their sample only had 59% accuracy regarding the characteristics of adhd. teachers had specifically limited knowledge that children with adhd often talk excessively in class (48%) and tend to be verbally aggressive (39%), but do not have poor body posture (38%). they were, however, aware that children with adhd often have poor concentration (95%), are often inattentive (93%), and can act impulsively (86%). anderson et al. (2012), who also used the kadd-q, found that teachers from their sample had a 73% accuracy on this subscale. the discrepancy between these studies may be due to sample differences, as west et al. used an australian sample whereas anderson et al. (2012) used an american sample. there may be a difference in the training received by teachers in these samples. finally, 80% of teachers in blotnicky-gallant et al. (2015) correctly answered items on the symptoms and diagnosis subscale of the kadds (scuitto et al., 2000). of note, 95.6% of their sample were aware that a child with adhd can have sustained attention to a video game or tv while still having difficulty sustaining attention to class or homework. this sample was also aware that the majority of children with adhd will experience some form of poor school performance in elementary school (82.5% correctly answered). based on these studies, it appears as though teachers have a sufficient basic knowledge regarding the symptoms and behavioural presentation associated with adhd. across studies, the majority of teachers knew that the ability to focus on enjoyable and stimulating activities such as video games and television does not discount the difficulties focusing in class or on homework. they were also correctly aware that adhd can have multiple presentations that include hyperactivity, inattention, impulsivity, or any combination of the three. there was some inconsistency regarding the day-to-day presentation of the disorder, such as verbal aggression and flanigan & climie/ emerging perspectives (2018) 8 talking excessively, as well the future consequences, such as risks for later teenage delinquency. education focused on increasing these areas of knowledge could aid in faster identification of adhd, potentially preventing some of these negative consequences. teacher knowledge: treatments for almost all papers included in this review, teacher knowledge of treatments for adhd was lower than any other knowledge-related domain. as well, this area demonstrated the largest number of myths or misconceptions related to adhd, with accuracy scores ranging from 42% (anderson et al., 2012) to 68.8% correct (blotnicky-gallant et al., 2015). some papers examined in this review provided only overall correct scores, while others broke down their results into categories (e.g., medication or diet-related treatments). overall, teacher knowledge regarding medication use was limited. west et al. (2005) found that teachers’ knowledge of adhd treatment was below chance, with scores of only 47.8% accuracy on this subscale. however, they found that most teachers were aware that stimulant medication is effective to reduce symptoms of inattention (93%), and a combination of medication and behavioural management is ideal (89%). west et al. (2005) also noted a lack of knowledge related to the side effects of stimulant medication, including anxiety (38% correct). kos et al. (2004) also examined knowledge regarding treatment of adhd. teachers knew that medication was not a cure for adhd (84%), and that educational interventions are beneficial even with medication use (75%). all other questions, however, demonstrated a significant deficit in knowledge related to treatment. for example, the questions “if a child responds to stimulant medication then they probably had adhd” and “children with adhd always need a quiet environment to concentrate” were endorsed by almost 50% of respondents (47.5% and 50.8%, respectively). in addition, approximately one in four (21.7%) believed that prolonged use of stimulant medication may lead to increased addiction in adulthood. teachers from both bekle (2004) and ohan et al. (2008) were also aware that educational interventions are beneficial to support the use of medication (83% and 91%, respectively), that medication is not the only effective treatment for adhd (73% and 76%, respectively), and that these children typically behave better in one-to-one interactions than groups (93% and 85%, respectively). there was some discrepancy regarding whether adhd children require a quiet, sterile environment in order to concentrate, with bekle (2004) reporting 93% accuracy and ohan et al. (2008) only reporting 76%. finally, vereb and diperna (2004) reported an average of 54.4% correctly-answered items regarding treatments, including questions like, “behaviour management techniques can improve a child’s ability to pay attention in class” and “medication will help a child with adhd achieve better grades in school.” teachers also overwhelmingly supported the idea that changes in food intake and/or sugar reduction is an effective treatment for adhd. specifically, teachers indicated a strongly-held sugar/food additives belief, where 66% believed that diet changes were an appropriate treatment, and many believed that homeopathic remedies (67%), fish oil supplements (66%), and biofeedback (86%) were effective treatments (west et al., 2005). in kos et al. (2004), 86% of this sample indicated that they believed that special diets were helpful in treating children with adhd, perpetuating long-held misconceptions. however, in a single-item analysis, blotnicky-gallant et al. (2015) found that 41% of their teacher sample disagreed with the statement regarding the reduction of sugar and food additives to reduce symptoms of adhd. participants in bekle (2004) and ohan et al. (2008) also upheld the myth that diets can be helpful in treating adhd, with 23% and 13% accuracy, respectively. flanigan & climie/ emerging perspectives (2018) 9 in comparing the above studies, it seems that more recent studies (e.g., blotnicky-gallant et al., 2015) report more accurate treatment knowledge than older studies (e.g., west et al., 2005). this may speak highly of the updated training and professional development that teachers are currently receiving. it is also important to note that teachers are not responsible for treating adhd, and thus are not required to have in-depth knowledge of the different treatments available. however, as anderson et al. (2012) noted, teachers are often responsible for implementing certain behavioural interventions and observing the effectiveness of medication throughout the school day. equipping teachers with the appropriate knowledge regarding medical, behavioural, and educational management strategies for adhd could help to improve their confidence in teaching these students. this has the potential to make these interventions more successful and create a more effective learning environment for their students with adhd. summary teachers from these various studies showed a varied but adequate knowledge of adhd in a number of areas. promisingly, their most knowledgeable areas were of the etiology and characteristics/symptoms of adhd. this finding may be critical, as having a good understanding of the etiology of adhd may prevent inappropriate judgment of the parent or child. similarly, having a good understanding of the appearance of adhd will allow teachers to appropriately identify children with attentional concerns and may enable them to acquire further supports for this child. teachers also demonstrated relatively limited knowledge regarding effective treatments for children with adhd. some teachers were aware that medication and behavioural management together would be an ideal treatment, but a majority either disagreed with or were unsure of the accuracy of this statement. however, teachers surveyed in more recent studies had more accurate treatment knowledge than older studies, suggesting that teacher training and professional development may be dispelling some older myths and misconceptions. ensuring that teachers have appropriate and correct knowledge of evidence-based adhd treatments may allow them to better support and manage students with adhd. limitations in current research there were some limitations to the studies included in this review. first, there was little empirical research regarding teachers’ knowledge of the prevalence of adhd. few teachers knew the incidence rate of adhd in the school-aged population. as knowledge of incidence rates made up such a small part of the overall knowledge assessment (often only one question), it is difficult to determine whether this finding is an accurate representation of teacher knowledge. as an understanding of the incidence of adhd may help to prevent an over-identification of children with adhd, future studies on teacher knowledge of adhd may wish to provide a greater focus in this domain. a second limitation of this article is the focus on english-speaking countries only. although this review purposefully focused on understanding teacher knowledge of adhd in english-language countries, it is also important to understand the broader cultural perspective on this disorder. there are studies examining teachers’ knowledge of adhd in other countries, such as saudi arabia (e.g., alkahtani, 2013). however, accurate adhd knowledge in these countries was significantly more varied than that of english-language countries. for example, alkahtani (2013) reported that teachers in their saudi arabian sample answered only 19% of the adhd knowledge questions correctly. there may be a variety of explanations for the differences in flanigan & climie/ emerging perspectives (2018) 10 adhd knowledge throughout the world, but these findings lend support to the idea that it is necessary to also consider the background of teachers when exploring knowledge of adhd, as the impact of culture may play a significant role in the acceptance and understanding of the disorder. recommendations this review of teacher knowledge of adhd has confirmed some of the areas of need when addressing gaps in understanding or, indeed, misunderstanding of adhd. specifically, it is necessary to ensure that all teachers, both novice and experienced, have an adequate understanding of adhd so they are better able to identify, support, and manage students with adhd. as such, the following recommendations are a guide for building capacity in teachers to support students with adhd, highlighting needs for both pre-service and in-service teachers, and noting the importance of ongoing professional development. pre-service educators it may be imperative to ensure that university training programs address issues of exceptional learners in their education degree programs. inclusion of relevant courses allows preservice teachers access to a broad range of information on students with a variety of learning needs, including those with adhd. it may be particularly important for pre-service teachers to have specific instruction on disorders such as adhd, given the relatively high prevalence in schoolaged children. it is likely that teachers will encounter a student with adhd in their classrooms on their first day of teaching, emphasizing the need for teachers to be prepared before walking into the classroom. teachers who are armed with accurate knowledge and understanding of adhd, including its etiology and treatment, may be more likely to recognize the needs of these students and work collaboratively to find ways to support them. providing tools for these teachers in advance may ensure that their first year in the classroom runs more smoothly. ongoing professional development there is also a need to ensure that teachers continue to receive ongoing professional development (pd). the requirement for pd is not unusual in the teaching world but is often focused on curriculum updates or changes, broad school-wide issues (e.g., bullying, truancy), or supporting struggling learners (e.g., specific instructional programs; lumpe, 2007). rarely is the emphasis on expanding knowledge or capacity in a specific population, such as children with adhd, yet the importance of understanding and supporting these learners should not be overlooked (lumpe, 2007). additionally, it may be beneficial to target new and experienced teachers separately in pd sessions related to adhd. the focus of sessions for new teachers may focus on understanding what adhd is, its symptoms and behaviours, classroom presentation and challenges, and general treatment approaches. an expanded focus on identifying areas of academic, social-emotional, and behavioural supports may also be useful for inexperienced staff. for more experienced teachers and staff, it may be more beneficial to provide an opportunity to understand what these teachers know or believe about adhd and explore the accuracy of this information. given that some studies have indicated that years of teaching is not necessarily correlated with adhd knowledge (e.g., vereb & diperna, 2004), it may be useful to ensure that experienced teachers have access to information on the current understanding of adhd. the idea of “dispelling myths” may be flanigan & climie/ emerging perspectives (2018) 11 beneficial so as to allow teachers to explore their own accurate and inaccurate beliefs and how these beliefs may be impacting their work. in addition, for teachers who are particularly interested in furthering their understanding of children with adhd, it may be beneficial to turn to university or professional development programs that specifically focus on providing further education in this area. in particular, there is a need to ensure that teachers are able to support children with adhd across a number of areas, including an understanding of mental health, classroom management, and learning. education faculties at accredited post-secondary institutions may provide graduate-level courses that allow interested teachers to not only further their education, but to do so in an area of particular interest for them. finally, it may also be useful to connect schools and local organizations that support children with adhd and their families. these organizations may be able to organization pd sessions for teachers or parents to allow greater access to information on how to support these students at home and at school. increasing the connection between home, school, and community provides a stronger support for parents and teachers who may be struggling to support the needs of children with adhd. conclusion this paper has provided a comprehensive review of the most current understanding of teacher knowledge of adhd in english-speaking countries and the suggested areas of support for pre-service, novice, and experienced teachers. through the enhancement of knowledge and understanding of adhd, teachers may be better prepared to support children impacted by the disorder. thus, in their classrooms, they can help to ensure that all children have the opportunity to thrive. this article may be useful to teachers, school psychologists, and researchers. teachers may use this information to examine and increase their own knowledge of adhd, and to encourage their school divisions to provide supports and resources about adhd. school psychologists and professionals may wish to use this article to develop professional development opportunities for their school districts, focusing on the identified areas of strengths and weaknesses in adhd knowledge while incorporating some of the above recommendations. lastly, researchers are encouraged to continue to examine teachers’ (and other school professionals’) knowledge of adhd, particularly as the understanding of adhd grows and changes in the literature. researchers may also wish to develop teacher-focused adhd knowledge scales, which address the information teachers need to bring into their classrooms. references alkahtani, k.d.f. 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(2005). a comparison of teachers’ and parents’ knowledge and beliefs about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd). school psychology international, 26(2), 192–208. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca *corresponding author sandra.becker@ucalgary.ca a tale of two scholars: developing transculturally through dialogue and writing sandra l. becker*, melody y. yin university of calgary, queensland university of technology, short term international exchanges offer worldwide collaborative research and cultural training opportunities for graduate students. however, the ability to develop transcultural competencies in these exchanges is often hampered by time constraints. this inquiry uses a collaborative, multi-sited autoethnographic approach to explore the potential of forging a transcultural relationship through the act of writing an academic article for publication, post-seminar. two doctoral scholars, one originally from china, pursuing a doctorate at the queensland university of technology, australia, and one from the university of calgary, canada, use multiple connected sites (face-to-face, wechat, google docs, email) to further their transcultural development through professional and personal collaboration. the authors used slimbach’s (2005) transcultural competencies as a framework to guide this inquiry. based on insights developed through the process, the authors present recommendations for future international doctoral seminar participants. keywords: international doctoral seminar; transcultural becker, s. l., & yin, m. y. (2019). a tale of two scholars: developing transculturally through dialogue and writing. emerging perspectives, 3(1), 17-28. universities of today express a desire for graduate students to develop transculturally, that is, to find shared connections and values across cultures while addressing complex global issues (slimbach, 2005). to that end, international graduate exchanges have been conceived as “a form of deliberate research training and induction into the culture of international networks and collaborations” (mcleod & bloch, 2010, p. 270). in order to evolve transculturally, students are required to develop competencies in perspective taking; ethnographic documentation; awareness of world cultures, conditions, histories, and communication; as well as demonstrating those personal qualities necessary for connection (slimbach, 2005). given the constraints of time and place, this is not always feasible. often the exchanges are short term in nature, so the process of seeing the world and therefore ourselves in new ways (slimbach, 2005), presents challenges. a short term transcultural doctoral seminar including the authors, sandra and melody, was held in november 2017 at queensland university of technology (qut) in brisbane, australia. sixteen doctoral students, from the host university, qut, beijing normal university (bnu), and the university of calgary (uc) gathered to participate in a cultural exchange of ideas, which included the presentation of their doctoral research. becker & yin/ emerging perspectives (2019) 17-28 18 though there was some time spent in systematic dialogue, a significant part of the seminar involved participants engaging in less structured activities. these included a school visit, trips to a wildlife sanctuary, a nature preserve, and dinners out. time at these locations and while walking and riding to and from locales provided opportunities for students from the three universities to get to know each other on a more personal level. it was during these activities that we, the two authors, one a student from qut, but originally from china, and one from the uc engaged in conversation, not specifically about our doctoral work, but more about our personal lives as implicated by our cultural upbringings. in discussions we came to see, though we were different in many ways, we also shared personal connections. our conversations centred around universal matters such as family, gender, and career and life plans. we also speculated about the long-term benefits of the doctoral seminar. given the distance, cultural differences, and cost, we wondered if the experience achieved what it set out to do. we questioned whether transcultural relationships could be sustained once participants returned home, and if so, how? the purpose of this research was to probe the potential of an explicit endeavor to foster a transcultural relationship. we asked the question: can dialogue and writing develop and deepen transcultural connections during and following a face-to-face short term doctoral idea exchange? we focused on our face-to-face and online discussions and our collaborative writing in an attempt to reach clarity about the feasibility of this approach. this article is divided into four parts. first we present a review of two aspects of the related literature: 1) the success rate of international graduate student exchanges and 2) how we might map transcultural development, particularly through slimbach’s (2005) transcultural competencies. next, we describe our methodology, multi-sited collaborative autoethnography, including a description of the methods we used to gather data. then we connect our chosen slimbach competencies to the autoethnographic data we collected. finally, we present recommendations for deepening transcultural relationships in future short-term doctoral seminars. what have we learned from international graduate student exchange programs? against the backdrop of globalization, graduate students have more opportunities to participate in various international exchange programs. positive outcomes of these programs have been well documented. the advantages include increased specific knowledge (jones & hill, 2001), the promotion of language proficiency (sowa, 2002), the enhancement of academic abilities (eyler & giles, 1999), the improvement of interpersonal skills (douglas & jones-rikkers, 2001; kehl & morris, 2008; sax, 1997), and the establishment of transcultural awareness and a global mindset (black & duhon, 2006; jenkins, 1996; sutton & rubin, 2004; williams, 2005). the benefits are not only for individuals, but also for host institutions in terms of potential student recruitment, alumni network building, and extra funds and financial supports (jenkins, 1996; sowa, 2002). international exchanges, due to their documented benefits, are becoming increasingly diverse. exchanges are mainly categorized as short-term and long-term based on their duration. however, the definition of short-term and long-term has yet to reach consensus in academia. jones, rowan-kenyon, ireland, niehaus, and skendall (2012) contended that short-term programs are characterized by brevity in duration and specific design targets that are usually less than one month, while kehl and morris (2008) view programs less than eight weeks as short-term. although shortterm programs are conducive to forming new understandings of self and others through reflective personal experience (jones, et al., 2012), the positive outcomes of short-term programs are inconclusive. compared with long-term programs, the benefits of short-term programs are widely becker & yin/ emerging perspectives (2019) 17-28 19 known to be weaker than their long-term counterparts, especially as related to intercultural sensitivity (kehl & morris, 2008). in addition, short term programs have also been criticized because of their substantial cost, disruption to normal academic study routines, and mediocre experience owing to weak institutional linkages or poor personal preparation (jenkins, 1996; sowa, 2002). a cognitive roadmap for transcultural development when it comes to cultural development, scholars have focused on experiencing and expanding awareness of other cultures, while maintaining connection to our own (aldridge, kilgo, christensen, 2014; slimbach, 2005). critics have suggested that structured educational cultural opportunities have focused too much “on how we are products of culture and not enough on how we are producers of culture” (aldridge et al., 2014, p.117). furthermore, aldridge et al. (2014) proposed that in order to be producers of cultures we must aim for transcultural transcendence, all the while accepting the continual fluctuations that are the cultural dynamic. slimbach’s (2005) model of ten propositions to guide learners in the path of transcultural competency supports this movement to transcendence. learners adopt what they know within their own culture, to generate affiliations across cultures, leading to the “transculturally-competent person” (slimbach, 2005, p. 207). according to slimbach, this work must be “immersed, immediate, and emotional” (2005, p. 207) and must take place in the context of community. it is within these conditions that we originate our study. methodology given the nature of our locales and our developing relationship, we selected multi-sited, collaborative autoethnography as our methodology. the multi-sited perspective is in concurrence with marcus (1995) who stated that “single-sited research can no longer be located in a world system perspective” (p. 98). multi-sited ethnography establishes a network that links several sites by bridging “geographically dispersed but socially connected spaces” (wolff, 2015, p. 61). by using multi-sited ethnography, we hoped to build a “multi-layered narrative” (gatson, 2011, p. 514) that developed over time and place. in so doing, we acknowledge that our learning moved beyond our initial face-to-face meeting and continued in various virtual social environments (hernández-hernández, fendler, & gil, 2013). additionally, it was our aim to collectively study our individual autobiographical histories in the context of a transcultural group of two (chang, ngunjiri, & hernandez, 2013). this was for the specific purpose of developing and learning about ourselves and each other in a transcultural community building process (chang et al., 2013). in order to actualize the methodology, we began by sharing ideas via email. this email discussion included personal anecdotes, as well as initial thoughts around methodology, theoretical frameworks, and content. next, to track our research process, we created a google doc, an online authoring tool that was a running thread of our ideas. it was through this google doc that the article began to take form. determining a theoretical framework was critical. the team from sandra’s university had been introduced to slimbach’s (2005) transcultural competencies prior to the doctoral seminar, so we explored slimbach’s ideas for their relevance to our experience. after sharing, reading, and reflecting on slimbach’s work as a potential framework, we selected the competencies that resonated with our face-to-face experience in brisbane to guide our writing process on the google doc. the writing was interspersed with conversations on wechat, an instant messaging and communication platform which included text, recorded voice, and video becker & yin/ emerging perspectives (2019) 17-28 20 conversations. writing responsively to a framework using the comment feature and coloured text enabled us to converge on ideas and promoted dialogic opportunities in various multimodal forms within the context of drafting the paper. we addressed clarification of cultural misunderstandings in writing, audio messaging, and video conferencing throughout the collaboration. for the purposes of this paper, we selected six propositions (slimbach, 2005) to guide our initial writing. these included the first proposition, which serves to introduce us, and sets the stage for our inaugural linkage where we shared our common humanity with each other. we chose the second proposition, describing the unique circumstances of our childhood, so that we might come to understand the multi-faceted nature of ourselves and each other. this was followed by proposition three, where we desired to explore with each other, a time when we have questioned our own cultural truths. next, we concentrated on proposition six as a method of delving into cultural inequities; a theme that arose for both of us in our doctoral research. proposition seven prompted us to probe the notion of exodus within a transcultural journey. finally, we selected proposition nine, attempting to determine if our study assisted us in moving toward the conception of new selves. findings introducing melody and sandra: sharing our humanity begins the transcultural process at the time of seminar, both of us had experienced vastly different personal histories and motivations for doctoral research. melody is a young woman from china who is pursuing her doctorate in a different country. up to now, she has not had any full-time work experience due to continuous study from undergraduate to phd degrees. her career aspiration is to become an academic staff member in a university to share her expertise and experience with people. sandra is a much older woman from calgary who was an elementary classroom teacher and teacher librarian for many years. she is pursuing a doctorate as a result of a topic of interest that arose in her teaching practice. she is also exploring how she might live a rich, scholarly, contributory life outside the constraints of a structured career path. there are significant variances in age, cultural and family background, area of doctoral study, life experience, and language abilities between us, yet these differences became talking points for arriving at our shared humanity. slimbach (2005) suggested that what we identified as differences are indeed aspects of a universal human nature and point to the “deep structure underlying the world’s order and the nature of humanity” (p. 209). though we grew up in different times and in different places, by sharing our common experience of family and life experience, we were able to explore how we each made sense of the world. this led us to understand new and different ways of being. but is understanding enough? through our transcultural collaboration, we were looking not only to understand, but to transcend our individual cultures by using our cultural identities, or ways of seeing the world, to build new schemas (aldridge et al., 2014). sharing our humanity became the starting point for this process. as melody stated: we are alike but different. this idea laid the foundation of our cooperation. the commonalities as human beings made it possible to communicate with each other, and the differences led to the desire to further understand each other. sharing ourselves: we are alike but different sharing our personal backgrounds allowed us to develop transcultural awareness. becker & yin/ emerging perspectives (2019) 17-28 21 in the complex intertwining of self exists our personal histories related to nationality, gender, race, ethnicity, and class (slimbach, 2005). along with that, embedded in our personas are the values, customs, and beliefs around notions of work and leisure, time and space, and social structures and hierarchies (slimbach, 2005). by articulating and attending to the multi-faceted nature of each others’ stories, we not only pushed ourselves to develop a “chameleon sense of self without losing one’s cultural center” (slimbach, 2005, p. 211), we came to know that through transcultural diversity we could transcend “rigid cultural identities” (epstein, 2009, p. 349). melody i was born into a capital city of a developed eastern coast province of china. both my parents worked in the state-owned factories. when they were in their twenties, their jobs were usually envied by others in the planned economy. neither of them received higher education but they had good social status because workers were regarded as glorious at that time. however, my father’s factory failed to adapt to the market economy, and quickly went bankrupt. he had to seek other positions in emerging private sectors. fortunately, my father was a skilled electrician and easily hunted for another job, earning a similar level salary or even more. however, within the short period of losing his job, my father became very depressed. that was the only time i could feel the financial pressure of my family. my mother stayed in her factory until she retired. in sum, i was from an ordinary family who was never concerned about financial problems but never enjoyed any luxury. my parents are both kind people, and they tried to create a cozy family atmosphere for me. i was a lucky girl with a bright and easy childhood. sandra my grandparents on both my mother and father’s side came from the united kingdom to canada at the turn of the 20th century and brought with them the colonial attitudes that were prevalent in that day. the notion of subtle superiority was passed down, particularly in my maternal grandmother’s family who felt the privilege of financial and social status in england. my mother was intelligent. she went to business college and loved being a career woman, but at age 20 she married, and by age 24, she had three girls. she was not a happy stay-at-home mother, which was the only option for her at that time. our father grew up in a dysfunctional home, and by our mother’s family’s standards was beneath her in social standing. he did not complete high school. he was, however, hard working and over the years he was able to purchase a business, which led to our family joining the middle class. i would not describe either of them as kind, nor were they demonstrative. growing up, we were rarely hugged. in both narratives, the themes of work and social hierarchies emerge. what stands out as different are the descriptions of our childhoods. questions emerged for both of us around these themes. we pondered separately and together, how much of our childhood experience was the result of cultural norms and economic determinations? how much related to the individual characteristics of our family members and ourselves? it was through the writing process that we came to learn more about ourselves as “culturally conditioned human beings” (slimbach, 2005, p. 212). this was made clear for sandra when she assumed that because melody’s father had a level of education, he was easily able to seek different employment. melody’s response moved her to see outside her own cultural box. becker & yin/ emerging perspectives (2019) 17-28 22 melody sandra, that my father could quickly find another job after the bankruptcy of his factory was not because of his education level. he had a senior secondary school degree and did not attend university. in the china of that time, the worker was the most glorious and the intellectuals were looked down upon; could you imagine? so although my father was an intelligent student in his school, he did not choose to go to university when there was a position in a state-owned factory. the reason he could get another job smoothly was because he was very skillful. he learned and practiced a lot while working in that factory. the financial status of my family seemed to be closely associated with national policy. within the backdrop of the open-up policy, initiated to develop economic growth in china, my father’s state-owned factory became bankrupt immediately, which caused short-term financial anxiety. compared with your father, sandra, hard-work and courage might be the determining factor to become free of any financial problems. this written dialogue with melody pushed sandra’s understanding of her own father’s success, which she originally connected more to hard work than skill or education. it became, for sandra, a point of contention within herself, as she questioned mythical components of her country’s cultural condition. sandra’s inquiry continued as she probed melody’s assumptions about canadian family life. sandra wondered if the fabled qualities of hard work and courage leading to freedom from financial problems that melody wrote about were part of the chinese cultural mythology. sandra melody, i had never thought of my father’s acts as courageous, just necessary in order to support his wife and four children. also, i never considered our family free from financial problems. though we always had a home and enough food to eat, i remember as a child worrying about our financial well being. sustaining this back and forth dialogue around our unique histories, while acknowledging the quintessence of each culture, allowed us to begin a shift to a transcultural way of being. by explicitly stating the essential aspects of our cultures, while allowing for “interference with other cultures” (epstein, 2009, p.339) we began to move past the perimeters of our reality (slimbach, 2005). throughout our written and oral conversations, both of us mentioned key aspects of self as identified by slimbach such as gender, nationality, ethnicity, class, ideology (2005, p. 211), along with our families’ socio-economic status (e.g., parental education level, income and occupation). coincidently, at the same time, we introduced our relationships with family members, which might be a sign that we were emotionally ready to share our inner selves with each other. we both created a safe and comfortable zone to talk about personal perceptions and even secret feelings regarding intimate family members. the transcultural journey was a process to open oneself to someone else, somewhere else, and in new cognitive regimes. in this case it would seem that transculture “does not abolish but radically transforms and enriches our cultural bodies” (epstein, 2009, p. 342). sharing our learning of different truths to develop humility our family histories equipped us with our primary lens for viewing the world. as we grew up and began to interact beyond our families, in schools, communities, and workplaces, we were exposed to disparate conceptions for perceiving truth. becker & yin/ emerging perspectives (2019) 17-28 23 melody i had a pakistani classmate while studying in beijing, and then we became good friends. the first meal i had with him surprised me because he ate with his hand. i thought this way was unclean and unhealthy, and even proposed my ideas to him. however, he defended himself with great explanations from both a scientific and cultural perspective. this experience shocked me and caused me to reflect on my previous judgement. i realized there might be many prejudices stored in my cognitive system. this kind of clash made my prejudices visible, giving me a chance to reflect on them. sandra the social problems facing indigenous people in canada today are a direct result of their colonization. their knowledge was seen as “savage” by colonists and many of the policies put in place were meant to eradicate their culture. dwayne donald (2017), a canadian indigenous scholar suggests that in our eyes western liberal democracy is often seen as the pinnacle…. what every culture and country has been led to believe that they should aspire to—it is vertical, hierarchical and thus, dominant in nature. the indigenous belief system stresses the interconnectedness of all living things, where nothing in this world, including animals, plants, inanimate beings, and humans have predominance. in listening to dr. donald and in conversations with other doctoral students from around the world who attend the university of calgary i have been thinking about our truths and how we attend to them…. sharing experiences where we grappled with notions of truth, was a way “to mine the treasures resident in the traditions of others” (slimbach, 2005, p. 213). questioning our previously held perspectives toward another ethnic group with each other left us open to vulnerability because we were exposing our prejudices, biases, and ignorance. we discovered this path of pursuing truth was more than simply acquiring knowledge about each other (slimbach, 2005). indeed, we found it might be a way for us to question long held notions of universal truths (lewis, 2002). transculturation offered an opportunity to continue to uproot our deeply embedded ways of seeing the world (slimbach, 2005). sharing how our doctoral work addresses inequity our doctoral studies have become an all-encompassing aspect of our lives with much time and effort involved for both of us. it is inevitable therefore, that our doctoral work became a topic of discussion through the writing process. furthermore, for both of us, we came to see the doctoral study itself as another aspect of the journey of transculturation wherein we both chose topics relevant to addressing issues of access to quality educational teaching and learning opportunities. melody china has witnessed the largest urbanization movement throughout the entire history of the nation. against this backdrop, social stratification has become increasingly severe with distinct gaps between rich and poor. since all my previous living and learning experiences were in urban areas, i hoped to study education and students in rural areas in china. my research topic was about an alternative teacher recruitment program, which would deliver prestigious university graduates to teach in rural schools. these young people voluntarily gave up urban life to transfer to rural areas. this downward mobility enriched their lives. similarly, the research about these young people and the field work in rural schools pushed me to review my own educational becker & yin/ emerging perspectives (2019) 17-28 24 experience, and the broader social context of this generation. in doing so, i realized the many social privileges i had enjoyed for so many years. sandra my research on makerspaces as learning environments stems from my background and beliefs from many years in teaching. i know that our approaches to education offer limited entry points to learning and few opportunities for the development of empathy. our assessment and grading systems create hierarchies and move students into categories based on limited ways of knowing and doing. as a teacher-librarian, i could see this was also true for teachers. the work i conducted in the makerspace actually gave me hope that together we could design learning that would, even though it is increasingly multicultural, offer learning opportunities that were more equitable for all. both of us were concerned with the current inequality in schools, which we felt did harm to students’ overall development and limited students’ future opportunities. what we shared indicated our empathy toward those students in disadvantaged situations, while developing solutions to societal problems (slimbach, 2005). however, the reasons why we were interested in topics related to educational equality were subtly different. melody desired something different from the urban existence because she discerned a huge gap between rural and urban life. this curiosity led her to examine the field of rural education, thus enabling her to reflect on how much privilege she had experienced before stepping into rural areas. as for sandra, she had been a rural practitioner in the field for many years where she later conducted her research. as a frontline teacher and teacher-librarian, the problems she noticed in practice pushed her to seek corresponding solutions through her research. in this situation, melody’s experience was personally eye-opening, but she also brought fresh eyes from outside the field to address problems of equity in education. sandra was well acquainted with the rural educational context in which she conducted her research, but she ran the risk of being unable to apply out-of-the-box thinking because of that familiarity. discussions of our research topics enabled us to open up avenues of dialogue around notions of what is equitable and what constitutes disadvantage. this also contributed to establishing our positive personal relationship and further collaboration. however, developing awareness of inequities in education is only the beginning (gorski, 2007). deeper discussions around the subtle aspects of cultural hegemony and who holds power in particular situations and instances have yet to take place. sharing our movement to a more global vision given our doctoral backgrounds we viewed movement to a more global vision differently. our dialogue on the topic served to continue our transcultural development. melody the true exodus does not mainly refer to the transition as geographical, but as “cultural, psychological and spiritual” (slimbach, 2005, p. 218). despite slimbach’s point, the geographical change seemed to be necessary to me. although my previous university emphasized internationalization, my personal experience of leaving my home country to study abroad for almost four years in a developed western country enabled me to experience the real exodus. opening my mind toward all things new paved my way of adapting to a new life. i began to get used to western food, speak english inadvertently, and use the local gestures consciously or becker & yin/ emerging perspectives (2019) 17-28 25 unconsciously. interestingly, although i was more inclined to think in a western way whether in my academic writing or dealing with relationships, meanwhile, i increasingly loved the beauty within my own culture, like the ancient poems and chinese characters. sandra my question is, how can i develop a more global vision, when i live in the same city i was born in, surrounded by the same people i have always known? perhaps this doctoral journey is my “exodus?” one thing i have enjoyed about my doctoral work, is connecting with and learning from people of all ages and from many different places. how can i continue this mental migration after the completion of my doctoral studies? is it possible for an exodus to be metaphorical in nature or is a physical exodus important? or will i backslide into the comfortable ways of safe cultural homogeneity? this is a fear, partly because of my age…. i find in our culture, that older people are compartmentalized into certain ways of being. i see a lot of boredom with old people because so much of life here is connected to work life. when work life ends (retirement age is set at 65, but many people retire younger) many people seem to lack purpose in life. i think part of it is that old people in our culture all live together in siloed communities that are developed only for old people of the same cultural background. they don’t have different people around them to keep them questioning and thinking. i worry and wonder about how i can continue to keep learning and growing as a human being as i age. both of us regarded our phd study as an exploration which was a voluntary and proactive choice made by ourselves. we saw doctoral work as a precious opportunity to expand our views and pursue our purpose in life. while melody thought the geographic journey was a prerequisite, sandra emphasized the mental passage, but only if she had chances to connect to diverse people within her home city. we problematized an explanation for this difference in the way we each view the transcultural journey. melody grew up in china where the han ethnicity makes up the vast majority (92%) of the population and most minority groups live in the border areas. she views canada as a country of immigrants, which suggests to her that sandra has been exposed to people from different nations and countries since she was born. sandra sees it differently. given that she has lived the majority of her life in rural areas, her exposure to people from different cultures has been on a superficial level. she remains cognizant of the fact that in order to continue transculturation, it will be necessary for her to seek out places where she can develop. sharing notions of new selves we have come to see that each opportunity to occupy hybrid cultural spaces (wulf, 2010) leads us to further development of a new self. collaborating allowed us not only the ability to position ourselves transculturally at this moment in time, but also to see where we have come from and where we wish to go. melody when i looked at the mirror and the photo i took ten years ago, i could not find the significant difference on my face. however, i know i have become a totally different person. i stayed in the same city for 18 years and around people quite similar to me. i had no idea of transculturation and even naively guess other places were similar to my hometown. however, the next ten years, i studied in beijing and then in australia. i also visited many provinces in china and other countries. all these experiences deeply influenced me as i have seemed to be more tolerant and open-minded to something different from myself and more clearly know who i am. becker & yin/ emerging perspectives (2019) 17-28 26 sandra some people i know have had great difficulty transitioning from their work identity to their retirement identity, because i think they feel as if they are not making a contribution to society. their work identity is very much wrapped in who they are as human beings and when that ends, as human beings they end. in some ways, in western culture retiring from work is a birthing of a new self, but it is often not a new self that people are happy with. i want my whole life to be meaningful . . . and i think one way to give meaning to life is to continue to learn, to study, and to experience a global vision, to live outside my comfort zone. in that way, every day of this life journey i give birth to a new self. coming together has allowed us to think more critically about our research topics, while allowing us to explore ideas of self in transcultural ways. through this work, we are transcending our notions of what it means to be a doctoral student, as related to culture, gender, and age. conclusion as the result of this inquiry, the following recommendations may be of interest to those planning future doctoral seminars: short-term academic exchange programs have obvious advantages to expand participants’ academic and cultural views with the least time and expense. however, connections between participants are easily lost since they have limited time to spend together. the formation of interpersonal relationships in their infancy have not been fully established before it is the time to leave. the two participants in a doctoral seminar have attempted to sustain a relationship to further develop the purpose of the seminar. however, without the publication deadline to ensure contact, the perpetuation of the affiliation might not have continued. therefore, in order to continue to develop and deepen transcultural relationships it is essential to have a structure in place that ensures continued contact between participants. collaborative writing is a good way to maximize the benefits of a short-term academic exchange program like the doctoral forum in that it strengthens the academic perspective and the cultural perspective. additionally, having writing deadlines promoted regular gatherings. the process of collaboratively writing an academic paper achieves mcleod and bloch’s (2010) goal of research training, and also builds transcultural competency through personal inquiry (wulf, 2010). organizers should encourage this approach and consider providing more facilities to realize post-program academic writing when planning short-term academic exchange programs. we demonstrated how slimbach’s (2005) “cognitive map” might serve to guide doctoral students toward transcultural competency. using slimbach’s theoretical framework helped us, as novice researchers build mutual connections. within the framework of slimbach’s theory, there were many interesting possibilities for further research and discussion, including: (1) is a geographic move the pre-requisite for cultural exodus? (2) can the impact of exodus on an individual’s perceptions of cultural heritage be positive? (3) how does the concept of transculturation assist two doctoral students with few similarities construct their views towards each other and globally? without theoretical guidance, it would be hard for us to locate where to begin and where to end. the power and magic of theory provided a “scaffold” for collaborative writing, especially when we were just beginning to know each other and write together from scratch. we advocate for the use of a theoretical framework to facilitate transcultural work. the use of online collaborative communication tools (wechat for visual and text communication, google docs, email) promoted a continued and immediate sense of connection becker & yin/ emerging perspectives (2019) 17-28 27 between us, in that we were able to develop both intellectual and emotional bonds. using the video feature, in particular, promoted a more personal approach to transculturation. aldridge and colleagues (2014) proposed that transcendent culturing is the goal of transcultural education and means a “movement toward building communities based on uniquely individual identities that contribute and benefit from the ever-changing group structures” (p. 111). as doctoral students with unique and diverse identities aiming to develop transculturally, though we have some way to go to achieve transcendence, we feel this experience has been a benefit to reaching transcultural competency. references aldridge, j., kilgo, j., & christensen, l. 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(2005). exploring the impact of study abroad on students’ intercultural communication skills: adaptability and sensitivity. journal of studies in international education, 9(4), 356-371. wolff, s. (2015). experiences with multi-sited ethnographies in transnational studies. in s. bollig, m. s. honig, s. neumann, & c. seele (eds.), multipluritrans in educational ethnography: approaching the multimodality, plurality and translocality of educational realities (pp. 5778). bielefeld, de: transcript verlag. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca corresponding author: tiffany.beks@ucalgary.ca the role of clinical supervision in supervisee burnout: a call to action tiffany beks & daniele doucet university of calgary professional burnout is a well-documented issue in professional psychology and has been associated with multiple negative personal, professional, and institutional consequences. interestingly, burnout in the context of psychologists-in-training has received very little attention. this article defines burnout in the context of professional psychology, outlines the factors leading to burnout, discusses burnout in the context of psychologists-in-training, and examines how clinical supervisors can play a preventative and/or remedial role in supervisee burnout. the article concludes by highlighting the need to integrate education and wellness plans into supervisory relationships and settings. keywords: supervisees, burnout, burnout prevention, professional psychology, clinical supervision, clinical training beks, t., & doucet, d. (2020). the role of clinical supervision in supervisee burnout: a call to action. emerging perspectives, 4(2), 36-50. decades of research have strongly suggested that the same qualities that make professional psychologists effective–such as empathy and compassion–also place them at risk for adverse psychological outcomes such as professional burnout (lim, kim, kim, yang, & lee, 2010). psychologists-in-training (referred to herein as supervisees) are especially vulnerable to burnout given their pressures to manage the multiple demands associated with academia, clinical training, and their personal lives (cieslak, 2016; thompson, frick, & trice-black, 2011). importantly, the experience of burnout does not only negatively impact supervisee competence, morale, satisfaction, and self-concept (pakenham & stafford-brown, 2012) but it may also compromise client welfare (schwartz-mette, 2009). while the literature in this area has focused extensively on the contributing factors and consequences of burnout among practicing psychologists and related professions such as licensed counsellors and psychotherapists (thompson, amatea, & thompson, 2014), discussions regarding the impact of burnout on supervisee development are in their infancy (pakenham & stafford-brown, 2012). moreover, the role of clinical supervisors and, by extension, supervision models in preventing or remediating burnout has received only cursory mention in the literature (cieslak, 2016). hence, the purpose of this article is to explore the relationship between clinical supervision and supervisee burnout. this article begins with a brief review of the theory and research underpinning professional burnout and its consequences for clinical practice. next, the potential of clinical supervision to serve a preventative and/or remedial role in supervisee burnout is examined. this article beks & doucet emerging perspectives (2020) 37 concludes with a discussion of the relative absence of research on supervision practices designed to address supervisee burnout, highlighting the need to integrate education and wellness plans into existing supervisory relationships and settings. conceptualization and prevalence of burnout burnout was first identified as a stress-related condition among counselling and psychotherapy professionals in the 1970s (maslach & leiter, 2016). since this time, burnout has come to be defined as an extreme and enduring stress syndrome characterized by mental and emotional exhaustion, and in some cases, poor physical health (volpe et al., 2014). a burgeoning body of literature has indicated that licensed psychologists, counsellors, and psychotherapists face a multitude of stressors that make them particularly vulnerable to burnout, such as the emotionally demanding nature of providing services, excessive administrative tasks and paperwork, and increasing organizational pressures to increase efficiency and persons served (rupert, miller, & dorociak, 2015; thompson et al., 2014). while there is no consensus for defining the construct of burnout in professional psychology (cieslak, 2016), a large proportion of the literature has conceptualized burnout more generally as an extreme stress syndrome (volpe et al., 2014). thompson et al. (2011) conceptualized this phenomenon specifically as it relates to graduate students in psychology, describing burnout as “a loss of enthusiasm and compassion, difficulty delineating and separating personal and professional boundaries” and “struggl[ing] to be assertive, set limits, maintain realistic expectations, and not assume personal responsibility for client outcomes” (p. 156). given the complexity of burnout illustrated in supervisee descriptions, arriving at a unitary conceptualization of this phenomenon has been challenging. for the purpose of constructing a meaningful, comprehensive discussion of burnout among supervisees in the clinical realm, this article aligns with the current, predominant definition espoused in the literature, which defines burnout as a work-related, stress-induced condition characterized by emotional exhaustion, cynicism (or depersonalization), and a diminished sense of efficacy or personal accomplishment (maslach, schaufeli, & leiter, 2001). although several conceptualizations of burnout have arisen in the literature (maslach et al., 2001), maslach’s (1976) framework has been the most generative in terms of empirical research. according to this conceptualization, burnout is comprised of three elements: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal achievement (maslach, 1976; maslach et al., 2001). emotional exhaustion refers to the feeling of being overwhelmed with emotions and void of energy (maslach & goldberg, 1998). depersonalization refers to a negative, unsympathetic, or disinterested attitude toward one’s clients (maslach & goldberg, 1998). personal achievement involves negative self-evaluation and dissatisfaction regarding one’s personal work and productivity (maslach & jackson, 1981). in addition, earlier research among healthcare professionals found a correlation between self-reported burnout and a range of mental and physical health symptoms, including depression, anxiety, sleep problems, memory impairments, neck and back pain, and alcohol consumption (peterson et al., 2008). beyond maslach’s (1976) conception of burnout, research has demonstrated that physical symptoms such exhaustion and pain are strongly associated with supervisee burnout (kaeding et al., 2017). collectively, and in beks & doucet emerging perspectives (2020) 38 the context of professional psychology, these elements manifest in a diminished desire to engage in clinical work (thompson et al., 2011). moreover, the mental and physical symptoms associated with burnout may compromise supervisees’ personal and professional development, the therapeutic alliance with clients, and ethical and professional judgment in clinical work (cieslak, 2016; kaeding et al., 2017; schwartz-mette, 2009). early research into the prevalence of burnout found that approximately 44% (n = 571) of practicing, licensed psychologists in the united states reported symptoms consistent with the emotional exhaustion element of burnout (rupert & morgan, 2005). in a later study that examined overall levels of burnout (i.e., composite levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal achievement), kaeding et al. (2017) found that nearly half (49.2%) of a sample of 1,172 clinical and counselling psychology supervisees indicated severe levels of burnout, a rate slightly higher but comparable to their licensed counterparts. the prevalence of burnout in professional psychology, regardless of career stage, suggests that there may be factors inherent to clinical work that increase the risk of burnout. while more research is needed to establish the degree of burnout in professional psychology, these early studies suggest that licensed psychologists and supervisees may be at risk of burnout. in order to identify avenues for intervention, it is first necessary to have a fuller understanding of the factors contributing to burnout and their implications for supervisees and clinical practice. factors contributing to burnout according to hardiman and simmonds (2013), professional burnout may result from a combination of individual and environmental factors. individual factors refer to the influence of personality characteristics, beliefs, and attitudes, whereas environmental factors refer to the influence of the setting on an individual’s work, its culture, and the inherent demands associated with one’s role (hardiman & simmonds, 2013). empirical research offers compelling evidence to suggest that both sources influence burnout within the field of professional psychology (lim et al., 2010). individual factors meta-analytic research has revealed that individual factors such as gender and age are associated with burnout among licensed psychologists (lim et al., 2010). in an early study, age was negatively correlated with self-reported rates of burnout (ackerley, burnell, holder, & kurdek, 1988). more recently, rupert and kent (2007) found that those who identify as female were found to experience burnout at a higher rate than those who identify as male. while demographic factors such as gender and age are important considerations for understanding burnout in professional psychology, the majority of research on individual factors has focused on psychologists’ coping orientations, perceptions of control, expectations of client change and outcomes, and personal schemas pertaining to clinical practice (ben zur & michael, 2007; kaeding et al., 2017; lee, lim, yang, & lee, 2011). ben zur and michael (2007) found that coping orientations play a role in the risk for burnout among counsellors and psychotherapists. using the burnout scale (maslach & jackson, 1981) to measure elements of depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, and personal achievement, ben zur and michael (2007) found that emotion-focused coping (e.g., denial, beks & doucet emerging perspectives (2020) 39 “venting”) orientations were positively correlated with depersonalization and negatively correlated with personal achievement. in contrast, coping orientations characterized by problemsolving strategies (e.g., planning, positive reframing, obtaining support) were negatively correlated with depersonalization and positively correlated with personal achievement (ben zur & michael, 2007). while this research did not involve supervisees specifically, the findings suggest that coping orientations characterized by problem-solving may serve as a protective factor in the specific occupational contexts occupied by professional psychologists. research has also revealed that professional helpers’ (e.g., psychologists, social workers, counsellors) level of involvement and perceptions of control with their clients is a strong predictor of burnout. according to lee et al. (2011), over-involvement is a term used to describe professional helpers’ tendency to feel responsible for clients, frequently think about clients outside of sessions, and/or work harder than the client toward making change. perceptions of control refers to professional helpers’ appraisal of the degree to which they control the activities that comprise their workday and when these activities take place (lee et al., 2011). in a recent meta-analysis, lee et al. (2011) found a strong positive relationship between over-involvement and the emotional exhaustion subtype of burnout. furthermore, results revealed a strong negative correlation between perceptions of control and emotional exhaustion, in that low control correlated strongly with high emotional exhaustion (lee et al., 2011). an additional body of literature has examined the relationship between idealistic and/or unrealistic expectations about the psychotherapy process and supervisee burnout (pakenham & stafford-brown, 2012). specifically, supervisees may exhibit an unrealistic optimism about their capacity to generate client change (skovholt & rønnestad, 2003). supervisees who are new to clinical practice may also grapple with the realization that the same skillset that yielded mastery in their academic coursework does not transfer directly to the complexities of clinical practice (skovholt & rønnestad, 2003). for instance, thompson et al. (2011) pointed out that idealistic and unrealistic expectations about client progress (e.g., high levels of supervisee effort will translate to positive client change; client progress will occur quickly and in a linear fashion) may inadvertently reduce personal feelings of self-efficacy and professional competence among supervisees. these expectations, ideals, and the potential for subsequent disillusionment, are further exacerbated by supervisees’ stress and uncertainty surrounding evaluation of their performance (schwartz-mette, 2009). several authors have explored the role of supervisees’ schemas and belief patterns in increasing the risk for burnout. kaeding et al. (2017) found that supervisees frequently selfreported two maladaptive schemas: self-sacrifice (ss) and unrelenting standards (us). ss refers to a heightened sensitivity to the suffering of others, coupled with an inclination toward taking responsibility for others at the expense of personal health (kaeding et al., 2017). us refers to the internalization of unrealistically high standards in order to eschew criticism from others (kaeding et al., 2017). interestingly, research has revealed a statistically significant positive correlation between the endorsement of ss and us schemas and self-reported burnout among supervisees (kaeding et al., 2017). these findings suggest that supervisees with these schemas may be challenged to strike a balance between meeting the needs of their clients and meeting their own needs, thereby increasing the risk for emotional exhaustion and limited self-care (kaeding et al., 2017). beks & doucet emerging perspectives (2020) 40 collectively, this body of research highlights the importance of professional psychologists’ coping orientations, perceptions of control, expectations of client change and outcomes, and personal schemas pertaining to clinical practice. while it is important to address these individual factors as they pertain to supervisee development, it is equally important to understand the intersection of these individual factors with the organizational climate within which professional psychology and supervisee clinical training is taking place (el-ghoroury, galper, sawaqdeh, & bufka, 2012; pakenham & stafford-brown, 2012). these organizational factors are discussed in greater detail in the following section. environmental factors there are numerous environmental factors associated with burnout that have been highlighted in the literature. in general, characteristics such as number of hours worked, volume of paperwork, workload, and time pressure are positively correlated with risk for burnout across various occupational contexts and settings (rupert et al., 2015). in research specific to professional psychology, factors such as level of control and autonomy over occupational demands and activities, complexity and severity of client presentations, emotional demands of therapeutic work, and practicing in public sector settings have been associated with burnout (craig & sprang, 2010; rupert et al., 2015; skovholt & rønnestad, 2003). while a discussion of all these factors is beyond the scope of this article, the current section focuses on those factors unique to professional psychology that also place supervisees at an increased risk for burnout. one of the foremost features of professional psychology that has been linked to burnout is the emotionally demanding nature of clinical work (skovholt & rønnestad, 2003). the emotionally demanding nature of clinical work may take several forms and the impact on professional psychologists may be profound. exposure to clients’ painful, tragic, or traumatic narratives is a common dimension of professional psychology practice that can alter even seasoned psychologists’ worldview and understanding of humanity (cieslak, 2016). working with clients at high risk of harming themselves or others places tremendous demands on psychologists, in that they may experience apprehension about their clients’ safety as well as the threat of personal, professional, and legal implications associated with this level of risk (webb, 2011). because the inherent demands of clinical work require the supervisee to be open, compassionate, and empathic, exposure to emotionally-charged content has the potential to “drain a counsellor’s reservoir of resilience” (thompson et al., 2011, p. 152). the emotionallydemanding nature of these relationships with clients, coupled with the stage of professional development for supervisees, where insecurity, anxiety, and uncertainty about one’s clinical skills and judgment is commonly experienced, may intensify conditions for burnout among supervisees (testa & sangganjanavanich, 2016; thompson et al., 2011). as noted earlier, supervisees may also be particularly vulnerable to burnout because they are often balancing the demands of academic, professional, and personal spheres of life because they are concurrently enrolled in graduate studies (pakenham & stafford-brown, 2012). ongoing demands/pressures to balance the expectations of the academic curriculum, accreditation bodies, the clinical training site, and their personal lives, can leave little time or space for self-care and reflection (cieslak, 2016; pakenham & stafford-brown, 2012). graduate students in the field of professional psychology are expected to devote considerable time and effort to their work, which beks & doucet emerging perspectives (2020) 41 may become the source of additional stress and pressure (el-ghoroury et al., 2012). research suggests that graduate students in clinical and counselling streams of psychology report numerous stressors, including academic coursework, finances and debt, poor work/school-life balance, family issues, marital/relationship problems, and time-consuming research obligations (el-ghoroury et al., 2012). the continuous need to balance these complementary—and at times competing—demands, may exceed supervisees’ coping resources and increase their susceptibility to burnout (pakenham & stafford-brown, 2012). organizational climates and professional culture represent an additional factor that may contribute to supervisee burnout. kaedling et al. (2017) maintained that supervisees may find themselves in settings that promote high or idealistic standards for client outcomes, which can lead to additional stress, evaluative pressure, and feelings of self-doubt. thompson et al. (2011) interviewed supervisees about their experience of clinical supervision related to self-care and burnout. interestingly, supervisees in this study reported that professional cultures that valued professional invulnerability and/or viewed being overwhelmed as both a rite of passage and a customary experience for entry into the psychology profession promoted supervisee burnout (thompson et al., 2011). according to kaeding et al. (2017), in these professional climates and cultures, supervisees may be reluctant to disclose overwhelming stress and/or distress out of fear of being labeled as incompetent or unfit for entry into the profession. in turn, the fear of disclosure in these settings limits opportunities for intervening with supervisee burnout. an additional external factor, and of particular focus in this article, is the philosophical approach and characteristics of supervision. to date, there is a dearth of empirical literature on the role of clinical supervision practices in supervisee burnout. however, one qualitative study conducted by thompson et al. (2011) revealed a considerable gap between faculty supervisors and field supervisors’ tendency to discuss and address burnout with supervisees. specifically, supervisees reported that faculty supervisors were more likely to directly address issues such as burnout, self-care, personal wellness, time management, and the need to self-assess for these issues (thompson et al., 2011). in contrast, supervisees indicated that field supervisors did not directly discuss personal wellness, and in extreme cases, put forth the attitude that burnout, as well as sacrificing personal time and family obligations, were unavoidable and necessary costs of clinical work (thompson et al., 2011). this relative gap in supervisor perspectives, and the perception of distress in supervisees as a rite of passage into the profession, suggests that integrating education and awareness of burnout into supervisory models is warranted. implications of supervisee burnout it is evident that burnout exerts a significant toll on the health and well-being of supervisees (kaeding et al., 2017). while this is concerning for psychologists who have only just entered their careers in professional psychology, what is equally concerning is the impact of supervisee burnout on clinical practice and client care (pakenham & stafford-brown, 2012). specifically, when burnout goes unacknowledged and unaddressed, the capacity to conduct clinical work competently and ethically is compromised (pakenham & stafford-brown, 2012; thompson et al., 2011). hence, the following section of this article describes the implications of supervisee burnout with respect to client care, professional and ethical practice, and challenges beks & doucet emerging perspectives (2020) 42 with terminology. while the majority of research on this topic was undertaken with licensed and practicing psychologists, it can be extrapolated that supervisee burnout would carry similar risks in terms of the therapeutic alliance. notably, this is an area that clearly needs to be more explicitly addressed in the supervision literature. client care issues in the absence of empirical research on supervisees, the current discussion borrows from literature on licensed professionals (e.g., psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists) to provide an illustration of the potential effects of burnout on client care. in general, licensed professionals’ self-reports have illustrated a relationship between burnout and poor morale (maslach & leiter, 2016). interestingly, this body of literature has hypothesized that professional burnout also leads to diminished empathy, lower quality care, and poor communication with clients, despite the absence of research to support such assertions (everall & paulson, 2004; hardiman & simmonds, 2013; maslach & leiter, 2016; smith & moss, 2009). smith and moss (2009) pointed out that logistical and ethical issues with examining the experiences of clients in therapy have limited the extent to which the relationship between professional burnout and client care may be empirically studied. in the absence of actual data, the impact of professional burnout on clients and the therapeutic process appears to be more speculative and cautionary rather than evidence-based (smith & moss, 2009). however, the absence of data should not undermine or discredit the concerns espoused by professional codes of ethics and opinionated literature surrounding the potential hazards of burnout for clinical practice (cpa, 2017a; schwartz-mette, 2009). furthermore, several authors have postulated that because supervisees are normally at an earlier stage in their development than seasoned professionals, the effects of burnout may carry even greater risks to clients because supervisees may not have developed competence in identifying and repairing ruptures in the therapeutic alliance (cieslak, 2016). given that responsible caring is central to ethical psychological practice (cpa, 2017a), the potential harms associated with supervisee burnout warrants greater attention from field supervisors and the discipline of clinical supervision at large. specifically, more empirical research should be devoted to better understand the link between supervisee burnout, therapeutic process, and client outcomes. professional and ethical issues previously, authors have speculated that burnout among clinical psychology professionals may lead to a number of ethical concerns, including professional-client boundary violations, harmful multiple relationships, and using treatment to serve the needs of the professional (everall & paulson, 2004; schwartz-mette, 2009). hence, the potential for burnout to lead to professional and ethical violations cannot be overlooked. ethical violations committed by licensed psychologists involve significant consequences, including compulsory rehabilitation, treatment, dismissal from professional regulatory bodies, and even criminal charges (canadian psychological association [cpa], 2015). however, no studies to date to our awareness have revealed a direct relationship between supervisee burnout and ethical violations. interestingly, the majority of the literature on ethical violations stemming from supervisee burnout emanates from opinionated literature or speculations (collins, falender, & shafrankse, 2011; schwartzbeks & doucet emerging perspectives (2020) 43 mette, 2009). this is not to suggest that supervisees experiencing burnout do not commit ethical infractions with their clients, but, rather, that empirical evidence as to the nature, course, and outcomes of such infractions is largely understudied. hence, the picture of how supervisee burnout contributes to ethical violations remains incomplete and should be the focus of future research. as will be discussed in the following section, clinical supervisors are responsible for the care delivered to clients by their supervisees and, as such, play a critical role in preventing burnout among supervisees. terminology while the relationship between supervisee burnout and ethical violations has been described as a form of professional impairment (schwartz-mette, 2009), this lexis has sparked controversy over its ethical and legal implications (collins et al., 2011). according to collins et al. (2011), using the term impairment to describe a supervisee who is affected by burnout carries long-term implications for the supervisee. firstly, the term impairment carries the legal connotation of disability, and hence may not be an accurate description of the supervisees’ professional and occupational status (collins et al., 2011). secondly, the term impairment connotes potentially irreparable issues that reside within the supervisee as a person (collins et al., 2011). this places supervisors and agencies in a legal and ethical position to provide accommodations to the supervisee, whilst simultaneously overlooking the interplay of systemic and individual sources of burnout (collins et al., 2011). hence, the term impairment may be viewed as an intrapsychic issue despite the fact that the plethora of empirical research suggests that burnout is largely a product of systemic issues (el-ghoroury et al., 2012; pakenham & stafford-brown, 2012; rupert et al., 2015; thompson et al., 2011). importantly, the vast and complex interplay between externally imposed, contextually-based stressors and individual factors may be mediated and alleviated with awareness, adequate supervision, and skill development (el-ghoroury et al., 2012; pakenham & stafford-brown, 2012; rupert et al., 2015; thompson et al., 2011). the historical use of the term impairment reinforces and maintains a long-standing intrapsychic tradition in the field of psychology that has the potential to pathologize supervisees who are experiencing tremendous and compounding pressures from multiple sources that may be beyond their control (collins et al., 2011). more recently, collins et al. (2011) have recommended replacing the term impairment with problems of professional competency (ppc). according to collins et al. (2011), the nascent term ppc is considered more useful than its predecessor because it conceptualizes performance in relation to a professional standard while focusing on building competence (as opposed to focusing on impairment). ppc suggests that supervisee burnout remains a contentious issue in professional psychology and one which warrants attention from future researchers. despite this shift in language, supervisee burnout remains a contentious issue in professional psychology and one that warrants attention from future researchers. the role of clinical supervision the potential implications of professional burnout on clinical practice provides compelling impetus to devise solutions to prevent and alleviate supervisee burnout. however, before one concludes that the solution is simply to cultivate supervisees’ individual coping beks & doucet emerging perspectives (2020) 44 strategies and personal resilience, research has emphasized the critical role of clinical supervision in preventing and alleviating supervisee burnout (thompson et al., 2011). as stipulated in the ethical guidelines for supervision in psychology (cpa, 2017b), supervisors are not only influential in shaping the development of their supervisee, but they also hold an ethical and professional obligation to improve their supervisees’ professional skills, assure the quality of services provided to clients, and function as a gatekeeper for entry into the psychology profession at large. moreover, supervisors hold a position of power in the supervisory relationship (cpa, 2017b) and may use this privilege to foster resilience and sustainable wellness practices in their supervisees (collins et al., 2011). finally, supervisors have an ethical responsibility to take up “opportunities and resources to continuously improve their ability as supervisors” (cpa, 2017b, p. 4), including developing an understanding of the complexity of burnout in supervisees and how supervision may alleviate associated risk factors. although beyond the scope of this article, it is important to acknowledge that supervisors may also face pressure from systems (e.g., session limits, budget constraints) and administrative structures (e.g., policies, position) that counteract their own efforts to prevent burnout and maintain wellness. as such, the current section emphasizes the role of clinical supervision in preventing and remediating supervisee burnout, while acknowledging that supervision represents only a portion of the much larger systemic and cultural shift that is needed to address burnout in the broader context of professional psychology. moreover, this section advances its focus on supervision with the understanding that the prevention and remediation of supervisee burnout is a responsibility shared by supervisees, supervisors, graduate training programs, and the broader profession of psychology (cpa, 2017b; tyre, griffin, & simmons, 2016). the ethical imperative for the monitoring of self and others the canadian code of ethics for psychologists fourth edition (referred to herein as the code) conveys the principles and values underlying the standards for professional conduct of psychologists in canada (cpa, 2017a). stated within these guidelines is the ethical imperative for all psychologists, including clinical supervisors, to demonstrate a level of awareness and reflectivity that enables them to monitor self and others with respect to their ability to deliver psychological services competently (cpa, 2017a). specifically, standard ii.11 of the code calls upon psychologists to “seek appropriate help and/or discontinue scientific, teaching, supervision, or practice activity for an appropriate period of time, if a physical or psychological condition reduces their ability to benefit and not harm others” (cpa, 2017a, p. 20). furthermore, standard ii.12 states that psychologists should “engage in self-care activities that help to avoid conditions (e.g., burnout, addictions) that could result in impaired judgment and interfere with their ability to benefit and not harm others” (cpa, 2017a, p. 20). although supervisees are not licensed psychologists, supervisees are expected to enter clinical training with knowledge of and the capacity to practice in adherence with the ethics and principles laid out within the code. hence, the aforementioned standards ii.11 and ii.12 reflect ideals that supervisees are expected to enact in their clinical training. with respect to the role of clinical supervisors, standards ii.43 and ii.44 explicitly state that psychologists should “act to stop or offset the consequences of harmful activities carried out by another psychologist or member of another discipline” (cpa, 2017a, p. beks & doucet emerging perspectives (2020) 45 23) even when the harm appears to result from diminished sensitivity, knowledge, or experience. in the context of supervisee burnout, these guidelines suggest that the prevention and remediation of supervisee burnout is a shared responsibility between supervisee and supervisor (cpa, 2017b). supervisees have an educational and ethical obligation to develop the capacity to self-monitor, whereas supervisors have an ethical duty to self-monitor and to intervene in situations in which the health and well-being of their supervisee is compromised. however, because of higher status and power and the supervisors’ ultimate responsibility for client welfare, the supervisor also has greater responsibility to maintain a level of awareness regarding supervisee limitations and their potential impact on clientele (cpa, 2017b). importantly, the ethical imperative to intervene translates to a continuum of potential measures, including preventative responses in early stages, remedial actions, and gatekeeping (cpa, 2017b). while these ethical guidelines present ethical grounds for integrating awareness and remediation of burnout into clinical supervision models (cpa, 2017b), research is in its infancy as to precisely how clinical supervisors can effectively prevent and manage supervisee burnout. nevertheless, the ethical standards of professional psychology imply that supervisee wellbeing should be a central concern addressed by supervisors (thompson et al., 2011). clinical supervision and supervisee burnout/wellness several authors have proposed viable avenues by which burnout among supervisees may be prevented or alleviated, including peer support, self-care, and personal counselling or psychotherapy (cieslak, 2016). however, because clinical supervision facilitates the multidimensional development of the supervisee, and because burnout is directly related to the professional context of the supervisee, clinical supervisors are uniquely positioned to directly address supervisee burnout and monitor changes in the professional context. despite the unique position of supervisors, the extant literature on clinical supervision suggests that the topic of burnout and wellness is frequently neglected in the supervisory relationship (blount & mullen, 2015; thompson et al., 2011). as previously mentioned, earlier research suggests that professional burnout results from an overcommitment to client outcomes, elusive measures for success, and emotional exhaustion (lee et al., 2011; skovholt & rønnestad, 2003). to our knowledge, one study has addressed supervisees’ perceptions of supervision practices related to self-care and burnout (thompson et al., 2011). this study revealed that the aforementioned risk factors for burnout were not directly addressed by supervisors over the course of supervisee clinical training (thompson et al., 2011). moreover, supervisees in this study indicated that they believed supervisors can help prevent and remediate supervisee burnout by explicitly assessing supervisee expectations and beliefs surrounding psychotherapy and client outcomes, promoting supervisees’ development of a personal wellness plan, and being present and available for supervisees (thompson et al., 2011). additionally, supervisees expressed the need for supervisors to model behaviours and attitudes that engender self-care and appropriate personal and professional boundaries (thompson et al., 2011). hence, supervisees viewed their supervisors as having the ability to play a preventative and remedial role in the degree of burnout they experienced during their training (thompson et al., 2011). however, it is important to acknowledge that these findings are based on only a single study and may not be representative of the perceptions of all supervisees. hence, our current beks & doucet emerging perspectives (2020) 46 understanding is limited as to clinical supervisors’ efforts and methods for intervening with supervisee burnout and additional research is required to extend this body of knowledge. to date, empirical research in support of the effectiveness of clinical supervision in preventing and remediating supervisee burnout is lacking (cieslak, 2016; lenz & smith, 2010). however, the lack of research has not deterred several authors from advancing the critical need for supervision to integrate education and training pertaining to supervisee burnout (lenz & smith, 2010). according to tyre et al. (2016), advocates in the area of preventing burnout in professional psychology recommend integrating the following four pillars into education and training programs: a) education around the importance of self-care as a protective factor against burnout; b) ongoing self-assessment and reflection to increase awareness of resilience and burnout; c) programs and initiatives to cultivate resilience; and d) clinical supervision that directly addresses the propensity for burnout through education, coaching, and modeling wellness and resiliency. these four pillars illustrate the shared responsibility among supervisees, supervisors, graduate training programs, and the psychology profession to prevent supervisee burnout and simultaneously promote supervisee professional fitness, wellness, and resilience (tyre et al., 2016). tyre et al. (2016) emphasized the critical importance of clinical supervision as a learning environment by which supervisee-supervisor authenticity, reflection, and selfawareness may be fostered. furthermore, clinical supervision represents a climate in which unique skills and strength-building opportunities that foster professional fitness and wellness emerge for the supervisee (tyre et al., 2016). supervisors are in the position to approach the topic of burnout with intentionality and use their privileged status to help supervisees explore and cultivate a realistic, balanced, and culturally-relevant philosophy with respect to their beliefs, attitudes, boundaries, and roles as an emerging counsellor or psychotherapist (thompson et al., 2011; tyre et al., 2016). importantly, incorporating these dimensions into clinical supervision models may foster a level of professional fitness and wellness in supervisees that may be carried forward throughout their career (lenz & smith, 2010; tyre et al., 2016). to this end, empirical evaluation of the implementation and efficacy of these four pillars is sorely needed to truly understand the benefits of strategies for burnout prevention. implications, conclusions and recommendations although limited, the extant literature examined in this article indicates that clinical supervision has the potential to play a preventative and/or remedial role in supervisee burnout (lenz & smith, 2010; thompson et al., 2011). according to advocates in this area, the primary mechanism by which clinical supervision may accomplish this aim is through directly addressing supervisees’ beliefs, attitudes, and perspectives that are likely to increase the risk for burnout, while simultaneously modeling and fostering appropriate self-care and wellness practices (thompson et al., 2011; tyre et al., 2016). while these recommendations are both encouraging and provoking, the dearth of research on the effectiveness of these practices in the context of supervision represents a significant barrier to widespread acknowledgment and integration among clinical supervisors (lenz & smith, 2010). research that examines the execution, processes, and outcomes of integrating these practices into clinical supervision models is sorely needed. beks & doucet emerging perspectives (2020) 47 it is also important that the field of professional psychology, including graduate training programs, broadens the conceptualization of wellness beyond an individual and intrapsychic view of self-care. this widening stance on the meaning of wellness may include the cultivation of healthy and realistic measures of professional success, including beliefs and expectations about clinical work, client change, and therapeutic outcomes (thompson et al., 2011; tyre et al., 2016), as well as an understanding that self-care and wellness involves an interaction between an individual and their environment, community, culture, and nature (lenz & smith, 2010). moreover, education and awareness are needed to bring to light the complex interplay of individual and environmental factors that give way to professional burnout, and to dismantle the view that burnout is both an issue of professional impairment and an indicator of a lack of fitness for entering the field. the alarming prevalence of burnout in the field of professional psychology alone should provide sufficient cause to implore academic and professional communities to take up sorely needed research, education, and training that address individual factors with compassion and ameliorates environmental factors with systemic interventions for change. as prominent figures in professional development, training, and gatekeeping, clinical supervisors occupy a unique position of power to not only acknowledge the concerning prevalence of burnout in our field, but also to embolden a culture that upholds wellness as a domain of competency that deserves the same care, attention, and practice that has been traditionally afforded to other core competencies underpinning professional psychology. it is imperative that clinical supervisors and clinical training sites move beyond cursory awareness of the risks associated with supervisee burnout and move toward full recognition of the centrality of wellness in professional psychology, not only as a pillar of clinical supervision but also as an active stance against the traditions within the field of psychology that contribute to burnout among psychology professionals. this article calls upon the field to appreciate that, in order to accomplish the latter, wellness must be integrated into supervisory models as a domain of professional competence in and of itself (lenz & smith, 2010). to this end, future research may explore how professional wellness may be represented as a domain of clinical competence, and how this explicit emphasis may hold all relevant stakeholders in the field of professional psychology accountable to their collective responsibility to prevent burnout and promote wellness in those entering the field. it is the position of the authors that a sustainable future of ethical and effective psychologists depends on our advancing this critical and timely issue. references ackerley, g. d., burnell, j., holder, d. c., & kurdek, l. a. 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(2016). building resiliency in counselors in training for counselor educators. the alabama counseling association journal, 41(1), 26-44. retrieved from https://www.alabamacounseling.org/uploads/1/2/3/9/123960750/journal__fall_2016.pdf beks & doucet emerging perspectives (2020) 50 volpe, u., luciano, m., palumbo, c., sampogna, g., del vecchio, v., & fiorillo, a. (2014). risk of burnout among early career mental health professionals. journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing, 21(9), 774-781. doi:10.1111/jpm.12137 webb, k. b. (2011). care of others and self: a suicidal patient’s impact on the psychologist. professional psychology: research and practice, 42(3), 215–221. doi:10.1037/a0022752 conceptualization and prevalence of burnout factors contributing to burnout individual factors environmental factors implications of supervisee burnout client care issues professional and ethical issues terminology the role of clinical supervision the ethical imperative for the monitoring of self and others clinical supervision and supervisee burnout/wellness implications, conclusions and recommendations references emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca *kaltrina.kusari@ucalgary.ca the ‘in-betweenness’ of emerging newcomer scholars kaltrina kusari* university of calgary in 2015, the european union experienced a 51% increase in asylum requests. kosovars constituted the fourth largest group of these asylum seekers, yet only 2.3% were granted asylum. rejected applicants continue to be forcefully returned to kosovo partly because repatriation, or the right to return to one’s country of origin, is the eu’s preferred solution to migration crisis. a significant body of research substantiates that repatriation is neither voluntary nor a durable solution. to address the discrepancy between existing evidence and the adoption of repatriation as a sustainable solution, i employed critical discourse analysis to explore the involuntary repatriation of rejected asylum seekers from kosovo. findings from semi-structured interviews with rejected-asylum-seekers suggest that this population uses discourses which construct eu countries as superior to kosova and migration to these countries as an opportunity for a better life. these discourses uphold the global north superiority and encourage participants to consider remigration, rather than reintegration, as a solution to their current challenges. these findings have implications for repatriation policies and highlight important aspects of being an emerging newcomer scholar. my focus on kosovo was partly a result of the fact that i am originally from kosovo yet have completed my post-secondary and graduate education in canada. as such, this research brief explores how the identity of emerging newcomer scholars is shaped by transnational research. kusari, k. (2020). the ‘in-betweenness’ of emerging newcomer scholars. emerging perspectives, 4(1), 26-28. for half of my life i have navigated spaces of hybridity (bhabha, 1994) because i live in a country where i was not born, in a world where borders define how we interact with each-other. hybridity means embracing “the messiness of ongoing negotiations between cultural formations of unequal stature where new discourses are shaped in the interstitial spaces between them” (spitzer, 2007, p. 54). i am originally from kosova1, and i have completed my post-secondary 1 i decided to use the term kosova and not kosovo throughout this brief. while this might seem like an insignificant difference, it was important to my study, which focused on the link between discourse and power. first, kosova is the name of the country in albanian language, which is spoken by 92% of the population in kosova (central intelligence agency, 2017). as such, using the name kosova is an attempt to reflect and give importance to the voices of the local population. second, in serbian language, the country is called kosovo, a term serbians have used in the past to emphasize that kosova is serbian land (phillips, 2012). for example, statements such as “kosovo is the heart of serbia” (phillips, 2012, p. 65) were used by slobodan milosevic, whose regime carried out the ethnic cleansing of albanians in kosova during the 1999 war. therefore, my second reason for deciding to use the name kosova is an attempt to make apparent the power of language while also resisting the use of a word which has been used as the basis for oppressing kosova-albanians. kusari / emerging perspectives (2020) 26 and graduate education in canada. often, when i introduce myself to someone in canada, i am met with either confusion or a sense of pity because many people have never heard of kosova or have only heard of it because of the 1999 war that took place there. considering this, i am often constructed as a foreigner – a person who comes from an unfamiliar place, or as a victim of the war—a construction that invites pity in my interactions with others. at the same time, i also have friends and colleagues within higher education who are curious to learn more about kosova and approach me with a willingness to learn about the unfamiliar. as a kosovar-albanian in canada i have had to navigate tensions that emerge from living a transnational life. by transnational, i mean that i am constantly moving between two countries and have contextual and embodied knowledge of both (kerri, 2010). indeed, this has been a key aspect of my time in canada and something that i grappled with especially during my master of social work (msw) thesis research. my research focused on the repatriation experiences of rejected asylum seekers from kosova partly because i wanted to bridge my canadian and kosovar realities. in this brief, therefore, i reflect upon the process of my msw thesis research as a way of discussing the tensions that emerging newcomer scholars often have to navigate. newcomer is an umbrella term for those who have left another country to settle in canada, including immigrants, refugees, protected persons, and recent permanent residents (government of canada, 2019). i begin with an overview of my study, and rather than share my findings i focus on key insights that i gained about being an emerging newcomer scholar. in 2015, the european union (eu) experienced a 51% increase in asylum requests (eurostat, 2017). kosovars constituted the fourth largest group of these asylum seekers, yet only 2.3% were granted asylum (eurostat, 2017). rejected applicants continue to be forcefully returned to kosova partly because repatriation, or the right to return to one’s country of origin, is the un’s preferred solution to migration crisis (united nations high commissioner for refugees [unhcr], 1996; unhcr, 2015). repatriation continues to be a preferred solution despite a significant body of research which substantiates that repatriation is neither durable, nor the end of the migration cycle. to address this discrepancy, i grounded my study in postcolonial theories and used critical discourse analysis to explore the involuntary repatriation of rejected asylum seekers from kosova. findings from my semi-structured interviews suggested that rejected asylum seekers use discourses which construct eu countries as superior to kosova and migration to these countries as an opportunity for a better life (kusari, 2019). these discourses uphold the global north superiority and encourage participants to consider remigration, rather than reintegration, as a solution to their current challenges (kusari, 2019). these findings do not only have implications for repatriation policies, but also highlight important aspects of being an emerging newcomer scholar. the global north-south dichotomy that participants highlighted in this study relied on the assumption that global north countries are superior to kosova because they are more developed, have better human rights policies in place, and, unlike kosova, do not suffer from poverty and corruption (kusari, 2019). this distinction is striking in kosova’s case because kosova is geographically located in europe but has the socio-economic development of a global south country—it fits into neither the global north nor the global south categories, thus challenging this dichotomous separation of the world. much like my own country, i also do not nicely fit into any category. among others, i am an immigrant in canada and a western-educated woman when i return to kosova—constructions which often other me. such experiences of othering came to the forefront for me when study participants inquired whether i would choose to live in canada or kosova. their questions made me feel kusari / emerging perspectives (2020) 27 uncomfortable at first because i was forced to choose between the two. nonetheless, this question later became an entry point into my own identity as an immigrant and a scholar in canada. i no longer belong to just kosova or canada, but to both, and sometimes to neither. participants encouraged me to never return to kosova because they thought that i would lack the opportunities that canada has to offer. i often felt an urge to resist because, as the place where i grew up, kosova holds immense value for me. at the same time, i came to realize that i could not really explain why kosova remains the place that i refer to as home because, unlike me, kosova for them has become a place they wanted to escape but could not. i came face to face with the privileges i hold because i can travel to canada without restrictions, and i reflected on how such privileges shaped the participants’ perception of me. as a newcomer scholar, therefore, i have grappled with the tensions of coming to terms with my privileges while also finding ways to relate to those who do not enjoy the same. among the most helpful techniques to do this has been talking to other newcomer scholars who experience similar tensions. such conversations have not only normalized my experience but have also made me aware that when i feel like i belong to neither kosova nor canada, i know that i belong to a new, and emerging community of those who do not neatly fit into one country. for example, in talking with other emerging newcomer scholars, i have delved into issues of representation. that is, newcomer scholars are not only completing their degrees in order to advance their own careers, but also in order to show their communities that immigrants can navigate higher education successfully. indeed, after my msw, i considered the idea that instead of starting a phd, i would return to kosova and work with non-profit organizations there. the response that i received from my albanian community in kosova and here in calgary left me puzzled. most of my family and friends highlighted the fact that while returning to kosova might help me address the tensions i feel, starting a phd might do a bigger service to my community. while this attitude has its benefits, seeing that i have received immense support from my albanian community, it also adds an extra layer that newcomer scholars have to consider. goldsworthy (2013) very neatly summarized this: as a balkan scholar working in britain, and preoccupied with british writing about my home region…i worried about creating a version of the thing that i was trying to undo, a perpetuation of western dominance. would i be seen as a janissary [devoted follower] serving the western concept of university – a system of learning which is global, flexible, anglophone, and threatening to indigenous scholarship? was i fighting imperialism of the imagination with another version of imperialism, namely liberal, western-manufactured theory? or was i a balkan cuckoo in a british academic nest, enjoying its relative comfort while writing about faraway lands of which most britons know little and care less? (goldsworthy, 2013, p. xvii) goldsworthy highlighted the need for newcomer scholars, especially those coming from nonwestern countries, to be reflexive about their role in perpetuating and/or resisting hegemonic ways of being which rely on colonial practices that uphold western dominance. being reflexive about such global power dynamics adds a layer of complexity to our work, but rather than holding us back, these tensions are among the reasons newcomer scholars can make unique and valuable contributions to research and teaching. that is, gaining insight into our own fluid identities and grappling with the in-betweenness of our realities allows us to contribute to transdisciplinary projects that are increasingly part of higher education. kusari / emerging perspectives (2020) 28 references bhabha, h. (1994). the location of culture. london and new york, usa: routledge eurostat. (2017). asylum and first time asylum applicants by citizenship, age, and sex: monthly data (rounded) [data file]. retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products datasets/product?code=migr_asyappctzm goldsworthy, v. (2013). inventing ruritania: the imperialism of the imagination. london, uk: hurst publishers. government of canada. (2019). newcomers to canada: immigrants and (returning residents). retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/international-non residents/individuals-leaving-entering-canada-non-residents/newcomers-canada immigrants.html kim, t. (2010). transnational academic mobility, knowledge, and identity capital. discourse: studies in the cultural politics of education, 31(5), 577–591. https://doi org.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/10.1080/01596306.2010.516939 kusari, k. (2019). “knocking on doors that never open”: an examination of the experiences of rejected asylum seekers from kosova. journal of ethnic and migration studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183x.2019.1575191 phillips, d. l. (2012). liberating kosovo: coercive diplomacy and u. s. intervention. cambridge, massachusetts: the mit press. spitzer, d. (2007). immigrant and refugee women: recreating meaning in transnational context. anthropology in action, 14 (1-2): 52-62. doi: 10.3167/aia.2007.14010206 united nations high commissioner for refugees. (1996). handbook of voluntary repatriation: international protection. retrieved from http://www.unhcr.org/3bfe68d32.html. united nations hight commissioner for refugees. (2015). voluntary repatriation. retrieved from http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646cfe.html. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca review of the book transition and transgression english young adult fiction in post-apartheid south africa by judith inggs johannesburg, south africa: springer briefs in education, 2016, 120 pages isbn 978-3-319-25534-7(paperback) reviewed by diali gupta university of calgary gupta, d. (2017). [review of the book transition and transgression english young adult fiction in post-apartheid south africa, by j. inggs]. emerging perspectives, 3(3), 5-7. transition and transgression – english young adult fiction in post-apartheid south africa is an effort by judith inggs to counter the dearth of information on english literature for youth in south africa. as an intended resource for educators, teachers and researchers, the book is written with the underlying premise that “literature for young adults often illustrates and reflects changes taking place in society” (p. 1). emphasizing how young adults view societal institutions that affect their lives and how they negotiate and identify themselves with respect to positions of power, the author provides relevant titles and content of literary texts as examples, while critically analyzing their value from an educational perspective. as most south african english literature is produced internationally, the richness and the depth of this book is brought out through the author’s careful selection of literary works in english by a number of south african writers based on their merit. the selection specifically includes works that are contextually placed within the geographical boundaries of the country. the author’s pick of the books and novels are based on how the narratives highlight and project south african history and culture. it is easy to see that the author’s own writing is also guided by the history of the country as the chapters are organized through specific time periods or decades that have influenced and affected the literature produced in the country. hence the structural organization of the content is by the historical time periods which have influenced the literary works of south african authors. in this connection, it is relevant to state that the structural organization of the chapters simultaneously takes into account specific themes of young adult literature (e.g. romance, fantasy, dystopia), which makes it easy for the readers to compare and comprehend the development of the themes and genres with a deeper insight into the progression of south african literature. the book takes the readers on a journey spanning three decades, commencing from a period of turmoil and unrest during the late 1970s and 80s through a period of disintegration of apartheid in the nineties (1989-1999). this is followed by the 2000s, which showcase the evolving contemporary lifestyle in the context of post-transitional south africa. the progression of the chapters is through a continued focus on social issues that are either influenced by or are direct results of historical and political events in the country. the readers are able to experience the incidents through the author’s descriptions and direct citations of passages or quotes from books or texts that she has carefully chosen. her lucid style of narration helps to highlight and gupta / emerging perspectives (2019) 6 reiterate the effect of the socio-political events on the youth and how that affects their day to day lives. in the first three chapters of the book, the author shows how these youth experiences are either direct or indirect results of racial segregation or imposed geographical boundaries that force the youth to rethink their identities, and their social relations with respect to the emergent changes in the social context. in the subsequent three chapters, she focuses on the adolescent subject during the post-apartheid period in south africa that is marked by urbanization and globalization. readers are able to relate to the usual problems of urban life and how that takes shape within a south african context through the vivid descriptions of the thoughts and feelings of the youth, particularly their aspirations, loathing and the constant search for identity as they get caught in webs of prejudice, crime and poverty. what makes the book particularly interesting is the analysis of power struggles highlighted through the author’s interpretations of the characters and the stories. this quality helps to categorize this book as a rich resource for educators or teachers of english literature and the social sciences. in keeping with the typical adolescent interests, the book also portrays realistic themes of sexuality and gender identity along with non-realistic themes of fantasy, myth, legend and horror, all of which have south african origin and reflect the culture and the history of the country. in dealing with realistic themes, the author does not merely critique and analyze power issues, but provides examples of a number of literary texts to emphasize the risks and negative effects associated with romantic relationships or sexuality. further, by drawing upon foucault’s (1978) notion of disempowerment and sexuality as a discursive construct, the author points out how characters in the novels acquire social identities “as subjects constrained by accepted social practices and as agents able to resist such practices” (p. 66). the discursive constructs repeatedly reflect stereotypical gender roles. in this respect, the book is an invaluable resource that could be used for choosing books that would be relevant for discussions and debates in any classroom, particularly for generating awareness amongst youth. in dealing with fantasy fiction, horror novels and speculative fiction, the author also points out new developments, trends, and the loosening of constraints previously imposed on south african literature by socio-political conditions. the book concludes with a chapter on possible future societies, emphasizing the developments in dystopian fiction. identifying totalitarian issues or themes of death within the novels, the author provides numerous examples of south african dystopias and post-apocalyptic situations. it is evident that prejudice and power struggles that mark identity development have remained a central theme in this book, although they are not necessarily linked with race or ethnic origins at all times. however, the book is an easy read given the overall structural organization of the chapters, each of which comes with an introduction or abstract where the author explains the themes she has noticed during her research and draws literary comparisons with works produced in the united kingdom and the united states of america. she also attempts to underpin the theoretical as well as social or practical connections highlighting the changes brought in over time. the book is a valiant effort towards projecting a holistic and thematic unity in literature that has references to the geographical and ideological spaces of south africa. the language is lucid and it is a recommended read for all literature aficionados. in a broader context, exemplifying such identity development and power struggles in comparative studies with young adult english literature from other countries may prove beneficial to learning the history, culture and geography of a country. educators, especially those in canada, can use such resources to gupta / emerging perspectives (2019) 7 connect with indigenous cultures in the study of english literature. as the author herself asserts, this book is meant to assist teachers initiate and incorporate discussion and debate of topics that are sometimes considered taboo in certain cultures. such discussions may help influence adolescents to act responsibly and learn about tolerance. in a country like canada, which takes pride in having a cultural mosaic, this book may be of great relevance in classrooms for facilitating open discussions and debate on adolescent issues, responsibilities, and tolerance. reference foucault, m. (1978). the history of sexuality: an introduction. new york: random house. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca *ling.lei@ucalgary.ca returning “home”? exploring the re-integration experiences of internationally educated chinese academic returnees ling lei* university of calgary return migration of internationally educated chinese academics has been a significant feature of china’s higher education internationalization strategy and a top governmental concern for boosting china’s development in the globalized knowledge economy. however, despite the government’s expectation of returnee academics’ long-term settlement in china, there has been a trend of their re-migration to settle overseas. it is necessary then to explore how their re-integration experiences in china affect their intentions for future migration. this study employs a qualitative case study method to explore the re-integration experiences for internationally educated chinese academic returnees. their experiences are interpreted vis-à-vis the institutional and national contexts. the findings indicate that what appears to be personal struggles juggling with different cultures are actually reflective of competing powers of recognition that value cultural knowledges differently in a seemingly uniform process of global higher education internationalization. keywords: academic returnee, re-integration, academic migration, internationalization, case study lei, l. (2020). returning “home”? exploring the re-integration experiences of internationally educated chinese academic returnees. emerging perspectives, 4(1), 13-18. the return migration of internationally educated chinese academics has been seen as an important manifestation of china’s higher education internationalization, and a governmental talent deployment strategy for advancing china’s development in the globalized knowledge economy (pan, 2016; wang & zweig, 2009). racing to promptly elevate its position internationally in university rankings and research output, china has been sparing no efforts to mobilize “imported” talents in the form of their international experience and research skills. less attention, however, has been directed to the cultivation of its own domestic academic cultures. meanwhile, despite the government’s expectation of returnee academics’ long-term settlement in china, there has been a trend of their re-migration to settle overseas (feng, 2017). such a trend of talent outflow necessitates the exploration of the interplay between cross-border migration and home country re-integration. in this study, i aimed to explore how transnational academic migration experiences affect returnee academics’ work and learning after their return to china. this paper addresses the question: how did internationally educated chinese academic returnees experience re-integration in china? lei / emerging perspectives (2020) 14 re-integration is a critical aspect of migration and intercultural studies (presbitero, 2016), but has been less examined compared to the phenomenon of host-country integration (gaw, 2000; jackson, 2004). the difficulties or barriers migrants encounter while crossing cultural borders have, however, been discussed through the lens of culture shock or reverse culture shock. literature shows that migrants would experience psychological stresses and sociocultural challenges while adapting to unfamiliar environments (ward & lin, 2010). the degree to which migrants are able to cope with such adaptation processes affects their sense of identity and life satisfaction, as well as their ability to deal with stresses at work and in society at large (chiu, wu, zhuang, & hsu, 2009). nevertheless, such an intercultural framework is prone to be contested as studies from antiracist and postcolonial perspectives caution against its uncritical inclination toward taking cultures as neutral, fixed, de-politicized, and reduced to symbols like cultural dresses, dances, and food (gorski, 2008; nieto, 2010). this study holds a critical stance that situates cultural differences manifested in academic work against the social, political, and historical forces in global and local contexts. methodology this study employs the methodology of a qualitative case study (stake, 1995). the in-depth exploration of cases, through multiple sources of data and detailed description, allows for an understanding of the complexity of the phenomenon that takes into account important contextual factors (simmons, 2009). such features of qualitative case study align with my intentions to interpret participants’ re-integration experiences vis-à-vis the institutional and national contexts where they were situated. each individual is a case, or unit of analysis, bounded by their lived experience as internationally educated returnee academics. specifically, they were incumbent chinese professors in social sciences, and humanities, who had completed their doctoral degrees overseas and maintained social and professional connections with their host countries of doctoral studies. through purposive and snowball sampling, 12 participants were recruited from three universities labelled as: universities a, b, and c in beijing, china. all of these institutions are among the top research universities in china, demonstrating strengths in both the social sciences and humanities. participants returned to china from a total of nine destination countries or regions, where they had conducted their doctoral studies. their education and employment profiles are presented in table 1. data were collected through semi-structured interviews, field observations, and document analyses of their academic curriculum vitae and institutional policy documents. interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. they were guided by two probing questions: what difficulties or barriers have you encountered in workplace re-integration? in what ways have you tried to address those challenges? lei / emerging perspectives (2020) 15 table 1 participants’ international education and current employment profile name employment institution title field of study country/region of study year of return nick a associate professor education belgium 2011 grace a associate professor education uk 2012 stella a lecturer education australia 2012 barbara b assistant professor journalism uk 2014 gz b assistant professor journalism holland 2013 sophie b assistant professor journalism hong kong 2017 clara c lecturer finance us 2015 tim c associate professor finance us 2013 rick c associate professor economics us 2013 liangna c lecturer french france 2016 jasmine c associate professor english canada 2009 andy c associate professor english japan 2006 note. all names are pseudonyms selected by participants. findings all participants indicated that they experienced various problems in transitioning and adapting to a different academic evaluation system and academic culture when they returned to china after graduation. many academics believed that the chinese academic system values efficiency of research output over research quality, and this pushed them to find ways to publish with increasing speed. professors from university c, for instance, were required to have at least one publication each year. this forced some participants to change their research fields to more practical and applied research. barbara’s statement provides a good illustration: when i just returned, many people believed that i must have had difficulty applying for projects in china because i told them i was doing cultural studies. in china, people are more concerned about topics like national image building. for the sake of one’s academic growth, i think i may have to cater my research topics to the trend in china, but in the uk, there’s no problem at all if i basically follow my own academic interests. this adaptation process was complicated by the concurrent process of identity transition from a student to a knowledge worker. since teaching and research became part of participants’ employment in a professorship, accordingly, they were expected to teach and produce research in order to retain their jobs and gain promotions. however, most of my participants did not have a lei / emerging perspectives (2020) 16 single publication before they started their current work. they explained that during their doctoral studies, their research was focused on writing their own dissertations, and many of them considered their phd programs to be a period for systematic training in theories and methodologies. in spite of these beliefs, they were immediately required to publish upon employment, which led to a sharp increase in their overall anxiety. language also presented an issue for participants to regain academic recognition in china. sophie placed a “language shift” as the foremost issue she encountered since in her institution an english publication was not counted towards work accomplishment. however, she was trained in english and she still believed that her assertions could only be conveyed in english. in contrast, in universities a and c, publishing in english was an explicit requirement for returnee professors. if they were to publish in english, they could target only ssci (social sciences citation index) journals and had to be the lead author in order for their publications to be accepted as work achievement. another of my participants, stella, believed that this posed a high publication demand due to the fact that: foreign scholars can and do publish in non-ssci journals, and if they are to be the non-first authors, they won’t proactively approach chinese scholars like me as they have many potential research partners right around them who are more competitive in terms of english proficiency and available academic resources. in addition, some of the newly employed academics mentioned that they had to adapt to a workplace culture that differed from what they had experienced as phd students. grace pointed out that the chinese academic culture is one relating to a “parenting style.” the workplace culture that grace found herself within relied upon hierarchical power relations and bureaucratic administrations, which exerted pressure on her as communication or cooperation was not that straightforward. in light of these issues surrounding re-integration, maintaining connections with former supervisors and colleagues became an adaptation strategy for fulfilling work requirements, gaining collective support, and sustaining the confidence to carry on with intellectual interests and pursuits. such connections helped the participants to gain a sense of recognition and belonging in their transnational academic community. participants kept approaching their supervisors for mentorship, going to the same conferences, and collaborating on publications and research projects. the most intense form of these types of connection was epitomized by the experience of sophie. she remained a part of the transnational learning community comprised of her supervisor and her supervisor’s former and current students attending weekly reading clubs and other monthly online learning sessions. as sophie commented: in our community, everybody is willing to communicate. perhaps our research is more on critical issues, or on the socially marginalized, we don’t feel discriminated [among ourselves]. we feel we are equal. it is a very supportive community and it has formed a mechanism [for communication]. we won’t feel disconnected even if we don’t get in touch that often for some time. in fact, we keep our connections every day. the affinity and substantive connections with their host countries led participants to envision or even plan for re-migration. for example, liangna acknowledged that she would consider a maximum of three years as a reasonable length of time to see if she could re-establish herself academically in china. frustrated by her publication experiences in china, she envisioned a better career platform for herself in france as she felt professionally and emotionally supported by both of her french supervisors. their shared interests had gone beyond academics to include a love for lei / emerging perspectives (2020) 17 literature, arts, and music, whereas in china, liangna’s humanistic feelings and ideals did not seem to find an echo. conclusions and implications the findings of this study conform with literature on reverse culture shock (adler, 1981; kim, 2008) but it should be noted that an intercultural perspective ignores the contested implications of culture on education and learning (dei, james, karumanchery, james-wilson, & zine, 2000). in this study, it is revealed that what appears to be personal struggles juggling with different cultures are actually reflective of competing powers of recognition that value cultural knowledges differently in a seemingly uniform process of global higher education internationalization (see also, guo & jamal, 2007). chinese universities are eager to gain international recognition by pushing internationally educated returnee academics to publish academic papers. at the same time, however, china is disregarding the substantive differences in academic development between the west and its own academic system. the latter has alienated internationally educated academics whose ways of research seem foreign to domestically educated colleagues. meanwhile, local academic community building seems to be sidelined in the hasty pursuit of international publication, ignoring the necessity for cultivating an academic culture that values democratic dialogue, sharing and caring. due to the changes and ambivalences in china’s own internationalization process, there is actually no fixed “home” for returnee academics to return to. instead, they make their own academic “home” by connecting and working with those who share their research tradition, support their growth, and recognize their values. migration is thus the manifestation of their need for recognition. this study suggests that for sustained academic development, china’s higher education internationalization should take the time to work on local academic community building that recognizes and supports returnee academics’ ways of knowing and doing. an analysis of results from this study also suggests that there should be more opportunities within chinese universities for open dialogue and exchange about different ways of conducting research. references adler, p. (1981). re-entry: managing cross-cultural transitions. group & organizational studies, 6(3), 341-356. doi:10.1177/105960118100600310 chiu, y. p., wu, m., zhuang, w. l., & hsu, y. y. (2009). influences on expatriate social networks in china. international journal of human resource management, 20(4), 790-809. doi:10.1080/09585190902770703 dei, g. j. s., james, i. m., karumanchery, l. l., james-wilson, s., & zine, j. (2000). removing the margins: the challenges and possibilities of inclusive schooling. toronto: canadian scholars’ press. feng, j. (2017, may 9). tsinghua loses star molecular biologist to princeton-china society and culture news from may 9, 2017. retrieved from http://supchina.com/2017/05/09/tsinghua-loses-star-molecular-biologist-princeton-chinasociety-culture-news-may-9-2017/ gaw, k. f. (2000). reverse culture shock in students returning from overseas. international journal of intercultural relations, 24(1), 83-104. doi:10.1016/s0147-1767(99)00024-3 http://supchina.com/2017/05/09/tsinghua-loses-star-molecular-biologist-princeton-china-society-culture-news-may-9-2017/ http://supchina.com/2017/05/09/tsinghua-loses-star-molecular-biologist-princeton-china-society-culture-news-may-9-2017/ http://supchina.com/2017/05/09/tsinghua-loses-star-molecular-biologist-princeton-china-society-culture-news-may-9-2017/ http://supchina.com/2017/05/09/tsinghua-loses-star-molecular-biologist-princeton-china-society-culture-news-may-9-2017/ lei / emerging perspectives (2020) 18 gorski, p. c. (2008). good intentions are not enough: a decolonizing intercultural education. intercultural education, 19(6), 515-525. doi:10.1080/14675980802568319 guo, s., & jamal, z. (2007). nurturing cultural diversity in higher education: a critical review of selected models. canadian journal of higher education, 37(3), 27-49. jackson, j. (2004). language and cultural immersion: an ethnographic case study. regional language centre journal, 35(3), 261-279. doi:10.1177/0033688205052140 kim, y. (2008). intercultural personhood: globalization and a way of being. international journal of intercultural relations, 32(4), 359-368. doi:10.1016/j.ijintrel.2008.04.005 nieto, s. (2010). the light in their eyes: creating multicultural learning communities. new york, ny: teachers college press. pan, s. (2016). competing for global talents. in s. guo & y. guo (eds.), spotlight on china: chinese education in the globalized world (pp. 341-358). rotterdam, nl: sense. presbitero, a. (2016). culture shock and reverse culture shock: the moderating role of cultural intelligence in international students’ adaptation. international journal of intercultural relations, 53, 28-38. doi:10.1016/j.ijintrel.2016.05.004 simons, h. (2009). case study research in practice. london: sage. stake, r. e. (1995). the art of case study research. thousand oaks, ca: sage. wang, h., & zweig, d. (2009, february). china’s diaspora and returnees: impact on china’s globalization process. paper presented at the annual meeting of the isa’s 50th annual convention, new york, ny. retrieved from https://convention2.allacademic.com/one/isa/isa09/index.php?click_key=2#search_top ward, c., & lin, e. (2010). there are homes at four corners of the sea: acculturation and adaptation in overseas chinese. in m. h. bond (ed.), the oxford handbook of chinese psychology (pp. 657-677). hong kong: oxford university press. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca *botoo@ucalgary.ca finding employment: the experiences of ghanaian male immigrants in canada benedict kojo otoo* university of calgary canada continues to attract skilled labour from all over the world. my personal story about my struggles as an immigrant to canada led me to further explore the experiences of ghanaian men in canada, looking for professional work. this study attempted to showcase the narrative of employment through the lens of ghanaian male immigrants. the men in this study all had a minimum educational qualification of a university degree. the goal of the study was to give voice to ghanaian males who have immigrated to canada within the last two years and their experiences of seeking and securing employment. i used a narrative inquiry methodology to capture the stories and experiences of the participants through semi-structured interviews. analysis focused on identifying recurring themes or patterns that appeared through the interviews. in the study i discussed the hurdles they encountered as immigrants and the support system that assisted them in settling down in the country as they sought to find jobs. the findings included hope, optimism, and belief in their new country. the study proposed changes and improvements for immigration reform for skilled immigrants. the study adds perspectives from immigrant men of colour to assist immigration policymaking in canada. key words: employment; immigrants; ghanaian men; experience; narrative inquiry otoo, b. k. (2020). finding employment: the experiences of ghanaian male immigrants in canada. emerging perspectives, 4(1), 8-12. canada attracts immigrants from all over the world (immigration, refugees and citizenship canada, 2019). since the early 1970s, the average employment earnings of immigrants have declined steadily compared to those of canadian-born workers (kustec, 2012; picot, 2008). immigrants typically resort to doing menial jobs to survive—working in lowerlevel positions relative to employment they would be taking up in their home countries (nakhaie & kazemipur, 2013). several reasons account for this trend. they include discrimination (dechief & oreopoulos, 2012); lack of recognition of foreign credentials and work experience in source countries (ferrer & riddell, 2008); and a growing and competitive labour market seeking highly educated canadians (picot, 2008). in this study, i sought to understand the challenges ghanaian male immigrants faced when looking for employment. methodology i employed a narrative inquiry approach to explore the stories ghanaian men live and tell daily as immigrants to canada. the choice of narrative inquiry as a methodology is ideal for “capturing the detailed stories or life experiences of the lives of a small number of individuals” otoo / emerging perspectives (2020) 9 (creswell, 2014, p. 55). my perspective as a ghanaian male immigrant increased my curiosity to learn more about the experiences of other ghanaian male immigrants. these stories show the confluence of social influences on a person’s life, environment, and history (clandinin & rosiek, 2007). i interviewed five ghanaian men in western canada. my participants were university graduates who held stable jobs as professionals before immigrating to canada. they had worked full-time for a minimum of three years in ghana before immigrating to canada to seek new opportunities. methods this principal focus of the research was guided by the key question that inquired about the challenges and opportunities experienced as ghanaian male immigrants to canada. i audiorecorded one-on-one semi-structured interviews and asked a range of questions including the type of work they did before immigrating to canada, the reasons they chose to immigrate to canada, and significant moments and experiences they encountered in canada. i analyzed the audio-transcriptions for recurring categories and themes (hendricks, 2012). i also referenced my notes and compared them to the interview data. the emerging themes from my study became the building blocks of my research. i employed a coding process to systemically categorize and reduce the codes to a workable number of themes. i aligned the final themes to answer my research questions (bui, 2013). findings the findings were based on the dialogues, stories, and experiences shared by my research participants during the interviews, which were revealing, insightful, and thought-provoking. the pivotal path to finding jobs was a theme that emerged from the study. the first task as a male immigrant—from a ghanaian cultural norm, where men are seen as the head of the family—is to get a job, take care of one’s family, and pay the bills. the participants were all highly skilled and finding a job in their area of expertise was crucial to their success in securing employment, being financially stable, and taking care of their families. networking, mentorship, having a canadian education, volunteering, and internships all played important roles in their quest to find jobs. it is worth mentioning some of the salient phrases and words that are exemplars of the path-to-jobs theme. among a select few are “who you know,” “getting into the mind of the employer,” “overqualified,” and “networking.” the literature that supports the challenge of job searching for immigrants can be found in works on immigrant labour market integration (li, 2008; nakhaie & kazemipur, 2013). this study examined the influence of immigrants' economic experiences on the degree of their attachment to canada, as well as the nature of the interaction between immigrants and the host society. when such interactions are pleasant and consistent with immigrants' expectations, the final outcome is a strong sense of attachment to the host society. this study raises new questions as to how roadblocks to seeking jobs can be reduced and how integrating immigrants into the canadian workforce can be made easier, so that skilled arrivals can contribute their quota to the canadian economy. this can be achieved by more government participation in the integration process of new immigrants, such as offering employers and organizations tax incentives to employ highly trained immigrants (otoo, 2018). skilled immigrants are here to contribute their quota and help to build canada. they possess knowledge, expertise, and experience, and did not come with the intention of being dependent on the social system. these trained immigrants want decent jobs and want to see themselves as fully fledged members of otoo / emerging perspectives (2020) 10 canadian society, who are contributing their quota to the country they have chosen to live in. it should not be too much of a challenge for employers to harness what these educated immigrants have to offer. most of them speak english, french, or even both languages. the caveat for an incentive approach is that if it is not well implemented and monitored, it may lead to potential abuse by employers, and the whole purpose can be defeated. abuse could take the form of employers hiring immigrants just for the tax exemption, and then letting them go. employment could be possibly tied to a retention policy for the tax incentive effectively take place. another finding was that the lack of canadian work experience impacted the immigrant’s abilities to find a job. as one participant put it: but then again, i spoke to some few colleagues, spoke to some few agencies, and pretty much i lacked the canadian experience, so to speak. i think that working at some of canadian retail stores—for example, i worked in [local store] as an overnight support manager. and then i worked in [local store]. so, if you have all these on your resume, employers tend to kind of pay attention to some of these things, like, “hey, you’ve had pretty much very good interactions with the canadian society,” and then it pretty much helps out. the road to finding a job was fraught with many challenges and difficulties for the participants. some of the challenges involved the nonrecognition of foreign credentials. one participant put it this way: well, again, one of the challenges for immigrants is, even your type of education and degree being accepted in a system, they have a required system where they check your records. done that. and since i studied in a developed country, yeah, so i knew that my degrees, education should be accepted here. this participant had a doctorate degree from germany, but still struggled to find employment. nevertheless, almost all participants found meaningful work at some point in their job search through networking and volunteering. one participant addressed how this helped him find employment: they have this networking program that they used to do. yeah. i think they did that once every month. so yeah. i was attending that every single month to get networks, and also try to see if that can help me at least get a job. yeah, so. eventually, like i said, through the mentorship program, that’s why i got through. i got an interview for a job. although the work was meaningful and was somewhat related to their prior experience, almost all the participants had to start from entry level positions within their given fields. one of the participants highlighted employment discrimination and believed that some jobs were reserved solely for canadian-born citizens. the findings from this research regarding the non-recognition of academic credentials acquired outside of canada, the lack of job opportunities for immigrants, and the need for canadian experience situates my study within existing literature and confirms the work of various scholars (buzdugan & halli, 2009; creese & wiebe, 2012). all the interviewees experienced these personal and social challenges as immigrants to canada. they were dismayed to find out that employers did not recognize their qualifications. four out of the five participants had to do other forms of ancillary courses, ranging from certificate courses to postgraduate diplomas so that prospective employers could see that they had some canadian education. limitations and future direction my own biases as a researcher stem from the fact that i am also a skilled and internationally trained ghanaian immigrant. as a researcher, it is important to identify and otoo / emerging perspectives (2020) 11 acknowledge my biases (bloomberg & volpe, 2015). according to czarniawska (2011), the limitation of narrative inquiry as a research methodology is the differing capacity and interest by people in relation to storytelling. a qualitative case study as a methodology also offers an opportunity to address similar research questions. one area for potential future research is related to the experiences of internationally trained women of colour who immigrate to canada. i see merit in extending research to understand the perspectives of these women; in particular (a) how have their gender and colour aided or hindered them in finding meaningful work, and (b) how have they coped with or without family in adjusting to a new country? the study offered a platform for the participants to have a voice in the job search discussion from the perspective of minority men of colour from africa. references bloomberg, l. d., & volpe, m. (2015). completing your qualitative dissertation: a road map from beginning to end. thousand oaks, ca: sage. bui, y. n. (2013). how to write a master’s thesis. london, england: sage. buzdugan, r., & halli, s. s. (2009). labor market experiences of canadian immigrants with focus on foreign education and experience. international migration review, 43(2), 366– 386. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-7379.2009.00768.x clandinin, d. j., & rosiek, g. (2007). mapping a landscape of narrative inquiry: borderland, spaces and tensions. in d. j. clandinin (ed.), handbook of narrative inquiry: mapping a methodology (pp. 35–75). thousand oaks, ca: sage. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452226552.n2 creswell, j. w. (2014). research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). thousand oaks, ca: sage. creese, g. l., & wiebe, b. (2012). ‘survival employment’: gender and deskilling among african immigrants in canada. international migration, 50(5), 56–76. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2435.2009.00531.x czarniawska, b. (2011). narrating organization studies. narrative inquiry, 21(2), 337-344. dechief, d., & oreopoulos, p. (2012). why do some employers prefer to interview matthew but not samir? new evidence from toronto, montreal and vancouver (no. clsrn_admin-20128). vancouver school of economics. retrieved from http://www.clsrn.econ.ubc.ca/workingpapers/clsrn%20working%20paper%20no.%209 5%20-%20abstract.pdf ferrer, a., & riddell, w. c. (2008). education, credentials, and immigrant earnings. canadian journal of economics/revue canadienne d’économique, 41(1), 186–216. https://doi.org/10.1080/713845286 hendricks, c. c. (2012). improving schools through action research: a reflective practice approach. new york, ny: pearson higher education. immigration, refugees and citizenship canada. (2019, may). newsletter. retrieved from https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/enewsletter/index.asp otoo / emerging perspectives (2020) 12 kustec, s. (2012). the role of migrant labour supply in the canadian labour market. ottawa, on: citizenship and immigration canada. retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/migration/ircc/english/resources/research/2012migrant/documents/pdf/migrant2012-eng.pdf li, p. s. (2008). the role of foreign credentials and ethnic ties in immigrants’ economic performance. canadian journal of sociology, 33(2), 291–310. retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/canajsocicahican.33.2.291 nakhaie, m. r., & kazemipur, a. (2013). social capital, employment and occupational status of the new immigrants in canada. journal of international migration and integration, 14(3), 419– 437. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-012-0248-2 otoo, b. k. (2018). the experiences of internationally trained ghanaian male immigrants in canada (unpublished master's thesis). university of calgary, calgary, canada. picot, w. (2008). immigrant economic and social outcomes in canada: research and data development at statistics canada: ottawa, on: statistics canada. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca afterword all the contributors to this special issue offered their insights on the impact of the international doctoral seminar (ids) in their journey as doctoral students. more than this, their collaborative work demonstrates how the participants attained the primary interest of the seminar, which is to promote research collaborations by engaging in collaborative, interdisciplinary, scholarly activities. reading the manuscripts in this special issue, we were honoured to be participants ourselves. we witnessed how authors selected essential details of their transcultural experience and perspectives, reflected on them, and gave them an order to thereby make meaning of what constitutes their international journey. beyond what these manuscripts tell us about transculturalism, the importance lies in the multiple ways in which they worked through dialogue and collaborative work. undoubtedly, papers presented in this special issue have helped to shed light on the positive impact this seminar has for doctoral students. through our collaborative work in putting these papers together, many questions arose concerning future cycles of the seminar and possible ways to further reinforce collaborative research. in considering the future of ids, we would like to see similar partnership opportunities with this journal and beyond. to accomplish that, there is a mutual impetus to analyze strategies to involve a greater level of participation and to open the conversation to more specific topics behind transculturalism. from the lessons we have learned as editors in facilitating this special issue, we would like to reflect on the impact of sharing experiences and the ways authors managed to see themselves in the other. we want to thank the authors for agreeing to share their perspectives, arguments, topics and ideas with our audience. we hope that you, the reader, have also found these articles transformative in shaping your understanding and your future work. we encourage those who can, to apply to the ids and take part directly, and, regardless of whether you can participate or not in the ids, to continue these important conversations. we appreciate you taking the time to read this special issue and now the collaborative circle expands to encompass you, and your experiences—thank you! sincerely, gina ko, jon woodend, and lena barrantes special issue editors emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca *corresponding author – makim@ucalgary.ca critical discourse analysis in transcultural spaces lynn downes, marcia kim* queensland university of technology, university of calgary this article provides a brief overview of critical discourse analysis (cda), an analytical framework for studying power and inequalities in discourse (fairclough, 1992; 2010). this overview includes a discussion of the specific characteristics of cda in relation to two separate doctoral studies by students who participated in the 2017 international doctoral seminar and conference in brisbane, australia. the first study is an examination of language change, regarding taboo language and swearing in secondary schools, and the second study is an exploration of soft skills in workplace communication. the article also presents and examines the personal reflections of the authors on how their transcultural experiences have enhanced their individual journeys, their knowledge of cda, and their prospective research. downes, l. & kim, m. (2018). critical discourse analysis in transcultural spaces. emerging perspectives, 3(1), 42-53. the 2017 international doctoral seminar and conference, hosted by queensland university of technology (qut) in brisbane, australia, provided students from qut, beijing normal university (bnu), and the university of calgary (uc) a supportive environment to share their doctoral research, experiences, and life stories. through formal and informal activities, seminar participants discovered shared values and interests with each other across cultural boundaries, thereby, developing transcultural competence (slimbach, 2005). transculturalism combines complex interconnections that unite different cultures. the internal complexities of societies develop these connections and external networks construct and develop links to other societies (welsch, 1999). one such connection occurred when two students, one from brisbane and one from calgary, discovered they share a mutual interest: the study of language and society. although their individual research projects were as diverse as their global positioning, the students employed the same methodology, critical discourse analysis (cda), in their doctoral research projects. this article begins with the first author explaining how her doctoral study about language change of taboo language and swearing, being completed in brisbane, australia, has employed norman fairclough’s cda as an analytical approach. she also shares how the transcultural connection has aided in refining aspects of her study. this is followed by a description of the second doctoral study, being completed in calgary, canada. this study has used cda and the discourse-historical approach (dha) in an examination of soft skills in workplace communication. the second author also shares her reflection on transculturalism as it is related to identity. finally, the article addresses what the doctoral studies have in common to illuminate how cda can be used in different transcultural spaces. downes & kim/ emerging perspectives (2019) 42-53 43 taboo language change and the boundaries of acceptable verbal conduct norman fairclough’s cda approach was chosen for this particular study because it is useful for the examination of unequal power relations in discursive events (fairclough, 2003), especially in this case, taboo language use in secondary schools. in addition, fairclough’s (1992) approach has also shown the role of discourse in constructing the social world, social identities, and influences in social change. the study, which is about language and language change, has focused on how school leaders and teachers respond to changes in swearing and taboo language use in secondary schools in south east queensland. data collection occurred during november and december 2017, constituting one-on-one interviews with nineteen school leaders and teachers, from fourteen different schools. data also included behavioural policies from the queensland education department and all participant schools. the researcher included policy analysis in order to add depth and complexity to the study. the study has focused not only on language and language change, but it has incorporated the social nuances that surround the use and judgment of language, specifically swearing and taboo language. swearing has its origins in the middle ages when religious and oath swearing were popular linguistic practices. the current understanding of the word swearing is linked more closely to uttering profane oaths with emotion or in anger, but it can also be used more positively in formal ceremony when taking an oath. according to the literature (ljung, 2011; mcenery, 2005; mohr, 2013), definitions of the term swearing vary. however, what remains consistent is that swearing must contain taboo words to qualify as swearing. taboo is a type of social custom that prohibits certain behaviour or norms in society (allan & burridge, 2006). in a reactive process, the word or language that surrounds a taboo becomes fused with the taboo, and the word itself then becomes taboo. each community or society will have their own set of rules and taboos and these will change over time. similarly, the words associated with those taboos will change as well (bergen, 2016). being a social rather than an individual process, language change is inevitable; for the simple reason that when language is introduced into social circulation it changes (de saussure, 1959). fairclough (1992) advised that using his approach to cda is particularly useful when investigating change in language as well as studies in areas of social and cultural change. humans construct culture in order to create community, through modes of meaning-making. these modes of meaning-making, which are fluid, unstable, and always changing, are formed and applied to all meaning systems: language, symbols, texts, signs, and discourse (lewis, 2002). social change does not only involve change in language use but also in language practices (fairclough, 1992). the abovementioned study incorporated all of these aspects, namely language change, social and cultural change, and changes in language practices, therefore, supporting the choice in using cda as methodology. the way society uses swearing and taboo language is changing along with its associated language practices. adolescents use more swearing and taboo language than any other age bracket (jay, 1992), and they are exposed to more swearing than in the past (chirico, 2014). swearwords are becoming more acceptable (enfield, 2016). in fact, adams (2016) suggested that we currently find ourselves in “the age of profanity”. the change, however, is controversial because, often, language is used as a form of negative social judgment especially in regard to swearing and the use of taboo language (simon & greenberg, 1996). negative social judgment was evident in data obtained from queensland education institutions. the data indicated measures taken against students who employ taboo linguistic practices in school settings (department of education and training, 2015), reflecting the institutional negative judgment for taboo language use. education institutions situate themselves as moral gatekeepers of young people, imbuing socially valued conventions and standards required of future citizens (doherty, berwick, & mcgregor, downes & kim/ emerging perspectives (2019) 42-53 44 2016). inappropriate linguistic practices, therefore, become part of a behavioural management or classroom control issue rather than a language issue, and the language use aligns with negative social behaviour. as a result, the institution and the students are drawn into this social and linguistic ideological discourse. discourse has many conflicting and overlapping definitions, all communicated from different disciplinary and theoretical standpoints. discourse is seen in linguistics as spoken or written language. on the other hand, it can also be used to describe different types of language used in different social situations, for example, advertising discourse or classroom discourse. in social theory, the term is used to refer to varying ways of structuring social practice or areas of knowledge such as medical or legal discourse. discourses not only represent social entities and relations but also construct or constitute them in varying ways. they position people as subjects in different ways, for example, as teachers or doctors, and it is these social effects that become the focus in discourse analysis (fairclough, 2003). most importantly, historical change impacts how discourses combine and change to produce new more complex discourse (fairclough, 1992). according to fairclough (2003), discourse is language in use as an element of social life, which is interconnected with other elements. fairclough’s cda, therefore, encompasses language analysis and social theory using this more social-theoretical sense of discourse as well as a text and interaction linguistically oriented approach (fairclough, 1992). fairclough (1989) introduced a threedimensional approach that entails three stages of analysis namely description, interpretation, and explanation. first, there is the description of the text. in this instance, the text is any product, written or spoken, incorporating any other symbolic form of visual images (fairclough, 1992). the second stage is the interpretation, where the researcher interprets the relationship between the text and the interaction. last, the explanation expands on the relationship between the social context and the interaction (fairclough, 1989). the three-dimensional approach sees any discursive event as being “simultaneously a piece of text, an instance of discursive practice, and an instance of social practice” (fairclough, 1992, p. 4). language analysis takes place in the text dimension. the researcher targets the nature and process of text production, distribution, and interpretation in the discursive practice dimension. the third-dimension targets social conditions and practices which may include ideological effects and hegemonic processes of discourse at various levels. these three stages as well as the three dimensions are interconnected, and analysis is not a linear process. during analysis, there is a constant alternation between interpretation to description and back to interpretation, keeping the social influences in mind during the process (fairclough, 1992). the study under discussion used different texts. first, transcribed interviews, conducted with teachers and school leaders, make up one set of texts, while policy documents from the queensland education department, as well as from the schools corresponding to the participant teachers and leaders, make up the second set of texts. the opportunity to employ different texts in analysis allows for types of meaning to be distinguished (fairclough, 2003). there is a dialectical relation between actions, representation, and identification, which fairclough (2003) described as genre or a way of acting; discourse, or a way of representing; and, style, or a way of being. employing these as a focus during analysis incorporates the social perspective and social practice, not only the concrete social event, but also the more abstract social practices (fairclough, 2003). the critical aspect of cda reflects connections between power, language, and ideology that may not be apparent (fairclough, 1989). ideologies are embedded in features of discourse and become assumptions or common sense with time. these assumptions and common sense eventually control the actions of members of society as well as the interpretations made by society on others. these assumptions are hidden, rarely questioned downes & kim/ emerging perspectives (2019) 42-53 45 or examined, and often taken for granted. for ideology to be effective, it needs to be merged with common sense discourse and other forms of social action, to be hidden in order to contribute to and sustain existing power relations (fairclough, 1989, 2003). the questions i then need to ask myself as a researcher are: how do i know that i am analysing the data without my own assumptions impacting my analysis? how do i separate the common sense from the analysis? will i find the hidden? as mentioned earlier, transculturalism combines complex interconnections that unite different cultures, including external networks (welsch, 1999). during the international doctoral seminar and conference, i was able to explore the external networks available to develop and construct links to other societies and cultures. those external networks were students and professors from bnu and uc. one fellow uc colleague who is also using cda, was a perfect match to explore the intricacies of cda and the differences in cultures. one of the discussions we had related to what fairclough calls members’ resources (mr) (fairclough, 1989). mr is the link between what is said, what is meant, and how interpretation is required in order to find out what the meaning is behind what was said. humans will interpret by calling on an active process of matching representations stored in their longterm memory. the representations are a diverse collection of grammatical forms of sentences, shapes of letters and words, properties of types of people and objects, typical structures of narratives, expectations for sequences of events for particular situations and so forth, and some may be linguistic. included in mr is a person’s knowledge of language, representations of the natural and social worlds the person inhabits, beliefs, assumptions, and values. these are mr, and people draw upon them when they interpret or produce texts (fairclough, 1989). mr are ideologically shaped and socially determined but are disguised as commonsense understandings. mr have social origins but are cognitive in nature because they are in people’s heads. the social origins of a member’s resource are dependent on the social struggles and relations that generated them. they are then socially transmitted and often unequally distributed. people internalise social effects and use these internally stored mr to engage in social practice, including discourse. therefore, social conditions and situations impact and shape mr, which then impact the way texts are produced and interpreted (fairclough, 1989). during interpretation, i will employ a combination of what is in the text and what is in myself as the researcher, my own mr. along with this, my epistemological stance, my knowledge of the field as well as the theoretical lens i am using play an important role in influencing interpretations. this is where the transcultural experience of intellectual discussion with my canadian colleague transformed my thinking on the topic of mr, analysis, and interpretation, and fairclough’s cda. transculturalism is characterised by its emphasis on relationships and meaning-making in illuminating aspects of social connection (lewis, 2002). my canadian colleague shared her supervisor’s thoughts which aided my reflection on mr. she suggested i look at critiques of fairclough’s stance on cda to learn how others view the approach and find ways to prevent these criticisms from impacting my study. the following explanation distils a few of those critiques in relation to my study. critiques of critical discourse analysis the first critique is that discourse analysts, in order to make and substantiate claims, either over or under analyse data by taking sides or making mistakes in identifying features instead of analysing them correctly (antaki, billig, edwards, & potter, 2003). fortunately, i have two very experienced supervisors on my team, one who is adept at fairclough’s cda, who will serve as boundary to my analysis. additionally, ensuring i have a clear and downes & kim/ emerging perspectives (2019) 42-53 46 thorough knowledge of fairclough’s cda will assist in a thorough and rigorous analysis that is not biased, over, or under analysed. a close engagement with my data and a constant reminder that analysis is what is required rather than summary, will assist in keeping the analysis true and reliable (antaki et al., 2003). the second critique is that cda fails to target interactional texts; texts that facilitate interaction between parties—such as conversation. this critique tends to focus on written texts such as policy documents, lists, and newspaper articles that describe unequal power balances or encounters (rampton, 2001; teo, 2000). however, rogers, malancharuvilberkes, mosley, hui, and joseph (2005) in their review of cda literature found that education researchers are over-turning this critique by using cda with interactional data. my study contributes to this development in cda by using policy documents as well as interview transcription texts, allowing for a more robust analysis. another criticism directed at cda is the lack of linguistic theory supporting some cda studies (rogers et al., 2005; sawyer, 2002; schegloff, 1993). cda is a discursively based framework that is intent on analysing discursive events and discourse or language, therefore, supporting a cda study with a linguistic theory contributes to strengthening the study. the theory underpinning my study has elements of foucault’s (1972) theory of discourse as well as linguistic theories of de saussure, which aim to allay this criticism and add rigor to the study. a fourth critique of cda is its weak use of context. discussion occurs regarding isolated bits of texts that are plucked out of the context from their production, consumption, distribution, and reproduction, and subsequently analysed (rogers et al., 2005). however, rogers et al. (2005) found context has been addressed in many studies of cda in educational settings but that the term context in its many forms has not yet been theorised adequately. the linguistic details of the interaction as well as the larger historical, social, and cultural contexts need to be addressed in addition to the contexts in which the interactions occur (rogers et al., 2005). fairclough (1989) mentioned context in interpretation, not only situational context but also intertextual and sequential, which are determined by discourse type. for me to analyse well, context of all forms needs to be considered and clearly outlined for my reader. for example, contextualising the participants, contextualising the linguistic interactions between speakers, and contextualising the larger social and/or cultural contexts is essential. interpretations are not universal (dunne, pryor, & yates, 2005). they are subjective and dependent on the analyst’s mr, social and cultural influences, epistemological and ontological perspectives as well as on the specific theoretical lens the analyst is using to interpret and analyse the data. cda “does not itself advocate a particular understanding of a text, though it may advocate a particular explanation” (chouliaraki & fairclough, 1999, p. 67). in order to allay this concern, the interpretation and explanation of the analytical process needs to be clearly outlined in my study by keeping the above checklist in mind. finally, reflexivity should be well documented (rogers et al., 2005). i need to be aware of where i am in relation to the data; i am not outside of the text but present as data collector. i am adding to the process of constructing meaning by being part of the text. therefore, when transcribing and analysing the data, i will be using my questioning as part of the text to be analysed. as a part of the linguistic analysis, i will be clear about how analysis has taken shape and why certain aspects of the text have been chosen. by using the transcultural connections and discussions with my canadian colleague, i have been able to use critiques of fairclough’s cda as a tool to strengthen my own study. this reflection in itself could only have taken place as a result of the transcultural connections made during the 2017 international doctoral seminar. those conversations, downes & kim/ emerging perspectives (2019) 42-53 47 intellectual challenges, and experiences have impacted my study in a positive and progressive way and i am extremely grateful for the experiences. the above discussion highlighted how transcultural connections aided in outlining steps to strengthen the use of cda for the first author’s doctoral study. in what follows, the second author discusses her doctoral study and how transculturalism influenced her research. a critical discourse analysis of nursing communication the literature on international educated nurses (iens) has reported iens as having difficulty accessing the labor market in canada (higginbottom, 2014). in this study, iens are registered nurses who received their nursing education and training overseas and who speak english as an additional language. the length and complexity of the immigration and qualification recognition processes, as well as attendant complications, impede entry to the labor market (higginbottom, 2014). compounding these difficulties are the disadvantages nurses encounter in the face of the current emphasis on soft skills (windsor & harvey, 2012). soft skills are socially constructed characteristics, which allow for people to get along with others in the workplace. the skills debate in recent years has raised questions about the nature of soft skills (guo, 2015). in nursing, for example, soft skills and personality traits converge and are often given priority over nursing skills and technical knowledge, thereby devaluing nursing as a profession (windsor & harvey, 2012). despite the high level of english proficiency of many iens, soft skills and communication skills can be barriers to workplace integration (see lum, dowedoff, bradley, kerekes, & valeo, 2015; staples, 2015). this study explores the perspectives of iens about soft skills in workplace communication and how iens conform to or resist soft skills in their nursing practice. seven iens participated in life story interviews between january and september 2018. of the seven iens, four participated in three life story interviews each and three in two life story interviews. the first interview focussed on the participant’s nursing education, training, and work experience prior to immigrating to canada, and the second interview focussed on the participant’s nursing experiences and training in canada, including perspectives on soft skills in workplace communication. the third interview followed up on themes of the iens’ stories. i transcribed all eighteen life story interviews and have begun analysis. i am using the life story interview method, a type of narrative inquiry. the life story is an interdisciplinary approach and is used in psychology, anthropology, sociology, and education. it is used to understand a person’s life and how the person interacts with other people. for my study, i am following the conceptual framework john atkinson (2007) has articulated. atkinson described three parts to carrying out a life story interview. first, in planning the interview, the researcher should understand the benefits of the life story. the researcher does not enter the interview with a pre-conceived set of interview questions; however, the interviewer should be prepared with open-ended questions to guide the story teller in developing their story. second, in doing the interview, the researcher guides the story teller in the telling of his or her story. in this part, the researcher records the interview. third, in transcribing and interpreting the interview, the researcher transcribes the life story, leaving out the interview questions. what the researcher ends up with is the person’s life story told in the person’s own words. at this stage, the researcher could send the transcript to the story teller who reviews it for accuracy. finally, the researcher approaches the life story as text and reads and interprets it guided by a theoretical framework. one of the most attractive features of the life story interview method is that the text is in the story teller’s own words and own voice because of the minimal involvement of the researcher in providing questions during the interview. in my study, the voices of the iens downes & kim/ emerging perspectives (2019) 42-53 48 are so important to understanding the phenomenon of soft skills in nursing communication. in the literature on iens, the voices of iens are often not central to the study. the voices of power represented by institutions dominate the research (baumann, blythe, rheaume & mcintosh, 2009; zhou, 2014). the process of participating in a life story interview can help iens connect their histories to their present and future experiences in ways that they may not have had access to before. i have used fairclough’s cda and ruth wodak’s dha, a type of cda, as frameworks to analyse the phenomenon of soft skills. both cda and the dha focus primarily on how language affects power relations and inequalities among different groups of people in a globalizing world. they question ideology and hegemony to expose inequalities in discourse and focus on the role of discourse in the reproduction of power and dominance (fairclough, 2010; wodak, 2015). one of the criticisms of cda is that it does not critically analyse the historical dimensions of the topic under study deep enough, whereas the dha does include an analysis of the historical contexts of the topic to understand how the discourse was formed. used together, life story, cda, and the dha form a strong methodology to critically analyse the soft skills discourse and the historical contexts in which this discourse began and continues to perpetuate. in particular, the dha is interested in how language perpetuates ideology in different social institutions (wodak, 2015). gal (2006) defined language ideologies as “cultural ideas, presumptions, and presuppositions with which different social groups name, frame, and evaluate linguistic practices” (p. 13). an example of gal’s conception of language ideology can be seen in the english-only policies at some hospitals. these policies require staff to speak only english while working, except in designated areas (hendricks, 2013). these policies are applied differentially to hospital staff. staff whose only language is english will never be in violation of the policy because they can only communicate in english. at the same time, staff whose first language is not english are monitored to see if they are in violation of the policy. membership in the first group frees one from having to worry about whether or not they are breaking the rule every time they communicate. this privilege occurs at the expense of the members of the second group, who must always monitor how they speak. english-only policies become language ideology when they become common-sense for all of the people affected by the policy. wodak (2015) has described three approaches to text analysis in the dha. the first is text or discourse-immanent critique. the purpose is to discover contradictions and paradoxes within discourses. the second is socio-diagnostic critique. this critique aims to clarify the characteristics of discourses by using theoretical models from different disciplines to understand the discourse. the third is future-related prospective critique. this third critique aims to improve oppressive language behaviors in institutions and society in general. the us and them discourse is the foundation of discriminatory discourses and begins with labelling people, making generalizations, and giving reasons to include or exclude others (wodak, 2004, p. 206). asking certain questions is a strategy to analyse the development of prejudiced discourses. wodak (2015) suggested the five questions below: 1. how are people named and referred to linguistically? 2. what characteristics, qualities, and features are attributed to them? 3. what are the arguments that specific people or social groups use to justify excluding or including others? 4. what perspective or point of view are these labels, attributions, and arguments given? 5. how are the arguments and labelling articulated? (p. 12) downes & kim/ emerging perspectives (2019) 42-53 49 these questions are all concerned with presenting a “positive self and negative other” in discriminatory discourses (wodak, 2001, p. 73). extending the discussion of critiques of cda, widdowson (1995) argued that critical discourse analysts provide only one interpretation of a text and project their interpretation onto the reader. blommaert (1997) criticized the treatment of context or background such as facts, information, and context in cda. he argued that in some cda work, historical representations are accepted uncritically as facts. blommaert (1997) raised questions in his critique: “when we give background to our data, whose background are we giving and who, when, and why were these facts produced?” (p. 71). life story narrative and wodak’s approach to text analysis are strategies to ensure the background given to the data in my study is accurate and balanced. another critique of cda is that it is theoretically and methodologically weak (breeze, 2011). critical discourse analysts tend to neglect a description of a language theory or details of the interaction between participants (breeze, 2011). other critics have argued that analysts do not approach the stages of cda with enough criticality (breeze, 2011). despite these claims, fairclough (2010) stressed that cda requires a transdisciplinary approach because it regards “the theories, disciplines, and frameworks which are used in the analysis as sources of theoretical development” (fairclough, 2010, p. 4). that is to say, cda is not a specific methodology; it requires other theories, frameworks, and techniques. so, applying cda, the dha, and other frameworks to an examination of soft skills in workplace communication will provide a more productive framework than the current deficit model. the goals of my doctoral study align with the goals of cda and the dha: to expose ideological features of discourse (fairclough, 2010) in relation to the phenomenon of soft skills in nursing and to analyse how soft skills are affected by power in healthcare. power can be exercised in many ways, even when people are unaware of it. for example, educators and employers identified communication as the greatest barrier to workplace integration for iens (baumann, blythe, rheaume & mcintosh, 2009). a nurse manager reported that iens “don’t get jokes, they don’t get sarcasm [and] they don’t get anger” (baumann et al. 2009, p. 207). in this example, the nurse manager assumed authority to judge the iens and assumed knowledge of the language needs of the iens. on the one hand, the nurse manager’s identity was being challenged. on the other hand, the nurse manager’s comment excluded iens. iens are identified as the others because they are perceived as unable to understand humour, sarcasm, or anger. otherness provides one with a reason for dislike or not understanding (zhou, 2014) and being the other means not being accepted by peers as a valued and contributing member of the group. the literature encapsulates how iens are singled out in the workplace because they are regarded as different and implies that iens have to prove themselves to their co-workers and employers. this is difficult for iens to do as the standard for satisfaction is set by gatekeepers for healthcare. however, literature has reported that iens are able to transfer nursing competencies and apply prior work experience to new healthcare environments in canada, thereby, successfully integrating into the canadian workforce (st. pierre et al., 2015). iens have stories to tell. this study is a step towards hearing their stories. the past is always present, but identity is constructed for different people in different ways and in different contexts. when i was in australia, i saw how different people related to their histories. i also became more aware of how my understanding of other people’s identities and the relationship to their history was part of my relationship to my history. simple labels like student, professor, visitor, and host, cannot fully express all that is relevant to who people are, and what the relationship to other people is. people can carry many layers of identity, but not everyone would describe themselves in terms of layered downes & kim/ emerging perspectives (2019) 42-53 50 identity. one aspect of transculturalism is how people come to construct these multiplelayered identities (dean, 2007) with others who are doing the same thing, though they may not be fully aware that this is what they are doing together. reflecting on my experiences in brisbane, the life stories my colleagues told were tied to their present identities as doctoral students and researchers. identity is fluid and dynamic. many of our conversations began with, “what are you researching?” we were not brought together to get to know each other on a personal level, but even talking about our academic experiences revealed so much about our histories. a person’s life story connects their lived experiences and their history (atkinson, 2007). one of the things that drew me to use life story in my research is the realization of how people’s identities and histories are tied up to their actions. life story is a method for collecting data and studying people’s lives (atkinson, 2007). life story also reveals the layered aspects of the story teller’s identities and how they affect the stories they tell. during the seminar, we shared common experiences. i got a deeper understanding of how history and identity are related to having experiences. i realized that even in a shared experience, there are individual points of view. i realized that when i think about how identity is layered that each layer might correspond to a point of view. to understand shared experience, i need to understand history. cda is a promising way of analysing history. in my interactions with my fellow qut colleague, our discussions about cda have deepened my understanding of its potential as a research methodology. my academic aspirations connected me to members in the community and through those connections, i discovered “ways that others make sense of their world” (slimbach, 2005, p. 209) which gave me a first-hand perspective of being transcultural in the 21st century. discussion researchers can use cda and the dha when they are interested in uncovering power in texts, language, discourse, and social practices (lee & otsuji, 2008; wodak, 2015). the different approaches relate power to asymmetric relationships between people who hold different positions in society (wodak, 2015). in the first study, for example, an asymmetrical relationship exists between secondary school students who swear and use taboo language, their teachers, and the institution in general. in the second study, an asymmetrical relationship exists between iens, hospital administrators, and policy makers. through a critical analysis, the hidden connections in features of discourse can be identified and used to decode ideologies that eventually become assumptions. these assumptions inevitably control the actions, understandings, and behaviour and most importantly for this discussion, the discourse of society. just like taboos in the first study, or deficit thinking in the second study, the assumptions are rarely questioned or examined and become accepted behaviour (arthur, 2012; fairclough, 2003). cda and the dha describe ideology as consisting of unbalanced opinions, attitudes, and evaluations (wodak, 2015). members of specific social groups share similar ideologies that help to maintain unequal power relations through discourse by “gatekeeping” (p. 3). in the context of taboo language transgressions in queensland secondary schools, the behavioural policy enactment of teachers and school leaders act as gate-keepers to suspension. in the context of iens, the international english language testing system (ielts) exam is an example of a gate-keeper for iens applying to become a registered nurse in canada. both doctoral studies examine cultural structures in different transcultural spaces; responses to student language transgressions, and the language boundaries structured for healthcare professionals. transculturalism is interested in social community, organisation, and social union, and is characterised by its emphasis on power formations, relationships, downes & kim/ emerging perspectives (2019) 42-53 51 and meaning-making in contemporary culture (lewis, 2002). transculturalism emphasises the transient nature of culture. it seeks to highlight the various ways a culture creates and distributes meaning in social groups (lewis, 2002). by connecting with colleagues in transcultural spaces during the 2017 international doctoral seminar and conference, possibilities arose to illuminate these power formations and meaning-making systems. conclusion collaboration amongst doctoral students is a valuable part of the doctoral learning journey. a shared space for reflection as well as options for pedagogical transformation and peer communication is important for enhancing the doctoral journey (aghaee & hansson, 2013; moore, 2005). the 2017 international doctoral seminar and conference held in brisbane, australia provided a forum to share experiences, reflect on research, expand knowledge, and communicate pedagogical learning. not only that, but the social and academic connections made have further broadened and transformed how we see the world (slimbach, 2005). although transculturalism is often associated with power imbalances, “transculturalism defies race, religion, sexuality, class, and every sort of classification known to sociologists and marketers” (berg, 2010, p. 10). two doctoral students from vast geographical distances met in brisbane and collaborated in an attempt to further improve their individual and combined academic and cultural knowledge. they continue to create knowledge of each other’s cultures and distribute this knowledge along with their respective cultures (lewis, 2002) to fellow doctoral colleagues in transcultural spaces. references adams, m. 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(1995). discourse analysis: a critical view. language and literature, 4(3), 157 172. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca visual expressive arts therapy with children: fostering multicultural competency amy green1 werklund school of education, university of calgary multicultural competency is increasingly viewed as a crucial skill for counselling psychologists who utilize visual expressive arts therapy. however, little research has provided guidance for fostering multicultural competency within visual expressive arts therapy specifically with children. thus, in this article, i suggest collins and arthur's (2010b) culture-infused counselling model as a guide to provide more culturally competent visual expressive arts therapy with children. more specifically, collins and arthur’s three domains for cultivating multicultural competency (cultural selfawareness, awareness of client cultural identities, and a culturally sensitive working alliance) are used to demonstrate attitudes, knowledge, and skills particularly relevant when using visual expressive arts therapy with children. i engage in a personal reflection about my cultural background and experiences with the creative arts, before exploring the culture of childhood, the universality of art-making, the utility of expressive arts with children from diverse cultural backgrounds, the assessment of children through art, and social justice issues. keywords: visual expressive arts therapy; multicultural competency; counselling psychology; children green, a. (2018). visual expressive arts therapy with children: fostering multicultural competency. emerging perspectives, 2(1), 1-13. visual expressive arts therapy, which integrates the visual arts (e.g., painting, drawing, and sculpture) into a psychotherapeutic framework, encourages people to express and understand their emotions through artistic expression and the creative process (graves-alcorn & green, 2014; kristel, 2013). over the past ten years, a number of scholars have called for increased multicultural competency when using visual expressive arts therapy (from hereon referred to simply as expressive arts therapy; e.g. betts, 2013; gipson, 2015; ter maat, 2011). however, little research has provided guidance for strengthening multicultural competency when using expressive arts therapy specifically with children. given that childhood can be considered a culture that is unique from adulthood (mullen, 2008), multicultural considerations are distinct in many ways when using expressive arts therapy with young people. furthermore, when considering the increasingly multicultural composition of western societies, expressive arts counsellors in this context will likely work with children from diverse cultural backgrounds (kristel, 2013). as such, offering ways to foster multicultural competency amongst counsellors who utilize expressive arts therapy with 1 amy.green@ucalgary.ca green / emerging perspectives (2018) 2 children becomes imperative. in this article, i demonstrate how collins and arthur's (2010b) culture-infused counselling model can serve as a guide for counsellors who use expressive arts therapy with children to provide more culturally competent services. collins and arthur cited cultural self-awareness, awareness of client cultural identities, and a culturally sensitive working alliance as being critical for developing multicultural competency. i will use these three domains to explore some of the attitudes, knowledge, and skills that are particularly pertinent to address when using expressive arts therapy with children from culturally diverse backgrounds. in doing so, i assume a broad and inclusive definition of culture that recognizes children’s multiple and intersecting cultural identities that include not only race and ethnicity, but also, for example, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, social class, and physical and mental abilities (collins, 2010). from this perspective, age is also conceptualized as being an important component of culture; that is, childhood is distinct from, for example, adolescence, young adulthood, middle age, or older adulthood. domain i: cultural self-awareness collins and arthur (2010b) asserted that self-awareness involves having an “active awareness of personal assumptions, values, and biases” (p. 55). several theorists in the expressive arts therapy field have suggested that ongoing self-examination is critical for developing a culturally competent practice (boston, 2005; ter maat, 2011). for counsellors who utilize expressive arts therapy, this means not only critically examining one’s cultural identity, beliefs, and values (collins & arthur, 2010c), but also one’s attitudes about and experiences with the expressive arts themselves. thus, i begin this section with a personal reflection about my relationship with the expressive arts before exploring how this might impact my use of expressive arts therapy with children. a personal reflection creative expression speckled the canvas of my life for as long as i can remember. watercolor creations, fictitious stories written late into the night, community theatre productions, and a competitive piano career compose a sampling of the creative memories of my youth. my childhood experiences with the arts were, for the most part, enjoyable and rewarding, and almost always supported by my family and community. creative experiences allowed me to learn things about myself in ways that were different from other avenues such as academics and sports, and helped me express myself in a way that felt uninhibited, profound, and free. as a young adult, when i started my master’s degree in counselling psychology, i entered into a new relationship with the expressive arts. i learned that counsellor burnout (which can be defined as a state of physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual exhaustion; corey, schneider corey, & callanan, 2007) can lead to physical and mental health concerns (killian, 2008) and lower quality of care for clients (salyers et al., 2014). furthermore, burnout may occur when counsellors do not attend to self-care strategies that can nurture their wellbeing (testa & sangganjanavanich, 2016). as such, i felt inspired to dig out my dusty old easel and use visual artistic expression as a form of self-reflection, emotional release, and self-care. furthermore, as i progressed through my counselling degree, i pursued supervision and training to integrate expressive arts therapy into my work with children and youth. in doing so, i was continually amazed by the things young people could say with brushstrokes that they often could not say with words alone. as i searched the literature that explored the use of expressive arts therapy with children, i learned that this approach has been helpful for children experiencing a wide variety of green / emerging perspectives (2018) 3 concerns; for example, grief and bereavement (ong, lau, tee, & neo, 2016), emotional and behavioural dysregulation within the context of special educational needs (lee & liu, 2016), chronic illness (beebe, gelfand, & bender, 2010), and adjustment difficulties following immigration (lee, 2013). through my research, i began to align with judith rubin (2005), who articulated that all children have a “right to an opportunity to become themselves and to deal with their hurts in a creative way through art” (p. 73). i clearly hold the assumption that integrating the expressive arts into a therapeutic context can be a meaningful experience for children. however, engaging in this personal reflection illuminated how this assumption has been influenced by my cultural experiences and by my privileged position within the dominant culture in a western society – the culture within which expressive arts therapy as a profession originated and has largely developed (hocoy, 2002). with this awareness, i began to reflect upon the ways that my beliefs about art might differ from those of my clients. for example, one client might belong to a religion where certain forms of artistic expression are restricted, another might be part of a family where the arts are not valued, and yet another might belong to a culture where the arts are an integral part of their community. these cultural factors will certainly impact the use and utility of expressive arts therapy with diverse clients, and point to the importance of developing awareness of my clients’ cultural identities. domain ii: awareness of client cultural identities collins and arthur (2010b) asserted that demonstrating awareness of clients’ cultural identities and understanding clients’ worldviews are crucial for developing multicultural competence. this includes understanding the relationship between a client’s personal culture, health, and wellbeing, and demonstrating awareness about the ways oppression, prejudice, and discrimination may have impacted a client’s life (collins & arthur, 2010b). additionally, there are two aspects of client cultural identity that are important to address in the specific context of expressive arts therapy with children: (a) the culture of childhood, and (b) the universality of artmaking. the culture of childhood being in a therapeutic relationship with a child is an honor that carries a responsibility to respect the diversity between the cultures of childhood and adulthood (mullen, 2008). childhood has its own “distinct values, rules, customs, status, and even language” (mullen, 2008, p. 70). for example, children do not always rely on words, but, rather, communicate largely through play, nonverbal behavior, and even sound effects (mullen, 2008). however, many counsellors are not trained to consider the client’s chronological age as being a significant component of culture (swan, schottelkorb, & lancaster, 2015). although i argue that many of the attitudes and skills important when working with adults are also relevant when working with children (e.g. demonstrating empathy, coutinho, silva, & decety, 2014), i also agree with swan, schottelkorb, and lancaster (2015), who suggested that “counselors should have specific training that emphasizes knowledge about the cultural view of children” (p. 93). it is not enough for counsellors to simply adapt adult-centric counselling skills (mullen, 2008), or to treat children like “mini adults;” rather, they should use strategies that are appropriate for children’s development level (roaten, 2011). from a developmental perspective, the expressive arts represent an appropriate strategy for use with children (malchiodi, 2011). art is often described as a natural language for children who developmentally do not yet have the capabilities for abstract linguistic expression (farokhi & green / emerging perspectives (2018) 4 hashemi, 2011; huss, nuttman-shwartze, & altman, 2012; malchiodi, 2011). a fundamental belief amongst expressive arts counsellors is that art produced in a therapeutic environment may help children access and express emotions that they are unable to express with words alone (waller, 2006). graves-alcorn and green (2014) went as far as to say that “traditional talk therapy alone is generally unsuccessful when working with children and adolescents, especially within the developmental context of young childhood” (p. 2). for example, children can explore and express “difficult” feelings (e.g., fear, worry, anger) through art – feelings that may be challenging for the child to put into words (waller, 2006). however, it is important to understand that the culture of childhood intersects with other factors of cultural identity; for example, ethnicity, gender, ability, and religion (collins, 2010). children will likely not experience these various dimensions separately and it is a counsellor’s responsibility to attend to these multiple dimensions of cultural identity (collins, 2010). for example, children from certain cultural backgrounds may be less comfortable with nondirective creative expression, or their parents or caregivers may not understand why art is being used as a primary modality in therapy (malchiodi, 2014). as such, it is important for counsellors to remain aware that not all children and their families will perceive visual creative expression in the same way. indeed, counsellors must be sensitive to and respect the preferences and worldviews of their clients (malchiodi, 2014). counsellors may be unsure about how to effectively translate multicultural knowledge and skills into work specifically with children (swan et al., 2015). the expressive arts may offer one strategy for doing so. swan et al. (2015) explored the effect of a multicultural training curriculum on counsellors’ multicultural competency with children and adolescents. the counsellors in the study were provided with training and supervision in using expressive arts modalities “so that children and adolescents could talk, explore, and make meaning of their experiences in a developmentally appropriate manner” (p. 183). following the training, counsellors self-reported increased multicultural competence and enhanced sensitivity, understanding, and acceptance of children and adolescents from diverse backgrounds. the authors concluded that integrating a developmentally appropriate treatment modality (i.e., art) is an effective way to enhance counsellors’ sensitivity to multicultural issues. however, due to this study’s small sample size (n =3) and the lack of research in this area, more studies are needed to better understand how expressive arts training can increase perceived multicultural competence amongst counsellors working with children. the universality of art-making the role of art-making within a child’s intersecting cultures is another important consideration to keep in mind when utilizing expressive arts therapy. in 1984, shaun mcniff, a leading researcher and theorist in the expressive arts therapy field, argued in a seminal article that there is a distinct universality to the process of creative expression. this belief has been echoed more recently by other theorists (betts, 2013; degges-white, 2011). mcniff traced his argument to the work of psychologist and educator rhoda kellogg (1970), who, between 1948 and 1966, collected over one million drawings of young children from around the world. she hypothesized that every child follows the same graphic evolution (for example, from disordered scribbling to basic shapes) in his or her discovery of the use of art as a mode of symbolization. mcniff (1984) also cited carl jung’s concept of universal symbolic archetypes to support his claims for the universality of art. these archetypes, which are manifested in different content but contain similar composition across cultures (for example, mandalas) suggest that some symbols are universal (huss et al., 2012). because of this argued universality, degges-white (2011) boldly contended green / emerging perspectives (2018) 5 that the expressive arts can be used with any client, “regardless of gender, ethnicity, ability, age, language, cultural identity, physical functioning, among other forms of diversity” (p. 5). similarly, mcniff (1984) contested that “art therapy lends itself to cross-cultural practice, providing the beginnings of a universal language and an alternative to verbal communication” (p. 129). although creative expression through the visual arts has been a significant human experience for individuals in cultures throughout history and across the world (degges-white, 2011), it is crucial to remember that the use of expressive arts in the specific context of therapy is culture-bound to its euro-american origins (hocoy, 2002). thus, it is important to consider whether expressive arts therapy is, in fact, a universal enterprise and to avoid making “sweeping statements about how the arts allow people to come together without explanation or evidence” (mayor, 2012, p. 215). huss and her colleagues (2012) argued that although many cultures organize themselves around a set of symbols that are transmitted intergenerationally, these symbols are not necessarily the same from culture to culture. thus, when using art in therapy with children, it is important to consider the cultural context of various symbols that may emerge. doing so may help the child reconnect with the base values of his or her culture that are manifested in certain symbols (huss et al., 2012). failure to do so may result in a therapist who “is oblivious to the cultural variables that might affect the client’s use of image, line, shape, and color” (acton, 2001, p. 109). before using expressive arts therapy with any child, it is imperative to explore if and how art is used for psychological healing in that child’s culture (hocoy, 2002). to demonstrate this point, i will use aboriginal peoples in canada as an example. the arts play a valuable role for the health and sociocultural revitalization for some aboriginal peoples in canada, but indigenous conceptualizations of art differ in many ways from western ones. for example, in many indigenous communities, creativity manifests itself in everyday life through functional items such as baskets, spirituality through totem poles, and traditions of songs and dramas used to pass on knowledge (muirhead & leeuw, 2005). creativity also plays an important role in promoting community strength and resilience (muirhead & leeuw, 2005). this differs from the western view of artmaking, which is more individualistic and often emphasizes the aesthetic appeal of artwork (muirhead & leeuw, 2005). while it is certainly important not to engage in stereotyped generalizations, this knowledge can encourage counsellors to consider the meaning art would have for a child from an indigenous culture, and to become more intentional and competent when using expressive arts therapy with such a client. in sum, art is often cited as being a naturalistic language for children and art-making a universal endeavour (malchiodi, 2001; mcniff, 1984). however, the ways in which children engage with art depends largely on their worldviews, background, and intersecting cultural identities (malchiodi, 2014). in order to be culturally sensitive when utilizing expressive arts therapy, these factors need to be carefully considered before introducing art into the therapy room with children. domain iii: a culturally sensitive working alliance the third domain in the collins and arthur (2010b) model involves translating cultural awareness into actual practice with clients through a culturally sensitive working alliance. building this alliance may involve rapport-building and client empowerment (boston, 2005), cultural inquiry (inquiring about culture in a purposeful way to ascertain the relation to the client’s counselling issue, collins and arthur, 2010a), and cultural empathy (the ability “to understand and communicate the concerns of clients from their cultural perspective,” ridley, 1995, p. 91). in expressive arts therapy with children, part of this alliance also includes understanding how, when, green / emerging perspectives (2018) 6 and why the expressive arts are useful for children from diverse cultures, and whether arts-based assessments are culturally appropriate. in the next section, i will discuss these two areas before considering the role the expressive arts might play in social justice activities. the utility of expressive arts with children from diverse cultures from a multicultural perspective, the visual arts may be particularly useful when language barriers exist (degges-white, 2011). furthermore, some children might belong to cultural groups where verbal expression about thoughts and emotions (particularly with a person outside their cultural group) is not the norm, and children may feel uncomfortable (collins & arthur, 2010a). thus, the artwork itself, rather than verbalization, can act as a means of communication between the child and therapist (degges-white, 2011; waller, 2006). when using the expressive arts with children from diverse cultural backgrounds, malchiodi (2011) suggested using a phenomenological approach that values the child’s worldview and does not make assumptions about the content or meaning of children’s artwork. furthermore, part of building the therapeutic alliance may include learning about the cultural similarities and differences between the therapist and child. specific visual art interventions, such as creating joint drawings, can illuminate the way the therapist and child’s cultures differ and intersect (ter maat, 2011). it is also important to consider the space and choice of art materials. for example, children from some cultures may be more comfortable working on the floor than at tables, and it is important to respect this preference (prasad, 2013). additionally, counsellors using expressive arts therapy should have a variety of art materials available that nurture creativity for children from various cultures (e.g., crayons that represent a range of skin colours, malchiodi, 2014). a small body of empirical research has supported the use of visual arts for children from diverse cultural backgrounds. lee (2013) explored the role visual art played for immigrant children in the u.s. who had limited english proficiency and limited control of school and home situations due to immigration and transition. results revealed that art allowed children to enter a “flow” state wherein they were engaged in the creative process and engrossed in an imaginary world. this helped children achieve a “marked sense of empowerment and safety through identification with make-believe characters” (p. 62). additional research with immigrant children in the u.s. revealed how expressive arts therapy helped children attach meaning to their transitional experiences (rousseau & heusch, 2000) and address culture gaps, feelings of loss and separation, and trauma (rousseau, lacroix, baglisha, & heusch, 2003). existing research that has explored the use of expressive arts therapy from a multicultural perspective is limited, and some expressive arts counsellors view research as being incongruent with their healing aims and the subjective, nonjudgmental nature of expressive arts therapy (green, 2013). much of the existing research has relied on narrative case studies or anecdotal accounts. while these provide valuable information, the literature “requires an intensive search for techniques proven to be effective in working with different cultural groups and their individual members” (ter maat, 2011, p. 9). this, in turn, will encourage a more culturally competent practice. additionally, more research is needed to better understand how to administer arts-based assessments in a culturally responsible way. arts-based assessment is an important component of multicultural competency and has the potential to impact the working alliance. assessing children through art in her discussion of cultural considerations for administering arts-based assessments, betts (2013) encouraged expressive arts counsellors to approach assessments collaboratively with green / emerging perspectives (2018) 7 clients, in order to diminish existing power differentials and encourage self-understanding and positive changes in clients. similarly, rosenberg and colleagues (2012) emphasized the importance of co-creating meaning with clients during cross-cultural assessment work, in order to foster rapport and intimacy. these considerations are important for working with clients of all ages, including children. however, it is important to keep in mind that, although drawings have been used as a means to assess children’s emotional, physical, and environmental situations for many years (skybo, ryan-wenger, & su, 2007), few arts-based assessments were developed for children with different cultural groups in mind (betts, 2013). furthermore, there is a lack of systematic guidelines for developing culturally sensitive assessments in expressive arts therapy (betts, 2013). it is crucial to remember that children’s artwork will inevitably be influenced by their culture and social values (deaver, 2009), and there is no such thing as a culture-free test (williams, french, picthall-french, & flagg-williams, 2011). betts (2013) suggested that therapists should critically examine arts-based assessments for: (a) their ability to measure consistently across at least two cultural groups (i.e., equivalence); and (b) threats to the validity of cross-cultural comparisons due to “nuisance factors” (such as one group having more artistic training than another group; i.e., bias). some research has demonstrated the effective use of specific arts-based assessments with children from different cultures. for example, the human figure drawing (hfd) test, one of the most widely researched arts-based assessments (deaver, 2009), has been cited as being applicable for children of different ages and from different sociocultural and ethnic backgrounds (teichman & zafrir, 2003). this assessment may be particularly relevant for children because of their natural inclination to draw people (deaver, 2009). although different variations of this assessment exist, typically the child is instructed to draw one whole person without a time limit (skybo et al., 2007). various methods are then used to assess the drawing for psychological functioning (deaver, 2009) and for insight into the child’s emotions, cognitions, and cultural environments (gernhardt, rubeling, & keller, 2013). williams and his colleagues (2011) found that compared to other assessments, hfds were the most culturally adaptable and versatile for use with children from aboriginal cultures. however, skybo et al. (2007) reviewed eight studies that assessed cultural variations in hfds and concluded that standards developed from studies of american children may not be useful with children from other countries. because the majority of the studies they reviewed are more than 15 years old, more research is needed to establish cultural variations and validity of hfd assessments. moreover, the quantitative methods often used to score children’s hfd drawings are based on samples that are either outdated (e.g. naglieri, 1988) and/or nonrepresentative of a diverse population (e.g. koppitz, 1968). in response to this lack of current and relevant normative data, deaver (2009) collected hfd drawings from a multicultural sample of 467 school children. although she found that “ethnic group identity was not a significant variable” (p. 10), she acknowledged that her study’s small sample size limited the ability to generalize findings, and that more research is needed to determine which aspects of hfd tests are culturally specific and which are universal. social justice translating cultural awareness into practice may be enhanced when counsellors who use expressive arts therapy consider ways to engage in social justice activities. indeed, collins and arthur (2010b) called for social justice to be included as an integral component of multicultural competency. it is a belief that has been echoed by expressive arts counsellors (e.g. gipson, 2015; hocoy, 2005). although there are many different definitions of social justice, in practice “social justice action involves advocacy-related interventions that address issues of self-determination, green / emerging perspectives (2018) 8 social responsibility, and the equitable distribution of opportunities and resources in our society” (arthur & collins, 2010, p. 149). one area of social responsibility that is important to address in the expressive arts therapy field is the lack of diversity amongst practitioners. in a recent survey of members of the american art therapy association, over 90% of respondents identified as white and female (elkins & deaver, 2013). it is important to encourage a more diverse community of practitioners for many reasons. firstly, a varied community encourages different theoretical and clinical perspectives, which may help challenge traditional or biased assumptions in the expressive arts therapy field (awais & yali, 2013). secondly, individuals from non-dominant groups may prefer and be more successful with a therapist from a similar culture as themselves (wintersteen, mensinger, & diamond, 2005). finally, from a social justice perspective, a culturally diverse professional community provides “an opportunity to model inclusion for clients” (awais & yali, 2013). the visual arts offer a unique and powerful way to promote social justice, and the arts have a rich history of being used to ignite social change (estrella, 2011). the art image itself offers a physical means to call for individual and collective action to address oppression and marginalization, and hocoy (2005) asserted that “images can concurrently heal personal-collective wounds while demanding a response to injustice” (p. 7). as part of a large community arts project in western australia, aboriginal and non-indigenous children from rural communities used photography to explore and express their identities and sense of place (sonn, 2009). participation in the project fostered personal growth, improved social relationships between indigenous and nonindigenous families in different communities, and promoted the creation of new structures in the community, such as a photo club. furthermore, several photo exhibitions and a published book were used to communicate the children’s representations of themselves and their communities, amplifying the voices of “those who are often invisible in the community” (p. 95). it is important to note here that, whenever children’s artwork is displayed in public places, informed consent must be obtained and precautions taken to safeguard clients from exploitation (kapitan, 2010). careful consideration should be given to clients’ anonymity, how the artwork will be displayed, who can comment on the work, and how many clinical details to reveal (green, 2012). if, according to a therapist’s judgment, the benefits outweigh any risks, projects such as the aforementioned one can build on community strengths and resources, support an empowerment agenda, and encourage children to bring about change (sonn, quayle, & kasat, 2015). in my opinion, these are fundamental undertakings for the expressive arts therapy field. additional considerations gipson (2015) argued that approaching multicultural competency and social justice within the expressive arts field “requires a more complex engagement with social issues than an introduction to new terminology and recognition of privilege” (p. 142). in line with gipson, i argue that, although collins and arthur’s culture-infused counselling model offers a starting point for expressive arts counsellors to foster multicultural competency in their work with children, it rests with practitioners to commit to this perspective, and to insist on providing service that “responds to all lives” (gipson, 2015, p. 145). this work will require both individual and institutional accountability, in addition to ongoing training and supervision activities. it is also important to note that engagement in expressive arts therapy with children (and, indeed, any client) carries specific ethical responsibilities that are distinct from strictly verbal techniques. while these considerations are beyond the scope of this article, the reader is directed to green (2012), or moon (2000) for more thorough reviews on this topic. at the same time, ethical green / emerging perspectives (2018) 9 guidelines based on western principles and worldviews may fail to cover all of the nuances of expressive arts therapy with children from diverse cultures (potash et al., 2017). in such circumstances, consultation, supervision, and critical thinking are imperative to ensure that expressive arts therapy is delivered in a culturally responsible manner. conclusion using expressive arts therapy with children is not a black and white endeavor; indeed, there are shades of grey (and, in fact, all colors of the rainbow) when considering how to integrate the expressive arts in a culturally sensitive way. questions about, for example, the universality of artmaking and the cultural appropriateness of arts-based assessments do not always have clear answers. however, collins and arthur's (2010b) three domains for cultivating multicultural competence offer a useful framework to help counsellors using expressive arts therapy engage with these issues and questions in a culturally sensitive way. firstly, in considering the first domain (cultural self-awareness), it is imperative that counsellors look inside themselves to understand not only their cultural identities, but also the ways in which these identities impact their perceptions, assumptions, and biases about expressive arts therapy specifically and art in general. secondly, in considering the second domain (awareness of client cultural identities) it is important for counsellors to understand that, while it may be true that “art is part of the human condition” (barnes, 2015, p. 6) and that art may be a developmentally appropriate way for children to express themselves, children are cultural beings who will experience art – and, thus, expressive arts therapy – in different ways. thirdly, in considering the third domain (a culturally sensitive working alliance), counsellors must carefully consider the cultural appropriateness of, for example, the expressive arts interventions, materials, and assessments they utilize. additionally, an important part of a multicultural perspective involves committing to social justice activities, using one’s position to advocate for a more inclusive field and for those who are marginalized and oppressed in society. in conclusion, engaging in collins and arthurs’ (2010b) three domains for cultivating multicultural competence may enhance counsellors’ cultural competency in their use of expressive arts therapy with children. it is understood that the path to multicultural competency is ongoing and ever-changing, and can be challenging and unclear at times. however, addressing some of the areas discussed in this article can be a step in right direction, and an invitation to continue this important discussion. references acton, d. 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(2006). art therapy for children: how it leads to change. clinical child psychology and psychiatry, 11, 271–282. doi:10.1177/1359104506061419 williams, r. b., french, l. a., picthall-french, n., & flagg-williams, j. b. (2011). in pursuit of the aboriginal child’s perspective via a culture-free task and clinical interview. journal of projective psychology & mental health, 18, 22–27. wintersteen, m. b., mensinger, j. l., & diamond, g. s. (2005). do gender and racial differences between patient and therapist affect therapeutic alliance and treatment retention in adolescents? professional psychology: research and practice, 36, 400–408. doi:10.1037/0735-7028.36.4.400 emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca *harriet.namukwaya@ucalgary.ca integration of culture in the teaching of french as a foreign language at the university level in uganda harriet k. haggerty* university of calgary this qualitative case study allowed insights into the integration of culture in the teaching/learning of french as a foreign language at makerere university in uganda. twenty-one students learning french at the advanced level and their four lecturers participated in this case study. the researcher recruited the participants through purposive sampling. she collected data by means of an open-ended questionnaire, focus-group discussion, and interviews. the results from this case study showed that language and culture are interdependent and interrelated so teaching the two separately would lead to losing the essence of either language or culture. the findings also revealed that the lecturers used the internet, prescribed texts, and authentic documents as the main sources of culture teaching materials. the results suggest that the teaching of the french language enabled the students to appreciate the french and francophone culture(s) as well as the differences existing between the french/francophone culture(s) and their own. key words: culture, culture teaching, intercultural competence, foreign language teaching, french as a foreign language haggerty, h. k. (2020). integration of culture in the teaching of french as a foreign language at the university level in uganda. emerging perspectives, 4(1), 19-24. learning a new language does not only involve the acquisition of linguistic and communicative competence, but also entails: a) an increase in the learners’ familiarity with the language’s background, b) an expansion of the learners’ cultural awareness, and c) intercultural competence (sercu, garcía, & prieto, 2004; thanasoulas, 2001). language learning and teaching is an interpersonal and intercultural process whereby learners come into contact with the teachers and other learners of diverse personal histories, experiences, and outlooks, either face-to-face or virtually (kramsch & hua, 2016). kramsch and hua (2016) argued that language learning and teaching have close connections with the field of intercultural communicative competence, especially where the notion of culture is concerned. therefore, the purpose of integrating culture in the teaching of a foreign language is to enable learners to acquire the ability to interact effectively and appropriately with the speakers of the target language. however, teaching a foreign language and its culture in a multilingual and multicultural country like uganda is quite challenging (ismaili, 2015; wagaba, 2010). learners come to class with a diversity of cultural communication styles, multicultural values, and nonverbal communication behaviors, which may haggerty / emerging perspectives (2020) 20 be unfamiliar to foreign language teachers. this cultural diversity in the language classroom poses challenges when it comes to explaining certain cultural aspects of the target language (ismaili, 2015). in order to improve the intercultural communicative competence of learners and to accommodate their cultural backgrounds, teachers need to raise the learners’ awareness of the differences in cultures that may create discomfort or cultural shock. for example, greeting with a kiss, and eating snails, as is the case in the french culture, may create discomfort in learners of the language. teachers need to accommodate their learners’ cultural backgrounds to establish a shared understanding between the teacher and the students (al-amir, 2017; byram, gribkova & starkey, 2002). byram et al. (2002) referred to this shared framework as intercultural competence. this is why language teachers need to be interculturally competent to enable students to navigate between their cultures and the target language culture (byram, 2013; cushner & mahon, 2009; kramsch, 1993), and understand culturally different norms of interaction, as well as people’s values and thought (saville-troike, 2003). in uganda’s context, ugandan lecturers train most foreign language instructors. the instructors have, in fact, never had actual contact with the french speaking communities1. this lack of contact implies that they may not know how to incorporate culture in the language classroom since they may lack adequate training (gonen & saglam, 2012), and may base their teaching of cultural aspects on only what is presented in the prescribed texts. the purpose of this case study was therefore to investigate how ugandan lecturers of advanced french at makerere university incorporated the culture of the target language in their teaching. methodology the study explored how ugandan lecturers integrated culture in their teaching of french at makerere university in uganda. the researcher opted for a qualitative case study design (merriam, 1998) because such a design would enable her to not only focus on a particular aspect of foreign language teaching (culture teaching), but also to make a comprehensive description and analysis of how lecturers taught various cultural aspects of the french language. the researcher used purposive sampling to select participants, believing that they would provide the required information by virtue of their knowledge and experience (bernard, 2002). twenty-one students of advanced french, between the ages of 20 and 25 years, and four lecturers participated in the study. the participants were from different sociocultural backgrounds as uganda is a multiethnic, multicultural, and multilingual society (kabananukye & kwagala, 2007). the students were enrolled in three different years of study (i.e., first to third year), all studying french for various personal and professional reasons. the four lecturers had taught french at the university level for over five years and had varying academic qualifications: three held master’s degrees and one had a doctorate. the researcher collected data by means of a focus-group discussion, a questionnaire, and interviews. the researcher used the questionnaire and focus-group discussion with the students, and one-on-one interviews with the lecturers. the researcher used a focus-group discussion to obtain detailed information about personal and group perceptions and opinions on culture learning, as well as the challenges faced in the learning of french culture. conscious of the possibility that students may withhold personal opinions about the topic during the group discussion, the 1 information informally gathered by the author during the pedagogical trainings that she conducted with the teachers of french in uganda. haggerty / emerging perspectives (2020) 21 researcher administered a private, open-ended questionnaire to get elaborate information (züll, 2016). additionally, the researcher conducted interviews with the lecturers in order to find out how they integrated the french and francophone culture(s) in their teaching. the data collected allowed the researcher to examine the teaching approaches and materials the lecturers used in the teaching/learning of the french culture. the data also allowed the researcher to examine their selection criteria of these materials, as well as the challenges the students faced in studying the french/francophone culture and french in general. findings the results showed that language and culture are intricately related. one of the lecturers stated, “the french language and culture are interrelated and therefore inseparable.” this interrelatedness comes from the fact that language is not a code free from culture (eldin, 2015), but an embodiment of it (gonen & saglam, 2012), and a method for the transmission of culture (moran, 2001). brown (2007) described this interrelatedness of language and culture by stating, “one cannot separate the two without losing the significance of either language or culture. the acquisition of a second language, except for specialized, instrumental acquisition, is also the acquisition of a second culture” (pp. 189-190). the results further showed that the internet (e.g., pedagogical websites such as lepointdufle.net), prescribed texts (e.g., “la civilization progressive du français”, 2002; “la france d’aujourd’hui: civilisation”, 1991; “la france aux cent visages”, 1995), and authentic documents (e.g., newspaper articles, extracts from magazines, programs from radio france international) constituted the main sources of culture teaching materials. the authentic materials enabled the students to see language in use in the real world and provided cultural information about the target language (ahmed, 2017; brandl, 2008). they also provided the students with the opportunities to use the target language to achieve communicative purposes through meaningful and realistic interaction (brandl, 2008; richards, 2001; tomlinson, 1998). the lecturers selected these materials based on the duration of the class (i.e., the shorter the duration, the shorter the text), the cultural theme, the linguistic objective of the lesson, and the communicative task to be accomplished in that particular lesson. one lecturer stated that one-hour lectures allowed him to focus on only the content in the prescribed texts, and that he used materials from other sources, as well as a variety of activities/tasks during two-hour lectures. the lecturers added that during the one hour lectures, they did most of the talking while students took notes, whereas in the two-hour lectures, the roles were somewhat reversed because students usually engaged in communicative tasks as well as presentations. the findings also revealed that lecturers used various teaching methods: research and presentation, the communicative approach in the form of role-plays and simulations, and guided inquiry learning. the lecturers claimed that not only did these methods enable the students to develop their (socio) linguistic competence but they also promoted learner autonomy. the lecturers also believed that culture teaching involved providing information about daily life and routines of the french-speaking people, creating awareness of cultural differences, teaching students openness and tolerance towards other peoples and cultures, as well as promoting increased awareness and understanding of students’ own cultures. furthermore, the lecturers associated culture learning with the ability to communicate in french. these lecturers’ beliefs reinforce other studies (alamir, 2017; bryam & risager, 1999; byram, 1997). in fact, al-amir (2017) claimed that communicative competence and culture are inseparable; culture is the base of all types of haggerty / emerging perspectives (2020) 22 communication; it determines the rules that govern who talks to whom, the content of the message and the manner in which one conveys the message. the findings further revealed that three lecturers had a one-month or three months’ intercultural training in either france or reunion, and one had done her doctoral studies in france. these lecturers stated that based on this training, they were able to integrate culture in their teaching of the french language. students on the other hand, perceived culture learning as the learning about the customs and traditions of the french speech community, and of culturally appropriate ways to address people from different sociocultural backgrounds (paige, jorstad, siaya, klein, & colby, 2000). this perception calls for an analysis of students’ needs at the beginning of every semester to find out students’ language needs and expectations so that the lecturers may find ways of integrating those needs in their teaching. the study also found that students faced challenges with a lack of textbooks since the department had limited copies. furthermore, students faced a problem of limited hours allocated to the learning of french, which made the practicing of the language, the retention of cultural content, and the acquisition of intercultural communicative competence challenging. to them, french is taught in an artificial environment. there is no community of practice for the french language in uganda. this is in line with moran (2001) who posited that in the classroom, one does not encounter directly another way of life; therefore, culture learning is best seen as a lived experience. conscious of this lack of a community of practice for french in uganda, the lecturers used a variety of activities/tasks depicting different communication situations to enable students to communicate and use language in a simulated environment. additionally, the lecturers mentioned that a french club met every friday, which enabled students to practice the language in a relaxing environment, watch french movies, sing songs in french, and cook french dishes, among other activities. implications from the findings, we can draw the following implications: 1. there is a need to initiate intercultural exchange programs to enable students to learn the language in a culturally authentic environment. 2. for the lecturers, there is a need for refresher courses in the area of culture teaching, foreign sojourns, and intercultural competence training for a longer duration. 3. in order to diversify classroom activities, lecturers may need to integrate computer-assisted language learning in their teaching such as the use of voiceand text-based virtual exchange with native speakers of the target language as language and culture learning tools (dema & moeller, 2012; levy, 2009). conclusion the main objective of the study was to find out how ugandan lecturers of french integrated culture in their teaching. the study found that the teaching of the french language enabled the students to appreciate the french and francophone culture(s) as well as the differences that exist between the french/francophone culture(s) and their own culture(s). this is in line with paige et al. (2000) who claimed that cultural learning does not only involve memorization of cultural facts, but also the acquisition of interactional competence, and the learning of how to learn about one’s own culture and another culture. in spite of the fact that students learn french in an environment where they do not use it in their daily interactions, the haggerty / emerging perspectives (2020) 23 lecturers use various pedagogical approaches to enable students to learn how to communicate effectively and appropriately in french. references ahmed, s. (2017). authentic elt materials in the language classroom: an overview. journal of applied linguistics and language research, 4(2), 181-202. retrieved from http://www.jallr.com/index.php/jallr/article/view/551 al-amir, b. a. (2017). female teachers’ perceptions of culture in efl classrooms at a saudi university. english language teaching, 10(6), 28-36. doi: 10.5539/elt.v10n6p28 bernard, h. r. 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(2016). open-ended questions. gesis survey guidelines. mainheim, germany: gesis leibniz institute for social sciences. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca introduction from the lead editor of the special issue: a spotlight on newcomer graduate students’ research lena barrantes university of calgary the number of newcomer students in canadian universities has increased significantly over the last two decades. this population grew over 99% between 2000 and 2011 (anderson, 2015) and the canadian bureau of international education (2018) reported that by 2017, the percentage of international students in canadian universities increased 17%. it is anticipated that this number will continue to grow as higher education institutions seek to keep their programs competitive in a globalized market (zhou & zhang, 2014). such a scenario makes the understanding of internationalization of key interest in order to enrich the newcomers’ and host country’s journey together. de wit, hunter, egron-polak, and howard (2015) explained internationalization as: the intentional process of integrating an international, intercultural or global dimension into the purpose, functions and delivery of postsecondary education, in order to enhance the quality of education and research for all students and staff, and to make a meaningful contribution to society. (p. 29) with this in mind, newcomer students in postsecondary education in canada come with a wide array of contributions. they bring intellectual and cultural capital in the form of strong connections between different countries, opportunities for communication with people from all over the world, cultural richness to host institutions, and substantial revenues in the form of higher tuition fees than domestic students. additionally, their diverse cultural perspectives, backgrounds, and worldviews add to the conversations on diversity and inclusion in education and in their respective fields. newcomer graduate students have many different reasons to undertake a rigorous program in a different country and in a different language. their reasons include the pursuit of high academic goals, in-depth immersion in academic life, acquisition of specialized knowledge, the development of strategic research skills, and broader employment opportunities. once in the host country, they all carry distinct life history that informs their decisions prior to their arrival and their participation in the new country. during their immersion process, their social integration experiences are situated within complex in-school and out-of-school practices where they usually deal with homesickness and difficulty in coping with day-to-day particularities of the new country, such as weather conditions, transportation, and financial and health care systems. added to these, social-cultural behaviours like culture shock, discriminatory practices, loss of identity and confidence, and new social customs may influence newcomer students’ experiences. guo and guo (2017) identified discrepancies between internationalization policy and practice and reported students’ challenges in academic and living environments. difficulty in making friends with local students, little internationalization of the curriculum, and problems dealing with stereotypes and racism are difficult barriers to break. as a diverse group that is ever increasing on canadian campuses, understanding newcomer students’ experiences deserves attention in order to create a comprehensive picture of their challenges barrantes / emerging perspectives (2020) iii and successes. as a newcomer student myself in canada, i felt that one way of doing this was to open a space where research that results from newcomer students’ initiatives could find a way of bonding with the canadian land. as such, i led the creation of this special issue, entitled “a spotlight on newcomer graduate students’ research”. just as the tree of togetherness on the cover of this special issue reflects the similarities and nuanced diversities of newcomer students’ stories, research shared in this issue traces authors’ home roots and invites attentive listeners and readers to see how they put down new roots in canada. for the readers of epigrep, some themes in the articles may be unfamiliar, as this special issue covers research done in three different faculties: social work, education, and school of languages, linguistics, literatures, and cultures. we invite our readers to be perceptive as these articles can enrich their understandings of newcomers’ research interests and contributions. each article in this special issue draws on different aspects of social science research in the form of a research brief. what is a research brief? for epigrep journal, a research brief is an opportunity for authors to share what they consider to be an interesting aspect of their research project. we believe research briefs are an opportunity to share a brief summary of completed or in-progress study. this type of manuscript does not report the full study findings and does not undergo the full peer-review process. for this special issue, the five research briefs navigated different topics that include experiences of immigration in canada, reintegration to the home country, repatriation, and french language teaching and learning. authors in this special issue represent a variety of cultural backgrounds whose diverse nationalities represent the common rich diversity present in canadian universities. the authors come from china, ghana, uganda and kosova. in this list of countries, costa rica, my home country, adds to the diversity as well as canada, the nationality of the two editors supporting this initiative. overview of the papers the first two articles are studies conducted in canada while the next three are situated in the newcomer students’ home country china, uganda, and kosova, respectively. the first article weaving identities: experiences of bereavement among chinese immigrants in calgary by qianyun wang and christine walsh address the lived experiences of spousal bereavement among older chinese immigrants living in calgary. their research findings, interwoven with qianyun’s own grief stories, resulted in understanding how migratory grief may contribute to vulnerability to mental health issues. this study contributed by calling for culturally appropriate bereavement supports and family/community involvement. in the second article, the experiences of ghanaian male immigrants in canada, benedict kojo otoo shares his personal struggles as an immigrant to canada and explores the stories of ghanaian men in canada looking for professional work. this paper contributes to the newcomer experience of ghanaians by calling for changes and improvements for immigration reform for skilled immigrants. in the next article, ling lei authors returning “home”? exploring the re-integration experiences of internationally educated chinese academic returnees and identifies competing powers of recognition in china that value cultural knowledge differently from canada. her contribution suggests that for sustained academic development, china’s higher education internationalization should focus attention on working on local academic community-building that recognizes and supports returnee academics’ ways of knowing and doing. barrantes / emerging perspectives (2020) iv next, harriet haggerty in her article integration of culture in the teaching of french as a foreign language at the university level in uganda uses a case study approach and shares that language and culture are interdependent and interrelated so teaching the two separately may lead to losing the essence of either language or culture. her study made a contribution to the realization that the teaching of the french language may enable the students to appreciate the french and francophone culture(s) and to identify the differences between the french/francophone culture(s) and their own culture(s). in the final article, the ‘in-betweenness’ of emerging newcomer scholars, kaltrina kusari explores how the identity of emerging newcomer scholars is shaped by transnational research. her article is informed by personal experiences when navigating tensions that emerge from living a transnational life. she suggests that the hegemony in this context relies on colonial practices that uphold western dominance, and she invites readers to be reflexive about their role in perpetuating and/or resisting hegemonic ways of being. conclusion combined, these five articles comprise the special issue of epigrep journal a spotlight on newcomer graduate students’ research, which provides what we believe is, a window to see the contribution newcomer graduate students bring to canada and to their fields. their contributions attain the internationalization purpose of enhancing the quality of education and research to make a meaningful contribution to society. the articles speak to the myriad opportunities that exist for other graduate students. as you engage with the work in this special issue, i hope you will consider the context in which the articles, the various methodologies, and this body of knowledge are taken up and applied, and bring your critical reflective practice to the process of international integration and global dimension learning of post-secondary education. references anderson, t. (2015). seeking internationalization: the state of canadian higher education. canadian journal of higher education, 45(4), 166-187. cbie (canadian bureau of international education) (2018). international students in canada. ottawa: cbie. de wit, h., hunter, f., egron-polak, e. & howard, l. (2015). internationalisation of higher education. brussels: european parliament. guo, y., & guo, s. (2017). internationalization of canadian higher education: discrepancies between policies and international student experiences. studies in higher education, 42(5), 851–868. zhou, g. & zhang, z. (2014). study of the first year international students at a canadian university: challenges and experiences with social integration. canadian and international education, 43(2), article 7. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca the ethics of self-care in higher education venise bryan, galicia blackman university of calgary in this literature review, we seek to work through the implicit dilemma of the ethics of self-care in higher education. the pressure to meet the multiple demands of higher education, alongside personal goals and diverse value-systems, can make it difficult to prioritize self-care. individuals in higher education often seek to meet their goals through self-sacrificing practices which can lead to stress and burnout. we used authentic leadership theory to present our conclusions, that self-care in higher education is an ethic, and integral to meeting higher education goals. authentic leadership promotes communion with self and the resultant effect of attaining balance. this article presents selected self-care practices which can support emotional, mental, social, and physical needs in higher education. keywords: self-care, ethics, authentic leadership, higher education, well-being bryan, v. & blackman, g. (2018). the ethics of self-care in higher education. emerging perspectives, 3(2), 14-34. i call for each of us to come to our own understanding of the importance of inner values. for it is these inner values which are the source of both an ethically harmonious world and the individual peace of mind, confidence, and happiness we all seek (bstan-dzinrgya-mtsho, dalai lama xiv, 2012, pp. 122-123). in this article, we conduct a literature review to work through the implicit dilemma of the ethics of self-care in higher education. self-care is a pattern of learned, purposeful, and continuous behaviors. it includes practices which foster, reinforce, and sustain well-being, with a focus on the soul and knowledge of the self (taylor & renpenning, 2011). higher education (he) is comprised of a wide range of students, faculty, administrative and supporting staff occupations in postsecondary educational institutions (higher education in the twenty-first century, 1998). this mixed demographic has diverse needs, goals, and responsibilities (see block-lerner & cardaciotto 2016; jungblut, vukasovic & stensaker, 2015; peseta, barrie, & mclean, 2017). the pressure to meet the multiple demands of he, alongside personal goals and diverse value-systems, can make it difficult to prioritize self-care (see christie, cree & tett, 2010; lewis, 2014; mcarthur, 2011; mccune, hounsell, rashid, omar, & shah, 2016). as such, he lifestyles which are propelled by distinctive career or academic goals may include self-sacrificing, self-compromising practices which can lead to chronic stress (see eddy & gaston-gayles, 2008; hendel & horn, 2008; bryan & blackman/ emerging perspectives (2019) 14-34 15 manathunga, selkrig, sadler, & keamy, 2017; sutton, 2017; yeo, bennett, mcnichol, & merkley, 2015). the research questions guiding our article are: what is self-care in higher education, and how can individuals in higher education practice self-care ethically? through our research process, we noticed that authentic leadership (al) theory aligns with the ethics of self-care as it places importance on understanding “the self” (gardner, cogliser, davis, & dickens, 2011). we found al useful for understanding self-care in he. al is a pattern of transparent and ethical behaviors with emphasis on the extent to which individuals are true to their selves, their values, and their beliefs (avolio & gardner, 2005; avolio, walumbwa, & weber, 2009). al principles can bring about greater self-awareness and self-development (rego, sousa, marques, & cunha, 2012). al encourages balance (vitello-cicciu, weatherford, gemme, glass, & seymour-route, 2014), thus reducing burnout (rego et al., 2012). balance is a state of peace, equilibrium, and stability (fave, brdar, freire, vella-brodrick, & wissing, 2011; merriam-webster, 2017). in this literature review, balance in he refers to the ability to achieve and sustain a state of equilibrium. we consider equilibrium in terms of emotional, mental, social, and physical well-being. we began our research through the lens of what self-care meant to us in our service professions, leadership histories in our work contexts, and many years of experience as students, using a reflective analytical approach (bolton, 2014). we conducted a comprehensive literature search through books, online journals, online databases including sage, taylor and francis, and google scholar, using the key terms: “self-care, ethics,” with the inclusion criteria of “higher education.” we also consulted online bookstores for the most frequently reviewed books on ethics and self-care. we used an analytical approach which identifies themes in the literature (braun & clarke, 2006). the emergent themes aligned with health-care connotations of self-care. health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (world health organization [who], 2017). therefore, we framed our analysis of the literature through who’s definition of health, and we categorized self-care practices into mental, emotional, social, and physical habits which are essential to well-being throughout the he context. we present a review of literature about challenges in he, the ethics of self-care, and then we consider what the al theoretical framework offers in order to understand the ethics of selfcare. finally, we present a self-care plan which is guided by al principles. we include a wide range of references for this review so that readers can turn to relevant resources to build an individualized plan which is supported by research. challenges of higher education according to education executive, strikwerda (2015), the top challenges facing he are raising graduation rates, setting high standards, improving the training of academic administrative leadership, fostering responsible board governance, meeting the federal expectations, and financing renovation. health and wellness are not in those top six, much less self-care. however, he makes multiple demands on students, faculty, and staff, who all have to balance personal and professional concerns (dea, 2012). sound health can be a challenge for individuals in he (abouserie, 2006; block-lerner & cardaciotto, 2016), as there is an ongoing risk of stress and burnout. bryan & blackman/ emerging perspectives (2019) 14-34 16 burnout is most often described as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and poor personal accomplishment resulting from chronic exposure to stress (ahola, toppinen-tanner, & seppanen, 2017; freudenberge, 1975; pervez & halbesleben, 2017). in he, it is a risk factor for staff (freudenberger & richelson, 1981; gold, 1988; jiang, tripp, & hong, 2017; kyriacou, 2006) and students (cortes, mostert, & els, 2014; dyrbye & shanafelt, 2016; galbraith & merrill, 2012; jacoby, smith, pellosie, & lamparella, 2016; olwage & mostert, 2014; stoeber, childs, hayward, & feast, 2010). challenges for faculty high student to faculty ratio is one of the causes for burnout among faculty in he (blix, cruise, mitchell, & blix, 1994). research conducted in the united states, showed that 20% of 265 university faculty members reported burnout, with more female faculty members experiencing emotional exhaustion, and men showing higher mean depersonalization (lackritz, 2004). in another study, faculty members often complained about the many demands placed on their time, and the resultant impact on the quality of their teaching, they still strove for excellence (birkhead, 2010). furthermore, students have declared that their academic performance is enhanced when they have increased access to faculty (bryan, weaver, anderson-johnson, & lindo, 2013), and positive interactions with their academic and administrative teams (graunke & woosley, 2005). therefore, when faculty attempt to provide good service, in addition to multiple work demands, they increase their risk for burnout. further stresses include fewer tenured jobs, and limited permanent job opportunities (canadian association of university teachers [caut], 2015). this lack of job security has contributed to increased stress among aspiring academics, and it can be exacerbated with crises such as the move to lay off 15% of academic staff from a canadian university (caut, 2016). additionally, funds assigned to research funding agencies have been reduced by 25-30%, making it more difficult for faculty and students to access financial resources to support their research programs (caut, 2013). therefore, the perception of minimal resources for too many people leads to increased competition and stress (doughty, 2016). universities might have traditionally been regarded as low stress environments, but research on occupational stress among academics has indicated that stress is alarmingly widespread and on the rise (levecque, anseel, de, van, & gisle, 2017). stress can be exacerbated when individuals have to put personal goals on hold to meet he goals. while he seeks to fosters knowledge advancement and human development through research communities, staff often have to sacrifice pursuing a family, or achieving other personal goals outside of academia (mason, wolfinger, & goulden, 2013). research among australian faculty reported that 51% placed other life goals on hold, in favor of an academic career, and 56% said their job was a source of stress (mcinnis, 1999). a career in academia is now ranked as the third most stressful in canada (doughty, 2016). challenges for students like faculty, students have reported increased stress and burnout due to academic and financial demands associated with he (cox, schmitt, bobrowski, & graham, 2005). one in two phd students experiences psychological distress, and one in three is at risk of a common psychiatric disorder (levecque, et al., 2017). in a 2016 survey of canadian university students, bryan & blackman/ emerging perspectives (2019) 14-34 17 90% of respondents reported feeling overwhelmed by all they had to do, over 40% reported stress as the number one impact on their academic performance, and 71% wanted more information on stress reduction (alberta canada reference group, 2016). the demands to score high on assessments, complete research, and mentor other students, have resulted in a culture of action and behaviors that students do not genuinely want to perform (hewlin, 2003). this tends to lead to further stress, burnout, emotional exhaustion, and an increased rate of attrition, due to the conflicting tensions that students experience (jairam & kahl jr., 2012). similarly, wisker (2012) pointed out that students often feel pressured due to their perceptions of low status, their lack of power and control, the demands of a high workload, the financial burdens, and the sense of competition. these pressures are compounded by deadlines, volunteering, and other extracurricular activities that are strongly suggested for academic progress, success, growth, and development (devine & hunter, 2016). a student’s natural inclination is to excel at all costs especially if they are committed to the degree program (willcoxson, cotter, & joy, 2011), therefore, self-care needs may be postponed. considering these stresses for staff and students, self-care in he is a priority for action. self-care is necessary to create balance and prevent burnout (tan & castillo, 2014). brems (2000) described this balance as being able to meet the demands of our jobs, relationships, personal growth, and holistic health and well-being. the ethics of self-care self-care is a matter of survival as it sustains and fosters good health (taylor & renpenning, 2011). it is also an ethic, to ensure that one can function responsibly, especially in relation to others. ethics is the study of “oughts” and relationships, including how we ought to relate to ourselves, to others, and to the earth (marino, 2010). it is useful to think of these “oughts” as a code of values to guide an individual’s choices and actions, which then determine “the purpose and the course” of one’s life (rand, 1964, pp. 188-190). values are wide-ranging even in a singular context. they project into actions and prompt debate as to what is acceptable conduct, and what is right or wrong. values in ethics can veer into complex directions when individuals confront uncomfortable scenarios, and they have to make tough choices. in he teaching and research, ethics matter when individuals have to negotiate between their core values and principles, requiring compromise with communally held beliefs, and the peculiarities of individual situations (healey et al., 2013). that is a potential cause for personal tension between beliefs and actions. that tension increases when individuals have to prioritize community values, and academic or professional goals, over self-care needs. however, the ethics of care respects the claims of the particular, which happens in relationships with others, and calls into question, the universalistic and abstract rules of the dominant (held, 2006). by extension, the ethics of self-care respects the particular, even the personal, sometimes over the universal and dominant. contrary to common beliefs, the personal aspect of self-care is not an indulgent, escapist time to engage in mindless pleasure-seeking (white, 2014). self-care is an ethic because it is a social responsibility. it is a duty to care for the self, because it allows one to be a responsible citizen (foucault, 1997). it requires knowing the “self” and knowing rules of acceptable conduct or principles (foucault, martin, gutman, & hutton, 1988). these principles are not preset values, but an interior life which must be worked out by an individual, in order to be able to act responsibly. it is work, requiring effort, because as the dalai lama cautions, “our inner lives are something we ignore at our own peril, and many of the greatest bryan & blackman/ emerging perspectives (2019) 14-34 18 problems we face in today’s world are the result of such neglect” (bstan-dzin-rgya-mtsho, 2012, pp. 78-79). responsible, ethical self-care begins with facing the inner life and knowing the self. that is the basis for turning to al, to frame how individuals in he may practice ethical self-care. al emphasizes self-knowledge as essential to ethical leadership of self and others. it can help to foster resilience and balance in he. some occupations embed self-care within the work ethic. conscious and purposeful selfcare in some human service occupations is an “ethical duty” if professionals are expected to provide good treatment to clients (williams et al., 2010, p. 322). in that sense, self-care is a way of acting responsibly to others. after all, irvine (2009, p. 127) asked, “how can we hope to care for others if we, ourselves, are crippled by ill health, burnout, or resentment?” norcross and barnett (2007) argued that self-care goes beyond the management of such problems, and encompasses action to prevent difficulties from even occurring. likewise, for professionals and students in he, self-care can be seen a means to preempt stress and challenges. self-care is a continuous, proactive process for sustaining well-being throughout student life or career development. it requires self-knowledge and strength of effort (braime, 2013). this article proposes that al offers individuals an ethical way of organizing self-care practices, which can sustain well-being. these perspectives on self-care resonated with us because we hail from teaching and nursing professions, which place emphasis on service to others. in our professional histories, we have found that compassion fatigue and stress can challenge self-care efforts. further to that, we recognized that such perspectives on the ethics of self-care are just as relevant for us as he students. students’ work, assignments, and school demands pose similar stress risks to the professionals in he. at the start of our research we thought of self-care as taking a break to treat the self, relax, or grab a moment to unwind from busy routines, distinguishable from medical selfcare which is about managing illness. in reviewing the literature, we came to recognize that selfcare is proactive and planned. it is certainly health-care, and it requires tremendous discipline for success (braime, 2013). to that end, we devised a self-care plan which a range of readers can use in their individualized situations in he. this plan is the outcome of our reflective analytical approach to this literature review (bolton, 2014), and our recognition that self-care is not reactionary or interrupting crisis and burnout, but an intentional process to preempt crisis in he. limitations the limitation of our literature review is that it cannot offer recommendations for all the self-care needs of every demographic in the he contexts. self-care practices are not generalizable (braime, 2013). they are personalized actions which are shaped by one’s values. self-care has an experiential component in that it includes reflection and action in conjunction with real world encounters. it requires a kind of “self-critical, self-reflective, self-transformative” attitude to the self, and relationships with others, in a deliberate “way of thinking that is itself a practice, an exercise, or an activity that serves also to guide subsequent action” (hroch, 2013, p. 5). from that lens, this article posits that self-care is value-driven and action-directed. the dilemma of self-care may be the tension between values and actions which are in conflict, or values which contradict each other. it can also be the tension in meeting he professional or academic goals, through actions which may clash with attending to all of one’s basic needs. we propose that al can help with that tension. bryan & blackman/ emerging perspectives (2019) 14-34 19 self-care within the authentic leadership framework self-care is the performance or practice of activities that individuals initiate and perform on their own behalf to maintain life, health, and well-being (denyes, orem, & bekel, 2001, p. 249). it requires planning, because it explicitly includes the complex processing of self-awareness and self-regulation, balancing connections between the self and others, and balancing connections with the larger community through civic and professional involvement (baker, 2003). this complex process facilitates holistic wellness. al is a useful theoretical framework for fostering well-being and self-development in he, because it attends to self-awareness and self-regulation as a means of promoting and maintaining resilience (avolio, gardner, walumbwa, luthans, & may, 2004). al draws upon positive ethical climates and psychological capital such as hope, resilience, self-efficacy, and self-confidence, to promote leadership and self-development (dimovski, ferjan, marič, uhan, jovanović, & janežič, 2012). al can facilitate self-leadership which is necessary for effective self-care (clapp-smith, vogelgesang, & avey, 2009). when one adopts an al framework in one’s life, it helps to create balance and avoid burnout (laschinger, wong, & grau, 2013). research shows the benefits of al: a professional reported that al helped her to manage guilt about her inability to work longer hours, she ceased comparing herself to co-workers who could work longer, and she prevented burnout by attaining balance between her work and family life (vitello-cicciu et al., 2014). a similar study reported that al assists people through its positive effects on “occupational coping self-efficacy” with job demands, and the development of resilience and practices to protect against burnout and poor mental health (laschinger, borgogni, consiglio, & read, 2015). al has also been shown to improve individuals’ well-being, job satisfaction, and learning (bamford, wong, & laschinger, 2013). elements of the authentic leadership theory the al construct has four dimensions: self-awareness, balanced processing, internalized moral perspective, and relational transparency. self-awareness in al refers to the extent to which individuals understand their sense-making of the world, their personal strengths and limitations, and their impact on others (ilies, morgeson, & nahrgang, 2005). the individual addresses questions such as: who am i, what are my values, what is my purpose, what drives me, are my actions consistent with what i value, how do others see me, and is this consistent with how i wish to be seen (shirey, 2015, para. 15). self-awareness can inform balanced processing, which is the ability for individuals to analyze data before coming to a decision, with the willingness and openness to seek out views which challenge one’s fundamental positions (walumbwa, avolio, gardner, wernsing, & peterson, 2008). balanced processing harnesses an internalized moral perspective. an internalized moral perspective refers to an individual’s ability to set a high standard for moral and ethical conduct (avolio et al., 2004). this standard manifests in ethical decisions, behaviors, and interactions with others (waite, mckinney, smith-glasgow, & meloy, 2014). also, this standard comes from the individual’s virtues, where intentionality about developing a particular attitude is purposefully strengthened and developed through all interactions (ciulla & forsyth, 2011). an internalized moral perspective helps individuals remain true to their core values. the “authentic” individual acts on personal values and convictions, and by doing what they say they are going to do, they earn respect, trust, and credibility for adhering to their beliefs (wilson, 2014). when actions are aligned with an internalized moral perspective, then one minimizes the tensions bryan & blackman/ emerging perspectives (2019) 14-34 20 which may exist between actions and values (gardner, avolio, & walumbwa, 2005). these al principles strengthen relational transparency. relational transparency is a concept which describes the extent to which an individual can present the true self to others, and by doing so, is open to others being true to themselves (rego, sousa, marques, & cunha, 2012). therefore, although al addresses individual self-management and wellness, this self-management is in relation to strong connections with other people. for individuals in he, these al principles can offer ways of managing or aligning he duties and responsibilities with one’s needs, values, and principles. al can be a strategic approach to ethical self-care in he, as al places emphasis on knowing and developing the self. this is not an individualistic course of action, but part of ethical relations with others. an al outlook encourages individuals to prioritize and schedule necessary activities to care for the self and enhance self-development, so they can be the “best self” possible and function at an optimum state. discussion: a practical application of an authentic leadership self-care plan epimeleia from the greek “melete” means exercise or meditation, and connotes a care for the self or “heautou,” that suggests a practice requiring work, repetition, attention, and effort of body and mind (hroch, 2013, p. 3). we examined a range of examples of self-care practices and resources for he, then we applied the research questions to ourselves, in a self-study process (lassonde, galman, & kosnik, 2009) to ask: what is self-care in he for me, and how can i practice self-care ethically? our analysis of self-care practices from a range of sources led us to frame the al dimensions as questions: 1. self-awareness: what is optimum emotional, mental, social, and physical wellness for me? 2. balanced processing: what are the resources to help me foster and sustain this wellness by incorporating sensible self-care practices into my agenda? 3. internalized moral perspective: how do these self-care practices harness my core values to help me achieve balance with myself and others? 4. relational transparency: how can i hold myself accountable to my colleagues, peers, mentees, and mentors in he; family and friends in my domestic life; wider community? we recommend these questions as the start of a template for a self-care plan. such a plan can be part of an orientation package for new students. it can also be part of routine professional development activities for employees in he. we aligned the al dimensions to strategic emotional, mental, social, and physical selfcare practices (table 1). the table is a practical application of al. it highlights some self-care practices which have been helpful in our experiences in he, as students, and as instructors. some sections of the plan include practices which are already mastered habits. good habits should not be omitted from a self-care plan. as part of self-awareness, they can be strengthened, or recognized for their roles in sustaining well-being. then there are practices which are goals. we recommend filling out a few sections which need the most attention. guise (2004) is a self-help resource with strategies to transform goals into mini-habits. mini-habits can eventually become long-lasting, healthy habits. this plan does not specify timelines for executing goals. however, a smart goal strategy (lawlor, 2012) can support the inclusion of a time-frame for accomplishing these goals. bryan & blackman/ emerging perspectives (2019) 14-34 21 staff and students can turn to their he institution for further resources to strengthen support in those areas. table 1 exemplar of an authentic leadership self-care plan for students or professionals in he authentic leadership elements emotional mental social physical self-awareness what is optimum wellness for me? reflection meditation decluttering calendar events basic needs: exercise, sleep, medical checkups, sensible nutrition goal habit mastery yes yes yes needs improvement balanced processing what are the resources to help me foster and sustain wellness? spiritual practices mindfulness family-time consult a financial planner sanitation and safe dwelling spaces goal habit mastery yes yes yes yes internalized moral perspective: how do these practices harness my core values to have balance with myself and others? selfempathy purposeful allocate a set time for play resume planning sports goal habit mastery yes needs improvement yes needs improvement bryan & blackman/ emerging perspectives (2019) 14-34 22 relational transparency how can i hold myself accountable to my others in my life? emotional regulation generosityvolunteer network eco-practicesrecycling goal habit mastery yes needs improvement yes yes self-awareness is important in all categories of self-care, as individuals need to understand where they stand in order to develop and adhere to an effective self-care plan. balanced processing is evident in all self-care categories in terms of being mindful of the necessary resources to achieve self-care goals. an internalized moral perspective helps individuals protect the time carved out to practice self-care, in order to achieve maximum results. when individuals hold themselves to ethical standards, they can be true to themselves in their efforts to achieve personal and professional goals for self-care. relational transparency serves as a way to harness support for these goals. individuals can identify someone, or a small trusted team to whom they will be accountable. this fourth dimension of al solidifies commitment to self-care goals through the support and trust of others. the following section presents examples of self-care practices which can be part of a comprehensive self-care plan. just as students plan out their course schedules for the semesters ahead, or instructors and staff plan ways to implement occupational goals for the year, this sampling can help to shape a self-care plan, instead of leaving self-care to chance. possible pathways to holistic self-care emotional self-care emotional self-care is an approach to wellness which fosters, reinforces, and sustains healthy emotional states for those studying and working in he. he is a center of intellectual work that sometimes excludes emotion and adding emotion to public academic talk can be perceived as a threat to academic enterprise (berg & seeber, 2016; neumann, 2006). furthermore, there are ongoing challenges to emotional composure in terms of stressful interpersonal encounters, and urgent program requirements, in research or evaluations, for instructors and students (bloch, 2012). reflection (miller & mcgowen, 2010; valente & marotta, 2005; irvine, 2009), spiritual practices (baker, 2002; flarity, gentry, & mesnikoff, 2013; yoder, 2010), emotional regulation (christou-champi, farrow, & webb, 2015; koole & rothermund, 2011), and selfempathy (robinson et al., 2016; neff & pommier, 2013), are some of the ways to manage risks to emotional wellness. awareness of the emotional states which could sabotage he goals and practicing our management of these states, is sound he resilience (woods, 2009). emotional wellness is about showing kindness to oneself just as one might show care and concern to a friend (robinson et al.., 2016). students and professionals in he can turn to the following resources for optimizing emotional self-care: bryan & blackman/ emerging perspectives (2019) 14-34 23 • self-care list: how to take care of your self while learning about oppression (with unaware people) by fabian romero (romero, n. d.) • everything is awful and i'm not okay: questions to ask before giving up by eponis (eponis, n. d.) mental self-care mental self-care practices are vital to combatting stress and burnout that may be associated with he (university at buffalo, 2017). deficiencies in practicing mental self-care may result in stress, negative self-talk, anxiety, worry, and withdrawal (the crisis intervention and suicide prevention centre of bc, 2013). this can occur because he has several “important” activities that are competing for time. the decision to make carefully scheduled time to care for the self and put other matters on hold, can also create some mental tension (tan & castillo, 2014). managing this tension requires mental fortitude. it may be a constant inner battle and individuals may feel so overwhelmed that they decide to put more time into completing tasks or meeting the needs of others, rather than being involved in self-care (fowler, 2015). however, some sensible mental self-care includes practices such as meditation (pembrook, 2016), mindfulness (kabat-zinn, 2005), generosity (fowler, 2015; maloney, 2014), and purposeful decision making (tan & castillo, 2014; university of michigan, 2016). these practices can help people to become less defensive, unbiased, even-tempered, and this can lead to increased mental perceptual acuity (valente & marotta, 2005). increased mental perceptual acuity is an asset in he. students and professionals in he can turn to the following resources for optimizing mental self-care: • the daily relaxer, by matthew mckay and patrick fanning (mckay & fanning, 2006) • online resources: homewood health employee and family assistance plan and mindcheck.ca (university of calgary, 2017) social self-care social self-care in he is strategic decision-making to ensure that social encounters are meeting one’s he goals while fostering wellness and managing stress risks. academic work can be lonely and isolating (wilshire, 1990). conversely, the pressure to participate in a range of social activities can be overwhelming, time-consuming, and financially demanding. time is critical to he success (grove, 2017). social supports can strengthen the he experience (wilcox, winn, & fyvie‐gauld, 2005). social wellness can include planning one’s resume or a professional dossier, much like the teaching dossier (kenny and berenson, 2014), legal and financial planning using smart goals (lawlor, 2012), or accessing financial supports, time management in terms of networking or social budgeting (davenport & scott, 2016), and critical friends (braun, 2017; costa & kallick, 1993). these are just a few of the ways one can work towards academic and professional goals, while maintaining balance and resilience. volunteering is one of the networking strategies that can strengthen a dossier while providing social engagement. these selected examples of social selfcare can harness resources and strengthen healthy relationships with others. effective, ethical selfcare, or epimeleia heatou, sometimes requires attending to the lessons of a master in terms of support from a trusted guide, counselor, or friend (foucault, 1997, p. 287). students and professionals in he can turn to the following resources for optimizing social self-care: • self-care 101: a guide to nourish and flourish team you by shelley hunterhillesheim (hunter-hillesheim, 2016). • online resource: free financial and legal services such as money mentors.ca (money mentors, n. d). bryan & blackman/ emerging perspectives (2019) 14-34 24 physical self-care he poses several risks to physical well-being. he can contribute to sedentary lifestyles, as well as poor nutrition and sleeping habits, for both students and professionals (buckworth & nigg 2010; yang, an, & zhu, 2016). physical self-care includes practices such as exercise, sleep, medical checkups, sensible nutrition, responsible sexual habits and substance use, maintenance of sanitary, comfortable dwelling spaces, and protective measures from criminality. these practices tend to primary physiological needs so individuals can find a wealth of traditional, well documented, scientifically supported resources for physical wellness, in most he wellness departments. yet physical wellness can go beyond these traditional principles of wellness. physical self-care can also include practices which ensure a balanced relationship with the physical, natural environment whether it is in terms of exercising in the outdoors, or seeking outdoor nature spaces for peace and restoration, or even relationships with pets. for others, it can be activism in eco-conscious aspects of their lives. although more research is needed to better describe relationships between the body in the natural environment and how environmental awareness becomes embodied (humberstone, 2013), individuals who make environmentally friendly choices in various aspects of their daily lives, often articulate their decisions (eating, travelling, home heating), in terms of how these decisions impact their lives and the environment (hroch, 2013). this aspect of physical wellness is increasingly making its way in traditional guidelines for meeting physiological needs for wellness, however, ordinary practices which are considered “environmentally-friendly” ways of eating, managing waste, using energy, or traveling are complex (hroch, 2013). they raise the intersections of ethical self-care and eco-ethics (gasper, 2014). this is an area of research, which the academic literature does not represent fully, but it is worth exploring beyond this article, as a facet of physical wellness. students and professionals in he can turn to the following resources for optimizing physical self-care: • an appropriate, trusted book for one’s physical needs or see the comprehensive online resource: mindbodygreen (mind body green, n. d.). • online resources: (caster, 2014; elrick, 2016) or apps such as boosterbuddy (booster buddy, n. d.) most he institutions have dedicated resources for online reference support. some he wellness centers that we have identified from our online scan include, the university of british columbia online resources (the university of british columbia, 2017), mcmaster university has a range of online resources for faculty and students (mcmaster university, 2017), university of calgary, wellness centre and mental health services (university of calgary, 2017), and university at buffalo self-care online resources (university at buffalo, 2017). we also encourage he members to contact your institution’s local wellness centre for personalized self-care guidance. conclusion this article was guided by a critical-reflective approach to the literature. we sought to address self-care in he, and the ways in which students, instructors, and staff can practice selfcare ethically. when we began this research, we were drawn to the tension between self-care and he education goals for students and academics. through this research process we came to realize that a self-care plan is not a self-indulgent course of activities; an excuse to avoid responsibilities and miss deadlines; a justification for inappropriate workplace behaviors; a self-isolating activity; or a dabble with fashionable self-help trends without a commitment to one's needs. a self-care plan is hard work. considering the level of discipline required to make self-care work, some bryan & blackman/ emerging perspectives (2019) 14-34 25 individuals may find it difficult to practice care of the self while pursuing academic or career goals in he. through our review of al as a means to practice self-care, we realized that he goals and self-care goals do not need to stand in opposition. they can and should co-exist, to strengthen and support each other. we recommend al as a series of principles to guide imperative self-care. al reiterates the ethics of self-care. al shows that responsible, ethical self-care begins with knowing the self, practicing the self, and becoming the self. self-care is an ethic in itself. it is a duty, a necessity, and a responsibility to well-being. he has a range of risks, which can lead to attrition or illness. proactively practicing self-care can manage and preempt these risks. the ethics of self-care, inherently means that the sense of duty to self, is a way of being dutiful to others. self-care occurs in relation to others, and so do the implications of ill health, poor finances, and emotional suffering, especially to our loved ones. 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(2010). compassion fatigue in nurses. applied nursing research, 23(4), 191-197. doi:10.1016/j.apnr.2008.09.003 emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca corresponding author: mina.didehvar@ucalgary.ca the relationship between identity styles and career indecision among iranian female adolescents mina didehvar & kaori wada university of calgary this study investigated the relationship between identity styles and career indecision among iranian female adolescents. a total of 126 female high school students aged 15 to 18 completed farsi versions of the berzonsky’s identity style questionnaire (isq-6g) and the career decision questionnaire (cdq). participants’ responses were examined using descriptive statistics and correlational analysis. our findings demonstrated that both informative and normative identity styles were negatively associated with career indecision, whereas diffuse-avoidant identity style was positively associated with career indecision. we interpreted the results in the context of iranian career literature, career development theories, identity formation theories, and the contradicting findings from an earlier study with american counterparts. finally, we discussed implications for career education and counselling. keywords: iranian adolescents, career indecision, identity formation didehvar, m., & wada, k. (2020). the relationship between identity styles and career indecision among iranian female adolescents. emerging perspectives, 4(2), 106-112. identity formation refers to the development of a dynamic inner structure comprised of a coherent and authentic self (marcia, 1980). according to erikson (1963) adolescence is a stage in this process that is characterized by identity versus role confusion, meaning that individuals at this stage will actively search for ideologies, activities, and social relationships to answer questions such as, “who am i?”, “who am i becoming?”, and “who do i want to be?”. those who fail to find answers to these questions may in turn experience role confusion (erikson, 1968). marcia (1966) built on erikson’s notion of identity crisis (i.e., role confusion) during adolescence by elaborating on the importance of exploration and commitment in the process of identity formation. that is, individuals need to explore societal and familial beliefs to find their own values, goals, and vocation, and subsequently become personally committed to their choices. further building on marcia’s conceptualization of identity formation, berzonsky (1990) introduced the identity style model, which describes an individual’s social-cognitive responses to identity crisis and divides the process of identity formation into three different styles. first, people with an informative style actively construct their identity by seeking out and evaluating information relevant to their sense of self. they are self-reflective, interested in learning new aspects about themselves, and willing to evaluate and modify their identity structure in light of new information. second, a normative style refers to individuals who construct their identity didehvar & wada emerging perspectives (2020) 107 based on their internalized societal and familial norms. by conforming to the expectations of others and the society, their identity may be distorted and undifferentiated from that of others (berzonsky, 1992). lastly, individuals with a diffuse-avoidant style attempt to avoid confronting identity questions and conflicts (berzonsky, 1994). they procrastinate when making decisions, but when they have to, they tend to do so on a short-term basis without long-term commitment or exploring their values and belief systems. identity formation plays a key role in an individual’s decision-making process, including career decisions (berzonsky, cieciuch, duriez, & soenens, 2011). in fact, constructs related to self and identity are central to major theories of career development. having a clear self-concept facilitates the successive selection of environments that fit people’s interests and values (holland, 1997). individuals implement their self-concept and take on different life roles as they move along the stages of career exploration, establishment, maintenance, and disengagement (super, 1951). furthermore, self-efficacy, or a sense of competency in particular areas, predicts career interests, choices, and performance (lent, brown, & hackett, 1994). additionally, research has demonstrated associations between career indecision and negative career outcomes. for example, career indecision among college students has been correlated with high levels of anxiety, difficulty choosing a major and selecting courses (germeijs & verschueren, 2011; germeijs,verschueren, & soenens, 2006), and a lower sense of purpose and meaning (miller & rottinghaus, 2014). in contrast to the literature on career decision making in euro-american countries, there is still a dearth of research in other contexts, including the middle-east. in particular, there is a need for research on career decision making among iranian youth. this demographic has been reported to have a high rate of difficulty in making career decisions (e.g., 85% in a sample of iranian undergraduate students; fadaei nasab, 2012). yet, at the time of writing this article, we did not come across formal studies and reports of career indecision in relation to their identity formation. soliemanian, darrodi, and golpich (2013) employed berzonsky’s identity styles to explore iranian university students’ global sense of career development and found that having an informative identity style was positively correlated with career development, while a diffuseavoidant identity style was negatively correlated with career development. despite this, their study did not explore career indecision specifically. therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether identity styles are associated with career indecision in iranian adolescents. method using a convenience sampling method, the first author recruited participants through classroom visits at a public girls-only high school located in karaj, iran, which she had access to through a partnership established by her university. upon providing parental consent, 126 iranian female students aged 15 to 18 (m= 16.6) (table 1) completed the farsi versions of the following measures in their classrooms. we examined their responses using descriptive statistics and correlational analysis. measures the study used the farsi translation of the sixth-grade version of the identity style inventory (isi-6g; ; ghazanfari, 2003; white, wampler, & winn, 1998). white et al. (1998) developed this version based on the original isi for college students (berzonsky, 1989, 1992a), didehvar & wada emerging perspectives (2020) 108 but with simpler language suitable for adolescents and people with reading difficulties. the isi6g consists of 40 items with responses on a 5-point likert-type scale, ranging from 1= strongly disagree to 5= strongly disagree. the items are grouped into three identity subscales: informative, normative, and diffuse-avoidant. the farsi translation of the isi-6g scale was developed and standardized by ghazanfari (2003), who reported a cronbach's alpha of .68 for the overall sample of his study. farsinejad (2004) also reported cronbach's alpha coefficients of .77, .60, and .66 for the informative, normative, and diffuse-avoidant subscales, respectively. table 1 participants’ demographic information age grade n 15 9 20 16 10 20 17 11 74 18 12 8 n= 126 originally developed by osipow, carney, and barak (1976), the career decision scale (cds) – farsi translation (karimi, 2008) is used in career counselling to identify an individual’s career decision making difficulties. the scale consists of 18 items, two of which examine career choice certainty while the remaining 16 measure career indecision. for the purpose of this study, only the career indecision composite score, which is comprised of the total score of the latter 16 items, was used. sample items include: “several careers have equal appeal to me”; “i’m having a difficult time deciding among them”, and “i can't make a career choice right now because i don't know what my abilities are”. the items are scored on a 4-point likert scale, ranging from 1 = not at all like me to 4 = exactly like me. karimi (2008) reported a cronbach’s alpha of .92 in a sample of iranian college students. results table 2 summarizes the means, standard deviations, and correlations among the research variables. we performed pearson correlations to test whether participants’ identity styles were correlated with their scores on the career indecision scale. results indicated that having an informative style was negatively correlated with career indecision, with r(124) = -.208, p = .02, suggesting that adolescents who scored higher on an informative identity style were likely to be certain about their career decisions. similarly, a normative identity style was negatively correlated with career indecision, with r(124) = -.254, p =.004, meaning that adolescents higher on a normative identity style were also likely to be certain about their career decisions. lastly, our results found a positive relationship between diffuse-avoidant identity style and career indecision, with r(124) = .222, p =.01, meaning that adolescents with this identity style were likely to be indecisive about their career decisions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/open_central_unrounded_vowel didehvar & wada emerging perspectives (2020) 109 discussion the purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between identity styles and career indecision among iranian adolescents. the results suggested that iranian adolescents who scored higher on an informative identity style, that is, those who actively seek out information to establish their identity, were less likely to experience difficulty with careers decisions. in addition, adolescents who are higher on a diffuse-avoidant identity style reported higher levels of career indecision. these results are consistent with berzonsky’s conceptualization of informative and diffuse-avoidant identity styles, as well as empirical findings from samples of american adolescents (vondracek, schulenberg, skorikov, gillespie, & wahlheim, 1995) and iranian university students (soliemanian et al., 2013). on the other hand, participants in this study who were conforming to normative expectations and standards (i.e., a normative identity style) reported less difficulty making career decisions. this finding is inconsistent with vondracek et al’s (1995) study, which reported that american adolescents with a normative identity style were no different from those with diffuse-avoidant style in their inability to make career decisions. table 2 means, standard deviations, and correlations among the research variables variables 1 2 3 4 m sd 1. informative style – .459** .057* -.208* 36.2 6.4 2. normative style – .47* -.254** 31.4 5.2 3. diffuse-avoidant style – .222* 28.7 7.1 4. career indecision – 39.7 8.1 note. n= 126 *p<.05, **p<.01 the difference between iranian and american adolescents may be due to the fact that iranian students live in a collectivistic culture. hofstede’s (2001) research on dimensions of culture indicated that iranians endorse collectivistic values, such as loyalty, benevolence, and preserving group unity, and view negatively individualistic values such as autonomy. with high levels of loyalty to family and in-group orientation (yeganeh, 2011), iranian adolescents are expected to incorporate societal and familial values and norms in their decision making, which is thought to fulfil individual needs and desires (assadi et al., 2007; beeman, 1986; javidan & dastmalchian, 2003). although berzonsky (1992) conceptualized a normative identity as maladaptive, “distorted and undifferentiated” (p. 772), this conceptualization may be based on western individualistic values and may not apply to other populations such as iranian adolescents. didehvar & wada emerging perspectives (2020) 110 as preliminary research on identity styles and career indecision with this population, the results of this study have implications for career education and counselling. educators and counsellors need to take into consideration their adolescent clients’ identity formation style while providing them with career counselling. effective interventions with iranian adolescents may include the exploration of undiscovered aspects of their identities and their fit with social and familial norms in a culturally sensitive manner. this includes not assuming that a normative identity is a sign of maladjustment or underdevelopment. adolescents with a diffuse-avoidant style may benefit from tasks that gently expose them to career issues in order to reduce their anxiety and increase their self-efficacy in career decision-making. this study is not without limitations. first, we obtained our sample from a high school to which the first author had access, and that happened to be a girls-only high school. as we obtained a convenience sample of 126 female students, the results are not generalizable to iranian adolescents as a whole. second, the psychometric properties of the farsi version of the isi-6g have not been extensively studied, and what has been reported so far is not robust (ghazanfari, 2003). future studies should attempt to obtain a more representative sample and use psychometrically superior instruments. given the results of this study, future research that is particularly needed would be investigations into whether or not conforming to social and familial expectations indeed leads to personal fulfilment among iranian adolescents, and when it does not how they negotiate their career decisions in their cultural contexts. conclusion this study sought to fill a gap in career development research by examining the relationships between career indecisions and identity styles among a sample of iranian female adolescents. while the relationships between career indecision and a diffusive-avoidant identity (positive correlation) and an informative identity style (negative correlation) were consistent with the findings of an american counterpart (vondracek et al., 1995), the negative correlation between a normative identity style and career indecision was inconsistent with the finding with an american sample. this raises a question about an assumption embedded in bersonsky’s conceptualization that normative identity style is maladaptive and an indication of immature development. however, given the limitations of this study, the results should be interpreted tentatively. further studies are warranted in order to test the validity of identity models as well as their application in culturally sensitive career education and counselling. references assadi, s. m., zokaei, n., kaviani, h., mohammadi, m. r., ghaeli, p., gohari, m. r., et al. 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(1995). the relationship of identity status to career indecision during adolescence. journal of adolescence, 18(1), 17-29. https://doi.org/10.1006/jado.1995.1003 white, j. m., wampler, r. s., & winn, k. i. (1998). the identity style inventory: a revision with a sixth-grade reading level (isi-6g). journal of adolescent research, 13, 223–245. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0743554898132007 yeganeh, h. (2011). the “great satan” talks with the “evil”: a cross cultural analysis of the american-iranian communication/negotiation styles. international journal of conflict management, 22(3), 219-238. https://doi.org/10.1108/10444061111152946 https://doi.org/10.1006/jado.1995.1003 http://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1177/0743554898132007 method measures results discussion conclusion references template pme28 emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca vocational training for adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder: effectiveness of the practical assessment exploration system (paes) amanda smith-demers, adam w. mccrimmon, katrina s. shaw university of calgary there are few specific, validated vocational training programs for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (asd). the practical assessment exploration system (paes) is a functional vocational skills training tool that teaches and measures vocational potential in individuals with developmental disabilities. this project utilized a mixed methods approach to better understand the effectiveness of paes in enhancing the vocational abilities of twelve adolescents and young adults with asd. results indicated a statistically significant improvement in vocational skill and behaviour after completing paes. additional qualitative interviews with parents and attendees highlighted four primary themes: strengths, benefits derived, limitations, and program suggestions. implications of these findings are discussed. keywords: autism spectrum disorder, vocation, intervention, adolescents, young adults smith-demers, a., mccrimmon, a. w., & shaw, k. s. (2017). vocational training for adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder: effectiveness of the practical assessment exploration system (paes). emerging perspectives, 1, (1), 1-19. individuals with autism spectrum disorder (asd) experience varying degrees of impairment in socio-communicative functioning and restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviours, activities, or interests (american psychiatric association [apa], 2013). due to the variety and severity of demonstrated impairments, each individual with asd can present with unique challenges that change throughout development, resulting in significant challenges with providing targeted intervention (cimera & cowan, 2009). the focus of research and intervention efforts for asd has largely been dedicated to early identification and intervention in infancy and childhood, with little emphasis on adolescents and young adults (taylor et al., 2012). this restricted focus has limited our understanding of the specific and varying outcomes for adolescents and adults with asd (bailey, 2012; taylor et al., 2012). this issue is particularly concerning when considering these individuals’ transition to adulthood and the developmentally appropriate interventions that are often necessary during this period to facilitate independent daily living, communication, social, and vocational functioning to promote their independence throughout adolescence and adulthood (seltzer, shattuck, abbeduto, & greenberg, 2004). the purpose of this article is to report the findings of an empirical investigation of a unique vocational intervention, the practical assessment exploration system (paes), designed to enhance the job-related skills of adolescents and adults with a developmental disability and its specific effectiveness with individuals with asd, including program strengths, limitations, and potential smith-demers, mccrimmon, shaw/ emerging perspectives (2017) 1-19 2 areas for improvement. we begin with an overview of vocational skills and their importance to developmental outcome in adulthood. we then review the challenges with vocational skills in adults with asd. paes is introduced as a possible intervention program for adolescents and adults with asd. we describe the mixed-methodology employed in the present study and the results in support of the program for this population. finally, implications of the findings are discussed. vocational skills two broad categories of skills essential to positive employment outcomes are work or vocational skills and social skills (chadsey, 2007). vocational skills involve a variety of daily living abilities and capacities to enhance independence in the home, work, and community environments (canella-malone et al., 2006). core skills include literacy, numeracy, paperwork, computer use, problem solving, decision making, critical thinking, task planning and organization, memory, oral communication, interpersonal skills, and continuous learning, among others (human resources and skills development canada, 2011). in addition, there is a wide range of taskspecific skills that may require visual-motor coordination, processing speed, and fine and/or gross motor coordination. previous research has suggested that there are vocational skills that can be generalized across job sites, such as following instructions, but that these skills must be socially validated in what is expected of individuals for each job placement (hendricks, 2010). for example, social validation of following instructions would involve detailing a specific set of instructions for their workplace and why that set would be appropriate for the environment/context of the employment. regardless of the workplace-specific skills, the skills taught to each employee will be contingent on the needs of the employer and the employee’s vocational interests and capabilities (chadsey, 2007). acquisition of skills may also depend on the interests, abilities, and cognitive capacities of the trainees; however, there is the potential that as more direct and intensive supports are required, additional resources will also be necessary to accommodate these individuals and help them adapt in an employment setting. vocational skills in asd adults with asd struggle to obtain and maintain employment, likely due to underdeveloped vocational skills (howlin, 2000; hurlburt & chalmers, 2004; müller, schuler, burton, & yates, 2003; nesbitt, 2000) in addition to their characteristic socio-communicative and behavioural impairments (cameto, marder, wagner, & cardoso, 2003; dew & alan, 2007). indeed, competitive, independent employment for these individuals was once considered unlikely (mawhood & howlin, 1999; nesbitt, 2000) and it has been estimated that 50 to 75% of adults with asd are unemployed (shattuck et al., 2012; wehman et al., 2012). notably, this unemployment rate is the highest of any disability category studied (shattuck et al., 2012; shattuck, wagner, narendorf, sterzing, & hensley, 2011). regarding employment locations, recent research indicates that 56% of young adults with asd sampled were employed in sheltered workshops or day activity centers, rather than independent competitive community employment (taylor & seltzer, 2011). both sheltered workshops and day activity centers are alternatives to community employment, whereby individuals usually attend a facility-based program and engage in “relatively simple work activities” (p. 1) that match the individual’s skillset (migliore, 2010). subsequent research indicates that only 7.4% of adults with asd sampled were employed in a community-based setting without supports and 10.2% were employed in the community with supports (taylor & seltzer, 2012). in smith-demers, mccrimmon, shaw/ emerging perspectives (2017) 1-19 3 comparison, taylor and seltzer (2012) indicated that 34.7% of individuals were engaged in a sheltered vocational setting for 10 hours per week or less. furthermore, young adults with asd and intellectual disability were three times more likely to engage in sheltered or supported daytime vocational activities than individuals without intellectual disability, who typically do not participate in sheltered or supported settings (taylor & seltzer, 2011). even among higher functioning individuals with asd, who have cognitive ability in the average or above ranges, researchers have indicated that the employment rate rarely surpasses 30 percent and that these employees are underpaid and underskilled (howlin, 2000; howlin, alcock, & burkin, 2005). despite these findings, community-based supported employment is becoming more common for these individuals (howlin & mawhood, 1996; müller, schuler, burton & yates, 2003) and researchers have shown that individuals with asd are capable of working in a variety of occupations and organizations with this additional support (o’brien & daggett, 2006). current perspectives emphasize the implementation of technology and distinctive and specialized vocational support to assist adolescents and adults with asd in developing vocational skills and obtaining competitive employment (gentry, wallace, kvarfordt, & lynch, 2010; schaller & yang, 2005) as they do not often benefit from general vocational training (müller et al., 2003). this prior research indicates that vocational support is not meeting the needs of the asd population and emphasizes the importance of specific vocational support directed at individuals with asd. indeed, despite the identified challenges with vocation and employment in adults with asd, vocational programs for this population are virtually non-existent, resulting in low levels of independence and employment in adulthood (howlin et al., 2005; müller et al., 2003). in sum, it is apparent that the vocational needs of this population are not being adequately met and research findings indicate that adolescents and young adults with asd would benefit from support for obtaining and maintaining employment (gentry et al., 2010; schaller & yang, 2005). indeed, individuals with asd should have the same entitlement to work as is afforded to the rest of society (hendricks, 2010). employment can provide an opportunity to enhance personal dignity and has been shown to improve cognitive performance for individuals with asd (garcia-villamisar & hughes, 2007; garcía-villamisar, wehman, & navarro, 2002; persson, 2000). enhancing the vocational abilities of adolescents and young adults with asd has been identified as an important intervention goal (mavranezouli et al., 2014; taylor et al., 2012). as individuals with asd have under-developed vocational skills and present with unique behavioural and cognitive symptoms, this population often does not benefit from typical vocational intervention as generalized supportive services fail to meet their unique vocational needs (müller et al., 2003). hence, a distinct and specialized intervention approach to support vocational skill development for individuals with asd is sorely needed. as mentioned, there are limited specific, validated vocational training programs for individuals with asd (wehman, targett, schall, & carr, 2014). however, paes is a functional vocational skills program that teaches and measures vocational potential in individuals with disabilities. as such, its intended purpose may address the unique vocational needs of adolescents and young adults with asd. the practical assessment exploration system the practical assessment exploration system (paes; swisher, green, & tollefson, 1999) teaches a variety of vocational tasks associated with business, home economics, and the industrial arts to participants with various developmental disabilities. these tasks include filing, collating papers, food preparation, sewing by hand, using linear measurement tools, and using hand tools. smith-demers, mccrimmon, shaw/ emerging perspectives (2017) 1-19 4 paes is a group-based intervention that runs in 12-week increments and attendees are divided into groups based on age: adolescents are aged 13 to 17 and adults are aged eighteen or older. each group contains 8 to 12 participants, and both adolescent and adult groups are run simultaneously at different, preset weekly times. within these groups, trainees are able to sign up and repeat the paes program as individuals acquire skills at different rates. attendees in the paes program typically demonstrate cognitive impairment and the programming in paes is tailored to meet their needs. vocational skills are systematically taught to participants, including appropriate workplace behaviours such as arriving on time, clocking in for a shift, storing belongings upon arrival, and break time. paes also introduces the concept of supervision. although paes is designed to assist the educational and vocational decision-making processes for students with developmental disabilities in general (swisher et al., 1999), its effectiveness in the asd population has yet to be investigated. thus, a gap in the research literature pertaining to the use of paes with this population exists. research purpose this project aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of improvements in vocational skills and overall enjoyment associated with participation in paes. specifically, we evaluated the effectiveness of paes as a vocational intervention for adolescents and adults with asd, including identification of the strengths and limitations of paes for this population. research questions 1. will paes effectively enhance the vocational skills of adolescents and adults with asd? 2. what are the strengths and limitations of paes for adolescents and adults with asd? 3. what suggestions can be made in regards to programming to increase the effectiveness of paes for this population? we anticipated that paes would effectively enhance the vocational and related skills of adolescents and adults with asd. additionally, we expected that qualitative data from attendees and their parent(s) would highlight program strengths, limitations, and potential areas for improvement. methods participants twelve adolescents and young adults with asd participated in this study. attendees were required to have a diagnosis of asd made by an appropriately licensed professional prior to participating. all attendees were registered to attend paes and subsequently were recruited to participate in this research study upon giving consent. this research sample represents two adolescent cycles and two adult cycles of paes with data collected over a six-month time period. the mean age of the sample was 17.7 years, with a range of 14 to 22 years. nine attendees were male, equating to an expected gender ratio given the distribution of the population diagnosed with asd (apa, 2013; baio, 2012; newschaffer et al., 2007). attendees completed a measure of cognitive ability to determine their current level of development in this domain, and their ability to understand and answer interview questions. those who were verbal, i.e., demonstrated spontaneous, communicative speech, completed the wechsler abbreviated scale of intelligence – second edition (wasi-ii; wechsler, 2012) whereas those that presented with language impairment (i.e., smith-demers, mccrimmon, shaw/ emerging perspectives (2017) 1-19 5 minimally or non-verbal) completed the comprehensive test of nonverbal intelligence (ctoni; hammill, pearson, & weiderholt, 2009). in addition, the attendees’ parents completed the adaptive behaviour assessment system – second edition (abas-ii; harrison & oakland, 2006) to evaluate their child’s current level of adaptive functioning. lastly, the attendees’ parents and program facilitators completed a semi-structured interview upon completion of paes. attendee demographics and performance on inclusionary measures are presented in table 1. table 1. demographic and clinical information. mean sd range age (years) 17.7 3.06 14.1-22.7 gender (% male) 75% (n=9) n/a n/a fsiq wasi-ii (n=4) 83.0 16.09 65-102 ctoni-2 (n=8) 72.9 19.57 47-105 abas-ii (n=12) 54.7 14.99 42-91 note. age is reported in decimalized format (e.g., 19 years, 6 months is 19.5 years). the wechsler abbreviated scale of intelligence, 2nd edition (wasi-ii) is from wechsler, 2012; and the comprehensive test of nonverbal intelligence, 2nd edition (ctoni-2) is from hammill, pearson, & weiderholt, 2009. fsiq refers to full scale intelligence quotient. the adaptive behaviour assessment scale – second edition (abas-ii) is from harrison & oakland, 2006. mean and standard deviation performance for each of these measures is reported in standard score units. measures as there were no standardized assessment tools designed to evaluate improvement in vocational ability, a mixed-methods approach was utilized to gather information on vocational skills in the sampled adolescents and young adults with asd. specifically, both quantitative and qualitative approaches were utilized to provide converging evidence in support of paes for use with adolescents and young adults with asd. teacch transition assessment profile. the treatment and education of autistic and related communication handicapped children (teacch) transition assessment profile (ttap; mesibov, thomas, chapman, & schopler, 2007) is a non-standardized measure of vocational and related skills in adolescents and adults with asd. the ttap was created using evidence from successful transition programs such as the adolescent and adult psycho educational profile (aapep) as well as education laws and current research (mesibov & shea, 2010; mesibov et al., 2007). direct observation, parent, and school/work scales provide information on six domains across different settings. specifically, this measure evaluates vocational skills, vocational behaviour, independent functioning, leisure skills, functional communication, and interpersonal behaviour. for the purposes of this project, the vocational skills and vocational behaviour subscales were used from a direct observation standpoint to measure change in the amount of vocational skill and behaviour items that were passed, both preand post-intervention. these two subscales were administered following the standardized procedure outlined in the examiner’s manual. smith-demers, mccrimmon, shaw/ emerging perspectives (2017) 1-19 6 the ttap was created using a scoring system on which each item is scored as a pass when the task is completed successfully, emerging when the task is partially completed and an initial understanding is displayed, or a fail when an individual is unwilling or unable to complete the task. according to the individuals with disabilities education act (idea, 1997), assessments should aid in identifying life-skill domains requiring accommodation; therefore, the ttap utilizes structured teaching to identify how much support an individual requires before they are able to complete a task independently (mesibov et al., 2007). qualitative. semi-structured interviews were conducted with program attendees who were verbally and cognitively able, a parent for each attendee, and seven out of the eight facilitators working in the program. the goal of these interviews was to tap into domains that may not have been assessed adequately by quantitative measures. specifically, interviewees were asked about perceived strengths and limitations of the program, perceived changes in routines, self-esteem, social behaviour, motivation, any positive or negative side effects they associated with program participation, and any suggestions they may have had for program improvement. interviews were semi-structured so as to allow participants to expand on topics that were not otherwise covered within the interview protocol. the interview questions are presented in appendices a, b and c. research design a convergent mixed-methods approach was used as both quantitative and qualitative data were collected, analyzed separately, and then compared (creswell, 2014). this approach holds the key assumption that both types of data provide different sources of information and together should provide similar results (creswell, 2014). regarding the quantitative aspect of analysis, a quasipreexperimental design was used as it involved a pre-post no-control group design without randomization of participants (i.e., all participants completed paes at the same time). procedure the intake process for paes involved four phases: 1) parents of attendees contacting the program expressing interest, 2) telephone screening, 3) written application for programming, and 4) an intake meeting with each potential attendee and his/her family/guardian. at the time of the intake, each attendee and his/her family was asked for their consent to participate in this study and was provided a consent form. upon consent, the abas-ii and wasi-ii/ctoni-2 were administered prior to the start of the intervention. the ttap was administered both before and directly after the intervention. after the program was complete, semi-structured interviews were conducted with attendees and their parent(s), as well as program facilitators. participants were informed of their right to withdraw consent and were assured of confidentiality. results quantitative a wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare participant performance on the vocational skills and vocational behaviours domains of the ttap before (t1) and after (t2) intervention. the wilcoxon signed-rank test is a non-parametric alternative to the standard t-test when comparing two related samples or repeated measurements from a single sample. this statistical method was selected as the most appropriate due to the small sample size (n = 12). results of this analysis indicated that both vocational skills, t1 (mdn = 9.0) and t2 (mdn = 11.0), smith-demers, mccrimmon, shaw/ emerging perspectives (2017) 1-19 7 z = -2.69, p = .007, and vocational behaviours, t1 (mdn = 8.5) and t2 (mdn = 11.0), z = -2.37, p = .018, significantly increased following completion of paes. qualitative thematic analysis was selected for evaluating and illustrating themes within the qualitative data as the primary researcher sought a deeper understanding of parental/guardian and attendee experiences surrounding participation in paes. thematic analysis consists of five steps and interested readers are directed to the work of braun and clark (2006) to familiarize themselves with the process. transcription of the interviews occurred subsequent to their completion and hard copies were provided to the first author. interviews were then read and notes were made as this process occurred. at this point, open coding occurred line by line and notes were made when possible codes or ideas occurred to the primary researcher. once open coding was completed, grouping into preliminary codes and themes began. after all of the interviews had been coded, segments of interviews were retrieved and written with codes to further develop code groupings. further grouping and code re-establishment aided in the development of themes, and the resulting themes were then named and defined to answer each research question. evaluating qualitative research. in general, thematic analysis is not tied to any particular theoretical framework but instead can be used in tandem with many theories. this characteristic makes thematic analysis particularly well suited to a mixed methods approach as it avoids philosophical paradigm clashes. for the purposes of this study, an essentialist or realist perspective was adopted, which entailed reporting experiences/meaning and reality of participants (braun & clarke, 2006). this perspective allowed for the theorizing of experiences, motivations, and meaning in a direct way while assuming a unidirectional relation between experiences/meaning and the language used in expression (braun & clarke, 2006). it is also essential that qualitative research is methodologically rigorous (creswell, 2014) and thus steps were taken to ensure trustworthiness of the qualitative data. throughout the research process, the primary researcher engaged in a process of reflection, identifying any biases she held, to ensure as much objectivity as possible. during the initial coding process, re-coding of the data occurred as necessary to add or remove themes. it was also during this step that an objective individual re-coded the data to ensure intercoder reliability and consistency of theming. any discrepancies were discussed between the two coders and resolved to ensure agreement between both coders before moving forward. finally, a process of triangulation also occurred, as the researcher examined the findings both qualitatively and quantitatively as a further means to check the accuracy of the data (creswell, 2014). findings the qualitative questions explored the strengths, limitations, and suggestions for improvement as discussed by verbal program attendees, their parents, and program facilitators using thematic analysis. through the use of thematic analysis, a fourth theme was highlighted, as all interviewees spoke to the benefits achieved by program attendees post programming. of the 12 program attendees, only six were cognitively and verbally able to complete an interview with the primary researcher. a total of 11 parents completed a final interview; the remaining guardian was unable to complete an interview due to time constraints and the transition of his/her child attendee into adult services. smith-demers, mccrimmon, shaw/ emerging perspectives (2017) 1-19 8 qualitative analysis indicated four primary themes with several subthemes within each identified by interview respondents: 1) program strengths (i.e., program enjoyment and structure); 2) benefits derived (i.e., personal growth, engagement, and reduction of anxiety); 3) program limitations, such as length of program too short, program overly complex; and 4) program suggestions, such as increased length of program, inclusion of visual aids. a description of each theme and sample quotes are provided below and presented in table 2. table 2. summary of themes for the paes program as identified by attendees, parents, and facilitators. theme description example quote from interviews program strengths qualities of paes that are working well, qualities of the program that benefit program attendees, and specific assets of the program for individuals with asd “he enjoys coming every week.” “it’s really hands on and tangible, where they came and did actual learning skills that will benefit them.” “one of the strengths is the amount of activities and tasks that there are. so it gives a lot of the participants the opportunity to see what they may be interested in and that they didn’t even know existed” “the structured setting is really a strength because it can help us identify the needs that they require or what strengths they have or what areas need an adaptation so they can go out in the community.” benefits derived benefits of the program as observed in behavioural and/or skill change in the attendees “i met a new friend” “he wants to be more sociable. he will now go up and talk to people.” “i definitely have seen social skills or being able to communicate with staff change. being more comfortable in a work place setting you see a lot of their skills increase.” “it does give them the sense of accomplishment, which is something that i don’t know if they get that in a ton of other stuff that they do.” program limitations qualities of the program that currently are not working well, that restrict program attendees, and specific parts of the program that are not designed well for individuals with asd “wish it was longer or more times per week” “part of the problem with paes is the instructions that the individuals are given. i think the instruction cards and how they are worded, and sometimes they seem very rigid. i think if those were to change then it would serve a greater range.” “autism is such a spectrum. to find one task that meets everyone’s needs directly. like for some it may be too easy whereas other clients it may be too hard… so it’s hard because they are all different” program suggestions ideas or recommendations for program improvement “just awesome the way it is” “lengthening the program span” “it would be helpful if the facilitators broke down to families (what they have been working on in the program) or whoever is supporting them, so you can see changes are happening outside the program”. “simplify instructions, and reduce the amount of steps” “re-doing all of the instruction cards, trying to make everything consistent.” theme one: program strength. this theme included the qualities of paes that are working well and/or benefit program attendees, and specific assets of the program for individuals with asd. smith-demers, mccrimmon, shaw/ emerging perspectives (2017) 1-19 9 in general, interviewees were very positive about paes. the most common program strength identified by 10 parents was overall program enjoyment. parents spoke to the quality of programming in that attendees could come to learn new skills and still experience enjoyment and a willingness to participate. as has been identified within previous literature, it is important to consider the overall enjoyment experienced by individuals to further improve independence and overall quality of life (hendricks, 2010). parents also indicated diversity as a strength of the program in that the activities used in the intervention were varied and afforded attendees the opportunity to engage in different types of vocational tasks to both develop new skills and to explore novel employment activities. overall, program enjoyment and diversity of activities contribute to the attendees’ overall enjoyment of and success with the program. parallel to this notion of overall program enjoyment, participants emphasized learning as a program strength. concurrent with learning, parents also described specificity of skills as a subtheme by speaking about skills that involved “actual learning.” specifically, two parents stated, respectively, “it’s really hands on and tangible, where they came and did actual learning skills that will benefit them” and “the tasks they do actually have a purpose.” the subthemes of learning and specificity of skills are consistent with quantitative data pertaining to the ttap as there was a significant improvement in vocational skill and behaviour displayed by attendees. the most common strength identified by program facilitators was the structure that paes provides for program attendees. structure has typically been emphasized within the literature as beneficial for individuals with asd because, much like transitioning, structure provides adequate preparation and predictability and reduces confusion (dettmer et al., 2000). both facilitators and parents described structure as an overarching quality of the program that supported the needs of an asd population. this was noteworthy as paes was designed for students with various disabilities (swisher et al., 1999) and thus this strength further signifies some preliminary support for benefits of using paes with an asd population. theme two: benefits derived. this theme is described as benefits perceived by the interviewees after they attended paes. within this theme, parents and facilitators highlighted the attendees’ personal growth, belonging/engagement, and reduced anxiety after completing paes. furthermore, parents and facilitators described positive changes in social communication and overall social skills. specifically, one parent/guardian attributed her son’s increase in social communication as a direct reflection of participation in paes as he was not participating in any other programming or learning environments. facilitators also highlighted this positive change in social behaviour by describing the attendees’ improvement in communication with staff during programming. social communication is one of the core deficits for individuals with asd (apa, 2013) and research continues to emphasize the need to enhance this domain of functioning (centelles, assaiante, etchegoyhen, bouvard, & schmitz, 2012). theme three: program limitations. the third theme, program limitations, is described as qualities of the program that are not currently working well or that restrict program attendees and specific parts of the program that are not designed well for individuals with asd. the most common limitation highlighted by parents and facilitators was the length or overall duration of paes. several parents stated that they wished that the program was recurrent or longer, as learning is continual and does not stop once individuals with asd reach adulthood. indeed, many parents mentioned that there are few supportive programs for individuals with asd once they reach adolescence or adulthood. it was also stressed that learning can be a longer process for many individuals with asd than for individuals with other developmental disabilities and therefore smith-demers, mccrimmon, shaw/ emerging perspectives (2017) 1-19 10 parents felt that their children would have acquired more skills if paes was longer. it is then not surprising that parents recommended an increase in program duration as a program suggestion, highlighting the importance for continual learning and need for repeated teaching in the acquisition of new skills for individuals with asd. facilitators also emphasized program materials as a limitation and suggestion for program improvement, primarily due to an “unnecessary degree of complexity” within program instructions. this topic was highlighted by all seven facilitators and thus should be considered significant when considering modifications to this program for individuals with asd. specifically, facilitators suggested re-doing instruction cards and including visuals as primary suggestions for improving paes for use with those with asd. this suggestion is consistent with much of the literature as individuals with asd present with variable communicative abilities (apa, 2013; human resources and skills development canada, 2011) and this variability must be addressed for more individuals to achieve success within a vocational environment theme four: program suggestions. the fourth theme, program suggestions, is described as ideas or recommendations for program improvement. in alignment with topics from theme three, parents indicated an increase in the duration of the program as a potential improvement to the program. additionally, they stated that more direct communication to parents of the program goals from the program facilitators may have enhanced their understanding of the program and its influence on behaviors outside of the intervention context. attendees varied in their responses, which included the belief that the program should be lengthened, the program should be made much more difficult, and that the program was effective as designed in the manual. facilitators noted that simplification of instructions and modification to the visual materials may increase the program’s effectiveness with the asd population, as they observed that the attendees often required additional support around task instructions, etc. discussion this is the first study to report on the efficacy and implementation of a vocational intervention for adolescents and young adults with asd. integrating a qualitative approach produces a different kind of understanding of the experience of vocational training and perceptions pertaining to programming. the qualitative data provides a significant contribution to the overall experience of vocational training in the asd community, as the data provides insight into firsthand experiences of the effectiveness of paes with the asd population. results confirmed our primary hypothesis. in general, both the quantitative and qualitative results of this study provide convergent preliminary support for paes in enhancing the vocational and related skills of adolescents and adults with asd. results from the ttap indicated significant improvement on the vocational skill and vocational behaviour domains. the development of the four themes is significant as attendees, parents, and program facilitators reported on benefits of the program, including personal growth, belonging/engagement, and anxiety reduction achieved by the attendees because of their participation in paes. the subthemes within the benefits derived theme further emphasize the benefit of paes as an intervention for the asd population and enhance our understanding of the experience of vocational training and perceptions pertaining to paes. a major strength of the paes specialized programming appears to be the experience it provides to attendees and their families. the most common program strength, identified by eight smith-demers, mccrimmon, shaw/ emerging perspectives (2017) 1-19 11 parents, was overall program enjoyment experienced by individuals attending paes. this is an important finding as it is important to consider the overall enjoyment experienced by individuals (hendricks, 2010) to further improve independence and overall quality of life. parallel to this notion of overall program enjoyment, attendees emphasized learning as a strength of the program. concurrent with learning, parents also described specificity of skills as a subtheme and spoke about skills that involved “actual learning.” the subthemes of learning and specificity of skills are consistent with quantitative data from the ttap as attendees’ vocational skill and behaviour significantly improved. parents emphasized diversity as a strength of the program, which not only spoke to the variety of different tasks that attendees were learning but also the different facilitators that attendees had supporting and supervising them each session. parents indicated that the variety of and change in tasks each week helped to facilitate transitions for their child, which can often be challenging for individuals with asd (lorimer, simpson, miles, & ganz, 2000). furthermore, parents described the program structure as a quality of the program that supported the unique needs of the asd population; in turn, this finding provides preliminary support for the use of paes with adolescents and adults with asd. while many significant strengths were identified, there were also program limitations that are important to recognize. the most common limitation subtheme highlighted by parents was the length, or overall duration of paes. parents stated that they wished the program was recurrent or longer as learning is continual and does not stop once individuals with asd reach adulthood. length and participation in programming was emphasized and was seen as significant because, as many parents mentioned, there are not many programs for individuals with asd once they reach adolescence or adulthood. limitations several limitations are evident in the current study. the most prominent limitation is the small sample size. due to the specificity of the programming and diagnosis of the assessed population, as well as the intensive nature of the data collection, obtaining a larger sample size was not possible. additionally, this study did not use a control group and did not control for participation in other programming or additional skill development that might have impacted vocational or related skills as doing so would have further limited the study’s sample size. the representativeness of the sample to the general asd population may also have been limited by a variety of elements. specifically, participation in this study required a substantial commitment of time, travel, and energy for both the individuals who attended the program and their parents. moreover, it was limited to individuals who resided in the city where the program was offered. there is the possibility that a subset of the asd population may be more likely to participate in or benefit greatly from paes. due to a vast range in capabilities it was difficult to provide adequate programming for some program attendees that were substantially lower or higher functioning than the rest of the group and some facilitators thought the program would be better suited for a more specific subset of the asd population. it is likely that all of these factors influenced characteristics of the participant sample and, therefore, the generalisability of the findings. finally, because of the nature of the study and the use of convenience sampling, the qualitative results are context bound. it is important that these results are considered in context as they are intended to provide a greater understanding of the experience of these particular families. smith-demers, mccrimmon, shaw/ emerging perspectives (2017) 1-19 12 future directions and implications future research exploring vocational and independence training for individuals with asd should expand on the present study by collecting data from a larger sample and utilizing a waitlist control group matched for developmental level. additionally, future research could screen for other services being provided to participants to control for the influence of these other programs on findings related to paes. furthermore, future research could employ a longitudinal design to capture the maintenance of vocational skills learned within paes and to follow individuals exploring the outcome of participation in this programming. this research can be considered an encouraging step towards future research in the area of vocational ability for individuals with asd. prior research only employing quantitative research has been considered problematic (de haan, hawley, & deal, 2002) as the overall experience of participants is not adequately captured. the current findings have implications for vocational intervention for individuals with asd. employment for individuals with asd increases financial self-reliance and reduces dependence on both government and independently funded programming (hendricks, 2010). when programs like these are validated, individuals with asd can be provided with specific programming unique to this complex population, thereby increasing the employment success of individuals with asd. the current project highlights the necessity for continued research in the area of vocational and independence training as well as the need to focus on adolescent and young adults with asd. this research and focus may provide families with a more positive outlook and hope for the future as individuals with asd face many challenges throughout their lives and have different needs. conclusion the results provide convergent preliminary support for paes in enhancing the vocational skills of adolescents and adults with asd as well as in some areas of potential programmatic improvement. these findings are particularly important as there are few, if any, validated vocational training tools for this population. when programs such as paes are validated, individuals with asd can be provided with specific programming to increase their employment success. vocational research in the context of asd is limited. the preliminary evidence from the current study indicates that participants’ vocational ability and behaviours improved subsequent to completion of paes. additional qualitative inquiry yielded information on programmatic strengths and weaknesses that can be used to improve the program. the study also highlights the necessity for continued research in the area of vocational and independence training for adolescents and young adults with asd. additionally, the study emphasizes the need to focus on this period in development to provide families with a more positive outlook and hope for the future of their loved ones with asd. smith-demers, mccrimmon, shaw/ emerging perspectives (2017) 1-19 13 references american psychiatric association 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(2011). employment and post-secondary educational activities for young adults with autism spectrum disorders during the transition to adulthood. journal of autism and developmental disorders, 41(5), 566-574. doi:10.1007/s10803-010-1070-3 wechsler, d. (2012). wechsler abbreviated scale of intelligence – second edition. san antonio, tx: the psychological corporation. wechsler, d. (2008). wechsler adult intelligence scale–fourth edition (wais–iv). san antonio, tx: ncs pearson. wechsler, d. (2003). wechsler intelligence scale for children–fourth edition (wisc-iv). san antonio, tx: the psychological corporation. wehman, p., targett, p. s., schall, c., & carr, s. (2014). meaningful employment for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. in m. tincani & a. bondy (eds.)., autism spectrum disorders in adolescents and adults. new york, ny; guilford. wehman, p., lau, s., molinelli, a., brookie, v., thompson, k., moore, c., & west, m. (2012). supported employment for young adults with autism spectrum disorders: preliminary data. research and practice for persons with severe disabilities, 37(3), 160-169. doi:10.2511/027494812804153606 smith-demers, mccrimmon, shaw/ emerging perspectives (2017) 1-19 17 appendix a: attendee interview guide thank you for agreeing to participate in this research project and to talk with me today. i would like to talk with you about your experience of having been in the paes program. although i would like this to be more like a conversation than an interview, i do have a few questions written down to make sure i cover everything. if you feel uncomfortable with any of the questions, you can choose not to answer that question and you do have the right to stop the conversation at any point. 1. what was it like for you to participate in the paes program? prompts if needed: what did you like? not like? 2. what did you learn in the paes program? prompt if needed: any new skills? 3. has the way you get along with people changed as a result of the program? prompt if needed: how so? 4. has anything changed in your daily routine since you attended paes? 5. has the way you think about yourself changed this coming to the program? 6. what are the strengths of the program? 7. what are the limitations? 8. do you have any suggestions on the way the program could be improved? smith-demers, mccrimmon, shaw/ emerging perspectives (2017) 1-19 18 appendix b: parent interview guide thank you for agreeing to participate in this research project and to talk with me today. i would like to talk with you about your experience of having your son (daughter) participate in the paes program. although i would like this to be more like a conversation than an interview, i do have a few questions written down to make sure i cover everything. if you feel uncomfortable with any of the questions, you can choose not to answer that question and you do have the right to stop the conversation at any point. 1. what was it like for you to have your son (daughter) participate in the paes program? prompts if needed: what did you like? not like? 2. what did your son (daughter) learn in the paes program? prompt if needed: any new skills? did you notice any change in level of his (her) motivation? changes in level of independence? 3. has the way your son (daughter) gets along with people changed as a result of the program? prompt if needed: how so? 4. has anything changed in your son’s (daughter’s) daily routine since he (she) attended paes? 5. has the way your son (daughter) thinks about himself (herself) changed since attending the program? prompt if needed: self-esteem? 6. from your perspective what are the strengths of the program? 7. what are the limitations? 8. do you have any suggestions on the way the program could be improved? smith-demers, mccrimmon, shaw/ emerging perspectives (2017) 1-19 19 appendix c: facilitator interview guide thank you for agreeing to participate in this research project and to talk with me today. i would like to talk with you about your experience of working in the paes program. although i would like this to be more like a conversation than an interview, i do have a few questions written down to make sure i cover everything. if you feel uncomfortable with any of the questions, you can choose not to answer that question and you do have the right to stop the conversation at any point. 1. how well do you think the paes program works with the asd population? 2. what changes have you noticed in your participants as they go through the program? prompts if required? self-esteem? social behaviour? communication? workplace behaviour? motivation? problem solving? independence? repetitive behaviours? anxiety? behaviour problems? 3. from your perspective what are the strengths of the program? 4. what are the limitations? 5. do you have any suggestions on the way the program could be improved? template pme28 emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca on the capacity to change: exploring the malleability of intelligence michèle p. cheng*, sonja saqui university of british columbia “does intelligence have the capacity to change?” addressing this question is of prime importance, as how we characterize intelligence can have significant consequences for individuals. the following paper will explore the controversy related to the malleability of intelligence. it will critically analyze the nature and nurture aspects of the debate, and suggest further research be conducted on the relationship between malleability and the growth mindset. keywords: intelligence, malleability, growth mindset cheng, m. p. & saqui, sonja. (2017). on the capacity to change: exploring the malleability of intelligence. emerging perspectives, 1(2), 1-9. intelligence is a broad spectrum of differing abilities, as depicted by the cattell-horncarroll model of cognitive abilities (flanagan & harrison, 2012). it has been one of the most widely researched constructs, yet it is still heavily debated today (plomin & spinath, 2004). in particular, there have been many objections related to the different factors that contribute to intelligence. on the one hand, many theorists strongly believe that genes play a predominant role in intellectual capacity, and that heredity is the principle, if not only, determinant of intelligence (plomin & spinath, 2004). on the other hand, many researchers believe that environmental factors contribute substantially to cognitive ability and can even alter genetic predisposition (nesbitt et al., 2012; day & sweatt, 2011). the nature-nurture debate of intelligence has spurred controversy for decades, particularly with regards to one specific aspect: its capacity to change. the malleability of intelligence continues to spark fervent discussion, especially with the completion of the human genome project, which is an international research project attempting to completely sequence human dna, and the rise in research in epigenetics, which refers to changes in gene expression based on environmental factors (bjorklund, 2006; day & sweatt, 2011). much time and research has been spent in attempting to answer the important question, “does intelligence have the capacity to change?” as we will see, further research should be conducted on the relationship between malleability and the growth mindset. addressing this question is of prime importance, as how we characterize intelligence can have significant consequences for individuals. for instance, we utilize tests of cognitive abilities to estimate an individual’s intellectual capacities in the education system to help address students’ academic difficulties (kranzler & floyd, 2013). the conclusions we draw from these tests have a significant impact on the solutions offered to students, as well as the students’ perspectives of their difficulties. if the administrator’s conclusions are based on a false interpretation of intelligence, the * michele.p.cheng@gmail.com cheng, saqui / emerging perspectives 2 solutions offered may have detrimental effects for the students. for example, students may believe that they are incapable of attaining specific grades because they are simply not as smart as other individuals. they may be repeatedly pushed to learn material in a specific way, when they are unable to grasp the material the same way as other students. students who have a more malleable view of intelligence tend to put more effort in tasks and seek challenges more often than students who have a more fixed view of intelligence (yeager & dweck, 2012). the following paper will explore the controversy related to the malleability of intelligence. it will critically analyze the nature and nurture aspects of the debate and attempt to offer a solution as to whether intelligence has the capacity to change. historical perspective of intelligence malleability while the malleability of intelligence has long been debated, increasing controversy stemmed from the publication of the bell curve in 1994. within the book, the authors asserted that intelligence is an important predictor of many life outcomes, such as social class, social economic status and employment outcome (herrnstein & murray, 1994). their book suggested that a high value for heritability, which is a correlation ranked between 0 and 1, limits the extent to which intelligence can be increased by a change in environment (wahlsten, 1997). in fact, they asserted that intelligence remains stable and is unlikely to change. the arrival of the bell curve in 1994 caused controversy within the population (zenderland, 1997), as individuals did not want to believe that their own intellectual potential was predicted by their genetic predisposition and, more importantly, that there was nothing that could be done to change it. despite the public’s disapproval, the bell curve nevertheless expressed an important aspect of intelligence: its heritability. many researchers agreed on this component and provided evidence for the construct. gottfredson (1997) conducted a survey that asked professionals in the field how they characterized intelligence. a main point of agreement was that intelligence was highly heritable and that, indeed, it changed little over time. more recently, rushton and jenson (2005), strong advocates for the heritability of intelligence, have performed multiple studies, suggesting that differences in intelligence might be related to genetic differences. for instance, they have conducted studies to investigate the causes behind group differences in mean iq. their evidence suggested that these differences were mainly due to genetic components (rushton & jenson, 2005). the more heritable a trait, the more often it is passed down from generation to generation, and the less likely it is to change. however, it is important to note that this research, though previously accepted, is highly controversial today, especially when considering how intelligence tests are catered to a specific subset of a population and unfairly portray other groups. although many researchers supported the heritability and stability of intelligence, other theorists postulated a different view. in particular, gardner (2006) believed that intelligence was strongly affected by individuals’ environments, as well as the culture surrounding them. his multiple intelligence theory argues that there are eight different types of intelligence, and an individuals’ strengths and weaknesses in terms of these abilities are strongly related to their environment (gardner, 2006). in fact, if individuals were to change their environment, they would be able to develop and strengthen their other intelligences as well. gardner’s theory, although difficult to prove, has spurred interest in the impact of the environment on intelligence. in more recent years, richard nisbett (2009), a prominent figure advocating for the malleability of intelligence, asserted that individual differences in intelligence are principally resulting from societal and cultural differences. nisbett suggested that by bettering a student’s school environment, for example, through proper interventions and a positive and academically-geared cheng, saqui / emerging perspectives 3 frame of mind, the student’s intelligence will increase. in fact, research has found that through proper working memory interventions, individuals also improved their fluid intelligence, that is, their abilities to solve novel problems through inductive and deductive reasoning (nisbett et al., 2012). as our environment changes, more opportunities arise to stimulate our intellectual capacities, and our intelligence changes as well. there have been many theories both to support the heritability and stability of intelligence. there have also been many studies to support environmental factors and the capacity of intelligence to change over time. the controversy surrounds the evidence that supports each claim. evidence against the malleability of intelligence the heritability of intelligence provides evidence supporting the stability of intelligence. brody (1994) found that genes influence the way in which a trait is expressed. traits found to be highly developmentally stable may also be significantly heritable, in part due to strong directional selection (moller & thornhill, 1997). additionally, a recent study examining the genetic and environmental contributions of intelligence found that phenotypic stability primarily resulted from additive genetic factors and the stability of common environment (franic et al., 2014). this research provides evidence that the more heritable a trait is, the less likely it is to change over time. animal, family and twin, developmental and adoption studies have all contributed to providing evidence to support the role of genes on intelligence, as well as the stability of this trait over time. animal studies animal studies have been performed and, through genetic manipulations, have provided evidence for the role of heritability in intelligence. a classic experiment was conducted by tolman in 1924 and repeated by tryon in later years (1940), in which rats were bred in a specific manner to assess the heritability of intelligence. rats were inbred based on their strong or weak performance on a maze, leading to maze-bright and maze-dull rats. through generations of breeding, the researchers were able to significantly separate bright rats from dull rats in relation to performance on the particular maze, thereby providing evidence for the relationship between the specific traits and genes. these studies showed the importance of genetic input on traits related to cognitive ability, in this case on the performance of rats to quickly complete a maze. further studies were also conducted on inbred strains of mice to investigate the contribution of genetics to individual differences for certain aspects of learning and intelligence (plomin & spinath, 2004). for instance, zoubovsky et al. (2011) conducted a study in which the neural nitric oxide synthase gene (nnos), which forms nitric oxide, was genetically deleted in mice. these mice then underwent behavioural tests, including open field test, novel object recognition test, fear conditioning test, y-maze test, and delayed non-matching to place t-maze test (zoubovsky et al., 2011). researchers reported that nnos knockout (ko) mice exhibited behavioural deficits, and, importantly, they displayed impairments in specific cognitive abilities, such as working memory and mild deficits in object recognition memory (zoubovsky et al., 2011). these animal studies have shown that both the presence and removal of genes have a significant impact on cognitive abilities, and they provide evidence for the heritability of traits related to intelligence. family and twin studies family and twin studies have been conducted to investigate the role of heredity in intelligence and have shown a greater stability in cognitive abilities. a study of more than 10,000 monozygotic and dizygotic twins showed that the heritability of intelligence in monozygotic twins cheng, saqui / emerging perspectives 4 is approximately 0.86 in correlation and the heritability of intelligence in dizygotic twins is approximately 0.60 in correlation (plomin, defries, mcclearn, & mcguffin, 2001). these studies demonstrate that the more genes individuals have in common with one another, such as with monozygotic twins, the greater the similarities in their levels of intelligence. further studies have also shown that variation in total gray matter, which is related to cognitive functioning, and total white matter, which is related to processing speed, in adult human brains is 70-80% genetically determined (baaré, 2001; pennington et al., 2000; pfefferbaum et al., 2000). cross-trait and crosstwin correlations were also assessed, and evidence showed a strong genetic component in the neuronal network for human intelligence, that is, the circuit of neurons that fire when cognitive processes are engaged (hulshoff et al., 2006). finally, a within-family association study was performed to investigate the presence of the chrm2 gene, which is thought to be related to, among other things, neuronal excitability, synaptic plasticity, and cognitive processes such as learning and memory (gosso et al., 2006). results showed a significant association between the chrm2 gene and intelligence and a strong presence of the gene within families. in sum, these family and twin studies have shown a significant genetic impact on intelligence, thereby providing evidence for its heredity. furthermore, intelligence was unlikely to change throughout the lifespan, despite the unshared environment between family members. indeed, the more heritable a trait, the less likely it will be affected by surrounding environment and the more stable it will be over time. developmental studies the heritability of intelligence has been shown to increase until adulthood. indeed, studies show that the difference between monozygotic and dizygotic twin correlations increases slightly from early to middle childhood and then dramatically into adulthood (mcgue, bouchard, iacono, & lykken, 1993), resulting in a greater heritability for intelligence. because there have been relatively few twin studies regarding intelligence that have included adults, summaries of intelligence data mainly provide evidence for the heritability of intelligence in childhood (plomin & spinath, 2004). however, results from a 20-year longitudinal adoption study support the view of increasing heritability (plomin, fulker, corley, & defries, 1997), as results indicate that adopted children more closely resembled their biological parents’ intelligence scores as they became older. in sum, although intelligence has a high degree of heritability in childhood, studies have found that this trait increases in heritability in adulthood, making it less subject to change. adoption studies finally, adoption studies were examined to determine the role of genetics and environment on intelligence. according to these studies, biological parents and their children who were given up for adoption, siblings that were adopted apart, and monozygotic twins adopted apart all presented substantial genetic influence (plomin & spinath, 2004). in fact, there are adoption studies of contrasted environments (locurto, 1990), wherein the biological family’s socioeconomic status is considerably different from the adopted family’s socioeconomic status and provides better chances for environmental effects. these studies provided malleability estimates that were modest, suggesting a more stable view of intelligence. the high levels of heredity in intelligence scores suggest little effect of environmental factors and provide strong evidence to support the stability of intelligence. in sum, heritability is an important factor related to intelligence and there is strong evidence for its stability over time (moller & thornhill, 1994). support for the heritability of intelligence and the role of genes in cognitive abilities was shown through animal studies, family and twin cheng, saqui / emerging perspectives 5 studies, developmental studies and, finally, through adoption studies. further studies supported the argument that trait heritability is a contributing factor to trait stability (moller & thornhill, 1994). evidence to support the malleability of intelligence in opposition to this research, environmental factors have also been studied and provide evidence to support the capacity of intelligence to change over time. specific scientific fields have provided evidence on the malleability of intelligence. in particular, neuroplasticity, epigenetics, and the presence of a growth mindset all support the malleable property of intelligence. neuroplasticity studies studies have shown that through our environment, our brains have the ability to adapt our neural pathways and strengthen them through myelination, thereby affecting our cognitive capacity (lee, yan, & lu, 2012; takeuchi et al., 2012; landon-murray & anderson, 2013). myelination is the process through which an insulation layer surrounds the axon of the neuron to accelerate communication between different parts of the brain and body. the strengthening of neural pathways, known as neuroplasticity, has been studied extensively in the last few decades and studies and case studies have supported this concept. for instance, lee, yan and lu (2012) published a case study on a boy who survived a major stroke at 40 days old. despite his intracerebral hemorrhagic stroke, which resulted in his hospitalization for tremors and weaknesses, the young boy almost completely recovered his motor abilities. furthermore, his intelligence appeared unaffected, with the predominant hypothesis being the neuroplastic potential of the human brain (lee et al., 2012). another study investigated the way in which the internet and other related technologies change the way individuals engage information and the changes these technologies make to cognitive functioning (landon-murray & anderson, 2013). results showed that these technologies have affected organization in the brain and have allowed individuals more focused and disciplined thinking, which is a key component in many cognitive abilities. neuronal circuits in the brain have the capacity to adapt and strengthen, thus increasing cognitive ability and therefore intelligence. takeuchi et al. (2012) investigated whether cognitive abilities in the elderly could be improved upon with certain activities. they found that processing speed training, in which participants are instructed and able to practice speeded tasks, improves performance on novel untrained processing speed tasks. training is also associated with changes in the gray matter structures of the brain, neural changes associated with speeded cognitive processes, and functional activity related to simple cognitive processes. in other words, processing speed training has led to neuroplastic changes in the brain, thereby affecting cognitive processes. these studies provide evidence to support the ability of intelligence to increase throughout the lifespan through neuroplasticity. epigenetics studies although there have been multiple studies advocating for the effect of genes on intelligence, growing research in epigenetics, that is, the change in genetic expression due to environmental factors, suggest that our environment may play a role in the expression of certain genes over others, thus advocating for the impact of environmental factors on the genetic expression of intelligence. a change in environment may lead to a change in genetic expression, which would result in a change in intelligence over time. in particular, one study suggested that long-term behavioural change may be associated with epigenetic regulation of transcription in the central nervous system (day & sweatt, 2011). environmental factors have been found to either increase or decrease dna cheng, saqui / emerging perspectives 6 methylation in genes (the addition of methyl groups to dna to monitor the gene’s activity), thus affecting their level of expression. in fact, evidence suggests that changes in dna methylation contribute to memory formation and maintenance, a predominant component of certain cognitive abilities (day & sweatt, 2011). in other words, through cognitive epigenetics, dna methylation for genes related to memory may be increased or decreased, thus affecting the expression of the gene and the individual’s performance on memory tasks. this study on dna methylation has provided evidence for epigenetic components relative to cognitive abilities; a change in environment could lead to a change in gene expression and a decrease in the heritability and stability of intelligence. growth mindsets a possible explanation for the stability of intelligence is the fixed mindset, in which individuals believe that their abilities are given at birth and no amount of effort will lead to improved outcomes in performance. in contrast to the fixed mindset, simply believing that intelligence has the capacity to change may result in an increase in an individual’s cognitive abilities and increase his or her performance in academic disciplines as well (blackwell, trezesniewski, & dweck, 2007). a longitudinal study in adolescents explored the impact of the growth mindset, in which people believe that the more effort you put into a task, the better the results will be (blackwell et al., 2007). results showed that when individuals were encouraged to believe that intelligence was changeable rather than fixed, they performed higher academically and their scores on tests increased. however, when individuals believed that intelligence was a fixed, unchangeable concept, their performances remained stable. this study also explored the relationship between mindset and income. the research suggests that students from lower-income families may be less likely to hold a growth mindset compared to higher-income peers. however, when they do hold a growth mindset, they are less prone to the effects of poverty on achievement (blackwell et al., 2007). academic achievement is not an explicit measurement of intelligence. however, research has shown that performance on iq tests is a reasonable predictor of grades at school, performance at work, and aspects of success in life, including income (gottfredson, 2004). these results suggest that having a growth mindset may alter an individual’s performance on measures or outcomes related to intelligence. however, further research is recommended to explore the direct relationship between intelligence and the growth mindset. in sum, evidence from neuroplasticity, epigenetics, and the growth mindset suggests that environmental factors may play a role in intelligence. in fact, when an individuals’ environment has changed, their academic and intellectual output have been shown to change as well. discussion the controversy related to the malleability of intelligence is ongoing. there has been much evidence both to support the stability of intelligence and to advocate for its capacity to change. on the one hand, some studies support the idea that intelligence is highly heritable, and therefore less conducive to change. on the other hand, studies have found that certain environmental factors may also play a role in intelligence, thus supporting the malleability of intelligence. the studies that were analyzed provide support for both sides of the argument. however, an important theory that should be highlighted is that simply believing in the malleability of intelligence may result in better performance on intelligence tasks. indeed, a study showed that the belief in intelligence malleability may actually increase an individual’s performance on test of cognitive abilities (blackwell et al., 2007). furthermore, the belief that intelligence is unchangeable may be the reason cheng, saqui / emerging perspectives 7 why intelligence has remained stable in populations (aronson, fried, & good, 2002). another theory is that by believing that cognitive abilities can be improved, individuals have an increased motivation to apply effort to tasks that are cognitively challenging. conversely, by believing that intelligence is heritable and unchangeable, individuals might have a “why bother” approach to intellectual obstacles, thus preventing them from increasing their effort to overcome these impediments. therefore, it is plausible that the malleability of intelligence is predicated by individual belief on whether intelligence can change. further research should be conducted in this area to determine whether growth mindset impacts the malleability of intelligence. conclusion the nature-nurture debate of intelligence has spurred much controversy, particularly in regard to the capacity of intelligence to change. indeed, much research has been conducted to determine the malleability of intelligence. on the one hand, animal, family, twin, developmental and adoption studies have found that intelligence is highly heritable and therefore highly stable. on the other hand, studies in neuroplasticity, epigenetics and different mindsets support the role of environmental factors in the malleability of intelligence. however, one particular theory behind the abundance of evidence supporting both the stability and malleability of 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(2011). working memory deficits in neuronal nitric oxide synthase knockout mice: potential impairments in prefrontal cortex mediated cognitive function. biochemical and biophysical research communications, 408(4), 707-712. doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2011.04.097 emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca reflections on creating a student-run journal: a duo-ethnography maisha m. syeda, jon woodend, gina ko, teresa fowler, konstantinos chondros, brianna hilman, & britney m. paris werklund school of education, university of calgary literature regarding graduate student training suggests that graduate students struggle to become involved in academic publishing. once involved in the publication process, however, graduate students are able to transform their learning, as well as develop knowledge and skills for their future careers. to further foster student involvement in the publication process in the werklund school of education (wse) at the university of calgary, seven graduate students from educational research and psychology decided to launch a student-run, peer-reviewed research journal called emerging perspectives: interdisciplinary graduate research in education and psychology (epigrep). this article focuses on the editorial team members’ shared reflections and experiences as we used norris and sawyer’s (2012) duo-ethnographic approach to answer questions regarding the identified gaps that epigrep would fill in terms of graduate student training, the challenges and barriers faced during the inaugural year, and the ways in which participation in the journal could empower journal users to engage in the publication process. finally, we note implications and future directions regarding establishing epigrep as a graduate student initiative to foster research participation. keywords: graduate research training; academic publishing; duo-ethnography syeda, m. m., woodend, j., ko. g., fowler. t., chondros. k., hilman, b., & paris, b. m. (2017) reflections on creating a student-run journal: a duo-ethnography. emerging perspectives, 1(1), iii-xxi introduction graduate education is often considered to be preparation, job training, or socialization for future careers within academia (austin, 2002; ethington & pissani, 1993; gardner & barnes, 2007). however, for some students, graduate programs lack sufficient training in academic literacy and preparation opportunities for publication, both as an author and as a participant in the publication process. garbati and samuels (2013) found that only 8.60% of all authors in educational research were graduate students. garbati and samuels noted that students were not publishing with other students and only four papers were sole-authored by students. however, publication opportunities and writing collaboration with peers may not only enhance but also provide opportunities for students to develop as academics and scholars (garbati & samuels, 2013). such work also provides graduate students with the opportunity “to become involved in the work and life of the faculty” (austin & mcdaniels, 2006, p. 414). by engaging in such a hands-on syeda, woodend, ko, fowler, chondros, hilman, paris / emerging perspectives (2017) ii i-xxi iv experience, graduate students become connected to not just the work itself but also the community, which benefits from the work (johnson, 2013). this experience also provides students with “unique gains not available in their training programs” (doran, somerville, harlem-siegel, & steele, 2014, p. 122). while garbati and samuels (2013) presented research on student authors, little is known about students as reviewers or editors during their academic careers. if graduate students are to have opportunities to become sole-authors and develop academic literacy, they need to better understand the publishing process through experiences as reviewers, writers, and even editors of a journal. ni uigin, higgins and mchale (2015) stated that being involved in the publication process has many benefits for students, as it helps them develop components of academic literacy such as problem solving and critical thinking. in the development of the journal and in their roles as editors, “students were encouraged to think critically and creatively beyond the parameters of the classroom environment and to actively engage with the theoretical knowledge that they had mastered” (p. 63). it is in this arena, beyond the classroom environment, where graduate students find their voice as academics (ni uigin et al., 2015). academic literacy can also be referred to as academic capital, a construct extended from bourdieu’s (1977) forms of capital that are fostered through the social structures graduate students interact with. these forms of capital are socialized forms of language, literacy, and access to higher forms of knowledge that graduate students are surrounded with during their academic tenure. however, if these forms of capital only reside within the walls of a classroom or on a course syllabus, increasing academic literacy through an acquisition of capital does not extend or grow the socialization of graduate students to become academics. through the undertaking of a student-initiated project, graduate students have the potential to not only increase their academic capital but also their social capital through “connect[ing] in some fundamental way with various aspects of the social life of the institution” (maldonado, rhoads, & buenavista, 2005, p. 610). the graduate student experience often resides within four walls; therefore, if graduate students seek to further their careers and better understand the publication process, a start-up journal offers a means to develop forms of capital and academic literacy. garbati and samuels (2013) called for graduate programs to revisit their role in facilitating student authorship. specifically, they suggested that graduate programs either formally modify their degree requirements to allow first-time authors to get their work published or support their involvement in the peer-review practice as reviewers or editors. austin and mcdaniels (2006) echoed this suggestion, noting that “the graduate school experience must include opportunities...to master the skills and abilities associated with each aspect of faculty work” (p. 449). while there is currently movement in this direction in the werklund school of education (wse) at the university of calgary through the development of guidelines for graduate students to complete manuscriptbased thesis, graduate students also need to be leaders and be involved in the creation of additional research training opportunities. in particular, student initiatives have the ability to make valuable changes within the academy. “top-down approaches alone will not bring about the needed change, as they fail to appreciate the role that graduate students and postdocs who are grossly underrepresented in this discourse play in eliciting change” (schillebeeckx, maricque, & lewis, 2013, p. 938). inspired to elicit this change, graduate students in education and psychology at wse created emerging perspectives: interdisciplinary graduate research in education and psychology (epigrep), a student-led journal in which graduate students gain experience at all levels of the publication process, thereby increasing their academic literacy and capital. the founding editors of epigrep discovered unintended outcomes through the process of creating a student-led journal, which prompted an inquiry into the process. given the paucity of research in the area of student publishing and student-led journal start-ups in graduate school, we syeda, woodend, ko, fowler, chondros, hilman, paris / emerging perspectives (2017) ii i-xxi v thought to offer our experiences of creating a journal through duo-ethnography, as each founding member has developed their own perspectives from the start-up. what we hope to share through this article is not only how the process unfolded for us as beginning editors but how each of us has extended our learning beyond the confines of classroom walls and course syllabi and transformed our graduate learning experience. we also discuss the theoretical concepts that framed the study, including transformative leadership and peer-supported learning, and then outline the research method of duoethnography. after a discussion on the research design and analysis, we share our findings and implications for future directions. theoretical underpinnings transformative learning in the last few decades, transformational learning has become one of several influential adult learning theories (meriam, caffarella, & baumgartner, 2012). for instance, transformative learning theory underscored the lived experience of women returning to school (mezirow, 1978), cultural spiritual transformation (tisdell, 2003), race-centric and social change transformation (williams, 2006), and as a course of restorying our lives (randall, 1996). clark (1993) stated that transformational learning: shapes people; they are different afterward, in ways both they and others can recognize. the process can be gradual or sudden, and it can occur in a structured education environment or in the classroom of ordinary life. transformational learning is, in short, a normal part of our lives and intimately connected to the developmental process. (p. 47) hence, a transformation is one that can be life-altering; associated with growth and progress. in creating this article, we focused specifically on mezirow’s (1991) theory of transformative learning regarding our experiences of coming together to create and operate a student-run journal. mezirow described various forms of learning through his own experience: learning how to do something; learning about how something works; learning about the expectations of others; and learning to form a progressing concept of self as a person with particular values (mezirow, 1978). he noted that the most fundamental learning occurs when we are “caught in our history and reliving it” (p. 101). he was referring to the need to be reflexive of assumptions that have predisposed the way we see ourselves, our relationships with others, and the way we live our lives. furthermore, mezirow (1991) discussed how our expectations or habits can be challenged through reflection and critique and may result in the transformation of “meaning perspective” and “experience” of the interpretation (p. 6). mezirow pointed to how transformative learning is at the forefront when assumptions are discovered to be inauthentic, distorting, and therefore, invalid. hence, a transformation is apparent when new or transformed meaning schemas emerge, or when reflections centered on these assumptions transform meaning perspectives (mezirow, 1991). he argued: adult development is seen as an adult’s progressively enhanced capacity to validate prior learning through reflective discourse and to act upon the resulting insights. anything that moves the individual toward a more inclusive, differentiated, permeable (open to other points of view), and integrating meaning perspective, the validity of which has been established through rational discourse, aids in adult development. (p. 7) therefore, to be transformed is a personal and progressive process. this process involves meaning perspectives, or how we understand experience; intentional learning, which is a process of problem solving; making meaning through reflection; distorted assumptions or uncovering errors in learning; perspective transformation, which considers how learning leads to change; and fostering syeda, woodend, ko, fowler, chondros, hilman, paris / emerging perspectives (2017) ii i-xxi vi transformative adult learning (mezirow, 1991). peer-supported learning graduate programs in education and other faculties have been working to transform the environment for graduate students and increase completion rates through peer mentoring and peersupported learning programs (noonan, ballinger, & black, 2007). such programs and shifts in graduate student experiences have moved graduate student learning and engagement beyond the supervisor-supervisee relationship and past coursework to include “multiple and overlapping notions of communities” (boud & lee, 2005, p. 503) where graduate students are afforded opportunities to extend their relationships beyond the confines of their supervisor’s office and the classroom setting. this transformation of the graduate student experience has not only generated a growth in peer-to-peer engagement (boud & lee, 2005) but has also “increase[d] the time and physical and psychological energy that students devote to the academic experience” (colvin & ashman, 2010, p.122). peer mentoring and peer-supported learning resides at the centre of the experience of creating our journal for both ourselves, as members of the editorial board, and our fellow graduate students with the unintentional consequence of transforming our graduate school experience. the hierarchical relationships in graduate school, how we find our way within graduate studies, and how we understand the nuances and clandestine practices are either navigated blindly or with the support of our supervisors. as graduate students, however, we also need to learn how to find our way outside of this privileged relationship, extending ourselves to better understand the “ill-defined problems of the field” (noonan, ballinger, & black, 2007, p. 252). these hidden experiences that are left for discovery become sites of deep, impactful learning that grow organically around a common seed, and the learning that occurs at these sites can rival the experiences gained within coursework (colvin & ashman, 2010). agency and autonomy become distributed, not vertically, such as our relationships with instructors and supervisors, but horizontally as we work through the troubles and obstacles that are associated with creating a graduate student-run journal (boud & lee, 2007). the editorial board is moving through a process of learning with each other while also becoming mentors for our peers through the process of publishing and reviewing. each of us as editors have had experiences of being published and/or rejected through publishing and being reviewers; therefore, we seek to work with our peers using concepts that have been identified as successful components of a peer mentoring relationship (noonan, ballinger, & black, 2007). in the publishing and reviewing process, our editorial team has built relationships with our fellow graduate students through encouraging and motivating peers within the publication process. through the publication process, we are not only providing opportunities for emerging research to become published but also working with fellow graduate students new to both the steps required for a successful publication and the completion of a good review, resulting in an encouraging means for professional exposure to academic publishing. this experience has benefited not only fellow graduate students through mentorship opportunities and exposure to academic publishing, but also ourselves as graduate student editors. that is, we have learned how to better support our peers, develop a better understanding of the publishing process, and make connections in academia and publishing spheres (colvin & ashman, 2010). as we each work to not only publish an academic journal, but also to enhance the graduate student experience, we have embodied a deep sense of agency that moves far beyond a course syllabus. syeda, woodend, ko, fowler, chondros, hilman, paris / emerging perspectives (2017) ii i-xxi vii research method as authors and research participants, we were interested in understanding the transformative learning we experienced during the past year as the founding epigrep editorial team. more than this individual reflection, however, we sought to highlight our converging and diverging perspectives of this shared experience. through this polyvocal account, we hoped to challenge our assumptions and, importantly, encourage continued growth and learning as we embark on the next step in the journey to develop epigrep. these goals, along with our research question and theoretical underpinnings, fit with the duo-ethnographic approach, which “is a collaborative research methodology in which two or more researchers of difference juxtapose their life histories to provide multiple understandings” (norris & sawyer, 2012, p. 9). norris and sawyer (2004) established duo-ethnography as a way to move past the hegemony of auto-ethnography, which prioritizes one voice above others. instead, a duo-ethnographic approach invites multiple voices in order to challenge status quo assumptions, ideologies, and epistemologies (norris, 2008). based on a history of social justice, duo-ethnography is used to address power and privilege within society, creating space for voices that are typically marginalized (norris & sawyer, 2012). in the case of our study, we presented our voices as student researchers regarding our experience of establishing a journal for and by students. as student voices are underrepresented in the peer-reviewed process (garbati & samuels, 2013), a duo-ethnographic approach provided an opportunity to shed light on this perspective. in establishing duo-ethnography, sawyer and norris (2012b) identified 14 tenets. first, people make meaning of their experiences through personal analysis, creating an informal life curriculum. second, researchers as participants position themselves as part of the text they are creating, not outside of it. third, researchers as participants are not the focus of the inquiry but are the context in which the exploration occurs. fourth, researchers as participants re-conceptualize important experiences or dominant stories of their lives. fifth, researchers as participants focus on questioning experiences, rather than aligning themselves with prescribed roles such as the hero or victim. sixth, identity is not rigid and is always open to change and questioning. seventh, the meanings created through this exploration are fluid and are not meant to represent objective truths. eighth, the goals of the inquiry are not prescribed beforehand and applied to the data in order to shape it. ninth, researchers as participants are individually charged with the responsibility of promoting diverging rather than converging reflections in the dialogue. tenth, power and privilege are explicitly discussed in the dialogue. eleventh, the sociopolitical location of participants is a relevant context for the dialogue. twelfth, the state of the literature relevant to the dialogue is a relevant context for analysis. thirteenth, participants work together in a shared responsibility to explore new perspectives rather than converging around one perspective. finally, readers of a duoethnography become themselves participants in the dialogue, offering continued analysis and changing of perspectives. research design and analysis the participants in this inquiry were a group of seven graduate students from different educational research and psychology specializations who formed the founding epigrep editorial team. as the context of participants is important in a duo-ethnographic approach, we will briefly outline our specializations. at the time of inquiry, maisha was a doctoral candidate in school and applied child psychology with research interests in the area of childhood anxiety disorders, syeda, woodend, ko, fowler, chondros, hilman, paris / emerging perspectives (2017) ii i-xxi viii specifically, understanding interactions of risk factors and examining mindfulness-based cognitivebehavioral interventions for anxiety in diverse child and youth populations. jon was a doctoral candidate in counselling psychology with research interests in the international career transition of skilled immigrant workers and international students to canada. brit was a master’s student in language and literacy investigating the effect of learner language proficiency on responses to written corrective feedback. gina was a doctoral student in educational leadership with research interests pertaining to the experience of immigrant and refugee youth leading for social justice and advocacy. konstantinos was a doctoral student in counselling psychology with research interests in social justice advocacy for queer clients in counselling. brianna was a doctoral candidate in language and literacy with research interests in sociolinguistics, settlement, and internationallyeducated tradespeople in alberta. teresa was a doctoral candidate in curriculum and learning with research interests in understanding student expressions and feelings of disengagement with the curriculum in schools using photovoice as a methodology. for data collection, we were guided by sawyer and norris (2012a, c, d). specifically, the editorial team gathered together to engage in a recorded, two-hour dialogue regarding the research question “what gaps did we hope the journal would fill in graduate student training?” first, we took turns sharing an opening reflection about the roles and niche we anticipate the journal to fill in training graduate students to be better scholars. from there, the dialogue evolved into new reflections about our experiences, which changed as we listened to each other’s accounts. to help guide the conversation and before engaging in the duo-ethnography, we developed some questions, such as “what were some of the barriers and challenges we faced during our inaugural year?” and “how do we wish to empower journal users and ourselves through the publication process?” we then transcribed the recording, reviewed the transcript, and added or refined our respective reflections to smooth out the dialogue for reader comprehension. for data analysis, we followed the example of nabavi and lund (2012). given the breadth and depth of data, we negotiated which critical learnings from the conversation to include in this article. our intention was not to stymie our learning by promoting one story over another, but rather to strike a balance between breadth and depth by providing space for a thorough exploration over a superficial one. our hope is that we will continue this process in future articles and eventually be able to share the full body of learning that emerged from this duo-ethnography. research findings and discussion in presenting the findings, norris (2008) noted that there is no one ‘right’ way to engage in duo-ethnography, however, one approach is to synthesize data collection, i.e., stories, and analysis, identifying key shifts in learning for an integrated discussion of findings. consequently, we organized our findings to showcase the key stories from the dialogue based on the three guiding questions. after presenting the key stories for each research question, we provide a short discussion before moving on to the next research question. finally, we offer a synthesis discussion for all stories in order to illuminate future research steps. question 1: what gaps did we hope the journal would fill in graduate student training? in addressing this first research question, there were two main themes within the dialogue. first, we discussed the circumstances that lead to each of us pursuing involvement with a studentrun journal. second, we noted what our original goals were, either individually or as decided upon by the group, for the journal, and the objectives of the journal to supplement graduate students’ training. the stories below showcase these themes. syeda, woodend, ko, fowler, chondros, hilman, paris / emerging perspectives (2017) ii i-xxi ix precipitating circumstances for pursuing a student-run journal maisha: if i think back to the beginning of the journal, it started when graduate programs in education students’ association (gpesa) applied for a graduate students’ association (gsa) quality grant. gpesa was established about two-three years prior to my start in the association. therefore, gpesa was also going through several transitions in establishing itself as a studentbody organization within the werklund school of education at the university of calgary. back in 2013, we were still a very young organization and we wanted to be secure financially to be able to provide more effective and meaningful services to our students and the greater werklund community. we put together a grant to fund resources that we would need to establish gpesa. the executives of gpesa also wanted to provide a platform for werklund students to engage in research and scholarship through a journal, operated by the organization. fortunately, we were successful in winning the grant, but there was not much movement made to establish the journal in the first year. in 2014, when i was elected president of gpesa, i felt that i had some personal responsibility to start some movement and work towards establishing the journal to utilize the grant money. that was my original objective of the journal, to get it off the ground. brit: i was also a member of gpesa as a promotions and media relations officer. i was at our first transition meeting, and i started chatting with other gpesa journal committee members. at that time, i had also recently taken a position as a research assistant with the taylor institute developing online conference proceedings, so i then shared with these committee members that i had experience with an online journal, and they said that it was fantastic, so i pushed my way onto the committee. it was really serendipitous, actually. i was like yeah, i could help with online journal systems, i know who to talk to, i am already in contact with somebody. i had just gone to a conference in open access publishing where i had seen a presentation on someone creating a student journal. my aim at the time was to be the glue that kept the journal together, to use my knowledge about the journal system to keep the journal operating and to get that grant money used. brianna: in my first year as a doctoral student, in my own educational specialisation area (edsa), language and literacy, we had discussions about starting our own journal. while initially many of the edsa students were interested in being part of the journal initiative, we slowly lost participants because students were graduating, for example, and after a while, i was the only one left. when i heard through gpesa, i was also a member at that time, that they had the money and there were other people who were interested to starting a journal, i was like great! i figured i could try to be part of this journal instead and still achieve my goal of helping to create a journal. teresa: i was in my second year of my doctoral program and had not yet had that grad school experience i was looking for. my thoughts were always that grad school ought to be this place where students gather and talk, tackling issues that were important to them but also work collaboratively to fill voids that we felt were there in our programs, such as study groups and just someone to reflect ideas off. i had not yet experienced this, so when i saw there was a vacancy in the gpesa for a curriculum and learning representative, i put in my name and found a wonderful group of people that began to fill out my experience in the program. at one meeting, maisha asked if anyone would be interested in joining the editorial board. so, i signed up and not only do i love being a part of such a cool thing as starting a journal but this experience really matched those grad school experiences i was looking to have. konstantinos: as for me, maisha approached me, and she said “well, there's this new position, this is what has been happening with this journal, if you're interested, let's have a conversation.” i thought about it, and i had worked on publications before, with my supervisor, and i had already reviewed a few manuscripts for other journals. i started thinking, okay, if this is the trajectory that syeda, woodend, ko, fowler, chondros, hilman, paris / emerging perspectives (2017) ii i-xxi x i'm going to take in the future, if this is my future career path, being involved in academia in various capacities, one of which can be reviewing, or editing or just being a researcher, wanting to publish my own work, i think this journal is a great opportunity for me to come in and learn from the insideout, or what's going on behind the scenes of publishing. jon: kind of similar to konstantinos, maisha approached me to talk about seeing if i was interested, and at that time, i had just finished going through a year of working on a few different articles for publication, receiving mentorship from a senior faculty member, and so, i was really going through this process, seeing what it was like to become a first-time author. i also had an opportunity to be a reviewer for a book that one of those articles was going into. as well, i was beginning to think of, okay, is there a future career path for me as an academic, because i came into graduate school thinking just about the practical aspect. i wanted to go into the program to become a clinician. i was feeling torn between two worlds, so then when maisha brought this up, it seemed like an opportunity to explore further, one way or the other, but something that i was struggling with at the time was that, being an educator in my past, and being someone who wants to be more in practice, pure academia felt more theoretical, less tangible. being an editor, having an opportunity to be an editor felt like a way to bridge past experiences by capitalising on the experience i had just gained, becoming an author, and offering mentorship in my role as an editor to new authors, and being hands-on with that whole process. gina: i'm the new kid on the block! i just joined the editorial board recently and came on while you were all in the middle of establishing the journal. i guess i'll go back to the beginning. i also joined gpesa, a few years after others on the team, and at one meeting brit and i ended up chatting, and brit asked would you be interested in being a reviewer. i said okay, what does that entail? she said you'll get these articles sent to you in your area of focus, and then you review it. you know what? i didn't know the difference between a reviewer and an editor at that time ha! so, i thought well this is a good opportunity and also one of the faculty members approached me last year or the year before. she knew that i do quite well with apa editing so she asked me to edit her book and i did that for her with her, it was so much fun, like i really enjoyed that part of it so i thought well i have some skills, i have lots to learn, i should put those skills to use and gain some additional training by joining the journal. figuring out our objectives and clarifying goals for the journal brit: along the lines of expectations for the journal, we didn't know what to expect, we didn't know how many hours a week it was going to be for editors or reviewers. we didn't know how many submissions we might get, we didn't know how much work it would be per editor, so i then really saw it as my role, as the journal manager, to figure that all out and so i got the website up and got us trained on that so it became tangible and manageable. i felt like we couldn’t have specific goals or objectives until we had these details determined. maisha: yeah and i think we also had some key meetings, i remember we had a weekend meeting where we met at like 9 o'clock and we stayed on campus until like 4 o'clock to figure out the website details and finalize the scope and focus, because we needed a resource for ourselves and to show potential authors that this is what the journal does, this is how publication would work. it was at this point that we needed those very focused, intentional, goal-oriented meetings with an end product. that was key for creating momentum and beginning to define the goals and objectives of the journal and how it would support students. konstantinos: even though we had the website and some specific objectives, i think the way we individually understand those objectives may differ. for me, i see the journal as an opportunity for students to have a voice in terms of getting their research published and helping them with their syeda, woodend, ko, fowler, chondros, hilman, paris / emerging perspectives (2017) ii i-xxi xi future career if they're interested in going down that road. i keep thinking about the ethics of why we're doing what we're doing. is it just to get that publication out there and for someone to have it on their cv or, you know, is this something that matters, that's going to be out there that people have access to and, most importantly, have free access to. how do we support our audience to engage in this process and help them grow in terms of their skills through the feedback we provided, the feedback that the reviewers provide, and who we appoint. maisha: i came from a very research intensive undergraduate institute and we had a lot of focus on research-related activities, you were going to conferences from undergraduate, you were part of publications, so when i came to werklund specifically, it was hard for me to go through a transition where i met a lot of graduate students for whom the focus was not in academia. even in educational research, the students are like “yeah, i want to become a consultant” or, you know…i mean “i want to be a practitioner.” especially in the psychology field, it was hard for me because my focus has always been in academia and think of practice on the side. so i sort of thought about “why are there fewer people at werklund interested in becoming a researcher?” and then i thought about, from a structural point of view, do we have enough opportunities for students to consider academia as an option? do we provide the resources and the training where students from a master’s level will think that “i’m comfortable coming into academia”? or “i have enough publications that i would be competitive enough to apply for a job.” and i felt that was missing, so i really started thinking about having a journal that comes out of werklund, that will contribute to some extent to fostering a culture of academia. where it’s maybe a beginning step for students becoming more comfortable with publishing, where students get more opportunity and mentorship with publishing. brianna: for me, it was important as an objective to have the mentorship piece, and the learning piece. at various times, we’ve kind of pulled back from offers from faculty to help with the journal because we didn’t want it to be taken over or run by them. we really wanted it to be a student-led journal, and we really wanted to set up the process where you do the module online so you get some idea of what is expected of you and what you need to do. for example, if we get papers that seem like they are not ready yet, to be able to work with the authors and say, “here’s what you can do, what else can we do to help you.” it’s not enough just to know that the manuscript is not good enough, we need an opportunity to learn, to be taught. teresa: to build onto brianna’s thoughts, being the editor in charge of reviewing book reviews has been eye opening in that almost half of the ones submitted struggled with reviewing a book and then expressing their understandings on paper. some of the writers had experience with publishing and this showed, but the majority had not, so i did not really recognize how much mentorship was going to be involved with this small aspect of the journal. clearly, mentorship and learning opportunities are a critical objective for the journal. jon: i think that’s what stood out to me, too, in terms of objectives. one of the objectives of the journal was that we wanted it to not just be a journal; we wanted it to be a journal that filled a niche, a journal that targeted a gap that students needed to bridge into ideas. i think sometimes, if we’re honest about it, there is a lot of stigma against education and psychology, that they’re not competitive in terms of research and things like that, compared to the hard sciences like physics and chemistry, for example. i think a journal with a base in education, in wse, was an opportunity to build not only the confidence of ourselves, but other students to make that bridge into publication. gina: i think the energy that we all have, when we put all our objectives together is going to keep the journal moving forward, despite feeling like an imposter sometimes. “what can i offer? what do i have to offer? what do i know about publishing, as an editor?” it’s a learning journey, it’s a process that, i think, that’s key for me because, as a graduate student, i don’t think i’ll ever stop syeda, woodend, ko, fowler, chondros, hilman, paris / emerging perspectives (2017) ii i-xxi xii learning, whether i’m done my phd or, you know, whether i’m in academia or a practitioner or both, i’m never going to stop, so discovering these changing objectives as we learn and grow is a part of that journey. discussion. as we started the dialogue, one of the key themes that we all touched on was our origin stories about the needs, wants, and precipitating circumstances that brought us to the journal. although we were all in similar degree levels at the same post-secondary institution, we had unique skills and gaps in our training that made the journal a fit for us. it was this balance between having skills already, such as brit’s knowledge about the journal platform or gina's apa skill, and where we wanted to expand our learning, including teresa’s, konstantinos’s and jon's desires to explore future career options in academia, that created the precipitating circumstances leading each of us to the journal. joining the journal was based on personal and professional motivations from all in the editorial board and as maisha noted, we felt a sense of responsibility to take on the challenge of creating and running a student journal. given the differing personal and professional reasons that brought each of us to the journal, when we started talking about the specific expectations or objectives that we had, it seemed logical that we would also have our own ideas about the purpose of the journal. moreover, these objectives seemed to evolve or solidify as we went through the process of creating and operating the journal. for example, maisha knew she wanted to create a culture of research, while brianna and teresa wanted to demystify the publication process. however, even with these differing objectives, we seemed to coalesce around the shared utility of mentorship to achieve these goals. for us, mentorship was a platform that allowed beginning authors and users of the journal to figure out their objectives, for example, get a publication, while also providing us the opportunity to clarify the journal’s goals. question 2: what were some of the barriers and challenges we faced in our inaugural year? as our conversation evolved to talking about the barriers and challenges we experienced in our inaugural year, two primary themes emerged in our discussion. first, we identified that one of our unexpected challenges was to involve graduate students with the journal. in our perception, we felt that students were not as enthusiastic as we anticipated them to be for the journal or to be part of the journal as authors. second, in our discussion, we also noted the challenges we all experienced in creating a balance in our work and academic schedules while simultaneously finding adequate time and opportunities to fulfill our responsibilities as editors effectively. the conversations below reflect these themes. lack of student engagement and enthusiasm for the journal maisha: i think our initial initiatives were predominantly faculty-focused when we were trying to establish the journal. we had great, insightful conversations and discussion with various faculty members who gave us invaluable guidance in establishing a student-run journal. however, i don’t think we have taken enough opportunities to foster engagement and enthusiasm among our peers, the graduate students. i don’t believe our peers are enthusiastic yet about our journal, and our journal is essentially established for graduate students. i think we are still missing this, students are not relating to the journal, where they feel that this establishment will play some role in enhancing their graduate training. we need to spark that enthusiasm and engagement. we need to reach out to students. during the year, i had some time to reflect, to think about who is our target audience for authors? we say it in our mandate that our journal is a good platform for beginning authors to gain publishing experience, but maybe, our beginning authors don’t have the resources, coaching or the mentorship to engage with the publication process yet. syeda, woodend, ko, fowler, chondros, hilman, paris / emerging perspectives (2017) ii i-xxi xiii jon: i saw that as a barrier too. sometimes we give lip service to research; we talk about it and its importance, but there’s not as much action toward completing it. part of this inaction is that there is no formal guidance, or structured way into the publication world. i could see why students may say “yes, i would love to be a published author,” but they don’t have the model to follow to help them through this process. does that make sense? brit: yes, that is making sense. actually, it’s almost like there is a hidden knowledge in academia about how to publish. we know how to write a paper because we’ve spent our entire undergraduate degree? experience? bridging up to writing a paper in grad school, but we don’t know how to write a manuscript because, well, we never had the opportunity to do so. even when i went to seminars to learn about publishing, i found the information was mostly on where to publish rather than how to publish. then i thought to myself, well, i know where to publish-it’s where everyone i am reading is publishing, but i don’t know how to get from writing a paper to turning the paper into a manuscript. i also know a lot of my peers don’t know how to get there. it’s like this underground knowledge almost, but people don’t know how to teach that either. brianna: like brit, i found that most seminars are about how to choose journals. what we are working through right now with our authors is how to turn that term paper that is only read by your professor into a publishable manuscript, and this is what is missing from most advice and seminars, although it is the practical advice and training that students need. teresa: it is similar to the hidden and implicit curriculum of graduate school...things that others just assume we know so they do not teach it outright. as graduate students, many of us are also research assistants. i find that many of these roles are often on the back burner, but your supervisor or the principal investigator does not stop, pause, and teach you how to publish, show you how to a develop a good manuscript, and give you examples of journals to publish. maybe it is the expectation that we will learn this on our own, but publishing needs support and mentorship. gina: you just made me think of something...in turns of sparking this interest, what about, moving forward, having faculty talk to their students and having them introduce us, our journal, and letting the students know that epigrep could be a place to start if they are thinking about publishing. i find that word of mouth, when you know someone and you personally invite them to submit a manuscript, it may be more effective and powerful than just letting them look up and find the journal. jon: gina, we could take your idea and go one step further. could we get the journal incorporated as part of the curriculum? most graduate courses require students to write a research paper, why not have the students write the paper for the journal? i think as we noted earlier, there is a not a well established culture for graduate students to be thinking of publishing, or that publishing is worth their time. if students were expected to create manuscript-level and styled papers in their courses, then that might provide the motivation and bridge that students need to get more enthusiastic about participating in the journal. gina: i was also thinking about reaching out to our research advisory committee and see how we can work with them to relay this message to faculty and have it also passed onto students. i think students would appreciate the mentorship from the faculty in their courses to prepare them to publish. konstantinos: we can also take this suggestion to the teaching and learning committee, i think they would be interested. they always ask about the journal, and what we are up to. we could take the idea, “how do we incorporate the journal into curriculum?” epigrep editors finding a balance konstantinos: i realize that i have some accountability to my role as an editor. for me that has syeda, woodend, ko, fowler, chondros, hilman, paris / emerging perspectives (2017) ii i-xxi xiv been hard, especially when dealing with my doctoral candidacy process, trying to juggle that and other commitments, and then being accountable to the journal and being responsible to getting back to authors in a timely manner. this editorial position is voluntary, after all. i am not telling myself that this needs to be on the back burner because it is voluntary, but trying to do all these things, being a doctoral student, i am pretty sure it’s not just me because we all have our fingers in 20 different pots. i was wondering if that’s a common experience, or across the board, other people have thought about those things? just wondering…. brit: i agree, konstantinos, and thank you for bringing up this issue. we have our hands in various pots and we are trying to balance or juggle it all. i wonder whether our commitments to our own research, work, graduate training, etc., are interfering with our ability to be efficient to follow-up with authors to remind them to address our review comments and re-submit their manuscript for second or third review. as graduate students, we take courses, take on research and teaching assistantships, prepare and take candidacy exams, prepare for and present at conferences, and of course, work on our own research. these responsibilities take time, but the work we do as the journal editors is diverse, time-consuming, demands attention and our best effort. as editors, we all are doing initial reviews of manuscripts, choosing which reviewers should review the manuscript, overseeing and sometimes collaborating in the reviewing process, and then based on the review outcomes, we have to work with the authors and reviewers to process and coordinate the re-submission process. maisha: we are all graduate students and we are learning how to do our jobs as editors everyday. yes, all these responsibilities that you just described, brit, take time, focus, diligence, and sometimes mentorship that we are so fortunate that we are able to seek out from each other whenever needed. at the same, we also cannot compromise the work we have do as graduate students with respect to coursework, research, candidacy, internships, and the list goes on. gina: yes, we are definitely involved in various other work on top our own research. for me, i am sessional instructor, research assistant, and just completed my provisional hours towards registration as a psychologist. i am also a mom, partner, sister, and friend to those i love. however, this opportunity to be involved in such a grassroots and exciting initiative to collaborate with fellow students and be mentors in the publication process is invaluable. for me, i say yes to many roles because i know i have some skills, and the relationship cultivated with my peers is priceless. teresa: i agree, totally, as much as i was looking to fill an emptiness and collaborate with grad students i also wonder about balance. is all this hard work we are doing not going to open up opportunities for us? then i remind myself that service is a large part of my life and whether or not anything transpires for me career-wise, i revel in the relationships i have built over the years with colleagues, peers, and past students. as stressful as it all gets, i like to think that this investment is paying off not only by our providing opportunities for other grad students to publish and review but now within this group we have built strong relationships with each other. maisha: yes, there is no doubt that creating the journal has been a rewarding process. however, i think we also should be less hard on ourselves and, like i said earlier, acknowledge that this position demands time. brit, you are also right, if we think we are not responding to authors in a timely way, maybe we could take some pre-emptive measures to smooth the review and re-submission processes for our authors. maybe it’s time to review our website to evaluate when an author is about to submit their manuscript, are they aware of the journal’s expectations and requirements? maybe we need samples on our website? we are having ongoing discussions about creating video tutorials to support students to develop manuscripts, we should start working on that, and other resources that could be disseminated to help students with manuscript writing. jon: that makes me think further about collaborating with our faculty. like i mentioned earlier, if syeda, woodend, ko, fowler, chondros, hilman, paris / emerging perspectives (2017) ii i-xxi xv students are writing these manuscripts in their courses, they will be receiving mentorship from a faculty member, which will inherently strengthen their manuscripts and benefit the review process that we will undergo after. basically, i think that the mentorship process can start happening even before the student gets to submitting their manuscript to epigrep. perhaps this will increase our workload, if students start preparing manuscripts in their courses and submit en masse, however, i think that is mitigated by faculties’ expertise already being incorporated in the evaluation of the manuscript/paper. is this how we find a balance between engaging students but also not overtaxing our already busy schedules? brianna: i think the balancing acts that we are all doing underscore why collaboration and mentorship are so important. we can’t all do everything but sharing the load and being open to the help and expertise that are available are just some of the aspects of grad school that result in growth. discussion. during our inaugural year, low student engagement and enthusiasm as well as our own struggles to strike a balance between our academic and work commitments and effectively operating the journal were two primary challenges that we experienced. whenever we sought out mentorship from our faculty, we constantly sensed their enthusiasm and support for the journal, and these were invaluable in inspiring and empowering us to work towards our goals. simultaneously, we also sensed that the journal did not spark a sufficient level of interest and enthusiasm among graduate students, our peers and colleagues. as we began to explore possible reasons to explain low student engagement and enthusiasm, we realized that publication skills like developing manuscripts and addressing reviewer’s comments are not explicitly built into our graduate curriculum. we as students do not typically receive step-by-step, concrete coaching in our graduate training to publish. lack of coaching and mentorship for publication may discourage students from getting involved with the process and make the publication process more intimidating. creating a journal and providing a platform to publish may not be enough to spark that enthusiasm, encouragement, and interest in students to publish if we do not establish proper avenues to foster engagement and participation between the journal and students. as we move forward, it will be important for the journal to develop and facilitate individualized mentorship opportunities and hands-on learning experiences for students to engage in the publishing process. as scholars (e.g., johnson, 2013; doran et al., 2014) in the field have suggested, these hands-on learning opportunities will allow students to gain skills and experiences which may not be available in their regular graduate curriculum and will then enhance their overall academic literacy. our second challenge illustrated our own struggle as editors to create an adequate balance in our day-to-day life to keep up with our diverse commitments. as graduate students, we are tied to many commitments and deadlines, and they take up most of our daily schedules. consequently, during the year we sometimes struggled to manage our academic commitments and simultaneously find adequate time and opportunities to effectively fulfill our responsibilities and obligations as the journal editors, which are also plenty. at times, we were delayed in responding and following up with our authors, which undoubtedly elicited feelings of guilt and inadequacy in us. therefore, we explored ways in which we could re-structure our responsibilities by collaborating with faculty. for example, if authors are submitting manuscripts which were developed under the mentorship of a faculty member, then our editorial and reviewing responsibilities may be reduced to some extent. our experience in the past year reflects the amount of time and commitment warranted in studentled initiatives and illuminates how faculty collaboration, mentorship, and peer-support could alleviate the stress we experience juggling our commitments and creating a balance in our lives. question 3: how do we wish to empower journal users and ourselves through the publication process? syeda, woodend, ko, fowler, chondros, hilman, paris / emerging perspectives (2017) ii i-xxi xvi we envision the journal to be a platform for peer-supportive learning and mentorship for publication not only for our authors, but for ourselves as well. hence, we wanted to take the opportunity to listen to each other’s perspectives as to how we wish to empower our authors and ourselves through the publication process, our third research question. after reading our stories in this regard, two main themes emerged. first, we discussed how we wish to empower our peers to help them develop confidence and take pride in the work they do as student researchers. second, as we reflected on our own personal growth, we noted that the journal taught us to learn to trust our strengths and contributions that we can make as student researchers and editors. our conversations, representative of these themes, are written below. cultivating confidence to publish gina: we are graduate students for a reason, we are here in our lives because we do know things. my message to students is that you know that you are becoming one of the experts in your field, so you have lots to say and write about. you might as well take the extra step to get your knowledge and findings disseminated so more people can read your work and what you are passionate about. brianna: yeah, it is important to accept that boldness that yes, i do know some things. it is also important to accept that publishing is a learning process, and the first step to that process is to try. just try it. maisha: exactly what i was thinking, brianna. publication is a learning process. when we choose our area of study for research, our interest in the topics reflects our enjoyment and passion for the research we do. i hope the journal helps to cultivate that similar nature of enjoyment in students with respect to publishing and scholarly reviewing. i hope that the process of publication instills pride and confidence in the work students do, and that they see the feedback and coaching they receive from their reviewers as opportunities to learn and grow as authors. jon: i hope that beginning authors to the journal know that we as editors once stood where they stand; we remember how confusing and difficult it was to work toward publication. we didn’t just wake up one day and think, ‘hey, i can be an editor of a journal.’ we built our confidence in publication slowly but surely, and it culminated in our current roles, but we faced many obstacles along the way as well. brit: precisely. the first time, the process can be scary, intimidating, or even painful. it is hard not to take revisions personally, but tear off that band-aid and start the process. as beginning authors, it helps to have a mindset that revisions are there to improve your writing, don’t view them as setbacks. konstantinos: also, despite feeling overwhelmed by the publication process especially for firsttime authors it is important for students to remember that there are resources they can rely on which can help improve their writing. peers with publication experience or research supervisors can potentially serve as such resources by boosting graduate student authors’ confidence regarding their academic prose. in addition, they can normalize potentially undesirable publication outcomes, e.g., manuscript rejection, or resubmission with major revisions, and act as role-models who underwent similar experiences in the past and, thus, can demystify for new graduate student authors the process of disseminating our research through publication. teresa: it is not easy putting yourself out there, but the risk is worth it. hesitation and worries are understandable, but imagine what great books and articles may have never made it to print if the author had not taken a risk to say this is worthy, this is good enough for me to share. so, do not be so critical on your work or ideas that they never leave your computer or journal. i would also like to tell our authors that as the editor, i have learned to read deeply the work that is coming in and provide feedback that does not turn away an author but empowers them to do better. syeda, woodend, ko, fowler, chondros, hilman, paris / emerging perspectives (2017) ii i-xxi xvii maisha: then as editors, we should also pay close attention to the feedback and comments that our authors are receiving from their reviewers. is the feedback useful? empowering or overly harsh or critical? if the feedback is not useful or doesn’t provide concrete directions on how to improve their manuscripts, then the author may be discouraged or less motivated to continue with the publication process. learning to trust our strengths and contributions gina: what have we learned about ourselves through this process? for me i see it as practicing self-compassion. i learned to give myself permission to ask questions and reach out for help with things. i would also like to model that process with our student authors. when you are working on a paper and submit it for review, it is understandably an anxious process, but that paper does not have to be perfect. there’s a team of people here in our journal that authors can learn from and that’s really powerful. jon: similar to what gina said, i can be humble about what i don’t know, but i can also be bold about what i do know. being with the journal has given me the confidence to be bold in putting myself forward in whatever expertise i do have. as editors who are also students, we all have expertise at this point in our research area. my mentors have been saying this for awhile and logically this made sense, but being in the journal, i have felt what they were saying. brit: as the only master’s student in the room, surrounded by people with much more experience and expertise than i have, like jon said, i realized i do actually have expertise in certain areas and i can be confident in that knowledge. it’s really helped with my confidence in applying to conferences and then the subsequent presentation. maisha: i agree, learning to be bold about what i do know. being involved in various responsibilities as a journal editor, i now feel more confident to share my expertise in the area that i have received training and experiences. this position definitely adds to the confidence i take with me to a room when i am being asked to speak about my research. i think, interestingly, along with my research work, this journal position has also helped to identify the passion i have for research teaching and mentorship. teresa: talking about mentorship, i think the collaborative opportunities that the journal offers have been empowering to me. for example, as the book review editor, i have books from all of our departments so when i run into, “oh, is this really what the book is saying,” i know i can rely on one of fellow editors for assistance. konstantinos: i definitely also appreciate the collaborative opportunities. i used to be a huge perfectionist but i think i have worked to relinquish that. i find it most beneficial to work in a group because there’s that collaboration and you allow disagreements to be settled through democracy. brianna: for me, this process has helped me to realize that we are not alone. it can feel like we are the only ones who struggle with creating manuscripts, or providing good feedback, but, in this and all collaborative processes, we can see that others have the same struggles, and we can work through them together. discussion. for beginning authors and students, the publication process could be daunting and anxiety provoking. it may be difficult to muster the courage and confidence to submit their own work for an evaluation that determines whether their work is worth sharing with the scholarly community. reflecting on our own growth as first-year graduate students to authors, and now to editors, we hope that the publication process with the journal allows graduate students, our peers, to gain confidence about the skills, achievement, and the expertise they have developed so far in their academic careers. when we are confident and we take pride in the research work we do and the papers we write, it helps us to take risks and submit it for publication. it may be easier to take syeda, woodend, ko, fowler, chondros, hilman, paris / emerging perspectives (2017) ii i-xxi xviii that risk when we realize that the publication is, after all, a learning process. as graduate students, we are always learning, and it is our occupation, so we know we can learn. once we take the feedback from our reviewers as opportunities to grow and be better storytellers of the research we are doing, we may even learn to enjoy the publication process and take pride in the progress we made. with respect to epigrep specifically, we hope that the individualized mentorship and coaching facilitated through the publication process also empowers our authors. with respect to our own growth as editors, involvement with the journal has further reinforced our beliefs in our strengths, expertise, and the skills we have developed so far as young academics. the journal has enhanced our sense of self-efficacy to provide expertise in the areas we have training and experiences in. additionally, the journal has brought us to a peer-supported community that allows us to learn from each other, collaborate with each other, and work together on our common goals to empower graduate students and become future scholars. implications and future directions a review of the educational research literature indicates the need for and benefits of greater graduate student involvement in scholarly activities that transcend typical class requirements (austin & mcdaniels, 2006; garbati & samuels, 2013; ni uigin et al., 2015). aspiring to enhance the research culture in the wse, university of calgary, we aimed to build upon and strengthen an already existing academic capital (bourdieu, 1977) by establishing a student-managed academic journal. in keeping with mezirow’s (1991) transformative learning theory, we sought to create a platform that would allow graduate students in education and psychology to equip themselves with the necessary skills required to facilitate the pursuit of an academic career. using norris and sawyer’s (2012) duo-ethnographic approach, we, the founding editors of epigrep, reflected on our hopes regarding the agentic potential of the journal, i.e., how it might address current gaps in academic graduate training and learning, respectively, the various challenges we experienced during the journal’s inaugural year, and the ways in which we might mobilize fellow graduate students to actively participate in academic scholarship. our analysis of the stories shared shed light on several integral aspects pertaining to managing a graduate student research journal. important questions arose with respect to the editors juggling their academic commitments to find time to fulfill their responsibilities with the journal, and student engagement in the publication process. in alignment with studies indicating underrepresentation of student authorship in published research (garbati & samuels, 2013), in our conversations we identified that there is an increasing need for students to have individualized mentorship and skill development opportunities to learn to how to publish and be active student researchers, along with having a journal platform such as epigrep to encourage participation in publication. in addition to our ongoing efforts to promote and advertise epigrep locally, nationally, and internationally, we are now aware that it will be important to for us to collaborate with our faculty and committees at wse to begin to fill that gap and provide mentorship opportunities for students to gain skills and experiences to engage and participate in publications. therefore, we should explore and develop initiatives in which students receive instructional mentorship for publication and academic literacy. a concrete step towards that direction, for example, would to be have journal-faculty collaboration in which certain courses from each of the werklund educational specialization areas (e.g., learning sciences, counselling psychology) will have assignments that will be required to be written in a manuscript format, which could then be submitted to epigrep. it is our hope that this kind of course assignment will not only encourage research participation in students, but will syeda, woodend, ko, fowler, chondros, hilman, paris / emerging perspectives (2017) ii i-xxi xix also allow students to be mentored on publication from both the faculty and epigrep. therefore, we continue to lobby relevant wse committees such as the research advisory committee (rac) and the graduate programs in education council (gpec) to move this proposal forward. the mandate of the rac is to provide strategic guidance in support of the goals of the office of research at wse. particularly, rac is responsible to advise on matters related to research development at wse as well as recommending policies and processes relevant to research at the school. gpec is responsible to advise the wse on matters relating to curriculum and overall structure of existing graduate programs within the school. hence, gpec examines and approves proposed course changes and supports coordination of graduate programs and initiatives to increase cooperation across educational specialization areas in the school. given our proposal for journalfaculty collaboration as discussed earlier, rac and gpec seem to be the appropriate committees to seek collaboration and potentially develop initiatives like incorporating publication-based assignments into graduate curriculum. furthermore, we are continuously trying to create a peer-supported learning environment through the journal platform to provide increased support, scaffolding, and mentorship opportunities to reviewers and authors submitting their work to epigrep. presently, we are working to improve the online application and submission processes, offer online training modules and videos in response to the needs identified by several of the epigrep editors to support and engage students in publication. finally, creating and running a student-led, peer-reviewed journal has been a rewarding but also challenging undertaking. what has been key in our developing a better grasp of roles, responsibilities, as well as the steps involved in the editorial process itself is peer support and peermentoring. since our editorial team is comprised of graduate students with varying degrees of familiarity regarding the publication process, we have been open to learning from one another to ensure that we fulfill our roles with integrity, and following the same protocol that other peerreviewed publications adhere to. similarly, given that many of the manuscripts we receive for publication may be coming from graduate students who are first-time authors, we strive to make ourselves available to them as a resource. for instance, we provide mentorship to authors whose work may not be up to standard for publication, yet there is ample potential for revisions that would help turn that work into publishable material. conclusion in much the same way that a rope is made stronger from being made up of many different strands, our varied perspectives and responses to both our successes and challenges have enriched our experiences as individual editors managing our graduate student research publication, epigrep. in this article, our separate voices lent themselves nicely to using duo-ethnography, helping us make sense of the commitment to and processes of establishing a peer-reviewed academic journal. our hope is that, by sharing our experiences with epigrep, we are furthering the conversation about graduate student involvement in research and academic publishing. this involvement, albeit laden with potential challenges, can incur significant benefits for graduate programs’ training, graduate student learning and skill 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(2006). southern community women teach a new generation lessons of leadership for social change. journal of transformative education, 4(3), 257–274. doi:10.1177/1541344606290451 emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca literature review: working memory and genre instruction in an elementary context miriam ramzy1 university of calgary teaching children to write is a complex and sophisticated task that teachers undertake in all subject areas. for students to be successful writers, teachers benefit from developing a strong understanding of the writing process and the components necessary in a successful writing program. this literature review, relevant for teachers of young children, focuses on two aspects of writing. it first looks at current writing practices in north american schools, and the role working memory plays in learning to write. secondly, it focuses on the effectiveness of teaching genre through the lens of systemic functional linguistic (sfl) theory. although limited research has been conducted on sfl in an english language arts context, and all the research included on slf is from an australian context, the results show positive effects on students’ writing. future research focusing on the impact of sfl in a writing classroom is highly recommended, especially for a north american classroom context. this literature review posits that when children receive explicit, research-driven writing instruction, writing performance improves. keywords: systemic functional linguistics, genre, writing, writing by hand, explicit teaching, working memory, elementary education ramzy, m. (2018). literature review: working memory and genre instruction in an elementary context. emerging perspectives, 2(1), 1-14. learning to write involves the use of many cognitive processes. it is a demanding endeavor for many students, as learning to write is comprised of interwoven layers that build upon the next. many teachers struggle to effectively teach this process, and many students struggle to write successfully due to the complexities related to the writing process (cutler & graham, 2008; gilbert & graham, 2010; the national commission on writing, 2003). even with the rise in electronic writing, writing by hand continues to be the most common form of communication in schools (marr & dimeo, 2006; roberts et al., 2014). writing is a necessary tool for many purposes (graham, harris, & hebert, 2011). it is used for “gathering, remembering, and sharing subject-matter knowledge,” and it is “an instrument for helping children explore, organize, and refine their ideas about a specific subject” (graham & harris, 2005, p. 19). thirty to 60% of the school day involves written tasks (dinehart, 2015; lust & donica, 2011), and the ability to write is necessary for school success (schneck, shasby, myers, & depoy smith, 2012; vander hart, fitzpatrick, & cortesa, 2010). instruction in writing is necessary for students in alberta, as our results on provincial assessments are of concern. 1 miriam.ramzy@ucalgary.ca ramzy / emerging perspectives (2018) 2 alberta education assesses children’s literacy development by way of the provincial achievement test (pat), recently re-introduced as student learning assessment (sla), and these tests have not shown signs of improvement in writing scores for children in grade three (alberta education, 2013). expectations for the pats have been established by a group of teachers, based on their experience and understanding of what characteristics students need to demonstrate to meet the acceptable or excellent standards. generally, the acceptable standard are scores between 50% and 80%, and the standard of excellence scores are reserved for students who score above 80% (alberta education, 2018). the multiyear report outcomes for the pats, from 2009 through 2013, identify a lack of achievement at the standard of excellence in writing, with the percentage of those reaching that standard remaining stagnant at 14%, and an over-representation of students at the acceptable benchmark of 78% (alberta education, 2013, p. 1). although at first glance this might not seem concerning, when compared to the pat results in reading achievement, 40% of students in grade three are able to achieve the standard of excellence. these results suggest that many students are not achieving as much as they can in writing, and that schools are lacking in writing programs which are effective. in addition to the pat data, alberta participates in the early childhood development mapping project (ecmap, 2014), which assesses children’s readiness for kindergarten in five domains: physical health and well-being, social competence, emotional maturity, language and thinking skills, communication skills, and general knowledge. the data from this canadian standardized assessment is also cause for concern regarding the writing development and abilities of our young students. only 50% of alberta’s children are deemed ready for their earliest formal learning experiences (ecmap, 2014) based on an assessment of the five areas of development. according to the data from the ecmap (2014), far too many youngsters are deemed vulnerable in one or two of the domains, and there is a significant percentage, 23% and higher, of students struggling in each of the five areas. moreover, two of the five areas assessed are directly related to the early writing abilities of young children. the area of physical health and well-being looks at students’ fine motor strength, one of the essential skills to engage with writing by hand. language and thinking skills, a second domain, assesses students early interest in writing, and age appropriate writing skills and abilities. almost one in four students entering kindergarten experience difficulty in these two areas. this is further evidence to support planning and implementing evidence-based writing interventions in elementary classrooms, in order to address student readiness. if we consider these results, and then look three years down the road to the alberta pat results, it is clear from the percentage of students reaching the standard of excellence that the reading abilities of our students are being well-addressed in classroom instruction. however, the writing results indicate that students’ lack of readiness in writing skills and abilities as they enter school, as identified on the ecmap results, is not adequately being addressed and remediated by the end of grade three (alberta education, 2013). the alberta achievement outcomes, noted above from the pat and ecmap results, suggest the need to intervene in the literacy development of young children. there is a need to tackle the lack of preparedness and writing abilities through programmatic instruction that is developmentally progressive. this can be achieved through writing instruction that focuses on making meaning by way of purposeful engagements with literacy learning, that includes providing direct and explicit instruction (berninger et al., 2006; brisk, 2012; christie, 2008, 2012). instruction in genre, using a systemic functional linguistic (sfl) approach, is one way to address the writing gap and the lack of preparedness of the young students entering alberta classrooms. this literature review includes research from north america and australia. the introduction and presentation of current writing practices relies on research conducted within a ramzy / emerging perspectives (2018) 3 north american context, as this context is familiar to me. the research on sfl, discussed below, comes from australia, as australia is where sfl was first introduced, and it continues to be the primary location for sfl-driven instruction. in this article, i analyze the writing instruction of elementary school-age children, framed by an understanding of working memory and its role in students’ writing. i also present on the importance of genre instruction, and i examine research on the limited, but noteworthy topic of an sfl approach to teaching. the article concludes with a discussion of implications for future research. current writing practices research on writing practices in classrooms, especially elementary classrooms, is limited. the national commission on writing (2003) examined the writing practices in american classrooms and found that “the teaching and practice of writing are increasingly shortchanged throughout the school and college years” (p. 3). the commission listed several recommendations, the most relevant and noteworthy of which were the following: first, schools need to double the amount of time spent writing in classrooms; second, teachers should be required to successfully complete a course in writing theory and practice to understand the complexity of the writing process; lastly, universities need to offer pre-service teachers multiple courses on how to teach writing (national commission on writing, 2003). in addition to these recommendations, research on american classrooms shows that preservice teachers are not adequately prepared to teach young children to write. cutler and graham (2008) conducted a nationwide study with teachers from grades one to three to determine what writing instruction looked like in lower elementary classrooms. they found that a very small percentage of the school day was devoted to writing, and that on average, students only spent 20 minutes per day writing. additionally, 72% of the teachers surveyed rated their writing courses in post-secondary education as poor, or only adequate in preparing them to teach young children to write. in a nationwide study, gilbert and graham (2010) asked a random sample of teachers in grades four through six questions about their classroom writing practices. these questions focused on pre-service teacher preparation, amount of time spent teaching writing in the classroom, amount of time children spent writing in the classroom, and the use of evidence-based writing practices. the study found that a large percentage of teachers felt unprepared to teach writing, and 65% indicated that they received minimal or no preparation to teach writing while attending postsecondary school. teachers in this study spent an average of 15 minutes teaching writing per day, and students spent around 25 minutes writing in class daily. finally, gilbert and graham found that most teachers used some evidence-based practices, like providing verbal praise and encouragement, using direct instruction to teach writing skills, and having students set writing goals, but most of these were used infrequently in the classroom. research looking specifically at teachers’ perceptions and skills in genre instruction has also been limited. until 2016, there had been no published research that looked at the ability of teachers to teach young children genre. reutzel, jones, clark, and kumar (2016) were the first to look at elementary teachers’ abilities to identify and explain text structures and features in school genres. their results were similar to those discussed earlier regarding teacher preparedness. reutzel et al. (2016) surveyed 21 elementary classroom teachers, from two different school districts. they found that teachers do not have a good understanding of text features or the text structures of children’s stories and informational texts, and many were unable to sort text structures in narrative and informational texts. it was only 37% of the time that teachers could identify the ramzy / emerging perspectives (2018) 4 text type and features of informational texts. teachers were able to do this only two out of three times, or 66.6%, for a children’s story book. the research results are further evidence that there is “too little preparation in teacher education programs on understanding and analyzing text as an integral part of knowledge necessary for providing evidence-based comprehension instruction in the primary grades” (reutzel et al., 2016, p. 91). to date, there is little, if any published research on teachers’ or pre-service teachers’ feelings of preparation in teaching writing or genre in canada. however, based on the alberta pat data, and my personal experience in schools for over a decade as an elementary school teacher in both english and french immersion classrooms, i believe that the results could mirror those of the us. an examination of the writing courses offered to pre-service teachers in alberta raises serious concerns. after visiting the course selection websites of three main universities in alberta (university of alberta, 2015; university of calgary, 2015; university of lethbridge, 2015), i concluded that classes in early literacy are limited, and there are very few courses that focus on literacy instruction, available for student enrollment. additionally, there is a severe deficiency in courses offered that focus solely on the teaching of writing; most of the literacy courses focus on the broad language arts curriculum. for the remainder of this paper, the focus will be genre instruction in an elementary context. i discuss the impact of explicit genre instruction on working memory, what it can look like in elementary classrooms, and one way we can effectively teach it to children. working memory for young children, engaging in the writing process is complex. learning to write is demanding, and a child’s memory is engaged in multiple on-going processes (christie, 2008; mccutchen 2000, 2011; medwell & wray, 2007). to understand the cognitive load placed on novice writers, it is important to understand the concept of working memory and its role in the writing process. baddeley (1986) was the first to recognize the role working memory plays in cognitive processing. he explains working memory as “the temporary storage of information that is being processed in any range of cognitive tasks” (p. 43). other studies explain that working memory is an active process with a limited capacity (hoskyn & swanson, 2003; mccutchen, 1996; towse, hitch, & hutton,1998). it is the ability to concurrently carry out processing activities while retaining information, and it is responsible for storing and transforming information (hitch, towse, & hutton, 2001). in other words, working memory is a limited capacity system that is part of the human memory system responsible for both the temporary holding and processing of new and already-stored information, and manipulating information involved in the performance of complex cognitive tasks. the two components of working memory are storage capacity and processing abilities (mccutchen, 1996; 2000). storage capacity is the ability to store, access, and retrieve information stored in long-term memory, and hold this piece of information in working memory while completing a task. processing abilities are described as the processes necessary to complete a task. storage capacity and processing abilities compete for working memory attention, as “the limited resources of working memory necessitate trade-offs” (mccutchen, 1996, p. 302). when working memory is engaged in the processing stage, there are three phases competing for attention: planning, translating, and revising (hayes & flower, 1980). planning consists of goal-setting and designing a writing plan to guide the production of a text. the translating process comprises two parts. the first, transcription, is the physical act of writing a letter, word, or sentence ramzy / emerging perspectives (2018) 5 down onto a page. the second is text generation, which consists of generating ideas, and producing language corresponding to the information in the writer’s memory. finally, the revising phase entails a reviewing process to improve the quality of the text produced through re-reading and editing the transcribed text. working memory and the writing process. the relationship between working memory and the writing process has been intricately examined in the past two decades. composition of written texts imposes considerable storage and processing demands on young children (limpo, alves, & connelly, 2017; mccutchen, 1996). if there is too much strain, the constraints can exceed the child’s working memory limitations, and writing performance will suffer (mccutchen 2000; swanson & berninger, 1996). if students cannot fluently produce texts, that is, if they cannot write down individual words and sentences fluently, the demands of working memory are sizable (limpo et al., 2017; mccutchen, 2011). beginning writers’ attention is usually focused on handwriting (olive, 2012), and this limits the earliest stages of writing (mccutchen, 2011). according to bourdin and fayol (1994), poor handwriting imposes greater demands on working memory and leads to poorer performance on writing tasks. furthermore, mccutchen (1996) stated that “the physical act of transcribing written text is a major drain on cognitive resources of beginning writers, and text generation itself is also less fluent for younger writers” (p. 319). working memory is engaged during every phase of the writing process: editing, translating, and revising (hitch et al., 2001; kellogg, 2001; mccutchen, covill, hoyne, & mildes, 1994). since working memory is crucial to the writing process, instruction in the three phases of the writing process, as identified by hayes and flower (1980), can help lessen the cognitive load placed on working memory and improve writing skill and performance (kellogg, 2001; mccutchen, 1996; peng & fuchs, 2017; yi & luo, 2013). once attention is freed from lower-level processing skills like handwriting fluency, room is cleared for higher-level processes, and working memory space can be allocated to other aspects of writing (mccutchen et al., 1994; mccutchen, 2011; olive, 2012). the working memory of young children is usually honed in the translating phase of the writing process. thus, students usually ignore both planning and revising (mccutchen, 1996). teachers need to help children reach a state of automaticity and flow in their handwriting, meaning that handwriting “can be effected swiftly, accurately and without the need for conscious attention” (medwell & wray, 2007, p. 12). explicit instruction focused on writing processes, beginning with lower-level skills like handwriting and phonics, moving to higher-level skills like genre features, vocabulary selection, editing, and revising, is how teachers can lessen the cognitive load in working memory for novice writers and improve writing performance. when the writing processes of young children become proficient, more resources are available for higher-order thinking. working memory and genre. genre can be defined as “recurrent forms of texts used for specific purposes, with specific discourse, organization, and language features” (brisk, hodgsondrysdale, & o’connor, 2010, p. 1). a genre can be identified by its structure, determined by the basis of its form and use, and characterized by particular patterns (christie, 2008). there are various types of genres, each comprised of multiple sub-genres. in a school context, teachers, schools, and communities have developed and accepted certain recognizable text types, or genres, that are instantiated through specific features. the most common genres in elementary schools are fictional narratives, personal recounts of information, procedures, reports, explanations, and expositions (brisk et al., 2010; hodgson-drysdale, 2013; schleppegrell, 2001). ramzy / emerging perspectives (2018) 6 skilled writers have access to genre knowledge, features, and rhetorical knowledge (mccutchen, 2000; 2011). knowledge of genre is one of the writing components that must be present in an effective writing program, and an area on which teachers must focus. therefore, a focus on genre in pre-service teacher preparation programs is essential for student success. mccutchen (2011) and mccutchen, covill, hoyne, and mildes (1994) have examined the relationship between working memory and genre instruction. familiarity with genre influences writing abilities by providing access to an organized schema of genre resources stored in long-term memory. when children employ these resources stored in long-term memory, this eases the working memory demands during the translating phase, which facilitates access to planning and revising strategies. once students can fluently produce texts, working memory space is freed up to access information stored about genre (hoskyn & swanson, 2003; mccutchen et al., 1994; mccutchen, 2011). comprehensive knowledge about genre will allow writers to move beyond the constraints of working memory, and improve writing performance. to affect change, teachers need to explicitly teach children various genres, and examine the features, language, and rhetorical knowledge associated with each of those genres. genre in the classroom for students to be successful writers in school and post-secondary institutions, and for adults to experience success at work, they must have a strong understanding of genres and of the writing process (brisk et al., 2010; christie, 1999; fillmore & snow, 2002; national commission on writing, 2003; 2005; schleppegrell, 2004). therefore, it is recommended for teachers to expose students to a variety of genres beginning in kindergarten and continuing through grade twelve and into university (fillmore & snow, 2002; schleppegrell, 2004). simply exposing children to genres, however, is insufficient. according to hodgsondrysdale (2013), “knowledge of genres is not implicit and the language and structure of each genre must be taught” (p. 21). genre must be taught through explicit instruction, and it is the responsibility of teachers to explicitly teach genre features, functions, and purposes, and make explicit the expectations associated with different genres to impact the writing skills of young children (aguirre-muñoz, park, amabisca, & boscardin, 2009; brisk et al., 2010; quinn, 2004; schleppegrell, 2001). the assumption related to the idea that instruction in genres must be made explicit is twofold. teachers have a developed understanding of genre types and a deep understanding of the structures, features, patterns, and purposes associated with the most common genres. in addition, teachers have the ability and expertise to explicitly and effectively explain, model, and teach this specific genre information to their students. these assumptions must be met in order for teachers to have a positive effect on children’s writing. genre and systemic functional linguistics. one way that teachers can frame genre instruction in a classroom context is through systemic functional linguistics (sfl). systemic functional linguistics theory was developed by halliday (1994) and was first introduced in teacher education preparation and english language arts (ela) programs thirty years ago in australia. english language arts programs focus specifically on teaching literacy skills, such as reading, writing, listening, and speaking. systemic functional linguistics examines how language is used, the purposes it serves, and how we achieve those purposes (halliday, 1994). systemic functional linguistics is one way we can construct meaning from a text, achieved by focusing on the functional aspects of the language being used (anderson, 2013). simply put, sfl is the study of the relationship between language and its functions in social settings. it is a more explicit way of teaching specific language features and writing structures of academic genres. it helps students ramzy / emerging perspectives (2018) 7 understand what they need to write in order to be understood, accepted, and successful in a school context (schleppegrell & go, 2007). implementing sfl theory to teach genre focuses on how the language and structure of writing tasks vary by genre (brisk, 2012). individual genres are made up of registers, and the register is what differentiates one genre from another (christie, 2012; schleppegrell, 2001). the linguistic features that make up a specific register are what allow us to read a text and form an impression on the text type (schleppegrell, 2001). a register is defined by three key features: field, tenor, and mode. field refers to the lexical density of the text, and how the ideas are expressed through content words and content-specific vocabulary. these language choices are dependent on the context of the situation. tenor refers to the relationship between the writer and the reader. tenor ranges from the use of personal language to impersonal language. the channel of communication, such as written versus spoken or formal versus informal, refers to the mode (aguirre-muñoz et al., 2009; brisk et al., 2010; quinn, 2004). these three features, when combined, form a register, which identifies the genre. therefore, explicit instruction is necessary not only in purpose, function, and audience, but also in the way registers are used in the most common genres at school. in an optimal elementary classroom setting, instruction on genres through sfl theory would resemble that of the gradual release of responsibility model, where instruction begins as teacher-led, then the teacher and students working together to construct knowledge, and ends with students working independently (brisk et al., 2010; pearson & gallagher, 1983). the teacher would begin by deconstructing mentor texts in a certain genre to make explicit and obvious the features, functions, and purposes. focus would also be on the audience and the registers, or the specific language choices associated with the genre, used. if the focus in a writing classroom is on the explanation of texts, for example, writing a text explaining how to build a snowman, a series of lessons might emphasize the use of third person rather than first person. in the second phase, the teacher and students would construct a text in the focus genre together. finally, after many mini-lessons, practice, and feedback, students would construct a text independently (brisk et al., 2010; christie, 2008; martin, 2009). this type of genre instruction using sfl theory “makes the linguistic expectations of academic language explicit and discernible to teachers and their students” (aguirre-muñoz et al., 2009, p. 300). systemic functional linguistics in the classroom. there has been a limited amount of research conducted in elementary classrooms to investigate the effectiveness of using an sfl theory to inform genre instruction and its impact on the writing abilities of young children. additionally, most of the research conducted in elementary schools has focused on bilingual students, students who speak or are learning two languages fluently (e.g., brisk, 2012; wollmanbonilla, 2000), and english language learners (ells), students whose first language is not english (e.g., aguirremuñoz et al., 2009; schleppegrell & go, 2007). little research has looked at sfl in the context of an ela classroom. nevertheless, the research available suggests that using an sfl approach to genre instruction has a positive impact on the writing of young children (e.g., brisk, 2012; brisk & zisselsberger, 2011; quinn, 2004). schleppegrell and go (2007) and aguirre-muñoz et al. (2009) studied the impact of teaching middle school ells the functions and grammar features in specific genres in ela classrooms. the studies demonstrated that when a teacher’s understanding of genre improves, this has a positive impact on ells’ academic writing. schleppegrell (1998) conducted another study to determine if an sfl approach to teaching genre to middle school students would improve their science writing. the focus was on students in grades seven and eight who were learning how to write a descriptive paragraph on a science topic. all three studies found that when instruction in ramzy / emerging perspectives (2018) 8 the focus genre is explicit, students’ writing competencies improved, and students experienced more success in writing. quinn (2004) also looked at expository science writing in a grade six science classroom. the focus of her study was not on the writing performance of students per se; rather, she focused on how, through explicit instruction of explanatory texts in science through the lens of sfl, students’ knowledge and understanding of the genre improved. in quinn’s (2004) study, she found that explicit instruction of explanatory texts led to improved writing, and that the students developed a stronger understanding of the structure of the genre and could explain the use of some linguistic features associated with the target genre. in an elementary school context, the findings are very similar to those revealed in middle school studies; moreover, the same challenges are present. the research is limited, and most of the research has been done with respect to teaching genre in the science classroom (brisk et al., 2010; honig, 2010; matthiessen, slade, & macken, 1992; tower, 2005; wollman-bonilla, 2000), or focuses primarily on bilingual students and ells (brisk, 2012; brisk & zisselsberger, 2011; wollman-bonilla, 2001). studies focusing on elementary science classrooms have demonstrated repeatedly that when teachers scaffold the language and expectations of science genres, and when instruction is explicit, three things happen (brisk et al., 2010; honig, 2010; matthiessen, slade, & macken, 1992; tower, 2005; wollman-bonilla, 2000). the first is that teachers develop a stronger awareness of genres, and their instruction in the areas of functions, purposes, and linguistic features improves. second, students themselves develop a stronger understanding of the genre being taught. third, student writing improves. there has been a small number of studies implemented to determine the effects of an sfl approach to teaching genre on elementary-aged students’ writing with a focus on ela classrooms (brisk, 2012; brisk & zisselsberger, 2011; wollman-bonilla, 2001). wollman-bonilla (2001) examined the effects of explicitly teaching audience awareness on grade one students’ writing in the genre of persuasive writing. brisk’s (2012) study examined the effects of explicitly teaching first, second, and third-person in grades three through five, on bilingual students’ writing. brisk and zisselsberger (2011) investigated the impact on the writing of three bilingual kindergarten students’ personal narratives after teachers had been taught sfl theory. in all three studies, students revealed a deeper understanding of genre, and the writing abilities of the elementary students improved. even though much of the above research focuses on elementary and middle school science classrooms, ells, or bilingual students, i posit that the results are also applicable to a general education english language arts classroom. the way in which we teach genres to students might benefit from following the same sequence of instruction, no matter what content area is the focus. there are some researchers who critique explicit instruction in genre education, explaining the process is too prescriptive (freedman & medway, 1994), and that this type of instruction teaches forms and structures as empty and unconnected to students (sawyer & watson, 1987). freedman and medway (1994), and sawyer and watson (1987) argue that if we prescribe forms, structures, and functions too rigidly to students, they will not have the opportunity to be creative in their compositions. the authors further state that students should be allowed to experiment and play with writing in order to reach their potential success. while i appreciate this point of view, and agree that we need to allow children room for creativity and experimentation when they write, i would argue that by first providing a solid foundation in writing fundamentals we would be empowering our students to experiment with language and writing. many researchers (christie, 2012; jones, clark & reutzel, 2016; roessingh & bence, 2017) support this view. without the ramzy / emerging perspectives (2018) 9 knowledge and understanding of how to form a text, we cannot expect young children to write creatively, and with success. pre-service teacher training, or professional development training for current teachers, focusing on genre pedagogy through the lens of sfl theory, can offer a way for teachers to improve their own understandings of genres. this understanding can then be transferred to students, and will not only improve the students’ understandings of genres and language, but will also improve their writing skills (aguirre-muñoz et al., 2009). instruction must emphasize the functions, purposes, structures, and linguistic features of different genres (brisk et al., 2010). research implications the way teachers organize and implement writing programs in schools is critical to student success (brisk, 2012; brisk et al., 2010; graham & harris, 2005; roberts et al., 2014). in elementary classrooms, i believe there are five components that are essential to include in an effective writing instruction program for students to achieve success: printing, high-frequency words, spelling, genre instruction, and vocabulary. these components are evident in the literature on research-based practices and recommendations by educational experts in the field of writing (bear, invernizzi, templeton, & johnston, 2012; berninger et al., 2006; dinehart, 2015; graham, macarthur, & fitzgerald, 2013; joshi et al., 2008; temple, nathan, & temple, 2013). while this paper has only focused on genre instruction, i believe that by explicitly and systematically exposing young learners to all five of these foundational components, teachers will provide their students with the necessary basic tools for success in communicating their thoughts, dreams, and discoveries throughout their lives. the research on genre instruction and sfl is limited, but it is unmistakably clear that through explicit instruction of genres, with an understanding of an sfl theory, the writing performance of students improves. further research around teaching genre from an sfl perspective to determine the impact on young students’ writing skills is necessary. it would be beneficial for this research to focus on the development of young children’s writing in the ela classroom, and on all learners, rather than just ells. limitations and conclusion this literature review was limited by the available research on the topic, and the argument that instruction should occur in a direct and explicit manner. the research looking at pre-service teacher preparation and teaching young children to write is limited, and thus far i have not found any conducted within canada. additionally, due to the limited amount of research around sfl, and the fact that the research took place in australia, the generalizability of sfl to a north american context is limited. moreover, my beliefs around early literacy instruction are present throughout this paper. sfl strongly aligns with my belief that instruction is most effective when direct and explicit, and that this type of instruction leads to the highest amounts of success for young children. because of this position, the research reviewed for this paper is partial towards my teaching philosophy. as per my discussion throughout this paper, it is clear that writing is a complex process: one that is not easily taught or learned, and one that involves many interwoven components. instruction in genre and the way we teach children to write needs to be explicit for students to experience success. the information stemming from this literature review will add to the growing body of research highlighting the importance of early literacy skills development, specifically the importance of explicitly teaching the most common genres in schools, using an slf lens for ramzy / emerging perspectives (2018) 10 instruction. a further examination of the impact of explicit genre instruction on the writing abilities of young students, focusing on using sfl, will be beneficial for teachers, university educators, and students. continuing to investigate sfl is essential as a large percentage of our young students in alberta are entering the classroom not ready for school (ecmap, 2014). our provincial achievement test data for students in grade three, in writing, echoes this lack of readiness (alberta education, 2013), and hints at the lack of effective instruction to develop children’s writing abilities. additionally, by focusing instruction on genre, the cognitive load placed on students’ working memory will be reduced, allowing room for a focus on higher level skills to be incorporated in their writing. preparing pre-service teachers to teach genre to elementary school-aged children, by focusing on sfl theory, can lead to improved writing. learning to write cannot be achieved by simply exposing children to the writing components and processes, but rather through planned, direct, and purposeful instruction. it is my belief that when instruction in genre is direct and systematic, this will help students develop the literacy skills they need to be successful in school. references aguirre-muñoz, z., park, j.-e., amabisca, a., & boscardin, c. k. 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(2013). working memory and lexical knowledge in l2 argumentative writing. asian journal of english language teaching, 23, 83–102. doi:10.1353/aje.2013.0004 emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca a transcultural journey: an ensemble of canadian, chinese, and australian doctoral students’ experiences gina ko*, nan jiao, kristy corser university of calgary, beijing normal university, queensland university of technology this article is the result of collaboration between three doctoral students from canada (gina ko – university of calgary), china (nan jiao – beijing normal university), and australia (kristy corser – queensland university of technology) in a 2017 international doctoral seminar. the objective of the research was for the students to connect internationally while contributing to academic literature on the transcultural experiences of doctoral students. by using collaborative autoethnography as methodology and transculturalism as the theoretical framework to explore our transcultural journey, we share stories of our experiences. after our shared experiences derived from the formal and informal settings with international academics, five themes emerged. these themes include the desire for students to connect face-to-face and the importance of informal settings to develop students’ authentic learning and connection with others. vulnerability of doctoral students also emerged as a key finding as well as discovering that language barriers posed some challenges. finally, there was a contrast of academia culture among the three countries. this article has the potential to inform future international seminars to further develop the understanding of doctoral students’ transcultural journey. ko, g., jiao, n., & corser, k. (2019). a transcultural journey: an ensemble of canadian, chinese, and australian doctoral students’ experiences. emerging perspectives, 3(1), 29-41. the international doctoral seminar (ids) is a collaboration between queensland university of technology (qut), australia, beijing normal university (bnu), china, and university of calgary (uc), canada. since 2007, qut and bnu have had a partnership aligning with qut’s blueprint of fostering linkages with domestic and international partners (qut, 2014). in 2013, the uc joined the partnership. this extending partnership had the potential to improve the international engagement of researchers through the ids. thereafter, it has been hosted by one of the three universities on a rotating basis. the ids has become an annual international connection among the three universities and often coincides with other academic events. transnational collaboration is a key vision for the university faculties involved. this includes relationship building between staff and students that result in opportunities in writing collaboratively. this article was a collaboration among three doctoral students across international waters, as a result of attendance at the 2017 ids hosted by qut in brisbane, australia. the purpose of this research was to understand the transcultural experiences of doctoral students in both informal and formal *corresponding author – gko@ucalgary.ca mailto:gko@ucalgary.ca 30 ko, jiao, & corser / emerging perspectives (2019) 29-41 settings, specifically relating to the bnu-uc-qut doctoral seminar. this work adds to the limited research on transcultural experiences of higher degree research students (flynn, m., et al., 2016; mu et al., 2016). we use slimbach’s (2005) transcultural journey to frame the literature review and collaborative autoethnography (cae) as methodology. the article begins with the context of the seminar, then a literature review of slimbach’s (2005) selected propositions of transcultural journey, followed by the methodology and method, including questions which emerged from our experiences during the doctoral seminar. we then present the findings and discuss the themes. the article concludes with an ensemble of our transcultural journey and recommendations for future higher degree seminar experiences. context in 2017, the week-long doctoral seminar was hosted by qut in brisbane, australia. three universities’ academic staff led the seminar and guided the students from bnu, uc, and qut in both formal and informal sessions including presentations, workshops, cultural experiences, and mealtimes together. the 2017 seminar focused on research in education, transcultural perspectives, and provided an opportunity for all the doctoral students to present their research to an international audience at qut’s higher degree research (hdr) conference titled, “imagine, inspire, impact.” after initial connections and discussions during the seminar, we, gina, from uc, kristy from qut, and nan, from bnu, connected to write this article. this connection happened organically as gina felt there were common talking points with kristy and nan in relation to our personal lives as women and our academic lives as doctoral students. after reflecting on our own experiences during the doctoral seminar, we, as emergent researchers, extended our academic relationship by continuing to collaborate on our thoughts and learning post-seminar. literature review a salient and shared identity for the three authors was that we were adult learners enrolled in higher education. this identity critically influenced our experience with the seminar. learning in adulthood (see merriam, caffarella, & baumgartner, 2007) needs to consider contextual factors as “no person is a total social isolate” (jarvis, 1987, p. 12). we are relational beings, so we used slimbach’s (2005) transcultural journey as our theoretical framework. slimbach (2005) noted that transculturalism is “rooted in the quest to define shared interests and common values across cultural and national boarders” (p. 206). he further discussed transcultural competence, a concept which was organized into six categories: perspective consciousness, ethnographic skill, global awareness, world learning, foreign language proficiency, and affective development. these categories speak to the transcultural experience of scholars working together across international borders. slimbach also presented 10 organizing propositions about transcultural learning. among these 10 propositions, we found three of them emerged in this doctoral seminar and guided this article. the first proposition is that “we share a common humanity and transcendent reality with all others” (slimbach, 2005, p. 208). no matter where we were born, the colour of our skin, or our gender, it is shared humanity that makes it possible for us to make sense of each others’ world. the second proposition is about our cultural identity where “we are inescapably marked by the particularities of the circumstances in which we are born and raised” (slimbach, 2005, p. 210). the environment in which we were born and raised provides the context of our personal stories. the third proposition where, “truth is too big for any single individual or culture to contain” (slimbach, 2005, p. 212) speaks to the unique worldviews of individuals coming together to coconstruct cultural experiences. 31 ko, jiao, & corser / emerging perspectives (2019) 29-41 being a part of the transcultural journey, seeking to understand others, and being understood through our shared humanity can entail embracing vulnerability. brené brown (2010a), in her foundational ted talk with over 34 million views to date, presented an analysis of the power of vulnerability. brown (2010a) stated that we are “hardwired” to feel “connected” (para. 3). she voiced the importance of vulnerability as “in order for connection to happen, we have to allow ourselves to be seen, really seen” (para. 4). according to brown (2017) we all crave “true belonging and need it to be real” (p. 31). brown (2010b) conveyed that this can only happen if we can share our imperfect selves with the world. in our autoethnographic correspondences, we argue that vulnerability is needed for slimbach’s (2005) idea of a transcultural journey where to be open to other cultures, we first need to be open to learning about ourselves, and be open to sharing our own cultural experiences with others. in recent years, international researchers and scholars have used slimbach’s (2005) transcultural journey to inform their studies including the experience of studying abroad or overseas (biles & lindley, 2009; costello, 2015; phillion, malewski, sharma, & wang, 2009). however, the transcultural journey is not yet rooted in the higher education seminar setting where doctoral students from various countries collaborate to share their experiences and embracing vulnerability. methodology scholars have written about autoethnography (ae) as combining autobiography within social contexts (chang et al., 2013; ellis & bochner, 2000). hence, ae is “research, writing, story, and method that connect the autobiographical and personal to the cultural, social, and political” (ellis, 2004, p. 2). we used collaborative autoethnography (cae) as methodology because cae is a “qualitative research method that is simultaneously collaborative, autobiographical, and ethnographic” (chang, ngunjiri, & hernandez, 2013, p. 17). the benefits of cae include: “(1) collective exploration of researcher subjectivity; (2) power-sharing among researcher-participants; (3) efficiency and enrichment in the research process; (4) deeper learning about the self and others; and (5) community building” (chang et al., 2013, p. 25). we selected cae so that we can share our storied experiences together in personal and cultural ways. more recently, scholars have used cae in their studies: to share three foreign-born female faculty of color’s experiences (hernandez, ngunjiri, & chang, 2014); to explore leaders of color and their mentoring in higher education (chang, longman, & franco, 2014); and to present ethics of writing and intensity (gale, pelias, russell, spry, & wyatt, 2013). these works, among others, exemplify that international scholars are embracing cae as a methodology. chang and colleagues (2013) compared cae with musical compositions where ae is akin to a “solo performance” and cae is much like an “ensemble.” by the end of this article, we aim to compose a storied ensemble of our transcultural journey (slimbach, 2005). method after returning to our respective countries post-seminar, gina reached out to nan and kristy to propose the collaboration on an article for a special issue in a graduate-student led journal in the werklund school of education. based on the shared experience of being adult learners, we composed three questions through email for exploration: (1) describe your transcultural experience of the doctoral seminar in formal and informal settings; (2) what are some moments during the doctoral seminar that stood out for you in your interaction with the other two authors?; and, (3) how has this experience shifted your thinking or transformed your learning? 32 ko, jiao, & corser / emerging perspectives (2019) 29-41 each of us provided electronic responses to the three questions and all the conversations shared comprised the raw data. we then engaged in a back and forth conversation where we each read one others’ responses. we deciphered key words and phrases by reading and comparing responses to the questions. during this process, we uncovered themes, and each of us further engaged in the reflective process by contributing our understanding to the questions. research participants at the time of writing this article, gina was a doctoral candidate specializing in educational leadership at the university of calgary, werklund school of education. she had a teaching and counselling background and her research pertained to working with immigrant and refugee youth in a photovoice project to share their leadership stories and experiences. gina taught for the bachelor of education program at the university of calgary and for the master of counselling program with athabasca university. she was also a registered psychologist at a non-profit organization where she worked with clients using the single-session model at no cost to clients. gina had published in the areas of immigrant students developing social confidence in high school and reviewed a book about brief coaching with children and young people. nan was a third-year doctoral candidate specializing in educational management in the faculty of education, beijing normal university. she completed her master’s degree at glasgow university and it pertained to tesol (teaching english to speakers of other language). her studies continued to focus on teachers’ problems, particularly on rural teachers’ turnover. nan had contributed to several research projects and they related to school improvement, high-quality teacher training, and curriculum building. she had previously published in the areas of rural teachers and educational policy. kristy was a doctoral student from queensland university of technology in brisbane, queensland, australia. kristy’ s research was in cloud computing in the primary school classroom, specifically looking at digital ecosystems, policy, and the teaching and learning associated with cloud platforms. she was interested in the implications of policy on teaching and learning as well as the affordances of cloud computing on innovative and new ways of teaching and learning. using actor network theory and communities of practice, kristy’s research explored the networks within a bounded case study with teachers and students as participants. kristy’s research used this theoretical framework that gives equal agency to human and non-human actors that create assemblages within the existing and new network. she was also a registered teacher within education queensland and was working with teachers to integrate meaningful and purposeful technology into pedagogy. in addition to the diversity of our academic history, our personal circumstances had similarities and differences. we were all cisgender, heterosexual women pursuing doctoral degrees. there were generational differences among us three ranging in age from early 20s to early 40s. gina and kristy were married and had children. nan, the youngest of us, was single. kristy was studying part time, while gina and nan were full-time students. gina and nan are chinese, and kristy is caucasian. even though gina is chinese, she came to canada as a refugee from vietnam at a young age. nan grew up in china and kristy in australia. it is important to contextualize the similarities and differences amongst us to demonstrate that despite the vast difference, we shared a common experience. this common experience enabled us to collaborate from different parts of the globe because of the connections we made during the ids. 33 ko, jiao, & corser / emerging perspectives (2019) 29-41 findings in this section, we share the findings of the five themes that emerged from our conversations about our shared experience with the seminar. the themes were as follows: 1) there is a desire to connect face-to-face with graduate students from different universities to learn from/with one another; 2) the informal outings helped cultivate a sense of connection and authentic learning; 3) moments of vulnerability were embraced; 4) english as the primary language of communication can pose some challenges; and 5) there is a contrast of academia culture among the three countries; the doctoral seminar is a bridge connecting the various ways of learning. theme 1: there is a desire to connect face-to-face with graduate students from different universities and learn from/with one another we craved connection with one another as each described the excitement of being selected to attend the ids. this theme showcased the enthusiasm that permeated throughout the transcultural journey (slimbach, 2005) and beyond. gina when i heard the news that i was one of four students selected to participate in the international doctoral seminar, i knew this would be a life changing experience due to my excitement to learn about other cultures and connect with students from many walks of life. not only is brisbane beautiful, i had the chance to talk to australian and chinese students about their research and their experiences of graduate school. no reading from a book or article can replace this authentic learning. nan i always knew there would be a chance for me to go to another country and communicate thoroughly with doctoral students with different academic backgrounds. therefore, when i first saw the information on my faculty’s web page, i sent my application without any hesitation. luckily, i was given the opportunity, and i knew i would join an academic feast. i started to get ready academically and mentally. my mom even specifically called me and told me that i should wear something formal and treat the presentation seriously. “of course, i will!” kristy being a part-time external student, i take any opportunity to connect face to face with my research peers. i was delighted to be selected to help host the bnu-qut-uc doctoral seminar at kelvin grove in october 2017. knowing first hand the feeling of our visitors arriving to brisbane after their long flights, i was excited to meet and greet our canadian visitors at the airport and our chinese visitors in the hotel lobby the next morning. this is where the relationships and connections were first formed in person and continued to develop throughout the doctoral seminar. i made the effort to sit next to different people throughout the seminar, initiate conversation, and get to know my colleagues. i enjoyed learning chinese words from the students from bnu, although learning how to order a cold beer was out of the context of the seminar. debrief of theme 1 here, it is apparent this gathering of graduate minds was welcomed by each participant. the desire for connection (brown, 2017) cannot be replaced by classroom and textbook learning (jarvis, 1987). the sharing through face-to-face conversations had us learn about one another’s story and context (jarvis, 1987; slimbach, 2005). the desire for connection assisted us to leave 34 ko, jiao, & corser / emerging perspectives (2019) 29-41 our comfort zone and be curious about others’ lived experience, which is an integral part of graduate school and slimbach’s (2005) proposition one of common humanity. theme 2: the informal outings helped cultivate a sense of connection and authentic learning beyond the welcomed gathering of minds in theme one, in theme two, we spoke of the appreciation for informal opportunities to connect outside of the formal academic activities and conference; hence, the concept of authentic learning whereby learning mirrors the “complexities and ambiguities of real life” (peace, 2016, para. 3). there was a collaborative feeling of connecting as human beings, beyond the status of doctoral students. gina i was pleased with the informal opportunities to get to know the other participants, such as a school visit led by kristy. we also went to a koala sanctuary, a protected rainforest, a beach, and ate together in many restaurants. even typing this now, i appreciate the learning while immersed in these activities. i can feel the warm sun on my face and the pleasant wind blowing through my hair. i took many photographs that remind me of these special experiences. i would sit beside someone different on the bus or a restaurant, so i could learn more about their lived experience as students, in some cases mothers, and as humans connecting through our shared humanity. nan we had a halloween dinner at one local family’s house and made our own masks. we also got a chance to visit a local school with kristy’s guidance and joined several classrooms; a rare opportunity. we went to the beach and felt the wind on the seashore, and we had a rainforest walk to experience the sustainability and gift of aboriginal peoples, in person. i love animals, and even now i can remember the touch and smell when i was holding a koala at the koala sanctuary. after all these wonderful experiences, what i cherished most is how complete this seminar was, and the hospitality of the qut staff. kristy along with the formal academic arrangements of the doctoral seminar, there were plenty of opportunities to build relationships with my doctoral colleagues in informal settings. there were many hours spent on the bus travelling to and from outings where we had the chance to get to know our peers. i enjoyed wandering around the montville maleny shopping strip and discussing local resources. having international visitors to my home city made me realize that i take for granted what is around me. this was particularly made evident when some canadian students were amazed by brisbane’s jacaranda trees, something that i see everyday, but do not take the time to stop and appreciate the natural wonders of my home town. debrief of theme 2 the informal outings gave us a chance to cultivate relationships outside of the academic environment. this allowed us to share our own cultural background while learning about another’s through the transcultural journey (slimbach, 2005). these informal learning opportunities had us appreciate one another’s sociocultural context (jarvis, 1987), whether as a host or visitors in brisbane. as doctoral students, we found that informal learning cultivated a stronger bond and 35 ko, jiao, & corser / emerging perspectives (2019) 29-41 deeper understanding of one another’s lived experience. therefore, we encourage graduate students to take opportunities to learn with their peers outside of the institution. theme 3: we embraced moments of vulnerability the third theme encompasses openness and vulnerability. we all appreciated the shared experiences of vulnerability when they appeared in various moments. we agreed that vulnerability is needed and welcomed in order to be connected at a deeper human level. gina the memory that speaks to me is when kristy and i talked about vulnerability. at the beginning of the seminar, i shared that as doctoral students, we need to feel safe to be vulnerable by asking questions, seeking out help when needed, and not be defeated by experiences of failure. these are so important in order to persist in the face of challenges. at the end of the seminar, kristy and i sat down, and she noted that my view about vulnerability speaks to her. she agreed that it is important to be open and vulnerable in order to seek connection. i shared my appreciation for brené brown, her ted talk about vulnerability (2010a) and her book, daring greatly (2015). she said she would look into them. kristy shared that she tries her best to model vulnerability with her children. nan every time i saw gina, she was always excited and interested in what other people were talking about, and this happened when we communicated. she is a woman who can make other people feel good about themselves. i remember she talked about how her family got to canada, and what her childhood was like in a refugee camp. she mentioned when she was a young girl, she and her classmates all brought lunch to school, and her mother would put chinese food in her lunch box, but she always felt embarrassed because she didn’t want to be different; she wanted to eat sandwiches like other students. i felt her vulnerability when i heard these stories. for a young girl, with a foreigner’s face, accent, and foreign food, all these defined who she was, and each difference between her and her classmates could make her feel self-doubt. gina herself is an answer to a transcultural experience. it is a great thing that she was willing to talk about herself and her family with an open heart, because what she felt and experienced is unique and can not be imagined by most of us. kristy during one of the getting-to-know-you activities during the doctoral seminar, gina, nan and myself discussed vulnerability. between us, we shared our vulnerabilities associated with being doctoral students. in my other life experiences including working within the education department and being a parent, i do not feel as vulnerable as i do with the idea of myself being a doctoral student. studying at this level is out of my comfort zone, and therefore, i am most vulnerable as a student. i felt a connection with my doctoral colleagues despite our varied study topics, and different homes from other parts of the globe. someone once said to me, when you are the person in the room that knows the most, it is time to move rooms. i am in that new room where i am most vulnerable, feel like i know the least and willing to learn, take on critical feedback and grow as a writer. i became vulnerable when i presented my research at the qut conference during our doctoral seminar. i presented to my doctoral peers as well as academics from qut, bnu and uc. my vulnerabilities are quickly eased when my colleagues are encouraging of 36 ko, jiao, & corser / emerging perspectives (2019) 29-41 my research. it is exciting when others want to hear about your research as you do not often get a chance to talk about it. debrief of theme 3 the theme of vulnerability allowed each of us to realize we are not perfect and that is okay (brown, 2010b). graduate school can be challenging in that we want to belong (brown, 2015, 2017), yet the desire to belong can be met with obstacles when one fails to meet certain expectations as adult learners (merriam et al., 2007). this transcultural journey (slimbach, 2005) has taught us that being vulnerable has opened many opportunities to really be seen (brown, 2017). to be seen means it is acceptable to not be perfect, and failure is as much a part of the journey as success. theme 4: english as the primary language of communication can pose some challenges. another theme pertains to the pragmatics of international collaborations; namely, use of language. throughout the seminar, there were points of tension with language because english was used as the dominant and main language, which posed challenges for those with english as an additional language. gina english is my second language as i grew up speaking cantonese at home. presently, i am more fluent in english as i was immersed in it since elementary school. however, i often think in cantonese and am learning mandarin. there are many words that cannot be translated directly from one language to another. therefore, i can see how it can be challenging if i had to present my research in another language that is not natural for me. i think it is courageous for those who do. it shows that they are willing to take risks in order to learn and thrive in spite of challenges. nan we have to admit that language is always a problem for us to participate in such international conferences, and it is a bit of a struggle for us to understand and make other people understand during the process of speaking the english language. this is especially the case for academic communication as it is not like daily communication, which is mostly about information exchange. academic communication is more about expressing deep-thinking ideas, so there are mainly two kinds of problems: first, you pursue thorough thinking, but due to language limitations you can not express your idea well; second, you think with the second language so that you can express all of your ideas but due to the language limitation you can not even think thoroughly. this is a sad situation for english as a second language (esl) people for sure, but if we see the bright side, we are forced to improve our english and become bilingual speakers. this is an asset as bilinguals have strengths such as cultural awareness and cognitive flexibility. kristy english is my first and only language, however i do try and embrace the local language when i am exposed to other cultures and contexts. i enjoyed attempting to learn some chinese phrases while i was participating in the 2017 doctoral seminar and when travelling for leisure, i attempt to speak the native language, which i can see locals appreciate. academic research in your first language is difficult enough. given the complexity of this style of writing, i can therefore appreciate how difficult it must be for my colleagues to present their academic research in their second language. i praise the efforts of all the esl students, who participated in this seminar. 37 ko, jiao, & corser / emerging perspectives (2019) 29-41 debrief of theme 4 many students were bilingual, including two authors of this article, however formal sessions during the seminar were conducted in english, as this was the common language used by the doctoral students in attendance. students from bnu were expected to have a certain level of english, and gina and kristy could only imagine how challenging that might have been. this speaks to slimbach’s (2005) proposition two where we are “inescapably marked by the particularities of the circumstances in which we are born and raised” (p. 210), and it seems each of us are cognizant of how language can advantage or disadvantage participants of this seminar. this knowledge is significant due to the growth of international students studying across borders and sensitivities to linguistic privilege become central to honour various voices (mu et al., 2016). theme 5: there is diversity within the academic cultures of the three countries; the doctoral seminar is a bridge connecting the various ways of learning. we each grew up in different countries and we explored the differences in academic culture throughout the seminar. there were contrasts between predominantly mono-cultural (china) and multicultural (australia and canada) countries. gina i was born in vietnam, of chinese ancestry, and my family escaped vietnam when i was two years old due to the communist government having taken over south vietnam. canada is a diverse country, but as a refugee child and being raised chinese, i would say that my home environment has resembled a mono-cultural way of life. for example, my aunts who raised me have traditional beliefs in that a woman should be subservient to her husband, have children, take care of the house as well as work outside the home. however, being educated in canada, i have learned that a woman does not have to do it all, especially at home, and that we are continually working towards equality. with these lived experiences, throughout the seminar, i have noticed the difference in how doctoral students from each university are navigating their research journeys. it seems qut students are not required to take specific courses before beginning their dissertation, and bnu students are often being told by their supervisors what to focus on. for myself, there were required courses and for the most part i was free to choose what i want to research, with ongoing conversations and guidance from my supervisor. nan i think china’s academia is relatively mono-cultural due to two reasons: first, the chinese academic circle is mainly composed of chinese academics and tend to lack cultural-diversity; and second, chinese is the common language which is used widely in the chinese academic circle. we have to admit that english is the main language in the whole world and most academic environments, and from this point, it is undeniable that bnu students may gain the most from the seminar than students from the two other universities. at least we have the opportunity to improve our english. therefore, for us chinese, participating in an international conference is more than sharing knowledge, it allows us to be open to the different academic circles of different countries. take this article, for example, the layout and way of writing could be very different in china, and during the process of making this article a whole, i feel like i am part of the international academic circle. although i did my master’s degree in the united kingdom, it has been a different experience compared to this collaborative writing. maybe that is because i had been taught in the british way 38 ko, jiao, & corser / emerging perspectives (2019) 29-41 and the work i had produced was naturally british, but now i am writing this article as a chinese academic in a mix-cultural academic workshop. therefore, i feel like what the doctoral seminar brought me is the chance to collaborate with academics from other countries, which makes me step out of the mono-cultural academic circle and integrate the international academic environment. kristy i grew up in a multicultural neighbourhood and my multicultural experiences have grown as i have moved into my adulthood life. my academic experience at qut has also been multicultural. qut has given me the opportunity to grow academically through participation in the doctoral seminars. i have gained professional relationships, had the opportunity to plan and organize a seminar, and learned about experiences of other doctoral students. i have gained understanding that chinese students are guided more closely by their supervisors regarding research questions and areas, uc students are not being federally or state (province) funded to complete their doctorate, and at qut, a doctorate is paid for by the federal government and students have open choice on research topics and questions. chinese students do not tend to work in the profession before doing a doctorate, whereas in australia, typically a doctorate student in education has worked as a teacher or similar, making doctoral students older than chinese students. despite our differences, we have a similar interest in education, and like any doctorate hope to make a difference for the better. debrief of theme 5 it is evident that each of our countries have had us socialized in education and academia differently. despite these differences, the various worldviews (slimbach, 2005) have made us curious about one another. this curiosity can be a powerful strive towards belonging (brown, 2015, 2017). as such, belonging is a vital part of doctoral students’ identity where the road to convocation can entail uncertainty, self-doubt, and even trials of failures and successes. in summary, the above five themes speak to each of our unique experiences of the transcultural journey, particularly slimbach’s (2005) first three propositions. the first proposition is that we share a “common humanity” in that our human connection and intersecting cultural identities have had us cultivate a strong academic bond to write this article together (slimbach, 2005, p. 208). the second is “the particularities of the circumstances in which we were born and raised” (slimbach, 2005, p. 212) were discussed with vulnerability (brown, 2010a) to create the ensemble of stories (chang et al., 2013). the third proposition is that the co-construction of the ensemble is not about a single truth (slimbach, 2005), rather it is a sharing of our imperfect selves with the world to invite further connection (brown, 2010b). discussion this meeting in brisbane, australia had the three of us come to realize that, despite some cultural differences, we all are conducting research to the betterment of the field of education. we share a common humanity in this aim (slimbach, 2005). it is our shared humanity to experience, imagine, and appreciate the relationships we have cultivated throughout this seminar. we are passionate about research and how it may influence practice and policy. the doctoral seminar offered the chance for students who have the desire to connect, which was a key finding from the research. that is, it would be beneficial for the universities involved to continue the doctoral seminar to allow their students to connect and experience authentic learning. as slimbach (2005) 39 ko, jiao, & corser / emerging perspectives (2019) 29-41 shared,” social locations profoundly shape our sense of self” (p. 210); we all have our own story, and it is this transcultural (slimbach, 2005) doctoral seminar that has brought us together to discover how our stories can be a part of an ensemble (chang et al., 2013) of moment-in-time stories of each of our lives. the social locations (jarvis, 1987) of being raised in different countries make us unique (slimbach, 2005). factors such as the intersections of our gender, age, race, class, nationality, and ethnicity are important as they make us individuals and part of an international learning community. further, our ability to be open and vulnerable (brown, 2010a, 2017) as our personal and academic relationships developed throughout the week can help us confront our own biases and assumptions about another’s culture or worldview (slimbach, 2005). although the seminar only lasted for one week, the short time did not detract from what we have learned as individuals and as a doctoral seminar cohort. even though we wrote this article from three countries half an earth distance away, with time differences, internet interruptions, language obstacles, and diverse academic practices, we have paid attention to our similarities and this transcultural journey helped give “birth to a new self” (slimbach, 2005, p. 222). during this collaboration, we continued to transmit knowledge and culture, which will make us “a whole new us” as the journey is ongoing with the three of us looking to work together in future academic endeavours. we left the old self behind and see a new version emerging from wide witnesses and readings. moreover, it is important to point out that the main point of being in a transcultural journey (slimbach, 2005) is to embrace other people's cultures and let them in. this can be embraced by the willingness to be vulnerable (brown, 2017). as kristy shared, for us three authors, we have built on what and who we were before doing a doctorate, before the doctoral seminar. for kristy, this latest seminar has built on her transcultural knowledge rather than forming it, as she has been a past participant of the seminar and believes her life experience has contributed to her transcultural knowledge. this seminar was unique in that it has placed this transcultural knowledge in the academic space, which is fundamental to new learning. we have all “let each other in” our academic, vulnerable, and transcultural spaces. this article is one of the formative productions of the doctoral seminar; the collaboration has been rich; this piece of writing is the beginning of our lifelong friendship; and this transcultural experience is a drop of water in the sea of international academic communication which will push the academic development forward. limitations and the future directions this small-scale collaborative autoethnography (cae) looked at the transcultural journey of three participants of the 2017 doctoral seminar. the analysis of the participants experiences in combination with slimbach’s (2005) transcultural journey provided an in-depth exploration of the themes that emerged.. due to the qualitative nature of this work, it is not meant to be generalized to a larger population. we remained transparent and ethical throughout the research period. that is, we were open and honest with each other and willing participants in the research. there was a “genuine interest” in one another’s lives and “respect for diversity” (slimbach, 2005, p. 213) throughout this collaboration. we presented insights and conclusions that are true to the data which in turn have contributed to trustworthiness and the gap in academic research on transcultural experiences of doctoral students. adequate engagement in data collection took place based on the informal face-toface discussions during the seminar as well as many electronic communications post-seminar. this engagement is another form of trustworthiness (merriam, 2014). furthermore, writing this article in english could be seen as a limitation given that english 40 ko, jiao, & corser / emerging perspectives (2019) 29-41 is not the first language for two of us authors. we agreed that authors’ academic english proficiency was appropriate for this research collaboration, an outcome which fulfills one of the broad goals of the doctoral seminar. one future direction is to translate and publish this article in chinese and this would be a new experience for gina and kristy. conclusion this article was the result of collaboration across international borders, from three different countries, despite restrictions on accessibility to certain online platforms. the collaborations between bnu, uc, and qut, in particular, the international doctoral seminars, continue to offer doctoral students from the three universities a transcultural experience that is unique, diverse, and dynamic. the article contributes to the aim of the doctoral seminar, which is to strengthen the academic growth of doctoral students. we were also given the opportunity to present our own research to an academic audience during the education higher degree research conference that took place at qut during the ids. the themes of desire to connect, authentic learning, vulnerability, language, and academic spaces can inform other international seminars in higher education to consider the intricacies of such a transcultural journey. both formal and informal experiences of the ids were rewarding and contributed to our transcultural journey together. our partnership has also contributed to suppressing the challenges that were evident in this research, such as language and distance. as outlined throughout this article, we have thought, grown, and shifted in our transcultural journey throughout the ids experience. the potential growth that the ids has on doctoral students connecting and collaborating will contribute to the academic research on the importance of transcultural experiences in higher education. references biles, j. j., & lindley, t. (2009). globalization, geography, and the liberation of overseas study. journal of geography, 108(3), 148-154. doi: 10.1080/00221340903120874 brown, b. (2010a). the power of vulnerability [video file transcript]. retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability/transcript brown, b. (2010b). the gifts of imperfection. center city, mn: hazelden publishing. brown, b. (2015). daring greatly. new york, ny: random house. brown, b. (2017). braving the wilderness: the quest for true belonging and the courage to stand alone. new york, ny: random house. chang, h., longman, k. a., & franco, m. a. (2014). leadership development through mentoring in higher education: a collaborative autoethnography of leaders of color. mentoring & tutoring: partnership in learning, 22(4), 373-389. doi: 10.1080/13611267.2014.945734. chang, h., ngunjiri, f. w., hernandez, k. c. (2013). collaborative autoethnography. london, uk; routledge. costello, j. (2015). students’ stories of studying abroad: reflections upon return. journal of international students, 5(1), 50-59. xiangming, c. (2000). qualitative research in social science. beijing: education science publishing house. http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability/transcript 41 ko, jiao, & corser / emerging perspectives (2019) 29-41 ellis, c., & bochner, a. p. (2000). autoethnography, personal narrative, and personal reflexivity. in n. k. denzin & y. s. lincoln (eds.), handbook of qualitative research (2nd ed., pp. 733 768). thousand oaks, ca: sage. ellis, c. (2004). the ethnographic: a methodological novel about autoethnography. walnut creek, ca: altamira press flynn, m., carter, m., alford, j., hughes, h., fox, j., & duke, j. (2015). crossing international boundaries through doctoral partnerships: learnings from a chinese-australian forum. international journal of doctoral studies, 10, 418-438. gale, k., pelias, r., russell, l., spry, t., & wyatt, j. (2013). intensity: a collaborative autoethnography. international review of qualitative research, 6(1), 165-180. doi: 10.1525/irqr.2013.6.1.165 hernández, k. c., ngunjiri, f. w., & chang, h. (2014). exploiting the margins in higher education: a collaborative autoethnography of three foreign-born female faculty of color. international journal of qualitative studies in education, 28(5), 533-551. doi: 10.1080/09518398.2014.933910 jarvis, p. (1987). adult learning in the social context. london, uk: croom helm. merriam, s., caffarella, r., & baumgartner, l. (2007). learning in adulthood: a comprehensive guide (3rd ed.). san francisco, ca: jossey-bass. merriam, s. (2014). qualitative research: a guide to design and implementation (3rd ed.). san francisco, ca: jossey-bass. mu, g. m., jia, n., hu, y., hughes, h., shi, x., zhang, m-c., & xia, h. (2016). generating benefits and negotiating tensions through an international doctoral forum: a sociological analysis. international journal of doctoral studies, 11, 63-85. doi: 10.28945/3403 peace, s. (2016). authentic learning: what, why and how? acel, 10. retrieved from http://www.acel.org.au/acel/acel_docs/publications/e-teaching/2016/e teaching_2016_10.pdf phillion, j., malewski, e. l., sharma, s., & wang, y. (2009). reimagining the curriculum: future teachers and study abroad. frontiers: the interdisciplinary journal of study abroad, 18, 323 339. slimbach, r. (2005). the transcultural journey. the interdisciplinary journal of study abroad. retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ej891470.pdf http://www.acel.org.au/acel/acel_docs/publications/e-teaching/2016/ehttp://www.acel.org.au/acel/acel_docs/publications/e-teaching/2016/ehttps://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ej891470.pdf context literature review methodology method research participants findings theme 1: there is a desire to connect face-to-face with graduate students from different universities and learn from/with one another gina nan kristy debrief of theme 1 theme 2: the informal outings helped cultivate a sense of connection and authentic learning gina nan kristy debrief of theme 2 theme 3: we embraced moments of vulnerability gina nan kristy debrief of theme 3 theme 4: english as the primary language of communication can pose some challenges. gina nan kristy debrief of theme 4 theme 5: there is diversity within the academic cultures of the three countries; the doctoral seminar is a bridge connecting the various ways of learning. gina nan kristy debrief of theme 5 discussion limitations and the future directions conclusion references emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca empathy as understanding: the role of empathy in an emergent epistemology scott hassett university of calgary what role does empathy play within the context of an emergent curriculum and an ever-changing world? this paper explores how a focus on empathy, compassion, and wisdom are necessary to understand and address the complex problems we face inside and outside of the classroom. it starts with the premise that knowledge is not static but instead emerges when diverse people and cultures interact. through a narrative approach, empathy is placed within lived contexts to highlight how opening ourselves up to the experience of others, at a cognitive and emotional level, allows us to add nuance and complexity to our understanding. this then, allows us to take action in a way that acts in the service of our shared humanity. keywords: emergent epistemology, empathy, compassion, wisdom, narrative writing, hermeneutics hassett, s. (2019). empathy as understanding. emerging perspectives, 3(3), 9-22. they just didn’t seem to care. together a group of grade eight students were exploring the united nations sustainable goals as a part of an interdisciplinary project. we were studying the problems of the world: inequality, injustice, and environmental crisis, and still they didn’t care. teenage voices spoke of the relevance of the topics, but their eyes told a different story. i screamed down at them about long-term consequences and global responsibilities, and yet, despite all my best efforts, they remained non-compliant in all the things that i told them they should feel. we then stopped to talk about apathy, about what matters, about what doesn’t matter, and why. i asked them what they thought was the opposite of apathy. i expected answers like passion, interest, engagement, and excitement. their answer struck me in its simplicity, its obviousness, and its power. the opposite of apathy is empathy. of course, it is. in an interview with jenson (2004), catharine keller spoke of the fallacy of the “skinencapsulated ego” (p. 274). she warned of the dangers of believing that we are separate from our surroundings and from each other. was it in this separateness, the creation of them and us in all its forms, that my students found themselves? set adrift from the universal ties, they found no choice but to see the topics of the world as simply one more lesson to be learned or another box to be checked. somewhere along the line they were told that the knowledge of the world was housed out there and that it was their penance to learn the rules of man, once and for all. yet it is “not man but men that inhabit this planet. plurality is the law of the earth” (arendt, 1978, p.19). what if they knew that the knowledge they sought does not exist as some external holy grail, but instead is created in their very midst (osberg & biesta, 2008)? somewhere my students were told that they hassett/ emerging perspectives (2019) 10 were separate; separate from each other, from their world, and from the very knowledge they hoped to obtain. they could speak of the importance of empathy but lacked in the ability to live it. a world seen through one set of eyes became limited, and their understanding had become un-rooted, lost from the human condition. was empathy the road home? if the opposite of apathy is empathy what does that mean in the classroom? what does it mean about the topics we engage in and those that we engage with? what can we teach each other about what it means to “know?” perhaps most importantly, how can the understanding of another inform meaningful action; can it inspire even the most apathetic heart? if we are in fact all connected, what is the potential of our collective understanding? this paper explores how we as teachers can use empathy as a means to include multiple perspectives to develop a more nuanced and holistic understanding of the world around us. my journey by starting with a question of what it means to know, i engaged the literature to better understand what an emergent epistemology meant as well as how it could be informed through the inclusion of diverse voices. i asked how empathy could be used as a tool within the classroom to help students and teachers alike, cultivate wisdom and compassion. essential to this exploration was a focus on how diverse perspectives could inform understanding, inspire action, and empower our students to take meaningful action. the paper is hermeneutic in that it uses individual situations and experience in order to hold the universal ideas of empathy and emergent understanding accountable (jardine, 2014b). after defining the role and importance of empathy these understandings were held up against my personal experiences to provide context for the ideas. the concepts of empathy, compassion, and wisdom were used as a lens through which i was better able to understand my own experiences. i explored how empathy could be used as a tool to develop wisdom and compassion when dealing with two separate complex issues: the syrian refugee crisis, and the challenges and opportunities that are posed by complex and challenging students. literature review an emergent epistemology linking empathy and understanding forced me to crack open my assumptions about discrete knowledge and about understanding as a purely cognitive endeavor. i realized that the type of knowledge that empathy demanded lay outside the boundaries of my own assumptions and experience of learning. when i was a child, knowledge seemed like the contents of a box: defined, determined, and complete. the teachers had it and they passed it on to us. my schooling experience could be defined as a cartesian industrial model of understanding in which information was static, defined, and unchanging. it was an approach demonstrated in the prioritization of scientific proofs, the memorization and repetition of predetermined algorithms, standardized literature analysis, and the presentation of history as a series of unquestioned truths. david jardine (2014b) questioned the very heart of this form of knowledge. he called out its intentional removal of diversity and difference, and he questioned the reality of decontextualized truths. an exploration of the literature pointed to the multiple dangers that a fragmented and industrial approach to education presents. an unquestioning acceptance of static knowledge creates a militaristic view of education, based on control, domination, and colonization (smith, 1998). furthermore, a singular view of the world hassett/ emerging perspectives (2019) 11 compels teachers to promote the enculturation of students through the transmission of data (osberg & biesta, 2008). the acceptance of a singular understanding rejects the possibility of alternative stories. it “arrests inquiry and closes the channels that lead on to a deeper and wider insight” (phenix, 1975, p. 335). in contrast to a definition of knowledge as static and fixed is an emergent epistemology which suggests that knowledge is not an ‘object’ that can be transferred, but instead a process that occurs when people interact or “participate in the world” (osberg & biesta, 2008). from this perspective, things are not known; rather, they are negotiated within our ongoing conversations and interactions. an emergent epistemology postulates that knowing is less of a thing to be owned, and more of a conversation we continually get caught up in. this conversation is not one that occurs external to us, but instead one that occurs within the intimate spaces of human interactions (arendt, 1958). central to this view of knowledge is that difference or disagreement is not a problem, rather a requirement of knowledge (biesta, 2004). it demands our participation in collaborative conversations that include the sharing of beliefs, the collective decoding of the texts that fill our world, and a perpetual openness to new ideas (greene, 1993). the role of diversity as i began to develop a more robust definition of what it means to know, my focus shifted from what it is that we seek to know, to how we seek to know it. it was a shift from what gadamer (1989) would classify as “amassed verified knowledge” (p. xxi), towards those structures and strategies that my students and i might use to engage in meaningful conversations, creating this knowledge together. research on this topic strongly supported the idea that if knowledge is in fact participatory, the diversity of the participants is a key factor in creating a more holistic, nuanced, and multifaceted understanding (biesta, 2004; greene, 1993; parekh 2008; phenix, 1975). the incorporation of multiple perspectives and a willingness to accept every voice allows for decisions to be more valid (arendt, 1993), and more moral (parekh, 2008). according to the literature, diversity leads to a superior understanding (tal, 2015) that leads to “an appreciation of the complexity of the truth” (mcglynn, 2009, p. 300). diverse voices provide alternative perspectives, offer new insight, and a more nuanced understanding by creating a dissonance between what is accepted and what is possible (greene, 1993). it is here in where the collective metaphorical voices of those never heard, those rejected and pushed aside, that i found the true beauty of an emergent understanding. the reason i take time to listen and understand the ideas of others is not for their benefit, but for ours. nixon (2007) suggested that inclusionary thinking is in fact “a defining feature of humanity” (p. 233). moreover, holding the ideas of the diverse other in front of our own perspective acts to bind us together. it is the very presence of the other, whose frustrating dissention calls upon us to re-calibrate and start anew, that defines an emergent epistemology. it is only from the disruption of our current understanding that new understanding flows (osberg & biesta, 2008). the interconnectivity of interactions demands that my own perspective belongs not just to me. it becomes an essential cog in the understanding of another, and theirs in mine. the addition of new perspectives from raised hands or raised voices, acts not simply as a tool to further explore already predetermined truths, but instead acts to change the very nature of the concepts themselves. in this process of knowledge creation, an inclusionary view allows a space where it is possible to create understandings that act to nourish instead of destroy, raise the weak, protect the vulnerable, and hold the truth more justly (greene, 1993). hassett/ emerging perspectives (2019) 12 empathy as a pathway when seen through the lens of an emergent epistemology, empathy, the ability to take on the perspective of another, takes on a key role in the classroom. warren (2014) showed that teachers who understood the perspective, history, and contexts of the students they were teaching were better armed to face the messy challenges of teaching in a more meaningful way. the understanding that these teachers had about their students could be described as an emergent one based on the ongoing interplay between their own perspectives, empathy for their students, and the council of their colleagues. this allowed the teachers to act and make decisions based on an awareness that was nuanced, mindful of context, holistic, and even at times contradictory. this led me to question whether the power of this type of understanding could be generalized beyond simply how we understand each other to include how we understand a multitude of topics, disciplines, and subjects. is it fair to question whether the inclusion of multiple perspectives can inform our understanding of the complex topics of the world? is our understanding of topics such as the plight of those without a home, the challenges of cultural interactions, or the balance of immediate suffering in the face of sustainability, enhanced by hearing and feeling the perspectives of those whose lives the topics actually run through? from the heart of an emergent view flows a belief that if students are given opportunities to explore a variety of perspectives and gain an understanding of how multiple stakeholders might think and feel about a topic, their understanding will become more nuanced and textured. as such this understanding could be applied in a more flexible and contextually appropriate way. the alberta program of studies (2007) for social studies clearly states a number of outcomes that can be directly related to empathy and emergent understanding. for example, the first three outcomes outlined in the grade 8 social studies curriculum are: · value the diversity, respect the dignity and support the equality of all human beings · demonstrate social compassion, fairness and justice · appreciate and respect how multiple perspectives, including aboriginal and francophone, shape canada’s political, socioeconomic, linguistic and cultural realities the calgary board of education (policies & regulations, n.d.) clearly defined the ability to “act morally with wisdom” and “respect and embrace diversity” as key outcomes that characterize student success. an exploration of the experience of others with a focus on their perspective and viewpoints has a dual impact. it works to meet our curricular and institutional requirements, while challenging ourselves and our students to act to meet our obligations as people, and global citizens, in the face of suffering. empathy as understanding as i began to see the power and importance of perspective taking, i found myself asking what an emergent approach to learning looks like in the messy reality of teaching and learning. if understanding truly is emergent, constantly changing, growing, and requiring living ideas as nourishment, what does this mean in the classroom? osberg and biesta (2008) asserted that classrooms may be one of the only real places where students can find themselves bumping up against the views of diverse others. in fact, the growing diversity that we see in contemporary classes is ripe to create conditions where students are able to emerge as their most unique selves through the interaction with others. while it is clear that the presence of diversity in a class is essential to create this opportunity, it would seem that simply the presence of diversity in and of itself is insufficient to hassett/ emerging perspectives (2019) 13 fully cultivate this type of nuanced understanding. students’ ability to fully utilize the potential benefits that diverse perspectives may have on their understanding is dependent on the extent to which those students are able and willing to participate in the types of conversations necessary for these types of understandings to develop. it is in the cultivation of this willingness and ability that the role of the teacher becomes paramount. it is here that i am reminded of my students’ voices, “the opposite of apathy is empathy”. a focus on empathy in the classroom can act at as the bridge between individual and collective understanding. the tie between empathy and students’ engagement in meaningful conversations was highlighted by clark’s (2010) assertion that to avoid empathy “is to choose not to be able to know.” empathy is defined as the ability to “recognize and understand the experience, thoughts, emotions, intentions and personal characteristics of others” (horsthemke, 2015, p. 62). it is the path that connects isolated understandings and connected knowledge. from a purely epistemic perspective, empathy is a critical skill in an emergent classroom. if knowledge and understanding occur only in the spaces between us and others (arendt, 1958), then students’ ability to engage in an empathetic way provides them an avenue that they are no longer solely informed through the lens of a single perspective. an empathetic approach to topics ensures that students’ understanding of the world and participation in the conversations carry the weight of multiple experiences. a critical step to employing empathy in the classroom is defining it and understanding its role in both intellectual and emotional connection. warren (2014) defined empathy as being comprised of two components. the first of these is a cognitive one, described as perspective taking. this can be viewed as seeing the world through the eyes of another. the second component was described as an emotional one, referred to as empathetic concern or the ability to feel the way another might feel. as i explored the two forms of empathy it became clear that perspective taking and empathetic concern can be seen as two different ways of exploring the life of another; however, they are not mutually exclusive approaches to understanding. our ideas, thoughts, and rationalizations are intricately intertwined with our feelings and emotional response. the key to a focus on empathy in the classroom is remaining cognizant that any separation between cognitive and affective understanding is false, and focusing on one over the other leads to the exclusion of an important avenue for understanding. teaching empathy if the cultivation of empathy can be pinpointed as an essential component of meaningful curriculum, the question remains, how can teachers engage students in this type of learning? research on teaching empathy points to a few tangible avenues through which teachers can create both tasks and environments that might help students develop their ability to understand diverse perspectives and become more empathetic. endacott and pelekanos (2015) explored one teachers attempt to engage students in taking on the perspective of others through deliberate task design. the students in the study were asked to contemplate key questions about topics such as gender roles, and the role of government in society, not based on their own values, but through the worldview of an athenian citizen. to do this, students created personae based on their understanding of athenian culture and engaged in ongoing dialogue about how different cultures and different value sets would impact an individual’s views about concepts such as slavery and war. by purposefully creating activities that forced students to take on the perspective of another, the teacher was able to help them better understand how perspective taking was critical in understanding historical events, while having the added benefit of increasing student engagement hassett/ emerging perspectives (2019) 14 and understanding of curricular content. in this example, they studied democracy in ancient athens. when exploring the development of empathy, gair (2011) pointed to the usefulness of perspective taking through the use of poetry writing, narratives, and shared personal stories as powerful ways to explore empathy. harwood (2010) also highlighted the importance of story telling as a means to allow students to explore various narratives and understand the importance of perspective. she also pointed out that the development of imagination was a critical component of students’ ability to take on the perspective of another. based on this, she stressed the importance of using a variety of arts-based activities, including drama, music, paining and literature, to cultivate students’ imagination. she went on to stress that an increase in students’ imagination based on engagement in the arts would increase those students’ ability to understand others’ perspectives and help students become more empathetic. a final key understanding in exploring the teacher’s role in developing empathy is the intentional creation of caring spaces where children feel safe, accepted, and able to see ongoing modeling of open mindedness and acceptance of differing views. warren (2014) found a key component to creating classrooms where students listened to each other was the implementation of some form of classroom meeting where the teacher ensured all students’ voices were respected. by creating spaces where students felt their ideas and thoughts were valued, students were more likely to engage in meaningful conversations. these meetings also offered an opportunity for teachers to model listening and being respectful of student voice. horsthemke (2015) argued that the greatest influence that teachers can have on students’ willingness to be open minded is the direct modeling, by their respect of each student’s ideas, skills, and attitudes. from this perspective, the teacher’s role in developing empathy in students begins with modeling of that empathy. a teacher’s willingness to be empathetic, to develop meaningful relationships, and to be kind, may be the most effective tool that they have to teach empathy. this relationship building and ongoing modeling then cultivates soil from which empathy might grow, tended by care, the inclusion of the arts, and the intentional development of tasks and projects that allow students to explore others’ perspectives. compassion and wisdom in lived context if you want others to be happy practice compassion. if you want to be happy practice compassion. —dalai lama (2010). from the perspective of an emergent epistemology, the educational benefits of an empathetic approach are clear. providing students opportunities and support to explore complex issues from the diverse perspectives of others allows for more nuanced, subtle, and complex understandings (arendt 1993; biesta, 2004; parekh 2008; tal, 2015). an acceptance that knowledge is created and enhanced by the perspective of others leads to questions about whether work in the classroom should focus on the cognitive or the affective components of taking on the perspective of another. a purely cognitive approach would seem to provide insight into problems and offer a new lens to understand the priorities and values of another, but may not inspire action. on the other hand, an emotional connection to another may lead students to take up arms in a valiant attempt to save the world, but leave them lacking in insight to create meaningful change. it is clear that if students are asked to stand in the face of the complex and controversial challenges that our world presents, action without understanding is insufficient. hassett/ emerging perspectives (2019) 15 important to understanding empathy is understanding empathy from both a cognitive and an emotional level. the process of using another’s cognitive perspective while also attempting to understand their emotional state are inherently linked and dependent on the ongoing guidance and balance of one another. the delicate balance is summed up by cindy wigglesworth (2012) who draws upon wisdom traditions; “love is a bird with two wings. one wing is compassion; the other wing is wisdom. if either wing is broken, the bird cannot fly.” compassion is defined as the pairing of empathetic concern with a genuine desire to take action to alleviate the pain and suffering of another (merriam webster, n.d). the cambridge online dictionary (n.d) describes wisdom as the ability to use experience and knowledge to make good judgment. the etymology of the word is to judge rightly and act in a way that is discerning (wise, n. d). in an interview with bill moyers, wendell berry stressed that it in order to care for each other, our world, and ourselves, it is our responsibility to ask what is the right thing to do and then simply do it (berry & moyers, 2013). while this seems straightforward, it requires both the willingness to do what is right in the face of sometimes overwhelming criticism, obstacles, and apathy, as well as the ability to define what is actually the right thing to do. it demands of us compassion and wisdom, the best of our heads, and the best of our hearts. it is here that a clear link between these critical human capacities and empathy can be seen. from an emergent perspective, cognitive perspective taking allows us to refine our own understanding, a vital step in developing wisdom. while by definition, empathetic concern is a necessary prerequisite for compassion. in speaking of empathy, the dalai lama (2013) stressed the role and importance of compassion in all our interactions for the good of our communities and our individual souls. essential to his definition of purposeful compassionate action is the necessity of kindness paired with intentionality. he spoke of a type of “trained compassion” one born out of wisdom, reflection, and practice. here, acts of compassion do not occur separate from knowledge and understanding, but in fact are only possible when guided by them. holding the findings accountable armed with a more holistic definition of knowledge, an understanding of the importance of multiple perspectives, and the critical balance between wisdom and compassion, my journey demanded that i hold these ideas accountable to the practical realities of a complex world. i found myself wondering what good is a more nuanced theoretical understanding if i don’t hold this knowledge up in the face of practical challenges both in and outside of the classroom. i asked how empathy could inform wisdom and compassion in faraway lands and classrooms down the hall. i attempted to locate my findings in essay form, using two distinct real world challenges as examples of the power and importance of both wisdom and compassion: 1) the syrian refugee crisis and 2) a personal account of a complex student. these essays are meant to provide specific contexts for my findings and to demonstrate how empathy can powerfully inform an emergent curriculum. everybody’s child on september 2nd 2015 a young syrian refugee named alan kurdi died attempting to flee the war in syria (walsh, 2015). his body washed up on the shore, and a striking but simple photograph of his lifeless body in the sand helped him become the face of those seeking refuge. a simple picture shocked the world; an ignition of empathy. one picture seemed to change the world, to grab privilege by the collar and shake it from its apathetic slumber. one boy’s plight smashing the dams of our disinterest, forced us to awaken hassett/ emerging perspectives (2019) 16 to the reality of a war in faraway lands, and a feeling of loss and despair that seemed all too close. our collective hearts broke, and almost in unison our initial response was one of love, compassion, and shared humanity. one boy caused an almost universal empathetic response, not one borne of study and logical deductions, but one drawn from the essence of our most human selves. impossible to look away, one picture awakened in us our “responsibility as individuals in a changing and problematic world” (greene, 1977, p.119), and for a time our better angels mourned for that boy, that family, that suffering. for many the immediate response was one of compassion and it screamed for action. the picture touched on our most primal of needs; to care for our young and to protect those who cannot protect themselves. we were no longer able to see the plight of people halfway across the world as someone else's problem. there was no more us and them, only parents and children. the barriers of time, space, and culture were bridged by a shared love of the innocent. our emotional connection reminded us that even they have children, all life is precious, and that any desecration of life is blasphemous, because as wendell berry states, “the whole thing is holy” (berry & moyers, 2013). this reminder called us to action to draw a line in the sand for the most vulnerable. germany opened its borders, citizens clamored for their governments to act, and churches, community groups, and families the world over banded together to try and provide refuge. this emotion seemed to strike like a tidal wave leaving us feeling vulnerable and disorientated. the impact on our souls was overwhelming. the challenges to our communities were daunting. in response, many of us closed our hearts and pure cognition took over. cries about inhumanity and injustice were quickly replaced with rationalizations for inaction. talk of media bias, the challenges of cultural interactions, and the fear of the unknown quickly gained steam and redirected the conversation. as soon as our heads overrode our hearts, we allowed barriers and imperfections to become excuses to dismiss the preciousness of life. for many, once the ties of emotional connection were cut, it became possible to at the same time understand the perspective of a refugee and justify inaction on their behalf. the power of cognitive rationalization led us to succumb to the challenges and act in ways that made us forget that every boy is someone’s son. reflection on the varied responses to this powerful moment of empathy emphasizes the importance of both compassion and wisdom. it is estimated that since the outbreak of war in syria in march 2011, more than nine million syrians have left the country seeking refuge (syrian refugee, n.d). this has led to a huge demand on the international community to provide both immediate and long-term solutions, thereby creating problems that are both significant and complex. the now famous picture of the toddler, alan kurdi, found dead on the beach, thrust these issues into the public's perception, causing what can be described as a wide scale empathetic response. examining this response, the dangers of ignoring either compassion or wisdom are clear. those who were able to disconnect from the emotional ties that the picture created between themselves and refugees were able to provide a purely logical response. this emotional disconnection allowed people to provide rationalizations that minimized the problem, dismissed any solutions as non-viable, and even blamed and vilified the victims. in contrast, responses based entirely on emotion risked ignoring the intricacies and complexities that caring for nine million people presented. a solution of simply accepting all refugees lacked the nuance necessary to deal with the challenges that the integration of nine million people may have on existing cultural, social, and political structures while neglecting to address the root causes of the migration. it would seem that an approach to this complex situation is one of shared wisdom and compassion, an ongoing conversation about the challenges and issues that arise when diverse people interact. this conversation could utilize our shared wisdom to discuss key questions such hassett/ emerging perspectives (2019) 17 as how do we deal with the complex differences between cultures? how do we balance the needs of all stakeholders? how can we create long-term stability in all nations to minimize the need for forced migration? it is in these conversations that we can find the overlap between our obligation as teachers as defined by the social studies program of studies and as caring responsible citizens of the world. reflection on these questions, and the types of conversations, tasks, and activities that they may inspire leads to strong ties to essential components of the social studies curriculum. these are conversations that demand children learn about concepts such as fairness, diversity, and justice clearly highlighted by the program of studies as critical (alberta education, 2007) in an authentic way. it is here in the spaces of these conversations that demand diversity, complexity, and dissention that the need for empathy emerges. osberg and biesta (2008) admitted that the very spaces that create the types of frustrations necessary for learning to occur are not only challenging but also often violent. these conversations whether they occur in our classrooms or our communities need to remain grounded in an understanding of our shared humanity that remembers despite our difference, we are all human and we all love our children. empathy for our students an exploration of empathy shows its benefits to help students develop compassion and wisdom in the face of a complex topic like refugee resettlement. the benefits of empathy however, are not limited to how students engage with topics, but can be seen as a key to how we engage with each other. while supporting children to take on an empathetic perspective to the world around them is an important step towards utilizing empathy, the true power of empathy can be felt when we, as teachers, emphasize with our students, even those we find hard to love. kevin1 though sometimes it is necessary to reteach a thing its loveliness —galaway kinnell (2002) kevin was broken, i don’t know if i can say that but i don’t know what else to say kevin was broken broken by chemicals rewiring his brain before he could raise a cry of defense broken by chaos, anger, hate and neglect, broken by a system designed to reject him broken in mind, body, and soul i used to think that he was broken and couldn’t be fixed kevin is lovely not in the ordinary way not even in any unordinary way 1 pseudonym hassett/ emerging perspectives (2019) 18 but kevin is alive, a part of the human condition his polished, clever wit, contrasted by his outbreaks of senseless hatred an unquestioned love and loyalty to a family despite the betrayals a gentle touch hidden beneath the chaos how did we all end up so beautiful and so broken? maybe fixing was never the point kevin as teacher kevin was loud. he was aggressive, angry, and so very disruptive. he had a vocabulary so much older than his eleven years should have accommodated. he stormed into our grade 6 class with a swirl of vulgarity and violence. he was sexually explicit with teachers and peers alike, quick to violence, and always seeking chaos. he threw chairs, and then desks. he fought with everyone, in every way, spit at the principal, and urinated on the school during recess. his very presence seemed to send our assumptions into disarray; a slap in the face of what i thought it meant to be a teacher and what it meant to live in the presence of children. he hid his vulnerability under a cloak of anger and vulgarity; his human soul behind a shield of all that we deemed uncivil, unmanageable, unlike anything we could possibly understand, control or fix. try as we might, we could never figure out how to fit his multisided, awkward, angled peg into the round hole. we were left with two choices; to reject the peg or the hole. the wake of his anger and suffering left us at a tipping point; reject kevin and write him off as unsalvageable, another lost cause, or accept him in all his angry destructive glory. a step outside of the immediate reaction to his external behavior revealed the tragedy of his experience. he was the definition of vulnerability, marginalization and the exploitation of the innocent. in theory, empathy for kevin was easy, but reality was a very different story. his rough edges and false bravado created a barrier that blocked human connection. it blurred our ability to see the traumatized child behind the carefully constructed mask. empathy for kevin meant having to share the burden of his suffering, a heavy load to carry. many chose to reject him, label him as destructive, and look for ways to blame him for his circumstance, remove him from our midst, and ignore what his story could teach us about the human condition. empathy for kevin did not come without its own set of consequences. once the door to his experience was open it was hard to look away. even a passing glimpse of the emotional turmoil of his existence could break the strongest heart. in kevin’s world there was no thought unguided by emotion. kevin did not think. he simply felt. any foray into his experience meant that you felt along with him. slowly i broke down the walls of my own resistance, made myself vulnerable to what seeing the world through kevin’s eyes would entail. i started with small gestures, a smile, a kind word, and then eventually a joke. then i listened, listened to his stories about hopes and dreams, his experiences in all their destructive detail, and i saw in him what i felt in myself, a desperate desire to fit in, a love of family, and a need to connect and be heard. by listening, and seeing the nuance, complexity, and humanity of kevin’s story i was able to break down the gates that separated him from me. once these gates were open, i found myself lost and overwhelmed by a need to assuage the suffering. my emotional response to kevin’s experience left me desperate to save him, to gather him in my arms and shield him from the horrors of an unkind world; to reteach him his beauty and to make everything okay once and for all. my principal scoffed and made comments about “do gooders who aren’t doing anyone any good.” i was scolded for enabling unsustainable behaviors, lectured about the importance of accountability of discipline, and reminded that i wouldn’t always be there—he needed to learn to hassett/ emerging perspectives (2019) 19 take care of himself. how then to love with purpose, protect, and empower at the same time? a purely emotional response left me helpless at the feet of the overwhelming challenges that lay siege to the walls of kevin’s very existence. in this case, compassion in the absence of wisdom left me unable to do anything more for kevin then provide temporary shelter from an unending storm. central to any exploration of how to deal with kevin was that compassion alone was insufficient to address these problems. however, any response that was ungrounded from a human connection that did not begin with recognition of the ways in which kevin was inherently human, and hence sacred, were incapable of addressing the “savagery, the brutal marginalizations, the structured silences, the imposed invisibility so present all around” (greene, 1993, p. 211). the complexity of working with kevin, or any child, requires an ongoing conversation. it is a conversation of diverse ideas, dissenting voices, and ongoing reflection and recalibration, yet in order for this conversation to have the potential to act in service of any child, it needs to be grounded in compassion and an assertion of the inherent value of that child. central to the inclusion of kevin as a valued member of the community, seeing kevin as worthy depends on connecting to the aspects that make him human, and finding his inner beauty, however deep it is hidden. reflection on how we as teachers choose to engage with all the kevins of this world is an understanding of how an empathetic response impacts our ability to deal with their messy presence, and more importantly how this response opens up a space where it is possible to see them not as a problem needing to be fixed, but a voice that needs to be heard. kevin’s experience, his very presence screamed at the flaws, false logic, and ungrounded goals and assumptions of our institutions. it raised questions about what it means to live together, the role of authority, and questions of why we educate. any approach to kevin that rejected his experience as unworthy also rejected the opportunities his presence provided. kevin’s perspective, like the rock in our shoe, raised questions about the institution of schooling. acceptance of kevin, forces us to ask questions about the role of power in education, about learning as transmission, as preparation for industry, about right and wrong with no space in between. only by allowing ourselves to be open to kevin’s or any child’s experience, can we allow their perspective to add nuance, complexity, and weight to our own understanding. tying it all together what is possible when we accept that every soul deserves a voice and each voice shines a new light? what is possible when we approach the topics of a world from a holistic human based approach? the stories of refugees, the marginalized, and the misunderstood open a door of possibility in a classroom. they offer a new perspective; create a space where it becomes possible to have our understanding enhanced by the views of another. empathy allows us to understand the world as another would, not just for their sake but for our own. the cultivation of empathy in our students, whether through explicit modeling (warren, 2014), task design (endacott & pelekanos, 2015), or whatever possibilities our imaginations provide (harwood, 2010), offers students a chance to see even the most contradictory of voices as a form of wisdom. this allows us to see the challenges of the world as opportunities. what are the possibilities when educators and students alike are able to utilize the multitude of teachers the world provides them? what can an understanding of a syrian refugee’s humanity teach all of us about being global citizens? about cultural interaction, differences and conflict in all its form? hassett/ emerging perspectives (2019) 20 what could the inclusion of kevin have taught us, students and teachers alike? about what it means to care for one another, about love, about kindness, about forgiveness and the beauty of the human soul? parting words the world and our life in it are conditional gifts. the condition being that we need to take care of it. to take care of it we have to know it and know how to take care of it. to know it and be willing to take care of it we have to love it. —wendell berry, interview with bill moyers (2013) if the opposite of apathy is truly empathy what does that mean in the walls of the classroom? what does it teach us about solving the complex problems brought to bear in “a world that is or is becoming out of joint” (arendt 1968, p. 11)? the roots of apathy are not difficult to pinpoint, a segregated curriculum taught in separated classrooms to children awash in messages of individualism. kind hearts buried under stories of right and wrong, easy answers and all the things that separate and divide. the responsibility lies on us to dig past the immediate to pull out the potential of each individual by drawing on the most human of qualities; our ability to relate, to love, and to act in the service of that which we are connected to. instead of taking the easy route of simply telling our students why they should care, we need to carry the burden of showing them. apathy cannot be cured through lectures, nor should it be ignored as a natural consequence of education. the topics of the world require the full engagement of all its participants. therefore, as educators, we have a responsibility to cultivate spaces, communities, and experiences where students see and feel the human impact of the topics we hand down to them. an emergent epistemology demands of us the ability to open ourselves up, to create spaces where love of the very topics we teach is possible. it demands of us the creativity and vulnerability to see the world from every angle, to feel the heart of our enemy, to hear the dissenting voice not as an attack, but as a reinforcement. the challenge is daunting, but the reward self revealing. if nothing else, true 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(2021). pivoting from in-class to online early literacy instruction and contributing critical insights. emerging perspectives, 5(2), 35-42. in february 2020, as graduate researchers working on an alberta education research partner project grant, we were preparing to implement a supplemental sensorimotor and oral language program to enhance early literacy skills in kindergarten classrooms across two school boards. this design-based research (mckenney & reeves, 2012) hinged on connecting graduate researchers and teachers to model and co-construct literacy programming for kindergarten students and then implement new pedagogy into kindergarten classrooms. the shutdown of in-person learning in march 2020 threatened to end this project and resulted in the loss of extra support for the kindergarteners who would no longer receive the planned supplemental play-based literacy supports. critical problem solving was required to evaluate alternative courses of action to 1 michelle.bencemathez@gmail.com mathezer – emerging perspectives (2021) 36 preserve the project and, more importantly, support kindergarten students who would benefit from increased engagement with literacy learning. we pivoted our project to engage students’ literacy learning through an online model. this was challenging given the project’s emphasis on embodied cognition and oral language development, utilizing engagements with language, materials and physical exploration in realworld contexts to promote literacy learning (ionescu & vasc, 2014). our quest to design an online early literacy program led us to connect findings from current literature on embodied programming and oral language approaches to observed challenges in working with young students online. three challenges emerged in the literature: the management and engagement of young students through a computer screen, overcoming an online interface that limits simultaneous interactions, and increasing learning transfer through hands-on activities within a traditional 2d non-touchable platform. in this article, we consider each of these challenges and our design response. finally, we end by considering how moving our supplemental program online allowed us to create a new model for professional learning with kindergarten teachers and a powerful platform to help parents support literacy skills. management & engagement of young students online managing teaching demands even with adult-guided support, managing a group of kindergarten students online requires different considerations than a classroom setting. norberg (2012) found that teaching students online results in an exponential increase in teaching demands, splitting a teacher’s attention between the content, and multiple speakers and screens. by limiting the student-to-teacher ratio to one teacher to four students in our program design, we enhanced the student learning experience in several ways. first, teachers performed consistent visual checks on students, helping to confirm that the students could hear, see, and share as required. in addition, smaller group sizes encouraged increased student participation, making students more accountable for participating and sharing their work with the group. finally, the small group numbers afforded more time for the teacher to interact with students and prompt them to expand and elaborate on their ideas. creating online engagement video conferencing with students often does not provide the level of student engagement needed to sustain student attention, enthusiasm, or high levels of learning (plowman et al., 2012). hence, we designed activities that enhanced the engagement of our young students and helped to build a trusting community of learners. building a community of trust. it was critical to build a community among the learners to foster a sense of trust between the teacher and students (zhao et al., 2005). online lessons began with a sharing circle structure (see appendix a for details) where each child had time to hold the floor and discuss their ideas without interruption. this structure established a safe group culture where every idea was honoured, and students felt valued. teacher direction. research suggests that the quality of online learning depends on the quality of interactions that take place during teaching-learning processes, including both instructor-student interactions and student-peer interactions (chiu et al., 2010). for this reason, we embedded several practices to foster student engagement. first, research indicates that an online medium’s similarity to in-person communication is a significant factor in student oral participation and enhanced learning (blau et al., 2017). the use of zoom with its flexible screen mathezer – emerging perspectives (2021) 37 configurations allowed the adult helpers to maximize the screen to see multiple speakers at once, increasing the naturalness of the encounter and encouraging more interaction between multiple speakers. this, coupled with the small number of participants, allowed the children to see all the speakers on the screen, helping them to focus on and respond to important non-verbal social communication cues. teaching techniques such as wait time, prompting, and cold calling, where teachers intentionally prompted individual students to share their thinking at critical points in the lesson, encouraged student participation in online discussions. judicious use of extended wait time after posing questions encouraged extra think-time and resulted in more frequent contributions from traditionally reticent students. teachers also provided thinking time to organize ideas by prompting students before asking questions. for example, teachers said something similar to, “billy, i will ask you to describe the house you created after john talks.” cold calling has been shown to increase participation and build accountability over time in synchronous online discussions (dallimore et al., 2012). oral language through simultaneous interactions a critical challenge moving our program online was maintaining a strong focus on oral language development. modelling explicit facial expressions, lip movement, and pronunciations is crucial to early oral language acquisition (price, 2012). using a zoom platform provided synchronous speaker views during lessons, allowing students to see the teacher’s mouth movements and pair them with auditory phoneme cues. when minor issues occurred with the synchronization of the audio and visual cues, teachers encouraged students to independently produce the sounds while they waited for the video to synchronize and then repeated the prompt. the teachers also overemphasized their speech patterns and facial expressions during the lessons to help students attend to the pronunciation movements. also critical to the oral language lessons was increasing the number of opportunities for children to repeatedly practise pronouncing speech sounds and pairing auditory phoneme cues with visuals of letters. teachers first explicitly introduced a letter, emphasizing the sounds with the entire group of students, then together, students practiced pronouncing the letter sounds and applied target sounds to different words, responding in a choral manner. to close, students were encouraged to independently brainstorm words with the target letter, sharing their ideas with the online group. finally, our online project design considered ways to enhance students’ oral participation in extended discussions. teachers built discussion topics around shared online experiences. whether it was a shared read-aloud or creative building activity, common experiences created a shared context, which became the foundation for the meaning of the talk that followed (hirsch, 2003). teachers also supported students in sharing and elaborating their own, and others’ ideas by modelling elaboration and explanation in their speech, posing questions that required students to expand or qualify their thinking (nystrand et al., 2003). creating opportunities for hands-on manipulatives one of the most critical goals of our project was to provide students hands-on learning experiences. these experiences offered crucial opportunities to encode literacy learning through sensorimotor pathways (wellsby & pexman, 2014). children who are offered learning opportunities through various playful engagements with language, materials, and physical exploration in real-world contexts, readily close the literacy gap (glenberg et al., 2013). simply mathezer – emerging perspectives (2021) 38 moving objects around on a 2d computer screen would limit pre-operational children’s knowledge transfer (moser et al., 2015). hence, our online lesson design drew on three aspects of embodied cognition: engaging significant physical movement, utilizing activities to develop the small muscles in children’s hands (fine motor movements), and structuring fine-motor activities that drew on real-world application of early literacy skills. screen use is often considered a passive activity. all our lessons included at least one activity that engaged large physical movements, including standing up and large movements. for example, during lessons, students were asked to stand and act out physical movements associated with the letters and their accompanying phoneme (e.g., becoming tap dancers tapping their feet while enunciating the /t/ sound). to build fine motor skills with real-world activities, pre-packaged kits corresponding to the lessons were sent to each child. the kits contained small manipulatives that could be sorted, constructed, or sequenced, building skills that underlie early literacy (suggate et al., 2016). these kits often encouraged creativity and play linked to real-world constructions, such as using lego to build animal enclosures at a zoo and letter stamps, markers, and stickers to create signage for zoo enclosures. children were then asked to describe and explain their design choices, connecting their fine-motor constructions to extended talk and vocabulary, promoting embodied cognition of early literacy (glenberg et al., 2013). a new model for professional learning although significant modifications and careful lesson design were required to move a classroom intervention program online, we saw benefits in this new medium. first, as we employed a zoom format, we recorded the online sessions without disruption to the students. video recordings were later viewed with the kindergarten teachers together through a professional learning community. then we collaboratively deconstructed the lesson design and delivery, developing an understanding of the activities that fostered oral participation and enhanced transference of early literacy learning. these recorded sessions also allowed for a close critique of the lesson design, enabling modifications of subsequent lessons through the design-based research process. while the use of zoom required an additional adult helper to facilitate the online lessons, this was also beneficial in other ways. parents were present during lessons and watched as the teachers modelled different interactions that build early literacy skills. for example, parents learned firsthand the types of questioning that can be highly engaging and build early inferencing skills during read-aloud. had this intervention program been carried out in the classroom, parents and teachers would have had fewer opportunities to learn from this project. in the original project, parents would not have been present in the classroom. teachers managing the remaining students in the classroom would also have had fewer opportunities to focus on the specific learning techniques employed by the researcher with small groups of students. by mobilizing our project online, we discovered important understandings of how to deliver an effective supplemental early literacy program using a medium that can reach more children in remote places. research into the efficacy of online early literacy delivery versus in-person sessions and the measured effects on early literacy skill development added to our understanding of the power of this medium. mathezer – emerging perspectives (2021) 39 references blau, i., weiser, o., & eshet-alkalai, y. (2017). how do medium naturalness and personality traits shape academic achievement and perceived learning? an experimental study of faceto-face and synchronous e-learning. research in learning technology, 25, 2156–7077. http://dx.doi.org/10.25304/rlt.v25.1974 chiu, c. h, yang, h.y., liang, t. h., & chen, h. p. (2010) elementary students' participation style in synchronous online communication and collaboration. behaviour & information technology, 29(6), 571–586. https://doi.org/10.1080/01449291003686195 dallimore, e. j., hertenstein, j. h., & platt, m. b. (2013). impact of cold-calling on student voluntary participation. journal of management education, 37(3), 305-341. https://doi.org/10.1177/1052562912446067 glenberg, a., witt, j., & metcalfe, j. (2013). from the revolution to embodiment: 25 years of cognitive psychology. perspectives on psychological science, 8(5), 573–585. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691613498098 hirsch, e. d. (2003). reading comprehension requires knowledge—of words and the world. american educator, 27, 10–13. ionescu, t., & vasc, d. (2014). embodied cognition: challenges for psychology and education. procedia-social and behavioral sciences, 128, 275–280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.156 mckenney, s., & reeves, t. c. (2012). conducting educational design research. taylor and francis. moser, a., zimmermann, l., dickerson, k., grenell, a., barr, r., & gerhardstein, p. (2015). they can interact, but can they learn? toddlers’ transfer learning from touchscreens and television. journal of experimental child psychology, 137, 137–155. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2015.04.002 norberg, a. (2012). blended learning and new education logistics in northern sweden. in d. g. oblinger (ed.), game changers: education and information technologies (pp. 327–330). educause. nystrand, m., wu, l. l., gamoran, a., zeiser, s., & long, d. a. (2003). questions in time: investigating the structure and dynamics of unfolding classroom discourse. discourse processes, 35, 135–198. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326950dp3502_3 plowman, l., mcpake, j., & stephen, c. (2012). extending opportunities for learning: the role of digital media in early education. in s. suggate & e. reese (eds.), contemporary debates in child development and education (pp. 95–104). routledge. price, c. j. (2012). a review and synthesis of the first 20 years of pet and fmri pet and fmri studies of heard speech, spoken language and reading. neuroimage, 62(2), 816–847. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.04.062 suggate, s., pufke, e., & stoeger, h. (2018). do fine motor skills contribute to early reading development? journal of research in reading, 41(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1111/14679817.12081 mathezer – emerging perspectives (2021) 40 wellsby, m., & pexman, p. m. (2014). developing embodied cognition: insights from children’s concepts and language processing. frontiers in psychology, 5, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00506 zhao, y., lei, j., yan, b., lai, c., & tan, h. s. (2005). what makes the difference? a practical analysis of research on the effectiveness of distance education. teachers college record, 107(8), 1836–1884. mathezer – emerging perspectives (2021) 41 appendix a lesson structure: zoo theme opening: welcoming children, trouble shooting and circle share time objective: relationship building and connections to last week’s lessons activity #1: phonemic awareness song objective: discriminating sounds and snakes identifying initial sounds for different animals. materials. party in the jungle by kathleen bostrom instructions. students will stand up and perform corresponding actions to the each of the animals that come up in the song. students can brainstorm the sounds or actions the animals will make that match the first sound of the animals' name. ex. hippos – hip & hop, baboons – boo, boo, boo, boogaloo, hyena – hee, hee, ha, ha teachers can sing song on their own or link to youtube video accompaniment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr-c0fxr9sa activity #2: read aloud: the view at the zoo by kathleen bostrom objective #1: first read through vocabulary and core knowledge building 1. introduce key vocabulary to facilitate discussion & knowledge. tier 2 words. creatures, habitat, enclosure relationship, needs, view, primp, preen, prance, cause & effect words (if-then, because) tier 3 words & core knowledge words. “tower of giraffes”, marsupials, australia, pouch, symbiotic teachers use a text talk for this read aloud. they choose two or three words from the list above and introduce and discuss the target words before reading. during reading teachers stop at target words, discuss the target words and new context. 2. students identify (with action or auditory signal) rhyming words as teacher reads possible rhyming words: bear/hair, nose/toes, straight/great, do-zoo, feet-beat, speakshriek, stop-pop, fright-bright, sleep-sheep objective #2: second read through students will focus on habitats and needs of animals 1. review what habitat and needs mean. discuss in context of habitats and human needs and providing proper enclosures for animals. 2. stop at predetermined pages and ask students to discuss the things in the animal’s enclosures that the animals need. activity #3: building a zoo animal enclosure objective: facilitate fine-motor skills and real-world literacy application instructions and materials. each student will receive an activity kit with the following, • large bag of lego bricks & base plate (labelled zoo materials) • small bag of plastic zoo animals (labelled zoo animals) • bag of 4 stand up signs covered in construction paper • bag of writing supplies including letter stamps, markers, and animal stickers children are given 15-20 minutes to choose an animal, build an enclosure and make signage for their animal. during the building process the teacher will interact with mathezer – emerging perspectives (2021) 42 students asking prompting questions and reminding students to think about the needs of the animals and the visitors to the zoo. prompting questions: (focus on cause-and-effect words) o why did you choose that animal? o what kind of needs does your animal have? o how will you make your animals comfortable? o what do visitors to the zoo need to know about your animal? o what kind of signs would you include by or around your animal’s enclosure? o how would you group the enclosures together? what makes the most sense for the animals? what makes the most sense for the humans? activity 4: share out & discussion objective: students incorporate new vocabulary as they engage in discussions to explain their thinking. instructions. share your enclosure and why you chose to build it the way you did? (emphasize & prompt cause and effect words) ask every student to listen carefully and comment afterwards on what they would have done differently and why? if two or more students choose the same animal how are their designs different? activity #4: closing activity objective: students reflect on the session. instructions. students are asked to reflect on their favourite part of the lesson. students describe one word or idea that was new to them today. students can contribute ideas that they would do differently. additional optional activities: 1. comprehension questions developing inferencing: discussion of why the animals were relieved that the humans went home at the end of the day? (reference book pages 34-35) 2. have students sort their bag of plastic zoo animals. explain how they categorized the groups (by colour, initial sound, where they live, what they eat). 3. students independently or with the teacher in the group could sort word cards with animal names on them by initial sound, number of syllables, number of letters. microsoft word 72546-article text-221760-1-11-20210928.docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca pan(dem)ic at the (middle school) disco: navigating data collection during quarantine rae ann van beers1 university of calgary nearly everyone’s lives in this province were disrupted in march 2020 when the alberta government decided to shut down schools in an attempt to curb the spread of the covid-19 virus. for me, the quarantine thwarted my original doctoral research plan to work with my middle school participants to develop our peer-topeer duoethnographic conversations. the immediate suspension of in-person schooling and the frenzied move to online learning for all alberta schools required adjusting my well-crafted research plan in order to move those conversations to an online platform. it also forced me to rely on the help of the allies i had found within the school, both the staff and the youth themselves, to obtain the data i had determined was essential to my study. keywords: covid-19, graduate student, research plan, data collection, online platforms, middle school, fair trade, social justice education, duoethnography, qualitative research. van beers, r. a. (2021). pan(dem)ic at the (middle school) disco: navigating data collection during quarantine. emerging perspectives, 5(2), 13-16. intending to put a twist on duoethnography, my research participants from a social justice-minded school group were ready to start their peer-to-peer conversations (following norris et al., 2012) in mid-march. alberta schools were officially shut down on march 15, 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic. the immediate suspension of in-person schooling and the frenzied move to online learning for all alberta schools required adjusting my wellcrafted research plan, modifying my ethics application to move the conversations to the school’s online learning platform, and then working to reconnect virtually with my research participants two months later. in spite of these unusual stressors, we adapted and eventually conducted the duoethnographic conversations online. navigating disruptions in data collection is a stressful venture, however embracing the chaos when one’s “fieldwork falls apart” (chambers, 2019, p. 437) can prove to be a profound learning opportunity. i had never been in doubt of the importance of building positive, collegial relationships when doing qualitative research, but the lesson of just letting go of my research plan was more difficult to accept. being adaptable and asking for support from various individuals at my research site allowed me to finally obtain data for my doctoral dissertation. although the 1 raeann.vanbeers@ucalgary.ca van beers – emerging perspectives (2021) 14 outcome was not what i had originally envisioned, there will be an outcome and i will have learned more from it than if my plan had actually gone according to plan. the best laid plans a publicly funded middle school in an urban center was the focus of my study, with data being collected over the course of the 2019-2020 school year. comprised of grade six and seven girls, the principal activity for the social justice-oriented group that i shadowed during this time was to plan the youth component of a national conference about fair trade, while continuing to raise awareness about the importance of fair trade within their school. my choice to have research participants engage in duoethnography with a peer stemmed from the methodology’s emphasis on participation, equitable relationships, and transformation. duoethnography places two researchers, who are also the study participants, into a relationship with one another to create a dialogue with the intention of better understanding a phenomenon under investigation (norris & sawyer, 2012; sawyer & norris, 2013). in my research plan, mentorship was a significant part of the study so that i could better explain these ideas to the group, along with the expectations of potential participants. we had planned to begin that mentorship process the week following the conference when i was going to remind the students of my research and describe duoethnography more fully. tackling the research in this way would have required a great deal of trial and error, as there was no map to follow for such a plan. my hope, in turning over responsibility to the participants for the creation of their duoethnographic conversations, was borne out of respect for both their rights to participate as fully as possible in the research and their abilities to engage in it in meaningful ways (ceglowski & makovsky, 2012; mann et al., 2014). i had decided that i would try to avoid providing interview or conversation scripts for them to work from as i hoped they would discuss the overarching question of ‘what is social justice?’ and simply let things flow. i believed that this format would more readily adhere to notions of youth voice and perspective that were vital to my study (herriot, 2014; smith, 2010). this data ownership by the research teams was intended to bleed into the initial analysis stage as well, where participants were to be presented with transcripts of their conversations for review, to discuss any changes they deemed necessary, and share insights about what they were learning through the process. i also wanted to get their feedback about my initial categorization of themes during data analysis to enhance member-checking of the data (lincoln & guba, 1985) and provide as much opportunity as possible for their participation throughout the research process (ceglowski & makovsky, 2012; ergler, 2017). navigating the chaos the teacher in me was deeply disappointed that i had lost out on the opportunity to teach students the art of duoethnography. with schools physically shutting down, i was unable to provide students with (what i deemed to be) a meaningful education about this methodology in the way that i had envisioned. instead, we settled for a club meeting over zoom during which i reminded students of my research and asked them to consider participating. a full two months after our last in-person contact at the youth component of the conference, i described the modified process for participation that i had arranged with the principal and sponsor teacher, and which had been approved by the ethics board: research partners would have a conversation through zoom that i would set up and record and then transcribe for their review. moving the interviews to this online format was not particularly onerous, especially since the participants had grown used to engaging in school virtually. it is difficult to say how this alteration impacted the data they generated, as i van beers – emerging perspectives (2021) 15 was ironically more “present” in the conversations than planned. hovering looks different when done virtually versus in-person as i was not able to give them the same distance as i might have if the conversations had happened in school. another disruption to my plan involved the participants sticking mainly to the guiding questions that i had created for them in a bid to ease their concerns about what to talk about. although somewhat frustrating to deal with, these disruptions (rodriguez, 2020) did not seem to affect the methodological character of my research plan as duoethnography is known to be a fluid methodology (sawyer & norris, 2016). initially losing contact with the group was a significant and stressful problem. at the beginning of the pandemic, schools were scrambling to move to learning online and a ph.d. student trying to collect data was low on their list of priorities. reconnecting with the group took time and some coaxing on my part. in the midst of all this, the sponsor teacher of the group had a family emergency and his attention was understandably elsewhere. fortunately for me, my friendship with another gracious grade six/seven teacher from the school served as an access point as he helped to reunite our group online. he amplified my plea for research participants by stating in the group chat he set up for us: “this is a great opportunity to help rae ann out with her research and share your thoughts.” i’m confident that without his help i would have ended up with no participants at all, highlighting the importance of forming collegial relationships with those at the research site. it felt strange to be reunited with the students after two months with no contact, especially as i had been seeing them at club meetings twice a week since the beginning of that school year. having put in that much time in the months prior to the school shutdown turned out to be incredibly important, as i believe it was this “deep hanging out” that motivated my six participants to share their stories with each other and with me (montgomery, 2014, p. 124). those months of building rapport with the club members ultimately resulted in their willingness to help me with my research. as an educational researcher, i typically viewed myself in the role of helper because by gathering information i could potentially improve the way we engage in teaching and learning. even in my role of researcher and pseudo-club member during my study i took on the position of helper, allowing the students to tell me what to do. for instance, they directed me through their monthly fair trade bake sales by sending me for forgotten items in other parts of the school and asking for help with preparing the float and figuring out their profits. in the end though, our roles were reversed as they helped me to create the data that was vital to the completion of my study. i am afraid to think about what my dissertation would have become without their generosity of spirit, as well as that of the principal, teachers, and other staff who supported me during the chaos of data collection. in choosing to “dwell in the cracks” (spencer, 2014, p. 139) of my research process i was better able to accept it for what it was, rather than what i had planned for it to be. that being said, there was still a grieving process for me as i had to let go of the plan i had grown so attached to. that was perhaps the most difficult part of the entire experience. recognizing that my plan would not work in the way i envisioned it forced me to be adaptable and figure out what changes could be made in order to make the research feasible and still maintain methodological integrity. such flexibility required the help of others, both adults and youth in this case, in order to meet my data collection goals. from this experience i now have a better understanding of the messiness of qualitative research and, perhaps more significantly, what it means to be an educational researcher when one’s world is turned upside down. van beers – emerging perspectives (2021) 16 references ceglowski, d., & makovsky, t. (2012). duoethnography with children. ethnography and education, 7(3), 283–295. https://doi.org/10.1080/17457823.2012.717197 chambers, j. (2019). when fieldwork falls apart: navigating disruption from political turmoil in research. area (london 1969), 59, (2), 437–444. https://doi.org/10.1111/area.12587 ergler, c. r. (2017). advocating for a relational and dynamic model of participation for child researchers. social inclusion, 5(3), 240–250. https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v5i3.966 herriot, l. (2014). the presence of an absence: youth participation in macro-level educational reform. citizenship teaching & learning, 9(1), 35–52. https://doi.org/10.1386/ctl.9.1.351 lincoln, y. s. & guba, e. g. (1985). naturalistic inquiry. sage. mann, a., liley, j., & kellett, m. (2014). engaging children and young people in research. in a. clark, r. flewitt, m. hammersley & m. robb (eds.), understanding research with children and young people (pp. 285-304). sage. montgomery, h. (2014). participant observation. in a. clark, r. flewitt, m. hammersley & m. robb (eds.), understanding research with children and young people (pp. 122-135). sage. norris, j., & sawyer, r. d. (2012). toward a dialogic methodology. in j. norris, r. d. sawyer, & d. lund (eds.), duoethnography: dialogic methods for social, health, and educational research (pp. 9-39). left coast press inc. norris, j., sawyer, r. d., & lund., d. e. (2012). duoethnography: dialogic methods for social health, and educational research. left coast press. rodriguez, s. (2020). “you’re a sociologist? i am too…” seducing the ethnographers, disruption, and ambiguity in fieldwork with (mostly) undocumented youth. journal of contemporary ethnography, 49(2), 257–285. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891241619882075 sawyer, r. d., & norris, j. (2013). duoethnography. oxford university press. sawyer, r. d., & norris, j. (2016). dialogic interdisciplinary self-study through the practice of duoethnography. in r. d. sawyer & j. norris (eds.), interdisciplinary reflective practice through duoethnography: examples for educators (pp. 1-13). palgrave macmillan. smith, a. b. (2010). children as citizens and partners in strengthening communities. american journal of orthopsychiatry, 80(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.19390025.2010.01012.x spencer, c. c. (2014). “wow, that bitch is crazy!” exploring gendered performances in leisure spaces surrounding reality television. [doctoral dissertation]. the university of utah. proquest llc. microsoft word pethrickepigrep2021layout-.docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca mirrored resiliency: exploring university student narratives of the covid-19 pandemic helen pethrick1 university of calgary the covid-19 pandemic has brought increased attention to university student mental health and well-being. in a pandemic research environment, i conducted a narrative inquiry that explored the stories of canadian undergraduate students who experienced mental distress during the transition from high school to university. in this brief, i aimed to explore an unexpected line of inquiry: the stories of university student resiliency during the covid-19 pandemic. as i explored the experiences of my student participants, i found a space for narrative learning and mirrored resiliency where i could reflect on my own student experience amidst the pandemic. the circumstances brought about by the pandemic emphasize the need to build capacity for adaptability, resiliency, and well-being. keywords: mental well-being, higher education, student experience, narrative inquiry, covid-19 pandemic, resilience pethrick, h. (2021). mirrored resiliency: exploring university student narratives of the covid-19 pandemic. emerging perspectives, 5(2). 29-34. it was a sunny late-summer morning; the liminal space between summer ending and a new school year starting. this september felt different. i had not been to my university campus in several months. it was bittersweet that i would not be able to experience the high-energy clamour of new student orientation and the changing colours of the many poplar trees on campus this fall. i had settled into the rhythm of working and learning from my own house, but some moments reminded me more than others of the strange and exhausting nature of this routine. today would be my first interview for my master’s thesis research project. i was simultaneously relieved that i had recruited a participant, nervous about meeting someone new, and excited to be reaching a milestone in my research. i clicked on the zoom link for our interview, and it felt anticlimactic. as i waited for the participant to join, i wondered to myself, “what will this be like? and what could it have been?” 1 helen.pethrick@ucalgary.ca pethrick emerging perspectives (2021) 30 according to ungar (2008): in the context of exposure to significant adversity, resilience is both the capacity of individuals to navigate their way to the psychological, social, cultural, and physical resources that sustain their well-being, and their capacity individually and collectively to negotiate for these resources. (p. 225) the covid-19 pandemic (henceforth, the pandemic) has led to both societal and individual adversity, particularly on university campuses. university students have been challenged in their capacity to navigate emergency and ongoing remote learning contexts. the ripple effects of the pandemic have accelerated concerns about university student mental health and led to a need for greater psychological resiliency (sahu, 2020). the purpose of this research brief was to explore the narratives of university students during the pandemic and reflexively relate these narratives to the concept of resiliency. i used the concept of mirrored resiliency to capture how resiliency can be reflected —like a mirror— when witnessing the experiences of others. the resiliency i witnessed among my student participants mirrored my own sense of resiliency throughout the pandemic and opened a space for shared learning. university students (graduate and undergraduate), program administrators, and student services practitioners reading this brief may benefit from a deeper understanding of students’ lived experiences. readers may also find their own resiliency throughout the pandemic mirrored in the narrative(s) described here. context: adapting during the pandemic the context of this research brief is my master’s thesis project, which was a narrative inquiry that explored the stories of canadian undergraduate students who experienced mental distress during the transition from high school to university. narrative inquiry is a qualitative methodology that explores lived experience through the lens of story (clandinin & connelly, 2000). my inquiry was grounded in the increasing attention devoted to student mental health on canadian university campuses (de somma et al., 2017; linden & stuart, 2020), adult learning approaches that centred the holistic nature of learning (dirkx, 2008; yorks & kasl, 2002), and student transitions theory (gale & parker, 2012; tinto, 2017). while the nature of my inquiry was exploratory, i imagined how and where my data collection would take place and what kinds of stories i might encounter. i pictured myself hanging recruitment posters on the walls of common spaces at my university; meeting students at the library for interviews; and stories that would be familiar to me due to my recent lived experience as an undergraduate student. unexpectedly, this project took place amidst the pandemic. as my data collection period neared, it became clear that i would have to adapt my strategies. my recruitment took place entirely online, through an online recruitment board and posters advertised by student associations and faculty offices. during the period between august 2020 – january 2021, i interviewed eight canadian undergraduate students (described here using pseudonyms). as i completed the online interviews and began my analysis, i realized that the participants could be divided into two subsets. there were four participants who were first-year students at the time of our interviews and four participants who were upper-year students, all of whom had experienced mental distress during their first year of university. these two subsets were distinguished by their temporal positioning to their first-year experience. it was significant that the first-year students all began their undergraduate programs during the pandemic in entirely online learning environments, whereas pethrick emerging perspectives (2021) 31 the upper-year students completed at least a year of their undergraduate program before the pandemic. initially, i was wary of the pandemic becoming central to my inquiry. i knew that student mental health concerns were not a unique concern of the pandemic, and i wanted to show how well-being was important before the pandemic and would continue to be so in a post-pandemic world. as the narratives of my participants emerged through our interviews, the story of the pandemic became a part of the story of my inquiry. my original purpose and research question did not change. my secondary realization was that my inquiry opened doors for exploring student resiliency while growing and learning about my own resiliency. without at first being aware of it happening, i had engaged in a process of narrative learning, a theory in which learning occurs through story-telling and story-listening (clark & rossiter, 2008). by exploring the narratives of eight undergraduate students, i could reflect on my story of my student experience of the pandemic. student participant narratives the four upper-year students i interviewed all began their first year of university in-person. most of them had a more positive perception of the impact of the new remote learning environment on their well-being. kara kay had taken almost a year off from university, but the pandemic allowed her to enroll in online classes during the summer, even though she was living in a city different than her university. she performed well in her summer courses, which encouraged her to return to her program full time. the other three upper-year students experienced the pandemic during their first years of university. may found that she was over-worked and exhausted from her long commute to in-person classes at her university. but, during the pandemic, she reflected: “my mental health did improve greatly just because we were staying at home and doing everything online.” zahra lived in a “rural area” and had previously spent hours each day commuting to campus in the city. she felt relieved that she no longer had to travel to attend classes, allowing more time for studying, asking professors questions, and “taking care” of herself. antonia found that she had been hesitant to ask her professors and peers for help during in-person classes, but online learning made it easier to reach out: “that’s when i started utilizing resources, because i felt less intimidated by the whole thing.” in contrast, the four current first-year students i interviewed struggled with the transition from high school to university amidst the pandemic. like many other grade 12 students, jacklyn’s high school switched to online classes partway through her grade 12 year due to the pandemic. as her first semester of university began, jacklyn found it difficult to make new friends, although she remained close with some of her high school friends. kamila looked forward to starting her first year of university. especially after she “didn’t do much” during the first months of the pandemic, she “was excited just to learn and do something.” when classes began, she found her coursework challenging and perceived that her professors were difficult to contact. rose was “excited to study in the libraries” at her new university, but, when her classes were entirely online, she continued to live in her town with her family. joe resented that he had to “miss out on campus life” due to the pandemic, instead being “stuck in the house 24/7.” he wondered if his coursework would be more manageable if he could study with friends. however, joe and rose both appreciated that they could live with their families, who were a source of support. pethrick emerging perspectives (2021) 32 learning mirrored resiliency the pandemic has created environments where university students are all faced with some kind of adversity. the findings from my inquiry show that the degree to which students perceive the pandemic as an adversity varies. the pandemic has opened opportunities for building resiliency, amplifying conversations about student well-being, resiliency, and shared challenges (hellemans et al., 2020). this time can be a space for (narrative) learning and reflection while acknowledging “the collective trauma of the society” (maseiro et al., 2020, p. 516) that may hinder the ability to find moments of learning. while the pandemic was only one of the many factors in the participants’ experiences (and a small part of my wider findings), it became evident that narratives of the pandemic were an important common thread. in the words of may, when she read the narrative portrait i had written about her experiences, a narrative can be “like looking in a mirror.” in a similar way, i saw my own experiences reflected back when i explored my participants’ narratives. i, too, felt moments of relief, frustration, loneliness, positivity, and grief as i learned, researched, and worked during the pandemic. exploring these stories allowed me and the participants to understand our experiences and imagine possibilities for well-being, resiliency, and hope. this is the power of narrative learning and of mirrored resiliency. conclusions throughout the pandemic, i often asked myself, “what could have been?” i mourned the loss of normalcy and craved a student experience without constant disruption. yet, i savoured the surprises and successes of learning from the storied reflection of my research participants, who acknowledged the possibilities for resiliency and challenges that the pandemic posed for their wellbeing. this research brief illuminates the importance of understanding the uniqueness of students’ transitional and educational journeys in a pandemic learning environment. there is no universal student transition experience during the pandemic. i encourage practitioners, scholars, and students to listen carefully to the stories around them and try to find moments for reflection and (mirrored) resiliency in a post-pandemic world. references clandinin, d. j., & connelly, f. m. (2000). narrative inquiry. jossey-bass. clark, m. c., & rossiter, m. (2008). narrative learning in adulthood. new directions for adult and continuing education, 119, 61–70. http://doi.org/10.1002/ace.306 de somma, e., jaworska, n., heck, e., & macqueen, g. m. (2017). campus mental health policies across canadian regions: need for a national comprehensive strategy. canadian psychology, 58(2), 161. https://doi.org/10.1037/cap0000089. dirkx, j. m. (2008). the meaning and role of emotions in adult learning. new directions for adult and continuing education, 120, 7–18. http://doi.org/10.1002/ace.311 pethrick emerging perspectives (2021) 33 gale, t., & parker, s. (2012). navigating change: a typology of student transition in higher education. studies in higher education, 39(5), 734–753. http://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2012.721351 hellemans, k., abizaid, a., gabrys, r., & patterson, z. (2020, november 24). for university students, covid-19 stress creates perfect conditions for mental health crises. the conversation. https://theconversation.com/for-university-students-covid-19-stress-createsperfect-conditions-for-mental-health-crises-149127 linden, b., & stuart, h. (2020). post-secondary stress and mental well-being: a scoping review of the academic literature. canadian journal of community mental health, 39(1), 1–32. http://doi.org/10.7870/cjcmh-2020-002 masiero, m., mazzocco, k., harnois, c., cropley, m., & pravettoni, g. (2020). from individual to social trauma: sources of everyday trauma in italy, the us and uk during the covid19 pandemic. journal of trauma & dissociation, 513–519. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2020.1787296 sahu, p. (2020). closure of universities due to coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19): impact on education and mental health of students and academic staff. cureus, 12(4): e7541. https://doi.org/10.7759%2fcureus.7541 tinto, v. (2017). through the eyes of students. journal of college student retention: research, theory & practice, 19(3), 254–269. http://doi.org/10.1177/1521025115621917 ungar, m. (2008). resilience across cultures. british journal of social work, 38, 218–235. http://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcl343 yorks, l., & kasl, e. (2002). toward a theory and practice for whole-person learning: reconceptualizing experience and the role of affect. adult education quarterly, 52(3), 176–192. http://doi.org/10.1177/07417136020523002 emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca *corresponding author kori.czuy2@ucalgary.ca circling the square: indigenizing the dissertation kori czuy*, dr melitta hogarth university of calgary, university of southern queensland through tradition and standardization, the structure of the dissertation template has [boxed in] a colonial standard whilst ╔ cornering ╝ ways of knowing that cannot be expressed within these limits. but within these ╔ corners ╝ ideas huddle desperately together, preserving valuable embers of knowledge, conserving strength to ignite a fire to round these ╔ corners ╝ to closer resemble a circle, forcing dialogue between disparate world-views (ermine, 2007). the doctoral forum at the queensland university of technology [qut] in australia brought together an aboriginal doctoral candidate (at the time) from australia and an indigenous doctoral candidate from canada. discussion about the limitations of the standard dissertation format arose. while researching in diverse disciplines, we found we shared experiences of constraint and a kind of tug-of-war to address the requirements of the institution while privileging our positionality and standpoint as indigenous peoples; speaking back to the dominant voices of the coloniser. we reflected on how the template acted to privilege western institutional constructs and how dominant colonial structures suppress land-based methodologies, creativity, and holism. through our critical dialogues, we recognised that to morph the square of standardization, we must nourish an openness towards multiple ways of knowing and doing through a delicate balance of decolonizing and indigenizing (pratt, louis, hanson & ottmann, 2018). this paper addresses how two graduate students are blurring the boundaries of the standardized dissertation structure. through critical dialogue, the colonial structures that [box] us in, provide a means for the previously ╔ cornered ╝ and marginalized voices to be heard. keywords: dissertation, indigenous ways of knowing, indigenizing the academy czuy, k. & hogarth, m. (2019). circling the square: indigenizing the dissertation. emerging perspectives, 3(1), 1-16. czuy & hogarth/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-16 2 melitta hogarth’s vignette: i am an australian aboriginal woman. i am a kamilaroi woman. kamilaroi nation reaches from the now hunter valley of new south wales, across the liverpool plains and stretching into southern queensland including dirranbandi, which is where my people are from. i am also a trained teacher with 20 years’ experience as a classroom teacher and now, four years working within the tertiary1 education sector. i have recently completed my phd (hogarth, 2018). i was invited to present at the doctoral forum by associate professor karen dooley (hogarth, 2017c). knowing that the audience were other doctoral students, all in varying stages of their candidature2, i wondered how i could contribute to their experience. i reflected on my pathway into higher degree research and the things i wish i knew before i started. as an aboriginal person, entering academia and the ‘ocean of research’3, i quickly found many barriers, and i felt restricted by the traditions held in high esteem within whiteness, as well as the academy and its very structures. [i was being boxed in]. the space privileged western worldviews and my own approaches seemed marginalised. i was encouraged by others to ‘own’ my thesis and in turn, disrupt the thesis template. it was this notion of resisting the privileging of western ways that i spoke about at the doctoral forum. one participant, kori czuy, found time to share with me her experiences in the research realm. we found a shared experience as indigenous peoples in western systems and thus begins our paper. kori czuy’s vignette: i am cree métis polish, born in the peace country of treaty 8, with blood roots to prairie echo, alberta, north battleford, saskatchewan, and red river, manitoba. my spirit has been revitalized in the rocky mountains of treaty 7, where i grew up. i have been working in education in various capacities over the past decade around the globe but was inspired to do my master’s (at the institute of education in london, england) after working with orang asli children in central malaysia. i then felt the need to reconnect with my own indigenous roots and land by doing my phd back in canada. 1 in australia, post-secondary education is referred to as tertiary education 2 in australia, candidacy is referred to as candidature 3 throughout my phd and master’s, i used the metaphor ‘research is an ocean’ and played on the idea of sailing on the ocean of research in narratives at the beginning of each chapter hence, the reference here to the ‘ocean of research’. see, hogarth, 2017a; 2018 czuy & hogarth/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-16 3 i was selected as part of the university of calgary’s (uofc) doctoral group who travelled to australia to embark on a transcultural journey. we met up with fellow doctoral students from qut and beijing normal university and embarked on a week-long journey to learn from one another, within formal and informal settings. there were a few questions i wanted to explore during the seminar, one in particular focused on the structure of the phd, and whether other scholars shared similar sentiments of being restricted. throughout my doctoral journey, these restrictive boundaries have negatively affected my research, making it difficult to do my work “in a good way”– through an indigenous methodology within an ethical space. i was lucky to meet melitta, a strong aboriginal woman, who presented her doctoral journey and research to the doctoral seminar group. we found that we shared many experiences throughout our doctoral journeys, mainly about navigating colonial, western institutional standards. we walk together on a path towards truth and reconciliation, together with an ocean between us. melitta: circling the square and finding our place within western institutions has become important to me as i have navigated higher degree research because gaining that piece of paper and the title gives my voice agency (or at least, i hope so!). i can then be seen as someone who is speaking from a position of knowing and speak back to the deficit discourses—a type of intellectual activism (hill collins, 2013). kori: circling the square for me is about truly understanding the privilege of being a doctoral candidate and using the accompanying opportunities in a good way; by respecting and honouring generations past to better support and open doors and pathways for those without such privilege, for the coming seven generations. ...a pause for breath and to re-centre thought... kori: staying within standard academic publishing constraints in regard to this paper seemed to be contradictory to our dialogues about disrupting colonial standards. melitta and i met through dialogue, we connected through shared experiences, and we wanted to continue by representing our voices authentically. we were inspired to use metalogue (adams, luitel, afonso, & taylor, 2008), as a way to retain our voices. this methodology embraces reflexivity by looking within ourselves and our own personal scholarship and experiences, and it projects outwardly and engages through dialogue and sharing ideas, all whilst retaining our individual journeys. the term metalogue was introduced first by gregory bateson in 1972, to preserve the voices of many authors, and retain perspectives that otherwise would be lost within the inauthentic third voice. differences and voices are often swept then lost under a fictional third person carpet (tobin & roth, 2002), highlighting how this other voice is truly inauthentic by blanketing individual voices and silencing unique spirit. this third voice becomes the scientific voice, generalized and singular (staller, 2007). lincoln & denzin (2003) stated the need to reshape traditional scientific discourse, to engage within a social justice perspective of writing and research by supporting and provoking good ongoing conversation that is about life, community, and the human purpose; of which includes a language and dialogue that may be non-traditional, non-technical, and narrative (in staller, 2007). czuy & hogarth/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-16 4 kori: the loss of voice is common in indigenous communities, along with the process of translating the leftover voices into a eurocentric worldview, which, i believe, removes spirit and origin stories from land and community. i like how metalogue critically engages dialogue, not privileging any one voice, especially the perception of the "all powerful" scientific voice. melitta: and that is it! the properties of allowing each voice to be heard and to be equal in the conversation emulates the notion of storytelling; therefore, metalogue enables us to maintain our indigeneity, to privilege our worldview lenses while not homogenising our experiences as the indigenous experience. from an aboriginal australian perspective, metalogue reminds me of yarning (bessarab & ng’andu, 2010), albeit given a more institutionally acceptable term of reference. as bessarab and ng’andu (2010) highlight, the sharing of knowledge through story is a shared indigenous way of knowing, being and doing. it is these shared tenets that we find connections and we can make meaning of our different experiences in tertiary education. metalogue privileges each of our stories. kori: is yarning similar to a story-telling or talking/sharing circle? by allowing multiple stories and experiences to be shared and not manipulated into a common voice or idea. this reminds me of how blackfoot elder eagle speaker (personal communication [p.c.]) describes the sweetgrass braid, each strand supporting one another, stronger together than apart, with each strand moving and dancing with one another whilst retaining integrity. melitta: yes, exactly! not only does this illustrate the importance of the collective but also, the sharing of story as a means of learning, understanding and being. metalogues also allow for dialogues between authors to be unfolded and cogenerated, then engaged and transformed (staller, 2007; roth & tobin, 2004). this format allows the authors to engage deeply and simultaneously contribute actively (adams et al., 2008). kori: i see each dialogue as fractal, where each statement has the potential to engage a dialogue into an infinite vortex of scholarship and ideas, “produced, transformed, reproduced” (roth & tobin, 2004, p. 4), it is an ongoing conversation. but when does it stop? when the parameters of our editors say so? when a word limit is reached. the dialogue doesn’t finish, it can’t finish, but somehow it is forced to… maybe those three dots should be used more, replacing the finality of a singular dot, with three dots to represent openness and continuity. the three dots represent a breath in (and with it ideas, energy, and spirit), instead of the finite statement of a period, to breathe out, letting out ideas, and with it, the breath of continued life. melitta: the restrictions set within all parameters of writing and the institutional constructs and its rules are parameters, we, as indigenous peoples, are constantly having to live and work within. disruption of these constructs can only be so far. we are bound by rules and yet, wherever disruption is possible; we must act. by using metalogue, we are actively resisting the dominant norm. the fractal properties you talk about are our way of ensuring our knowledges and understandings of our experiences in the western institution are shared. czuy & hogarth/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-16 5 perhaps, we will know the end of this component of our conversation when we naturally stop for breath. our conversation does not end, but our sharing with others does. furthermore, we need to consider, how much do we share? what do we share? we need to be aware of the fact that when we tell our stories, we are consciously and unconsciously deciding what is and is not said (bessarab & ng’andu, 2010). kori: what is not said – to read between the lines, within the space where the known and unknown dance, the flux, ebb and flow...chaos. “chaos and its offspring, creativity, are generative forces of the universe,” (cajete, 2000, p. 17), creativity is birthed between the lines. to question the boundaries of the institution and academia, then questions of where and if there is a limited atmosphere of intellect and dialogue arise. staller (2007) speaks of a need for a balance between safeguarding quality and fostering innovation and creativity. the boundaries have been built to safeguard the quality and rigor of the scientific and academic community, to uphold the high standards that have built the institutional foundation. along with this balance, there must be critical engagement with the question about how and why the boundary was constructed in the first place. melitta: or moreover, how these boundaries and constructs are maintained?! this question i pose because of my own work where the means in which institutional and societal constructs are maintained are evident in language; through the power not just of the coloniser but the power of maintaining the dominant ideologies (hogarth, 2017c; 2018). indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing are positioned on the periphery (herbert, 2012); the binary construct acts to make explicit the difference allowing the differing worldviews to position indigenous knowledges; and therefore, the indigenous experience, as inferior. we must therefore “play the game” and work within both worlds. with this in mind, the use of metalogue as a methodological approach enables us to reposition indigenous ways by bringing storytelling into the centre. kori: every time i question the [box] i hear, "just play the game". immediately, that little colonial voice in my brain, created through years of eurocentric education, tries to rationalize my actions. i hear, but i try not to listen. how am i embracing indigenous ways of knowing by playing the game? or supporting the next cohort of indigenous scholars? indigenous methodologies make space for voices outside of the colonial to thrive, gently nudging the dominant voices aside to critically engage with the indigenous voices that have been marginalized. mi’kmaq elder marshall talks about ‘two-eyed seeing’, one eye representing indigenous worldviews and the other western worldviews, and the strength of each is used to support each other, resulting in equality (hatcher, bartlett, marshall, a., & marshall, m., 2009). but i feel like indigenous ways of knowing first require equity to build equality, perhaps closing the western eye to focus on the indigenous perspective, building its strength, capacity, and understanding. maybe "two-eyed" seeing is what we strive towards? czuy & hogarth/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-16 6 melitta: yes, and it is interesting that we need to constantly have these inner monologues. worrying about the western and wanting to privilege the indigenous self—we are being encouraged to enter the western space, but then we are told, or at least, we feel that we must conform to the [box]. staller (2007) stated a main advantage of metalogue allows for increased transparency, where ideas develop actively, are revealed in time, but not hidden within the abstract confines of the “intellectual atmosphere” (p. 155). kori: the idea of grounding the abstract through transparency, for me, challenges the boundaries of written scientific and academic text. to reveal the process of knowledge creation through the dialogue and infinite nature of coming to know, allows for the humility of the process to be revealed. through this humility we allow for the abstract to become grounded, to become human, and therefore to be brought into the “realm of the real world” (staller, 2007, p. 155). coming to know through an indigenous worldview focuses on humility and coming to know through our mistakes by acknowledging them, not retreating, moving through them to become stronger. melitta: and so we are sharing our thought process, our ways of negotiating the square and the very things we must consider each time we enter this space. we are constantly conflicted and the push-pull nexus that torres strait islander academic, nakata (2007a, 2007b) refers to when we are participating in the cultural interface becomes apparent. we actively look through both a western lens and an indigenous lens; looking for ways to privilege our indigeneity while revealing the taken for granted assumptions and hidden institutional constructs and bias located within the [box]. as a result, we are constantly trying to find our place and unfortunately, finding ourselves on the periphery (herbert, 2012). our ways of doing are seen as different and yet, it is just how we do it. our ways of knowing being classed as unique and yet, here we are working towards completing a phd within a western institution where structures and regiment is rife. what we find is we need to take ownership of our research and to do that, we disrupt the template; softening the edges of the [box]. i remember when i first enrolled in the master of education (research) (hogarth, 2015). it had taken me three whole years to actually convince myself that it was even possible (hogarth, 2017a). i was an external (online) student as i was living over 700 kilometres from the university and i was lost from the beginning. i had to complete two theory units that introduced quantitative and qualitative methodologies. needless to say, the methodological approaches considered were very standard. they did not reflect me and i failed to see how i was going to make this work. that was, until i began exploring and reading the work of mostly australian indigenous academics such as martin nakata (2007a), aileen moreton-robinson (2013) and lester rigney (1999) but also, international indigenous academics like linda tuhiwai-smith (1999) and marie battiste (2000) and the approaches they used. in their words, their experiences, their challenges and solutions; their stories —i could see myself. their voices were strong; their convictions and intentions clear and here was i, wading in a very deep pool, treading water. i am glad that i took the longer road and completed the master’s prior to taking on the phd (hogarth czuy & hogarth/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-16 7 2015; 2018). it gave me space and time to find my place; my niche on the periphery, giving me the confidence to chip away at those ╔ corners ╝. kori: my journey was similar, only discovering indigenous methodologies in my phd. i chose to not do land-based research4 in my master’s, blaming my lack of funding. smith (1999) would have said that i was questioning research that would have been done on instead of with. it was not my community, they were not my stories, i had only read written colonial perspectives in academic journals by white male professors who may very well have been doing research on, but i don’t want to speculate… this uneasiness i later understood through indigenous ways of knowing as the uneasiness of my spirit, feeling the repression of colonization. melitta: so essentially, the question is why? why do we find the need to disrupt the template, to break down the sharp edges of the [box] and essentially, circle the [box]? for me, the need is to find me. i am not the kind to actively participate in demonstrations or protests. instead, i enjoy protesting in the institutional space. it provides me opportunity to disrupt at the interface where indigenous and non-indigenous knowledges meet. by completing the masters (hogarth, 2015), i felt i was in a position of knowing. i knew what the template asked, and i knew what the template denied me of. it dictated the recipe, or what was necessary, but the method was up to me. the final presentation was up to me. i was about to spend an extended length of time with these words —i needed it to be me. it was me. surely, with this realisation, it had to reflect me. kori: yes! creating and pushing the boundaries of dialogue and disrupting by questioning that what has been taken for granted as assumption, is also my protest. i am questioning "universal" mathematics by closing the eye receptive only to eurocentric, colonial math, and understanding mathematics through relationships between humans, land, animals, spirit, and cosmos. i have created a framework (see figure 1) that critically engages ethno(mathematics) by beginning with indigenous worldviews instead of assuming colonial universality. this framework (represented as a cross-section of the sweetgrass braid), always begins in the east (rising sun), by understanding math through stories with/about land and community (the first strand); for example, stories about constellation positions foretelling seasons, hunting, or harvest. weaving in the second strand engages a personal understanding and reflection to ground these knowings; for example, star stories from childhood memories, open to all histories, experiences, and cultures. the third strand of eurocentric mathematics is then weaved in. each strand has equal strength, but by critically engaging with the first two strands, like closing the western eye, equity is better created. without this critical focus on the marginalized perspective, especially with mathematics, translation into the eurocentric worldview is automatic because this worldview is often taught as standard and "universal". 4 here, land-based research meant learning with and from the land and the people of that land. limited funding resources meant this indigenous learning/research method would not be feasible for me. i later read smith (1999), who stated that colonization transformed space, changing indigenous space, or land, from living with, through respect and reciprocity, to defining land as a commodity, to be tamed and controlled. czuy & hogarth/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-16 8 figure 1: the critical braid: story-based approach to explore ethno(mathematics). always beginning in the east, the rising sun, with the stories from the land. in the academy, these dialogues, questions, and frameworks are the demonstrations and protests. softening the edges by acting on what we both know is valid without feeling the need to always "play the game" or translate into eurocentric worldviews, but embrace dialogue together, through open minds and hearts. melitta: the scary part for me was that qut specified that: • the thesis is well written having due consideration to relevant writing conventions and style guidelines; • that the spelling, grammar, punctuation and choice of language are of a high standard; • that the thesis is presented in english; czuy & hogarth/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-16 9 • that all citations and the bibliography comply with relevant disciplinary conventions; and • that all typing errors are corrected (qut, 2016, p. 3). the privileging of standard english is not lost to me. regardless of your cultural backgrounds, your ways of knowing, being and doing—you must submit to western institutional structures. on the flip side, you are essentially being told—western standards are the only way to achieve a phd. i have internal monologues with self all the time. i know that i suffer desperately with imposter syndrome and there is a need to continue fighting my brain demons (hogarth, 2017a). so, the inner monologue went something like this: deep breaths, melitta. you know what needs to be done and you have the recipe. you need to make this thesis yours! stand strong and most importantly, be true to yourself. remember, this is not just for you to get that floppy hat; it is for your family; the kids in your last teaching job and basically, every aboriginal and torres strait islander student in every school. kori: the first time i disrupted the phd [box] to play with the humanity lost in the dust of the ╔ corners ╝, was when i created my first academic poster. i was excited to be given the opportunity to play with my thoughts in a way that was creative, innovative, expressive, and personal, to be able to work through and express my research outside of the traditional written paper format. like you said, being true to myself. melitta: i am jealous of your courage to enter the space of an academic poster. while my undergraduate degree was in creative arts, i have avoided the research poster arena because of the systemic understandings of what makes an academic poster. i yearn to return to the paintbrushes and easel and yet, still have not find my way. kori: i got out my bristol board, pencils, markers, (no paint this time) and turned on my artistic brain. the thought process around how to simplistically represent my work pictorially and holistically was intense and complex. i connected with my poster through piles of eraser dust, glue ridden fingers, rainbow knuckles, and intricate hand-drawn graphics. i was well into my creative process when that annoying colonial voice acted up again: maybe a little research on academic posters would be important. i remember the moment that search appeared, my heart dropped into my stomach, my spirit screamed… standardized format, abstract in top left ╔ corner ╝, followed by literature, methodology etc. i thought i had found a way to thrive within the ╔ corner ╝, but quickly the edges reminded me of where i was, and the rules i was to follow. i decided to dwell within my humility and ignorance towards these parameters, and continued the journey i embarked upon between myself, my research, and the poster. melitta: i applaud your strength here to continue and maintain your position. the conformity and structures of western institutions and your farce of ignorance shows grace and yet, a means in which we are to disrupt the academy. the kinesthetic qualities of running your fingers through glue, connecting with your research is a cathartic process. those who do not dabble in the arts would never understand this process. but is it more than that? is it part czuy & hogarth/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-16 10 of us as indigenous peoples? historically, storytelling is not just through the oral tradition but was captured on the walls of many a dwelling (bessarab & ng’andu, 2010). while it shouldn't matter, did you show the poster? is it something you will do again? kori: i will continue to disrupt the academic poster standards and confront the whispers around me about the unprofessional appearance and juvenile nature of my posters. because, yes, there is a connection between senses and indigenous knowings, understandings as relationships created through these sensorial, observational, interactive moments. the validity of knowledge acquisition through all senses has been marginalized by the separation of sight, raised and praised as the sense of science and power (classen, 1993; mcluhan, 1962), reinforced by descartes who stated that rational truth is only through the mind, without body (descartes, weissman & bluhm, 1996). this marginalization has restricted ways of coming to know from multiple senses and even spirit. the knowledge i gained, and therefore can convey through the use of multiple senses when creating a non-traditional poster is deep, raw, and human, much different than slotting in copied and pasted information into a ready-made template. the template is cold, shiny, synthetic, without spirit, connections, or the rawness and humility of being human...isn’t research done by humans? melitta: well, we can only hope so but sometimes, the research fails to see the human. never is that more evident than the historical, anthropological, and scientific research upheld in the corpus about indigenous peoples (see smith, 1999). and i guess that is what i see as part of our role in disrupting the system—bringing indigenous voices to the indigenous experience: illustrating our humanity. i seek to do this in my research—or at least, i hope that is what i do. i focus on language and policy discourses and i spoke earlier about my master’s being a testing ground —it enabled me to work out the recipe of the thesis; the key ingredients necessary and also, identify the places in which the [box] could be stretched, the ╔ corners ╝ could be rounded and i could be me (hogarth, 2015). the ways i disrupted the thesis template were subtle and yet, explicit. i began each chapter with a vignette; a type of internal monologue or sharing the process in which i interpreted the purpose of each chapter. i used the analogy of research as an ocean throughout telling the story of self as the emu; my family’s totem, navigating the ocean of research (hogarth, 2017a; 2018). i shared the adventure as i sailed in my boat. the inclusion of self further exemplifies how much the thesis itself had been internalised; it had become an extension of me. the story of the emu became a metaphor; i like metaphors. within my thesis, i also explored and developed a methodological approach, indigenous critical discourse analysis, which i represented as a conceptual framework (hogarth, 2017c; 2018). the conceptual framework (see figure 2) was a visual representation of the methodological approach but it was also a metaphor of self. it was a representation of my eye; a metaphorical representation of the lens in which i saw the world and the lens in which i analysed policy. i included a preface to the thesis to ensure that the way in which i wanted the conceptual framework to be interpreted was made explicit. i included an extra layer to the audit trail of the data analysis by including insight to the thought processes as i worked through the data (hogarth, 2018). vignettes as written text, reflective thought, and poetry—i even considered including a graphic novel snippet depicting czuy & hogarth/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-16 11 self on the boat, but i got to that stage where it was time to move on. i was over the thesis; there was so much more i wanted to explore, and it was time for me to stop. i felt it, my supervisors felt it—it was time to let it go and take a breath… figure 2: indigenous critical discourse analysis: a conceptual framework (hogarth, 2017c, p. 25) kori: time, the colonial monster that has its claws in every moment, second, (rational) intent. its elbow blocks my spirit, its voice interrupts my stories, it uproots, disengages, and segregates. the restrictive element of time was brought up several occasions throughout the “decolonizing the dissertation” sessions, put on by the sage (supporting aboriginal graduate engagement) network at the uofc. this year sage has held several panel discussions focused on the hurdles, emotional labour, and misconceptions around doing graduate research at the academy as indigenous students attempting to work within an indigenous framework. we have had phenomenal czuy & hogarth/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-16 12 turn-out at the sessions, from both indigenous students and allies, and the need for these dialogues is clear, but now what? i was a part of a sage panel that focused on emotional labour, and one of the main concerns between the panelists was about “what to reveal?” like you mentioned earlier melitta, “how much do we share?” and “what do we share?” there are conversations that need to be had, a truth that needs to be told, but … in time. we cannot hurry to rush towards the embers from the dwindling fire of knowings, our (humanity’s) eagerness, lack of humility, or patience will only scare away the fire. this fire metaphor is from an anishinaabe seven fires prophecy about seven prophets (represented as fires) visiting the people, from the creation of turtle island (the first prophet), to the fourth prophet who foretold about the encounter between the "light-skinned" people and the "red-skinned" people, and if they worked together in brotherhood through the recognition of and respect for different knowings, they would together become a great nation (benton-banai, 1988). unfortunately, greed, ego, and mind reigned over land, community, and spirit (benton-banai, 1988). but there is hope in the seventh fire, the rebirth of spirit and knowing held close by knowledge keepers. the embers of the seventh fire are delicate, easily smothered, easily scared away by the extinguishing methods of colonization. there is reciprocity to fire, it is a powerful gift that carries great responsibilities, it can create and nurture, but also destroy if not respected (kimmerer, 2013). reciprocity within learning and knowledge is often absent in eurocentric knowledge, instead supports a one-way pathway towards [the teacher] filling an empty bucket [the student] with knowledge (freire, 2005/1970). to allow for indigenous ways of knowing to thrive within the institution, maybe our first step is to understand the notion of reciprocity. if there is an understanding about how to best receive and understand knowings and therefore reciprocate these knowings in a good way, would this lead to a better understanding about the values of these knowings through the created responsibility held by the listener/receiver? then… how would our original question of “how much do we share?” and “what do we share?” potentially be opened up? melitta: again, i find myself jealous. the number of aboriginal and torres strait islander phd and master’s students in education at qut was limited. culturally safe spaces where we could share our experiences, our challenges and so forth, being together and sharing space was limited. a small cohort of us tried to find space but as we were all also working full time, the opportunity to come together did not always happen. instead, we tended to support each other through emails, texts and phone calls. even then, the work life tended to take priority and distance and isolation tended to take over. kori: i can’t agree more, it is an isolating process. but, the sage network is opening discussions with indigenous students about navigating how to be a trailblazer, supporting mentorship (with each other and elders), and creating safe space to share our experiences, hurdles, and triumphs. melitta: oh, most definitely—it is needed! but i think what we are essentially highlighting here is that it needs to be led by indigenous peoples and more importantly, by the students and supported by the indigenous units and the university as a whole. the demands of the academy and the structures have become so restrictive, and in a world where technology is changing on a daily basis, the need to come together and share is paramount for our souls. it is important for us to have access to key indigenous mentors and elders—to czuy & hogarth/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-16 13 remind us of the fight for the privileges we have today they fought and to remind us for the need to continue the fight! kori: "paramount for our souls", i couldn’t have said it better. it is so easy to get lost amongst the speed that technology has forced onto our everyday. with the constant focus on the future, i feel like i am constantly tripping to keep up. when indigenous students and elders gather and light a ceremonial smudge, it allows us to reconnect with our spirits and the land, it cleanses us of the drive towards tomorrow, allowing the present and those around us to reconnect. melitta: as an educator, i am very much aware of the institutional structures prevalent within education as a whole. education becomes a means to create the ‘ideal citizen’ with its assimilatory properties; to [box] people into a whole and to progress neo-liberal ideologies (morgan, et al., 2006). this lens of individualism highlights the struggle for me—the institutional structures and how they essentially do not prepare you as an academic. a phd is so personal that the isolating properties of the research process is so necessary and yet, the privilege of conducting research by yourself on any project after this is virtually impossible. all research after this, i will need to work with others as part of a team. add to that, the fact that indigenous methodologies are placed on the periphery and yet, more and more in australia, there is consistent call to increase the number of indigenous higher degree research students (universities australia, 2017). if our ways of knowing, being and doing are not seen as valued within the university environment, how can we strive and succeed without breaking down these perceived structures? our motivations and stubbornness, the reason for entering this space need to be constantly nurtured and rejuvenated and finding space together is essential. and yet, we are constantly reminded and instructed to remain within the [box]—preferably more towards the centre but if we must disrupt, on the periphery (herbert, 2012). kori: i am not the best at staying in the [box], following the rules, or playing the game. so, it isn’t surprising that it wasn’t until the third year of my phd that i checked the "formatting guidelines" (uofc, n.d.) for my dissertation, few i am sure i will follow. anxiety grew as i read the rigid format, (a format many students wouldn’t question), 10-point black font, with a fourteen-point checklist on how to format a title page, and any artwork should be put in the appendices—defined as the place to put things that would normally clutter your thesis! this 2-d format lacks a connection to the human that created it, the community that supported its creation; it’s not a [box], it’s a 2-d square of confinement. there is hope as i scroll down to the section called ‘non-traditional thesis’, explained as a way to “[expand] the parameters, content, and purpose of the thesis...to reimagine graduate pathways and explore new ways of engaging in advanced scholarship,” (uofc, n.d.). this hope slowly deteriorates as the section on ‘challenges’ of doing a non-traditional thesis greatly outnumbers the ‘benefits and outcomes’. besides the challenges of time, additional work (still requiring a submission that follows the publication mandates of the university), uncertainty, and a steep learning curve (uofc, n.d.), the benefits seem to connect research and the university with the community and industry, and support skills of innovation, collaboration, critical thinking, and interdisciplinarity. these benefits seem to provide a pathway of success for the student in working in a global world, beyond the university. think about it, who is the traditional thesis for? who reads it? how many are even published? and if they are, again, who reads them? the walls of the [box] that academia and the institution have built around them have blocked them off from community, with gatekeepers restricting access to those czuy & hogarth/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-16 14 who can play well with those already thriving inside. there is little or no interplay between what is inside those walls with the outside, or what snuck in but is stuck in the ╔ corners ╝. smith (1999) stated that these systems (or walls) are erected as a cultural force-field, to block out competing or oppositional discourses, ensuing the dominance of western eurocentric colonial interests. indigenous knowings seem to be viewed as an opposition, fighting against scientific truths of the well-established knowledge systems that have been so successful in gaining power through profit. the non-traditional thesis and augmenting the ╔ corners ╝ and walls of the [box]/cube of the institution seem, in theory, to allow for connections between the university with community, and potentially with the land and spirit. in theory is great, but where is the praxis, support, implementation strategies? melitta: the parameters and structures set are definitely a deterrent and break down our individualism, our creativity, the very things that make us—us! as i said previously, i already knew what the university wanted, the rules and regulations. the notion of a nontraditional thesis is not even the list of the types of theses viable at qut (qut, 2016). a thesis by monograph, a thesis by publication, and a thesis by creative works are the only options available. i suppose the thesis by creative works may be considered as a non-traditional thesis but the inclusion of an exegesis to support the creative work ensures that a traditional thesis component is included. in that instance, as someone who did a bachelor of creative arts, the need for words to validate the work seems assumptive and again, i find myself returning to the question—how much do we share? i have included poetry and vignettes within my thesis; drawing the analogy that research is like an ocean in which i am navigating, using metaphor to act as barrier and protect myself. after all, we are still working within the structures. kori: metaphor as protection, to protect the embers—raw, delicate, human, with potential to ignite a community, a gathering of knowings, a togetherness that often a fire creates. but also, protection from destruction, ourselves, from our knowings, protection through strategic sharing. in time... melitta: this conversation could continue for ages but the restrictions and therefore, the [box], is calling for an end. limitations to the story once again illustrates the [box]. our story has just begun; there is a lot of work still to be done in this space but at least we have started the conversation. perhaps now is the time to take a breath... references adams, j., luitel, b. c., afonso, e., & taylor, p. c. 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(2017). indigenous strategy 2017-2020. retrieved from https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/media-and-events/media-releases/universitiesunveil-indigenous-participation-targets#.wd4kzk27qpo university of calgary (uofc) (n.d.) thesis formatting guidelines. available at: https://grad.ucalgary.ca/files/grad/fgs-thesis-guidelines_nov2017.pdf http://education.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.001.0001/acrefore-9780190264093-e-240?print http://education.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.001.0001/acrefore-9780190264093-e-240?print https://cms.qut.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/7249/requirements_for_presenting_theses.pdf https://cms.qut.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/7249/requirements_for_presenting_theses.pdf https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/media-and-events/media-releases/universities-unveil-indigenous-participation-targets#.wd4kzk27qpo https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/media-and-events/media-releases/universities-unveil-indigenous-participation-targets#.wd4kzk27qpo https://grad.ucalgary.ca/files/grad/fgs-thesis-guidelines_nov2017.pdf emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca corresponding author: cadamson@cesd73.ca new teacher assessment literacy: determining and narrowing the gaps christopher adamson university of calgary assessment literacy is a fundamental prerequisite for effective student learning; therefore, determining and narrowing the gaps in teachers’ assessment literacy is an important educational endeavour. the purpose of this research was to explore the gaps in new teacher assessment literacy within a rural alberta school division. the researcher administered a modified assessment literacy inventory to teachers within their first four years of practice. results have indicated that gaps in new teacher assessment literacy exist in four of the nine standards used; choosing assessment methods, developing assessment methods, administering, scoring, and interpreting results, and using assessment results in decision making. these findings reflect the need to improve the assessment literacy within this context and they hint at a more widespread issue. this article offers recommendations to narrow the gaps with tailored professional development through professional learning communities. keywords: assessment literacy, student learning, new teacher adamson, c. (2020). new teacher assessment literacy: determining and narrowing the gaps. emerging perspectives, 4(2), 89-105. improving student achievement is a priority for all educational stakeholders and administration are continuously seeking effective approaches to reach these priorities. literature indicates that student achievement is tied to sound assessment practices (black, harrison, lee & marshall, 2003; campbell & collins, 2007; gregory, cameron & davies, 2000; mertler, 2004; mertler & campbell, 2005; stiggins, 2008) and that new teachers make assessment-related decisions without sufficient confidence or training (brookhart, 2001; deluca, 2012; popham, 2009). gaps in new teacher assessment literacy exist and need to be identified, explored, and narrowed to ameliorate student achievement priorities. the term assessment literacy was first introduced by stiggins (1991) who stated that assessment literate educators effectively use assessments that produce clear, specific, and rich data that reflects a precisely defined learning target. assessment literacy encompasses the knowledge and skills educators use to identify or create assessments optimally designed for various purposes, and the use of the evidence gathered to make appropriate decisions to improve instructional decisions and subsequently students’ learning (kahl, hofman, & bryant, 2013). the existing research attempts to identify the assessment literacy of preservice, new, and experienced teachers using both qualitative and quantitative methods (deluca & klinger, 2010; mertler, 2003; remesal, 2011). most qualitative methods determine teachers’ perceived adamson emerging perspectives (2020) 90 confidence levels in assessment practices and the quantitative methods measure teachers’ assessment literacy using measures such as the assessment literacy inventory (ali; mertler & campbell, 2005) or the classroom assessment literacy inventory (cali; mertler, 2003). the majority of these studies indicate that teachers need to improve their assessment literacy (arter, 2001; brookhart, 2001; popham, 2006). despite an increase in research regarding assessment literacy, “many of today’s teachers know little about educational assessment” (popham, 2009, p. 5) and teachers generally lack confidence in their assessment practices, and are in dire need of assessment training, resources, and opportunities (volante & fazio, 2007). however, for training to be effective, it must be tailored to narrow the specific gaps in the assessment literacy of teachers. to address this problem, this study focused on determining the gaps in new teacher assessment literacy within a rural alberta school division using a version of the ali that was modified by the researcher. this article offers recommendations on how to provide tailored professional development (pd) to improve the assessment practices of these teachers. for the purpose of this study, new teachers are defined as those within their first four years of teaching. this study has the potential to impact teacher assessment practices and subsequently, student achievement. the results will be relevant to teacher participants, post-secondary faculty, school administrators, school division learning coaches, and researchers interested in the topic. each stakeholder will be better equipped to make data-driven decisions regarding assessment-related pd with the purpose of narrowing the specific gaps in new teacher assessment literacy. teachers use diagnostic and formative assessments to best meet the learning needs of their students. these same assessments will help determine and narrow the gaps in new teacher assessment literacy. the following research question guided this study: where do the gaps in new teacher assessment literacy exist in this rural alberta school division, as measured by the modified ali? value of assessment black and wiliam (1998) determined that a focus by teachers on assessment practices produced a substantial increase in students’ achievement, and wiliam (2018) stated “the fact that assessment is essential for effective instruction is so obvious” (p. 42). also, stiggins (2002) indicated that to maximize student achievement, educators must pay far greater attention to the improvement of classroom assessment; both assessment of learning and assessment for learning. stiggins (2006) outlined five indicators of sound assessment practices: clear purposes: assessment processes and results serve clear and appropriate purposes; clear targets: assessments reflect clear and valued student learning targets; sound design: expectations are translated into assessments that yield accurate results; effective communication: assessment results are managed well and communicated effectively; and student involvement: students are involved in their own assessment. a meta-analysis conducted by kingston and nash (2011) clearly outlined the evidence of the positive impact formative assessment practices has on student achievement and the importance of assessment training. gaps in assessment literacy according to stiggins (1991), “most decision makers educators and non-educators alike are not sufficiently literate in the basics of assessment to know whether their achievement data adamson emerging perspectives (2020) 91 are sound or unsound” (p. 536); therefore, they struggle to make sound educational decisions. despite this long awareness of a need for teacher competency in the area of assessment, the literature suggests that teachers and administrators continue to lack relevant assessment training and skills. the majority of teacher education programs do not adequately prepare preservice teachers to fulfill their expected classroom assessment responsibilities and new teachers continue to feel unprepared in this area (deluca & bellara, 2013; popham, 2009; stiggins, 2010). likewise, assessment training is rare in instructional leadership programs designed for administrators (stiggins, 2008). this deficiency in new teacher assessment literacy can cripple the quality of education (popham, 2009). this is particularly true in rural alberta school divisions due to the high levels of staff turnover and the struggle to maintain a strong professional knowledge base regarding assessment. it is estimated that teachers spend between 30% and 50% of their professional time engaged in assessment practices (stiggins, 1999) and that assessment literacy is increasingly being recognized as an integral part of teacher professionalism (brookhart, 2002). why are teachers’ assessment practices inadequate if they are investing so much of their valuable time on this endeavour and where do these assessment related inadequacies exist? measuring assessment literacy to address the issue of assessment illiteracy, we must first determine the current level of assessment literacy and any efforts to improve it. according to gotch and french (2014), the most widely used measure was the teacher assessment literacy questionnaire (plake, impara, & fager, 1993), later revised as the classroom assessment literacy inventory (mertler, 2003), which has appeared in 11 studies. these tests were intended to be objective and measure teacher knowledge regarding the prescribed competencies and to identify strengths and weaknesses in their assessment literacy (xu & brown, 2016). volante and fazio (2007) indicated that the ali developed by mertler and campbell (2005) could be used “as a diagnostic instrument geared toward the identification and remediation of classroom assessment misconceptions or weaknesses of in-service teachers” (p. 762). mertler and campbell (2005) indicated that when the ali is used with preservice teachers the internal consistency of the measure demonstrates acceptable reliability within the measure (rkr= .74). also, the validity of the ali has been tested by hailaya, alagumalai, and ben (2014) and according to their research, the ali has some psychometric qualities that make it useful for measuring teachers’ assessment literacy. at the item level, the ali can be a potential instrument in examining teachers’ knowledge on classroom concepts and application, and can be used among inservice teachers. (hailaya, alagumalai, & ben, 2014, p. 313) gotch and french (2014) expressed a need for increased work on assessment literacy measures and indicate that both the cali and ali fail to incorporate aspects of formative assessment. formative assessment is a crucial part of classroom assessment that is often missing and according to brookhart (2011), “what’s new in formative assessment is the importance of students as formative decision-makers who need information of a certain type (descriptive) at a certain time (in time to act) in order to make productive decisions about their own learning” (p. adamson emerging perspectives (2020) 92 4). in addition, the extent to which students are involved in their own assessment is determined by their understanding of classroom learning outcomes; therefore, teachers must clarify and share learning intentions and criteria for success with their students (wiliam, 2014). providing effective feedback is also key to effective formative assessment (hattie & timperley, 2007). wiliam, lee, harrison, and black (2004) reported an effect size of 0.32 on student achievement when teachers participated in collaborative pd focused on developing formative assessment strategies. therefore, due to the importance of formative assessment and feedback, a modified version of the ali that incorporates both formative assessment and feedback was used for this study. gaps in assessment training research has continued to show that teachers’ assessment and evaluation practices are largely incongruent with recommended best practice (galluzo, 2005; mertler, 2003; xu & brown, 2016), which is alarming given the growing trend towards assessment-based accountability models within north america (volante & fazio, 2007). according to stiggins (2002), there continues to be relatively little emphasis on assessment directed pd in north america. unfortunately, assessment practices covered in course work and practica are incomplete or superficial in many teacher education programs, leaving graduates unable to effectively meet the demands of today’s classrooms (kahl et al., 2013). in addition, performance measures used to measure the assessment literacy of preservice teachers are inadequate at determining candidates’ mastery (kahl et al., 2013). teacher educator programs need more than a brief mention of assessment in a course and must place more emphasis on developing the assessment literacy of their preservice teachers (popham, 2011; siegel & wissehr, 2011). findings by deluca and klinger (2010) support the need for assessment training with specific learning topics identified to develop the assessment literacy of preservice teachers. as graduates leave their teacher education programs, the research suggests additional assessment training is required to become assessment literate professionals. therefore, effective pd for new teachers must fill this void. a current systematic review by vangrieken, meredith, packer, and kyndt (2017) indicates the best approach to teacher learning is through structured collaboration with their peers complemented with targeted learning sessions; not the one-shot workshops teachers typically experience. some evidence indicates that schools with embedded collaboration also have higher levels of student achievement (goddard, goddard, & tschannenmoran, 2007). koh (2011) also provided evidence to support this approach by reporting positive effects for students when their teachers showed improvement in assessment literacy after attending pd with a focus on assessment. gaps in the literature despite the small pockets of success, limited research has been conducted to better understand the assessment literacy of classroom teachers (volante & fazio, 2007). based on the research by gotch and french (2014), it appears that current assessment literacy measures are weak at assessing teachers’ ability to assess. adamson emerging perspectives (2020) 93 furthermore, it is apparent that pd initiatives are most effective when a comprehensive understanding of the specific gaps exists and training is tailored to address those gaps (stiggins, 1991; volante & fazio, 2007). according to mertler (2009) there is little research on teachers’ current assessment practices from which to construct pd structures aimed at promoting teacher assessment literacy. stiggins (1991) stated that “it is essential that we provide high-quality, efficient in-service training for all those teachers and administrators who have completed their degree programs without relevant assessment training” (p. 358). current and future educators in need of assessment training can be identified using a similar approach to the method used in this study and once identified, tailored pd can be implemented. this approach to addressing the gaps in assessment literacy presents a deficiency in the literature where this study can be located. the emerging theme is evident; sound assessment is important for student learning and value exists in determining and narrowing the gap of new teacher assessment literacy within this rural alberta school division. research methods the inclusion criteria for participants involved teachers in the rural alberta school division who were within their first four years of teaching due to the importance of providing pd to new teachers as they begin to establish their professional practice. teachers with five or more years of experience were excluded as data sources because more experienced teachers often have a better understanding of assessment due to their years of practice. in addition, teachers at the researcher’s school were excluded from the study due to the researcher’s administrative position. an explanation of the research study and an invitation to participate was communicated via email to teachers who qualified to be participants based on the inclusion criteria. individuals were given two weeks to complete and return the consent forms. the participants included 10 teachers (n = 10). two participants were in their first year, three in their second year, two in their third year, and three in their fourth year. their teaching assignments ranged from kindergarten to grade twelve and 60% of the participants were female, 40% were male. data collection and instrumentation once the participants were identified by signed consent forms, they completed the survey under the direct supervision of the researcher at division office and data for the study was collected using the modified assessment literacy inventory (mali). the original ali is a userfriendly version of the teacher assessment literacy questionnaire (plake, impara, & fager, 1993). however, new modifications to the original ali were necessary to account for an important development in educational assessment; formative assessment and feedback (brookhart, 2011); these modifications were made by the researcher. black and wiliam (1998) also highlighted the importance of formative assessment for improving student achievement. in addition, studies have revealed that student achievement improves when teachers emphasize proper questioning techniques, feedback without grades, peer assessment, self-assessment, and use of formative data to alter instructional strategies (black et al., 2004; black & wiliam, 1998). the original ali contained 35 questions that were developed to mimic real-world applications of assessment standards. the ali consists of five scenarios, each followed by seven adamson emerging perspectives (2020) 94 questions. the questions are related to the seven standards for teacher competence in the educational assessment of students (1990), in mertler and campbell (2005). the modification for this study involved removing one of the scenarios and adding eight questions related to formative assessment and feedback; two questions for each remaining scenario, resulting in a survey of 36 questions. therefore, each of the nine standards has four related questions. the new questions regarding formative assessment and feedback were created in alignment with the standards f1 (assessment purpose), f2 (learning expectations), u2 (effective feedback), and u3 (instructional follow-up) in the new revised document titled classroom assessment standards for pk-12 teachers (jcsee, 2015, as cited in deluca, lapointe-mcewan & luhanga, 2015). table 1 outlines how the mali aligns to the standards for teacher competence in the educational assessment of students (american federation of teachers, 1990) and specific formative assessment and feedback standards from the classroom assessment standards for pk12 teachers (jcsee, 2015, as cited in deluca, lapointe-mcewan & luhanga, 2015). in addition, three questions related to the educational background of the participants were asked following the mali. table 1 modified assessment literacy inventory alignment to standards (1990 and 2015) description standard item alignment teachers should be skilled in choosing assessment methods appropriate for instructional decisions. choosing assessment methods 1, 10, 19, 27 teachers should be skilled in developing assessment methods appropriate for instructional decisions. sound design 2, 11, 20, 29 the teacher should be skilled in administering, scoring and interpreting the results of both externally-produced and teacher produced assessment methods. scoring 3, 12, 21, 30 teachers should be skilled in using assessment results when making decisions about individual students, planning teaching, developing curriculum, and school improvement. using results 4, 13, 22, 31 teachers should be skilled in developing valid pupil grading procedures which use pupil assessments. grading 5, 14, 23, 32 teachers should be skilled in communicating assessment results to students, parents, other lay audiences, and other educators. communicating results 6, 15, 24, 33 teachers should be skilled in recognizing unethical, illegal, and otherwise inappropriate assessment methods and uses of assessment information. ethical assessment 7, 16, 25, 34 adamson emerging perspectives (2020) 95 classroom assessment practices should have a clear purpose that supports teaching and learning. learning expectations should form the foundation for aligning classroom assessment practices with appropriate instruction and learning opportunities for each student. foundations of formative assessment 8, 17, 26, 35 classroom assessment practices should provide timely and useful feedback to improve student learning. analysis of student performance should inform instructional planning and next steps to support ongoing student learning. use of formative assessment 9, 18, 27, 36 note. adapted from american federation of teachers (1990). data analysis following data collection, descriptive statistics regarding minimum, maximum, mean, standard deviation (sd), levels of achievement, and percentage (%) were used to analyze the data. results the minimum score, maximum score, mean (maximum of four), and sd for each of the nine standards are presented in table 2. in addition, the minimum and maximum total score of all participants is displayed with associated mean and sd. the results revealed that the highest and lowest total score of all participants was 28 and 15, respectively, with a mean of 23.6 and sd of 4.06. the mean scores based on the mali ranged from 2.0 to 3.7, with a sd between 0.48 and 1.23. the standard with the highest mean was standard 9: use of formative assessment (mean = 3.7; sd = 0.48). the standards with the lowest means were standard 2: sound design (mean = 2.0; sd = 0.82) and standard 3: scoring (mean = 2.0; sd = 1.05). table 2 participant scores on the modified assessment literacy inventory description standard min. max. mean sd teachers should be skilled in choosing assessment methods appropriate for instructional decisions. choosing assessment methods 0 4 2.2 1.03 teachers should be skilled in developing assessment methods appropriate for instructional decisions. sound design 1 3 2 0.82 teachers should be skilled in administering, scoring and interpreting the results of both externally-produced and scoring 0 4 2 1.05 adamson emerging perspectives (2020) 96 teacher produced assessment methods. teachers should be skilled in using assessment results when making decisions about individual students, planning teaching, developing curriculum, and school improvement. using results 1 3 2.2 0.79 teachers should be skilled in developing valid pupil grading procedures which use pupil assessments. grading 1 4 2.8 1.03 teachers should be skilled in communicating assessment results to students, parents, other lay audiences, and other educators. communicating results 0 4 2.8 1.23 teachers should be skilled in recognizing unethical, illegal, and otherwise inappropriate assessment methods and uses of assessment information. ethical assessment 1 4 2.7 0.95 foundations 1 assessment purpose foundations 2 learning expectations foundations of formative assessment 2 4 3.2 0.63 use 2 effective feedback use 3 instructional follow up use of formative assessment 3 4 3.7 0.48 total score out of 36 points 15 28 23.6 4.06 to get a better understanding of the degree of assessment literacy based on the nine standards, participants’ scores were divided into three levels; low, medium, and high (table 3). the low level of achievement represents the number of participants who scored lower than 50 percent on a standard (zero or one out of the four questions correct), medium represents participants who scored 50 75 percent on a standard (two or three out of the four questions correct), and high represents participants who scored higher than 75 percent on a standard (all four questions correct). the number of participants that achieved a total score on a low, medium, and high level are also represented in table 3. the levels of achievement based on the nine standards of the mali revealed that participants had scores for eight standards at the medium level and one at the high level (standard 9: use of formative assessment). the standards that were achieved at the lowest levels were the following; standard 2: developing assessment methods, standard 3: administering, scoring, and interpreting results, and standard 4: using assessment results in decision making. adamson emerging perspectives (2020) 97 table 3 levels of achievement on the modified assessment literacy inventory standard assessment literacy low medium high number percent number percent number percent 1. choosing an assessment method 1 10% 8 80% 1 10% 2. developing assessment methods 3 30% 7 70% 0 0% 3. administering, scoring, and interpreting results 2 20% 7 70% 1 10% 4. using assessment results in decision making 2 20% 8 80% 0 0% 5. using valid student assessments to determine levels of student achievement 1 10% 6 60% 3 30% 6. communicating assessment results to all stakeholders 1 10% 6 60% 3 30% 7. recognizing unethical, illegal, and inappropriate assessment methods and uses of assessment information 1 10% 7 70% 2 20% 8. identifying the purpose of assessment and learner expectations 0 0% 7 70% 3 30% 9. using feedback and instructional follow up 0 0% 3 30% 7 70% total out of 10 participants 1 10% 7 70% 2 20% table 4 summarizes the data by highlighting the standards that were achieved at the lowest level (gaps in assessment literacy) and begins to answer the research question. the mean, sd, and percentage of participants that achieved at a low level for the given standards are displayed. adamson emerging perspectives (2020) 98 table 4 gaps in new teacher assessment literacy standard mean sd percentage 2. developing assessment methods 2 0.82 30% 3. administering, scoring, and interpreting results 2 1.05 20% 4. using assessment results in decision making 2.2 0.79 20% 1. choosing an assessment method 2.2 1.03 10% discussion gaps in new teacher assessment literacy exist, and the results support this statement. the gaps in new teacher assessment literacy within the rural alberta school division were primarily within four of the nine standards used in the mali: standard two: developing assessment methods, standard three: administering, scoring, and interpreting results, standard four; using assessment results in decision making, and standard one: choosing an assessment method. in the study performed by the original creator of the ali, (mertler, 2009), standard two was also the lowest achieved standard among the research participants; however, standard two showed the second greatest amount of improvement when reassessed following a two-week inservice training in classroom assessment. standard two: developing assessment methods, incorporates questions that discuss validity coefficients, reliability coefficients, item difficulty value, and other assessment vocabulary that the participants possibly were not familiar with. this may explain why it was the lowest achieved standard. in addition, survey questions included the associated numerical values for these terms and perhaps participants couldn’t make sense of the statistics. the work by stiggins (2010) provided overwhelming evidence that student achievement is strongly related to their teachers’ ability to identify or create high-quality classroom assessments and the meta-analysis by hattie and timperley (2007) revealed how the productive use of formative assessment data can have a positive impact on student achievement. the low level of achievement on the four standards is concerning since it suggests that participants struggle to develop and select appropriate assessment methods and make sound decisions based on assessment data. however, the lack of assessment-based courses, assessment pd, teaching experience, and available time to digest assessment data appropriately likely accounts for the low achievement on the other standards. new teachers have not had the opportunity to experience the difference between unsound and sound assessment nor do they feel confident or appropriately prepared for assessment when they graduate from their teacher education programs (volante & fazio, 2007). although assessment self-efficacy was not a focus of this study, this statement supports a large body of literature that advocates greater support for new teachers to improve the quality of teaching and teacher retention, which is a struggle in this rural alberta school division (volante & fazio, 2007). adamson emerging perspectives (2020) 99 formative assessment the standards that were achieved at the highest level were standards eight and nine; identifying the purpose of assessment and learner expectations, and using feedback and instructional follow-up, respectively. according to black and wiliam (1998), the effect size of formative assessments is larger than most found for educational intervention; therefore, it is promising that participants achieved standards eight and nine at a high level. nonetheless, this may have occurred given the fact that these two standards and associated questions were additions to the original ali; therefore, these questions had not been exposed to any item analysis (validity testing, item difficulty index, item discriminatory index, distractor analysis, etc.). as a result, the questions are not as rigorous as the other 28 in the mali. this could explain the high level of achievement that participants experienced on these standards. limitations in addition to the psychometric limitations of standards eight and nine, this study is limited by other factors. the sample size (n = 10) should encourage readers to be cautious when making interpretations and generalizations of the whole population based on the results of this study. although a sample is useful when estimating trends for a population, increasing the duration and scope of this study would allow for a larger sample size and a more accurate picture of new teacher assessment literacy in this rural alberta school division. furthermore, generalizations cannot be made for the province or country at large since the results represent a unique subgroup of alberta. however, there is still value in looking at individual participant scores. when individual participant scores are analyzed and interpreted it becomes apparent to teacher participants, post-secondary faculty members, school administrators, school division learning coaches, and other relevant stakeholders where the gaps in individual new teacher assessment literacy exist. although, “measuring teachers’ mastery of the principles drawn from the knowledge base can give an estimate of teacher assessment literacy, transfer to the practical realm is not guaranteed” (xu & brown, 2016, p. 153). therefore, to get a more holistic view of new teacher assessment literacy, the mali data should be paired with qualitative data from classroom observations of practical assessment skills. implications and recommendations with this information, post-secondary faculty members, school administrators, school division learning coaches, and central office executive staff can tailor pd to target the needs of individual participants. a core component of effective pd involves teachers engaging in ongoing professional development that is tailored to their needs (desimone, 2009). the significance of this study is to demonstrate the purpose and opportunity of measurement tools like the mali to serve as a diagnostic assessment for teachers. the results of this study have implications for the structure of future pd models given the fact that the data can be used to tailor pd with the intent of improving teachers’ assessment literacy and subsequently, student achievement. this endeavour is of interest to all educational stakeholders. post-secondary faculty members must begin to close the gap in new teacher assessment literacy by providing more rigorous assessment training in teacher education programs. a adamson emerging perspectives (2020) 100 measure such as the mali would help identify the gaps and thus allow faculty members to tailor their courses to the specific standards of assessment literacy in need of improvement. preservice teachers would benefit from purposeful introductions to competing assessment philosophies and “specific course work focused on assessment, embedding assessment topics in content and methods courses, and providing real-world opportunities to enable candidates to apply what they have learned” (kahl et al., 2013, p. 3). in addition, post-secondary faculty members must increase the congruency between their teaching and their practice on the topic of assessment. when faculty members explicitly model sound assessment practices, preservice teachers have an opportunity to experience consistent and effective formative assessment as learners and are far more likely to practice formative assessment in their own classrooms as a result (deluca & volante, 2016; poth, 2012). using formative assessment as a means of teaching preservice teachers will potentially trickle down to improve the learning of k-12 students across the entire educational system (deluca & volante, 2016). munroe, mitton-kükner, and graham (2015) indicated that a fundamental prerequisite for the above recommendations is effective collaboration and collegial team support from like-minded educators. munroe et al. (2015) stated “meeting regularly throughout the semester to plan course activities, to debrief preservice teachers’ responses, and to discuss our marking contributes to our abilities to be adaptive, reflective, open-minded, and organized” (p. 121). the use of professional learning communities to complement or replace more traditional professional development activities is an effective way to tailor pd for new teachers using the data obtained from this type of research (popham, 2009). in addition, “in-service teachers may need to utilize daily classroom practices as sites for their assessment literacy development by implementing assessment for learning” (xu & brown, 2016, p. 154). teachers acquire assessment knowledge in the field through reflection and collaboration about classroom experiences (howley, howley, henning, gilla, & weade, 2013) and this supports the professional learning community (plc) approach to narrowing the gaps in new teacher assessment literacy. incorporating plcs into a school’s culture and structure is an effective way administrators can encourage teachers to share and create common assessments, review research on the power of formative assessments, use evidence of student learning to improve teaching, and be accountable for their results. in order for plcs to be effective, teacher teams with common professional goals need to exist and by including teacher mentors, new teachers will have access to an invaluable tacit knowledge base. furthermore, plcs must meet frequently throughout the year and focus on topics specific to the needs of those teachers and their students. measurements such as the mali can influence the focus of plcs to ensure the gaps in new teacher assessment literacy are being rectified. teachers must also periodically monitor the implementation of the practices developed in plcs and the related teacher and student outcomes to determine if positive associations exist between them. plcs involve teacher teams engaging in a structured collective inquiry to decide on the work that will most benefit their students and when administrators increase their involvement in these teams, they can have a greater impact on teacher practice and subsequently, student learning (dufour & mattos, 2013; hewson, 2013). once effective plcs are established, according to dufour and mattos (2013), teachers will be more likely to do the following: take collective responsibility for student learning; share teaching practices; make results transparent; improve their professional practice and student adamson emerging perspectives (2020) 101 achievement; share leadership; and express higher levels of professional satisfaction. teachers that engage in a structured collaborative model for pd improve their practice at greater rates and schools that are characterized by a collaborative culture have higher levels of student achievement (ronfeldt, farmer, mcqueen, & grissom, 2015). conclusion according to this literature review, it is evident that sound assessment practices are tied to improved student learning and teachers have varying levels of assessment literacy. measuring the assessment literacy of a teacher is a difficult task. by interpreting the data from the mali, educators can make suggestions on where and how to improve new teacher assessment literacy. gaps exist in new teacher assessment literacy and participants in this rural alberta school division are no different. the findings reflect the need to improve the assessment literacy of new teachers in this rural alberta school division, and they raise the question: how assessment literate are all teachers; not just those within their first four years? stiggins (1991) indicated that we spend a lot of resources training teachers to produce learning but very little to train teachers to assess the outcomes of those very efforts, and this appears to still be true. establishing a better understanding of what assessment literacy is and how it can be measured is crucial to improving teacher assessment literacy via tailored pd and subsequently, student learning. a measurement tool that stands up to validity testing and is aligned with contemporary standards, such as the ones developed by the joint committee on standards for educational evaluation (jcsee, 2015, as cited in deluca, lapointe-mcewan & luhanga, 2015) is necessary. the standards issued by the jcsee (2015) are the only educational standards approved by the american national standards institute which means “great care has been taken to follow a strict process of review to develop standards that are widely supported by researchers and practitioners who are knowledgeable about classroom assessment” (jcsee, 2015, location 73, as cited in deluca, lapointe-mcewan & luhanga, 2015). an updated version of the ali based on the most current assessment standards and paired with classroom observations of practical assessment skills would be beneficial in assessing teacher assessment literacy. this would result in more up-to-date standards and provide valuable data which would allow post-secondary faculty members, school administrators, school division learning coaches, and central office executive staff to make appropriate data-driven decisions regarding assessment-related pd. teachers need to shift their paradigm to understand how assessment can drive instruction and positively impact student learning by ensuring their classroom assessments are assessments for learning, rather than of learning. (popham, 2009; volante & fazio, 2007). quality instruction involves sound decision making and sound decisions require quality assessments and data (stiggins, 1991). the ability to tailor pd to what in-service teachers specifically need in the area of assessment is a critical feature to ensure their training is successful (volante & fazio, 2007). the plc process has two powerful motivators for changing adult behavior; irrefutable evidence of better results and positive peer pressure (elmore, 2004; fullan, 2010, hattie, 2009). furthermore, popham (2009) stated that “it must be professional development that will supply adamson emerging perspectives (2020) 102 the nation’s teachers with assessment-related skills and knowledge they need” and these “professional development programs focused on assessment need to be tailored” (p. 5). investing in pd geared towards assessment will pay dividends in terms of improved teaching and learning (black & wiliam, 1998; volante & melahn; 2005) and may also help retain some of the most effective teachers (volante & fazio, 2007), which is crucial in any educational context including this rural alberta school division. in addition, volante and fazio (2007) believed that “an ounce of assessment literacy promotion may act as a pound of retention cure” (p. 762). engaging teachers in structured collaborative plcs with a focus on their assessment learning needs, identified by measures such as the mali, is a step in the right direction to improving instruction and subsequently student achievement. additional research focused on the implementation and effectiveness of the above recommendations on how to improve new teacher assessment literacy would be beneficial to all educational stakeholders. references american federation of teachers. 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(2016). teacher assessment literacy in practice: a reconceptualization. teaching and teacher education, 58, 149-162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2016.05.010 value of assessment gaps in assessment literacy measuring assessment literacy gaps in assessment training gaps in the literature research methods data collection and instrumentation data analysis results discussion formative assessment limitations implications and recommendations conclusion references emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca corresponding author: lizmcmanus@telus.net reducing school dropout rates through early identification of students at risk elizabeth mcpherson mcmanus university of calgary students who drop out of school may face a host of poor outcomes in life. literature shows that dropping out of school is evident in the middle and elementary school years through many indicators. some of these warning signs including poor attendance, engagement in learning, and behavior have been widely studied. statistical datadriven systems used in some school jurisdictions show only the presence of indicators; they do not reveal the impact on learning, nor do they explore the reasons for the presence of the indicator(s). this paper is a call to action to implement identification of students in middle school at risk of dropping out. the use of individualized holistic identification approaches may more accurately identify students at risk as well as inform interventions. keywords: school dropout, early identification, at risk, middle school mcmanus, e.m. (2020). reducing school dropout rates through early identification of students at risk. emerging perspectives, 4(2), 67-78. society views high school completion as an essential achievement in order to succeed in work and life in north america. research shows that individuals who drop out of school are at higher risk of poor outcomes including unemployment (bowlby, 2008), developing mental health disorders (breslau, lane, sampson, & kessler, 2008; freeman & simonsen, 2015), incarceration (dynarski et al., 2008), early pregnancy, reduced marital stability (hankivsky, 2008), reduced life expectancy (rumberger, 2011) and significantly lower earning potential (dynarski et al., 2008; uppal, 2017) compared to those who complete school with qualifications. staggeringly, families headed by a high school dropout accumulate only one tenth of the wealth of families headed by a high school graduate (lemon & watson, 2011). the lifelong negative impact on the individual and their families as well as the implicit cost to society constitutes a public health problem (freeman & simonsen, 2015; lansford, dodge, pettit, & bates, 2016). dropping out, defined in many canadian studies and published statistics as failing to gain the high school diploma within five years of commencing high school, is a recognized problem in canada. one study published a decade ago found the tangible costs of school dropout to be high, and estimated that the cost savings in 2008, if graduation rates were to improve by just 1%, to be $7.7 billion (hankivsky, 2008). the problem is particularly concerning in alberta, with 69% of students reported to have graduated in 2011, compared to 85% nationally (statistics canada, 2015). the alberta government acknowledges the significance of the problem. in 2006 the government of alberta launched the your future starts here initiative which included a symposium to hear the voices of students. the report from this symposium demonstrated that the process of dropping out begins long before high school but it did not explore the possibility of mcmanus emerging perspectives (2020) 68 early identification of students at risk (alberta education, 2006). in 2008 a report of the alberta commission on learning stated that improving graduation rates should be a priority and set a goal to achieve 90% graduation within four years of commencing high school (gunn, chourney & poulson, 2009). schools in alberta had already been working on this and were using funding through the alberta initiative for school improvement (aisi) to support projects aimed at improving graduation rates. gunn, chourney, and poulson (2009) analyzed 18 such action research projects in alberta schools identifying five common themes in promising interventions, however the work being done at that time was limited to high schools. the authors pointed out the need for this work to be extended to elementary and middle schools, however there is no evidence in the literature that this has been addressed. the current government initiative, the alberta education high school completion framework, has identified what it referred to as five ‘starting points’ to improve graduation rates (alberta education, 2016) but an emphasis on early identification of students at risk is missing. research has demonstrated that dropping out is not sudden, but rather years of accumulative factors might impact a student’s decision to drop out (statistics canada, 2008). this establishes the importance of learning how to identify younger students at risk. although there is empirical evidence that indicators of risk are present in younger students, there is a lack of research showing effective application of this knowledge in the middle school years. it is possible that identifying at-risk middle school students will drive the development and implementation of interventions for this age group aiming at reducing school dropout rates. the purpose of this article is to conduct a comprehensive literature review to identify indicators for high school dropouts among elementary and middle school aged students. furthermore, the author intends to use these empirical findings to put forward recommendations for an individualized holistic approach for schools to employ monitoring and intervening, thus possibly reducing the rate of school dropout. analytical approach this literature review is an independent qualitative inquiry involving the interpretation of findings in relation to knowledge about the developmental stage of adolescents, and a synthesis of ideas to form recommendations. the search was carried out within the eric, psychinfo and educational research complete online databases using combinations of the following search terms in the title and then in the text: dropout, identification, early warning signs, intervention, and middle school. the initial search was limited to peer reviewed publications in english, published within the last 15 years. older publications were considered in an effort to include canadian data. i searched the 12 issues of the international journal on school disaffection. i read 27 abstracts, from which 20 studies and reports were selected for a full read. some studies that fit the search criteria were excluded. as the purpose of this article was to review literature about general school dropout rates, it was not applicable or feasible to examine indicators associated with specific child and youth populations whose unique experiences may have unique influences on their decisions to drop out. therefore, i excluded articles examining only specific visible minority or marginal groups, or otherwise deemed too narrow to be relevant to the general population of middle school students in alberta. research that fell within my date criteria but was deemed to be outdated, for example on the topic of digital literacy, was excluded due to the rapidly changing nature of the field. i evaluated the validity of non-peer reviewed publications from the scholarly careers of authors, absence of conflict of interest, and the research processes described within the mcmanus emerging perspectives (2020) 69 documents themselves. the articles selected for a full read were critically analyzed and evaluated for relevance, credibility, and similarity according to guidelines in hendricks (2017). to arrive at my findings, i evaluated the data through the lenses of applicability to the developmental stage of students age 10-14, and relevance in the context of urban and suburban alberta. i analyzed the literature by generating a table of common themes. through the methods summarized here, i synthesized new meaning that is relevant to the age group and population of interest, resulting in pragmatic recommendations for improvement. middle school indicators for school drop out dropping out of school is described as a process wherein social, behavioral, demographic and family factors combine to negatively impact academic engagement resulting in declining achievement, which can ultimately lead to dropping out (abraham, 2015). pathways to dropping out are diverse and causes may be multidimensional (orpinas, raczynski, wetherington peters, colman, & bandalos, 2015) however, it is well established that early warning signs, such as disengagement, can indeed be evident before high school (abraham, 2015; janosz, archambault, morizot, & pagani, 2008; lee & breen, 2007; orpinas et al., 2015; schoenberger, 2012; wood et al., 2017). multiple interrelated reasons for disengagement such as bullying, anxiety, and poor attendance create a snowball effect in the process of disengagement which can start early in the school career (abraham, 2015; schoenberger, 2012). research, including a large scale longitudinal quantitative study, a qualitative study hearing the voices of older students and an analysis of grade 3 engagement data, provided evidence that the identification of middle school age students who are at risk of dropping out is not only feasible, but recommended. baltimore education research consortium (2011) carried out a logistic regression analysis of longitudinal records of more than 7000 students in the 2000-2001 grade 6 cohort in baltimore providing strong evidence that early warning indicators in grade 6 predict dropout in high school: 70% of students with an indicator did not graduate within one year of expected graduation. while 30% of dropouts displayed no indicator in grade 6, the majority of these did by grade 9. in another study, abraham (2015) interviewed 20 participants from ages 18-21, attending a dropout recovery program in illinois, most of whom identified the onset of disengagement to be in middle school. some of these individuals wished they had received interventions early on. in other research, barry and reschley (2012) analyzed data covering a range of facets of school engagement in grade 3 students, finding models indicating the risk of dropping out. while the psychometric measurement instruments they used are not suitable for use as teacher screening tools, this study nevertheless points to the presence of early warning indicators even in primary school. these studies have provided strong evidence of the presence of early warning signs in students at risk of dropping out. early warning indicators of risk of dropping out have been widely studied and many authors have agreed that the key indicators are attendance, behavior, and course grades (balfanz, 2011; baltimore education research consortium, 2011; barry & reschly, 2012; kennelly & monrad, 2007; rumberger et al., 2017; ryan, 2011; west, 2013). in addition, some studies have highlighted being over-age for the grade (baltimore education research consortium, 2011; kennelly & monrad, 2007; ryan, 2011; wood et al., 2015) or being retained in a grade (kennelly & monrad, 2007) as critical risk factors. while low or failing grades in all core subjects have been found to be a significant warning sign in a number of studies, mckee and calderella (2016) specifically identified scores in math to be a relevant indicator of risk. this finding is based on standardized testing, and, as mckee and calderella pointed out, other studies have shown standardized test scores to be a weaker indication of risk of dropping out than mcmanus emerging perspectives (2020) 70 teacher-assigned grades. furthermore, the presence of multiple indicators greatly reduces the chance of graduating, as shown in the study by baltimore education research consortium, (2011), where only 26% of students with two indicators graduated, and for students with four indicators this figure was a mere 8%. social and academic risk factors are interrelated and accumulate to reach a critical mass at which the individual can no longer cope with being in school (mckee & calderella, 2016). several studies have focused on specific early warning indicators. the impact of attendance, engagement in learning, and externalizing and internalizing challenges are examined in the next part of this literature review. attendance chronic absence is considered to be one of the strongest single indicators of risk of dropping out (baltimore education research consortium, 2011). although somewhat dated, a canadian study in toronto corroborated the connection between poor attendance in grade 9 and increased risk of dropping out, demonstrating the relevance of this issue in canada (brown, 1999). in a study in philadelphia 78% of students who attended less than 80% in eighth grade later dropped out of school (kennelly & monrad, 2007). in another study, wood et al. (2017) suggested that low academic achievement is the primary individual factor in risk of dropping out. arguably, poor attendance results in missed opportunities for learning, which could then lead to poor academic achievement among students. poor attendance may indicate disinterest, other desires or demands outside of school, lack of family support needed to attend school, decreased confidence, increased depression or aggression leading to avoidance (schoenberger, 2012) or poor physical health, and a lack of resources or transportation to attend school. attendance patterns can predict risk of dropping out (schoenberger, 2012) thus reasons for absence should be thoroughly explored. attendance data is appealing to use in an early warning system as it provides an objective measure which is collected in a consistent way over time and across schools and is easily accessed through online data systems (schoenberger, 2012). attendance data alone is of dubious use in identifying students at risk of dropping out, however, well-adapted students could be absent from school yet still be able to maintain acceptable academic achievement, and conversely, disengaged students with low or falling achievement may or may not have poor attendance. rumberger’s (2011) description of students who are engaged in the social system of school but not the academic system is corroborated by a study of over 11000 students in grades 1-9 in montgomery county public schools, which found that students who were at risk of dropping out did not tend to be absent or truant, rather they were present, but failing academically (west, 2013). further complicating this issue, researchers do not agree on a rate of absenteeism that is a definitive indicator of risk of dropping out. in fact, in the schoenberger (2012) study the statistical attendance threshold had to be changed from 80% to 90% to obtain meaningful results, illustrating this point nicely. poor attendance is recognized as a problem in schools in alberta with 2000 students per year in alberta referred to the attendance board to address issues related to truancy (alberta education, 2014). in 2011-2013 the government of alberta carried out a study into improving school attendance, including surveys and focus groups across 16 school authorities involving 2700 educators, superintendents, attendance board members, 150 students with poor attendance, and 100 parents and guardians. the result of the study was a comprehensive list of recommendations including proactively improving attendance through protocols to monitor attendance and act on poor attendance as soon as it becomes evident, creating individual support plans including appropriate learning pathways, and providing professional development on strategies to improve mcmanus emerging perspectives (2020) 71 attendance and engagement such as building a positive learning environment and safe and caring school initiatives (alberta education, 2014). the specific recommended supports included silent mentoring (a subtle approach to relationship-building and improving school engagement with an individual at risk), assigning specialized personnel to support indigenous families, solving transportation issues, and fostering goal setting, career awareness, and support for transitions (alberta education, 2014). further recommendations included a focus on wellness by including social-emotional learning across all grades and by providing specific health and wellness information and supports to students and families (alberta education, 2014). taken together, the review of the literature suggests that while poor attendance might be an important risk factor, student absence is indeed a complex factor. specifically, studying individual rates of student absence alone may not provide guidance as to what interventions may be needed to support the student. it is important to explore the reasons for absence as well as the impact the absence is having on the academic progress of the individual, which points us towards an individualized identification system. engagement in learning engagement in learning directly impacts progress in school, and poor engagement is an indicator of the risk of dropping out. many theories explaining school dropout are based on the notion of school engagement, encompassing the idea of individual compatibility with the school environment (janosz et al., 2008, rumberger, 2011). janosz et al. (2008) carried out an accelerated longitudinal study, using multiple single cohorts starting at different ages, with 13300 students, age 12-16 to analyze changes in engagement over several years. the authors measured students’ school attendance, behavioral and learning challenges, enjoyment and interest in schools using self-reports to track engagement. in cases where engagement in learning was either consistently low from the beginning of adolescence, or declined rapidly, the risk of later dropping out was higher. students showing a rapid decrease in engagement and those who began adolescence with low engagement were at greatest risk of dropping out (janosz et al., 2008). additionally, with respect to school engagement and early drop out, schoenberger (2012) predicted that children who do not feel accommodated in the environment of school due to their behavioral, cognitive, or emotional challenges may feel frustration or incompetence resulting in disengagement (schoenberger, 2012). the complex interplay of disengagement with other characteristics or circumstances creates the snowball effect and thus disengagement is a significant risk factor. overt academic or social engagement is relatively easy to observe and measure (barry & reschley, 2012; janosz et al., 2008; kennelly & monrad, 2007). for example, academically engaged students tend to have the materials needed for class, contribute to discussions, complete and submit work, and help one another out. socially engaged students are connected to others, contribute to the school community, and participate in formal or informal extracurricular activities. cognitive engagement, such as motivation and self-determination, or affective engagement such as peer and teacher relationships, however, cannot be observed so readily (barry & reschley, 2012). this indicates the need for diligence in teachers to identify students who might be struggling to concentrate or are unhappy at school, prompting support and interventions, be it from the teacher, district specialists, or the school psychologist. student engagement is an alterable state, however (barry & reschley, 2012), and interventions can be effective. low or unstable engagement in school is a significant risk factor for dropping out. mcmanus emerging perspectives (2020) 72 externalizing and internalizing challenges externalizing and internalizing challenges contribute to school functioning of students, including disengagement, and thus are also risk factors for school dropout (balfanz, 2011; baltimore education research consortium, 2011; barry & reschly, 2012; kennelly & monrad, 2007; orpinas et al., 2015; rumberger et al., 2017; ryan, 2011; west, 2013). externalizing behavior problems include physical and emotional aggression, alcohol or drug use, participation in a peer subculture of excessive partying, truancy, and engagement in at-risk and impulsive behaviors such as having precocious sexual intercourse (orpinas et al., 2015). internalizing concerns include anxiety, depression, neuroticism, and somatization, all of which could elicit maladaptive behaviors in students such as social withdrawal and school avoidance (orpinas et al., 2015). to enhance school’s effectiveness in identifying, monitoring, and supporting students with externalizing and internalizing concerns i recommend teacher training, consultation with psychology and mental health specialists in schools, as well as incorporation of school mental health strategies in classrooms. suspension data is often used as a measure of compliance with school behavior expectations, however, behavior ratings by teachers were found to be more effective indicators of risk of dropping out than suspension data for sixth graders (kennelly & monrad, 2007) and may provide more consistent data as they nullify inconsistencies in school suspension policies. students with formerly identified internalizing or externalizing challenges, such as anxiety disorders, should receive clinically proven specific accommodations and supports through an individual plan, and could show improvements in engagement in learning, emphasizing a need for the involvement of school based mental health staff in planning those supports (green et al., 2017). problem behavior is often symptomatic of other wellness issues that need to be identified and supported (auger, 2014), and is a notable indicator of the risk of dropping out. if students with internalizing or externalizing behavior problems are supported with appropriate classroom accommodations and mental health interventions, rather than focusing on punitive consequences such as suspensions, then perhaps the risk of later dropping out would be reduced. identification systems: data analysis and holistic approaches digital data analysis and individualized holistic ecological methods represent contrasting approaches to identification of students at risk. data analysis systems are in place in several school jurisdictions in the usa to monitor and identify students at risk of dropping out (ryan, 2011; west, 2013). of the five systems described by ryan (2011) all included threshold measurements for attendance and achievement, three included discipline data such as suspensions, two included being retained in a grade or over-age for the grade, and one included other detail such as school mobility (moving schools in addition to the expected transitions) and homelessness. these jurisdictions used digital data systems to generate scores for individual students, thus identifying those who meet the criteria for intervention. threshold benchmarks indicative of risk vary between studies (kennelly & monrad, 2007; ryan, 2011) and some authors encourage schools to review local historical data to establish thresholds relevant to their community (rumberger et al., 2017; wood et al., 2017); a time-consuming task of dubious effectiveness. factors such as attendance, behavior and course grades are interdependent in the way they influence engagement in learning and janosz et al., (2008) suggested that we avoid limiting identification strategies to readily measurable data such as attendance. no evidence was found of use of such statistical data systems to identify students at risk in canada (alberta education, 2001), which may reflect a long-held view, supported by research from the 1990s, mcmanus emerging perspectives (2020) 73 that dropping out is a complex process involving many interrelated factors. while data systems may be useful to identify institutional trends and highlight clusters of students at risk, these values do not consider ecological factors involved in the student’s life, and they are crucial for schools to consider planning interventions for school dropouts. ecological theory proposed in the late 1970s, bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory explains how environmental factors influence development, identity and life choices at the micro-, meso-, exo and macro-system levels (bronfenbrenner, 1977), which supports a holistic ecological approach to identification (wood et al., 2017). more than 40 factors have been linked to risk of dropping out encompassing attributes of community, family, school and the individual (dockery, 2012). physical and emotional changes of adolescence coupled with new school and life demands, cause difficulties for some but not others, supporting a holistic wellness approach to the identification of students at risk of dropping out (lemon & watson, 2011). a few researchers have addressed aspects of the wellness of individuals, including physical and mental health, ethnic identity, acculturation and sense of belonging in relation to risk of dropping out (lemon & watson, 2011; orpinas et al., 2015; wood et al., 2015). family factors such as low socio-economic status (mckee & calderella, 2016; wood et al., 2017), family turmoil, authoritarian or neglectful parenting (orpinas et al., 2015), or homelessness (ryan, 2011) contribute to the risk of dropping out and an individualized holistic approach seeks to identify such diverse factors. classification of groups of students who drop out attempts have been made to classify students at risk of dropping out into groups to aid identification and streamline interventions, however two such studies discussed here also demonstrate the diversity of routes to dropping out, supporting an individualized approach to identification. orpinas et al. (2015) carried out a study of 657 students in grade 6 in georgia and developed a classification system of social adaptive skills through a combination of teacher ratings and self-reporting, and the longitudinal correlation to dropping out. as anticipated the groups with externalizing and internalizing problems were found to have a higher risk of dropping out. less expectedly, the group of students found to be average in all scales except social skills also had a higher dropout rate and, because of a lack of significant externalizing or internalizing problems, these students are more difficult to identify. they tend to have a lower sense of mattering (meaning a feeling of belonging and being appreciated) fewer positive peer connections, and are more vulnerable to bullying or exclusion (orpinas et al., 2015). in another study of 1582 students in montreal, 507 had not graduated by age 22, and were classified into four groups (janosz et al., 2008). the groups at greatest risk of dropping out were the quiet dropouts (those who report being previously highly engaged in school) and the maladjusted dropouts (those with severe difficulties). two other groups were the disengaged dropouts (severely unmotivated but without other significant difficulties) and lower achievers (school failure but without any externalizing behavior) (janosz et al., 2008). this demonstrates that school dropouts follow a variety of trajectories, of differing severity, some of which may not be immediately obvious to school staff, indicating the need for an individualized approach to identification. unexpected outcomes some students displaying no clear early warning signs will still drop out of school. a data-driven early warning system would miss these students at risk. janosz et al., (2008) found mcmanus emerging perspectives (2020) 74 that in the normative group with stable trajectories of engagement, which had the lowest number of eventual dropouts, some students still dropped out, the majority of whom were girls. factors contributing to unexpected dropping out can be situational factors such as pregnancy, marriage, entry into the workforce, or personal factors such as the onset of depression or anxiety (jansoz et al., 2008) or a traumatic life event. unexpected events, such as receiving an attractive job offer, could cause a student to suddenly adjust the value they place on education, influencing the decision to drop out (rumberger, 2011). pregnancy has been shown in one study to be the primary reason for unexpected dropout amongst girls, (meeker, edmonson & fisher, 2008) however rumberger, (2011) points out that the pregnancy is often not the root cause of dropping out, but rather the underlying factors such as poverty and poor engagement in school which combine to result in the pregnancy. this author proposes that an individualized, holistic approach provides an opportunity to identify those students whose pathway towards dropping out is more subtle or sudden. in conclusion, we need to take early warning signs of dropping out in middle school seriously so that we can implement effective interventions (orpinas et al., 2015). identification through an individualized, holistic approach provides a more accurate means of identification than a data-driven system. furthermore, by revealing the personal strengths and challenges of the individual, this approach informs appropriate interventions. discussion students who drop out of school can be identified and supported in middle school. poor attendance in this age group is of particular concern because, as well as academic interruption, the social disconnectedness of school absence creates an additional challenge for adolescents and results in a snowball effect. early intervention is critical in the light of this snowball effect. as expected, the issues surrounding disengagement and risk of dropping out are complex and a tiered approach, such as response to intervention (rti), which includes both monitoring and interventions at the universal, group and individual level (brown-chidsey & steege, 2010) could be effective. the three tiers begin at the classroom level, where teachers observe and assess student achievement and wellbeing, and implement universal interventions. for those students who do not respond, schools provide second-tier interventions, typically in small groups. finally, students who need yet more support receive intensive individualized interventions. in this way, rti may provide a structured process to improve engagement and reduce the risk of dropping out of school. the key indicators of risk found in the literature, which form a basis for triage within the rti model and inform intervention strategies are poor attendance, internalizing or externalizing behavior concerns, academic difficulties, low or falling academic achievement, poor engagement in learning, emotional concerns, low sense of mattering, poor social integration, familial factors, being overage for the grade or retained in a grade. although statistical data-driven analysis programs might serve well to identify local or systemic trends, on an individual level, schools must assess the degree of risk through a more thorough, holistic, ecological approach in which all risk factors are examined to evaluate the direction and degree of impact on the individual. problematic thresholds, for example in attendance rate, vary between individuals depending on achievement motivation; a longestablished theory, the origins of which are credited to john w. atkinson (weiner, 2010), explaining the differences between the effort individuals will put in to achieve their goals. family factors are complex, for example, school mobility forms a risk factor for some yet a mcmanus emerging perspectives (2020) 75 protective factor for others (kennelly & monrad, 2007). an individualized assessment of risk, involving analysis of all the factors listed in the paragraph above, is therefore essential. while the rti model serves to support all students, it can also be used to provide feedback to administrators to identify and respond to localized challenges and trends, informing policy changes and funding strategies. one example of a specific problem in alberta is the low graduation rate of indigenous students. the response in one large urban school board was to place trained learning coaches in schools across all age groups where this need was recognized, to mentor and support indigenous students towards success. a similar approach could be taken if other clusters of students showing signs of being at high risk of dropping out are found. further research noticeable gaps in the literature on early warning signs include social media, birth order, unexpected success and the aforementioned school mobility. social media opens up a new realm of wellness-related issues for adolescents today, and up to date research is needed in this area (lemon & watson, 2011). increased usage of cellular and digital devices may elicit risks for excessive internet use and school avoidance, and students with mental health concerns are at greater risk of such issues. therefore, further empirical examination of these issues and its relationship with school dropout is warranted. birth order is an as-yet unexplored factor in dropout risk (lemon & watson, 2011). birth order could influence the type of family responsibilities students have, such as caring for younger siblings or supporting the family financially, which could potentially be a barrier to daily participation and attendance in school. furthermore, younger children who have observed an older sibling drop out may be influenced to follow suit. cultural sensitivity towards family expectations comes into play here, and further research is needed in this area. some students with serious risk factors go on to successfully graduate (orpinas et al., 2015) and more research is needed to discover what distinguishes this group who achieve unexpected success. while we know that school mobility impacts students differently (kennelly & monrad, 2007), greater understanding of the reasons for these differences is needed. stigma associated with school dropout is an important topic and the influence of stigma on the decision to drop out, as well as the impact of stigma on the individual who has dropped out, is missing from current research. lee and breen (2007) claim to have provided a “normative narrative” on dropping out (p. 342) by presenting 10 out of 12 cases of students who had dropped out of school yet found satisfying full time work. while the selection of participants through the author’s own social network leaves open the possibility of bias in this study, it does illustrate the point that early school leaving is not always a personal disaster. a small number of students showing no early warning signs still drop out (janosz et al., 2008) and presumably face the associated stigma, as well as pressure to return to school. could a normative narrative around leaving school early be helpful or would complacency become instilled among potential dropouts and educators? further research into the impact of stigma surrounding leaving school early would be illuminating. conclusion “when students drop out of high school, it’s a failure of the education system, plain and simple” (alberta commission on learning, 2003, p.61). students at risk of dropping out can be identified early, and middle school staff should use the findings of this research, namely an mcmanus emerging perspectives (2020) 76 individualized holistic tiered approach, to illuminate a host of complex and interrelated early warning signs to identify students at risk. interventions can be applied, reducing the dropout rate and improving outcomes for individuals and society. identification of students at risk has been well researched, with notable exceptions where more work is needed: social media use, birth order, unexpected success, school mobility and stigma. nonetheless, students at risk can be identified in the middle school years and by providing support to effectively re-engage youth we can reduce the risk of later dropping out. it is imperative that we act to apply pragmatic monitoring in middle schools. in the wider society, the lack of prospects and damaging stigma of leaving school early is a social construct which can be changed. for those who do not successfully fit the current school profile we need to provide valued choices that offer genuine opportunities for a happy, healthy and rewarding life. this change can start in schools with the identification of those at risk of dropping out and by offering educational pathways on which they can thrive. if successful alternative educational routes become commonplace, over time such routes will become accepted as a part of the mainstream educational profile and stigma will dissipate. references abraham, p. p. 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(doctoral dissertation). national library of canada, 0-612-41059-5 brown-chidsey, r., & steege, m. w. (2010). response to intervention: principles and strategies for effective practice. new york, ny: guildford. creswell, j.w. (2014). research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). thousand oaks, ca: sage publications, inc. dockery, d. j. (2012). school dropout indicators, trends and interventions for school counsellors. journal of school counselling, 10(12). dynarski, m., clarke, l., cobb, b., finn, j., rumberger, r., & smink, j. (2008). dropout prevention: a practice guide (ncee 2008–4025). washington, dc: national center for education evaluation and regional assistance, institute of education sciences, u.s. department of education. retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc. freeman, j., & simonsen, b. 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(2016). improving schools through action research: a reflective practice approach (4th ed.). upper saddle river, nj: pearson education. janosz, m., archambault, i., morizot, j., & pagani, l. s. (2008). school engagement trajectories and their differential predictive relations to dropout. journal of social issues, 64(1),2140. doi:10.1111/j.1540-4560.2008.00546.x kennelly, l., & monrad, m. (2007). approaches to dropout prevention: heeding early warning signs with appropriate interventions. washington, dc: national high school center, american institutes for research. lansford, j. e., dodge, k. a., pettit, g. s., & bates, j. e. (2016). a public health perspective on school dropout and adult outcomes: a prospective study of risk and protective factors from age 5 to 27 years. journal of adolescent health 58(6), 652-658. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.01.014 lee, t., & breen, l. 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(2015). latent profile analysis of sixth graders based on teacher ratings: association with school dropout. school psychology quarterly 30(4), 577–592. doi:10.1037/spq0000107 rumberger, r. w. (2011). dropping out: why students drop out of high school and what can be done about it. cambridge, ma: harvard university press. rumberger, r. w., addis, h., allensworth, e., balfanz, r., duardo, d., & dynarski, m. (2017). preventing dropout in secondary schools (ncee 2017-4028). washington, dc: national center for education evaluation and regional assistance (ncee), institute of education sciences, u.s. department of education. retrieved from https://whatworks.ed.gov ryan, m. (2011). early warning indicator systems. denver, co: education commission of the states. schoenberger, j. a. (2012). longitudinal attendance patterns: developing high school dropouts. the clearing house: a journal of educational strategies, issues and ideas, 85, 7–14, doi:10.1080/00098655.2011.603766 statistics canada (2008). early indicators of students at risk of dropping out of high school. retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/81-004-x/2004006/7781-eng.htm statistics canada (2015). upper secondary graduation rates by sex, canada, provinces and territories, 2011. retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/81-604x/2014001/t/tbla.2.1-eng.htm uppal, s. (2017). insights on canadian society: young men and women without a high school diploma. retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75-006-x/2017001/article/14824eng.htm weiner, b. (2010). the development of an attribution-based theory of motivation: a history of ideas. educational psychologist, 45(1). doi: 10.1080/00461520903433596 west, t. c. (2013). just the right mix: identifying potential dropouts in montgomery county public schools using early warnings indicators approach. rockville, md: montgomery county public schools. wood, l., kiperman, s., esch, r. c., leroux, a. j., & truscott, s. d. (2017). predicting dropout using studentand school-level factors: an ecological perspective. school psychology quarterly 32(1), 35–49. doi:10.1037/spq0000152 about:blank http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75-006-x/2017001/article/14824-eng.htm analytical approach middle school indicators for school drop out attendance engagement in learning externalizing and internalizing challenges identification systems: data analysis and holistic approaches ecological theory classification of groups of students who drop out unexpected outcomes discussion further research conclusion references emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca the use of text messaging for peer support among counselling psychology graduate students rae a. kokotailo1, alysha s. chan kent, & alexander j. choy university of calgary the journey through graduate school to become a counselling psychologist is inherently challenging. consequently, many students face emotional stress. peers offer a unique source of support through a shared understanding of their experience. this pilot study used focused ethnography to understand how counselling psychology graduate students engage in emotional support with a peer through the use of text messaging within a naturalistic context. a three-member peer support group, comprising the researchers, served as the convenience sample. in this manner, the researchers both took part in and analyzed the experience of text messaging based peer support. transcripts of emotional peer support interactions were obtained through sampling the participant-observers’ naturally occurring text message conversations. elements of braun and clarke’s thematic analysis (ta) and elo and kyngäs’ content analysis (ca) were used to categorize the raw data. the main findings indicate peer support bilaterally encompasses action, connection, disclosure, hearing, initiation, shared happiness, and solidarity. within a support conversation, supporters predominantly used connection statements, whereas supportees mainly utilized emotional disclosure. these preliminary findings suggest that text messaging offers an immediate, intimate, and readily available platform through which peers can actively create a supportive dialogue. keywords: peer support; text messaging; counselling psychology; graduate students; focused ethnography kokotailo, r. a., chan kent, a. s., & choy, a. j. (2018). the use of text messaging for peer support among counselling psychology graduate students. emerging perspectives, 2(1), 1-7. the journey through graduate school to become a counselling psychologist is inherently challenging (el-ghoroury, galper, sawaqdeh, & buftka, 2012). outside of everyday life demands, counselling psychology students must also balance coursework, research, practica, and professional activities (tompkins, brecht, tucker, neander, & swift, 2016). consequently, many students experience emotional stress which can result in a myriad of concerns, including emotional exhaustion, fatigue, and burnout (clark, murdock, & koetting, 2009; el-ghoroury et al, 2012). peers, through a shared understanding of their experience, offer a unique source of support (montgomery, mossey, adams, & bailey, 2012). studies pertaining to the practice of peer support 1 rae.kokotailo@ucalgary.ca kokotailo, chan kent, & choy/ emerging perspectives (2018) 2 through text messaging have shown such messaging to be a helpful way to provide encouragement, connection, and a sense of community (horstmanshof, 2004; sindahl, 2011). in recent years, the use of text messaging for peer support has gained considerable momentum, particularly among students (harley, winn, pemberton, & wilcox, 2007). such factors as immediacy, intimacy, and accessibility have contributed to text messaging as a preferred modality of communication (harley et al., 2007; horstmanshof, 2004). however, it remains unknown how counselling psychology graduate students use text messaging to seek and provide social support with one another. among the types described in the literature, the researchers chose to focus on arguably the most important and common form of social support—emotional support, which is characterized by a reciprocal exchange of caring, trust, and empathy (langford, bowsher, maloney, & lillis, 1997). the purpose of this pilot study was to answer the question: how do counselling psychology graduate students engage in emotional support with peers using text messaging? methodology the present pilot study represented the preliminary stages of focused ethnography, a method used to derive an understanding of the shared experiences within a specific naturalistic context (cruz & higginbottom, 2013). a three-member peer support group, comprising the researchers (enrolled in the first year of the master of science in counselling psychology program at the university of calgary), served as the convenience sample. in this manner, the researchers acted as participant-observers (tedlock, 1991), both taking part in and analyzing the experience of peer support via text messaging. first, the research team prepared the data for analysis by obtaining transcripts of peer support interactions through sampling the researcher-participants’ naturally occurring text message conversations from september 2016 to may 2017. the samples involved a supportive reciprocal exchange of caring, trust, and empathy (langford et al., 1997). the researchers excluded conversations that reflected other forms of support (e.g., informational support; langford et al., 1997). for the purposes of this study, the researchers defined a naturally occurring “conversation” as a longitudinal string of bi-directional text messages between two participants. the research team analyzed a total of three conversations, with each conversation consisting of a minimum of three reciprocal text messages sent back and forth. next, the researchers analyzed the raw data using content analysis (ca) and thematic analysis (ta). following ca procedures described by elo and kyngäs (2008), the researchers selected individual phrases within text message conversations as the unit of analysis. the research team then assigned codes to each unit to reflect the function of each phrase; for example, encouragement, help-seeking, and affirmation. the researchers coded conversations individually through inductive and deductive processes (elo & kyngäs, 2008). specifically, the research team assigned codes inductively by allowing specific units of data to inform the creation and naming of general preliminary categories. in essence, the researchers asked, “what is the phrase doing or saying in this instance?” the research team also assigned codes deductively by connecting general knowledge of communication micro-skills from the researchers’ background in counselling psychology to specific examples within the data. in this manner, existing counselling terminology helped inform coding schemes. the research team then met to corroborate codes for accuracy and agreement (lecompte, & goetz, 1982). finally, the researchers clustered codes into higher order categories for both conversational supporters and supportees (table 1; elo & kyngäs, 2008). following braun and clarke’s (2006) procedure for ta, the research team interpreted these higher order categories and their relationships as themes with written descriptions relating back to the kokotailo, chan kent, & choy/ emerging perspectives (2018) 3 research question. to ensure rigour and quality, the researchers tracked each step of data collection and analysis through memos allowing for others to independently audit and check the study findings (yin, 1989). to note, the researchers acknowledged reflexivity in promoting rigour in that their stance as students of counselling psychology partly informed interpretation of the data (denzin & lincoln, 2008). findings the main findings indicated that, for these participants, text messaging provided an open, two-way avenue in which emotional support can take place. specifically, it bilaterally encompassed seven main themes (table 1): (1) action – statements involving direction. for supporters, this included suggestions about inquiries pertaining to such things as school tasks and emotional distress. for supportees, this included providing feedback or reciprocating the suggestions; (2) connection – supportive statements that showed emotional presence; (3) disclosure – revelation statements. supporters primarily used such statements to create a safe space for concerns and vulnerable emotions to be expressed and reciprocated, whereas supportees used disclosure to seek support; (4) hearing – acknowledging presence and active involvement in the conversation; (5) initiation – the start of a conversation. supporters often used initiation as a means to check in on the well-being of supportees. conversely, supportees sought out assistance; (6) shared happiness – statements used to express happiness or excitement for one another; (7) solidarity – statements expressing comfort in their shared experience and space. within a supportive conversation, the researchers noted a difference between supporters and supportees in the type of supportive statements utilized. specifically, supporters predominantly used connection statements which embodied reassurance, encouragement, validation, empathy, care/concern, optimism, and normalization. however, supportees mainly relied on emotional disclosure. sindahl (2011) suggested that text messaging as a modality of communication can facilitate self-disclosure early in a conversation, which may help explain the observed tendency towards emotional disclosure by supportees. overall, similarities in categories emerged between the types of statements made by supporters and supportees, however the proportion of expressed statements between parties appeared to vary by type (table 1). to note, in the vast majority of conversations, supportees successfully sought and received support. only in one circumstance support could not be provided. these preliminary findings demonstrate a sample of how counselling psychology peers may seek out emotional support through text messaging. results suggest that counselling psychology students can readily engage in and actively create an emotionally supportive dialogue through text messaging using statements with identifiable themes (table 1). from these findings, the researchers posit that peers may use text messaging to build a support network for navigating the difficulties associated with undertaking graduate studies within mental health programs. importantly, this modality of support provides an immediate and intimate avenue of outreach, and is consistent with previous research which demonstrated text messaging as a potentially helpful form of peer support (sindahl, 2011; timmis, 2012). limitations and future directions there are limitations to this study. one is that these findings are neither representative of their cohort of counselling psychology students, nor counselling psychology graduate students in general. rather, the findings provided insight into how students within this context might participate in emotional support. another is that our clinical interest and training in counselling kokotailo, chan kent, & choy/ emerging perspectives (2018) 4 psychology, as well as our innate sensitivity and awareness to emotional distress, may have influenced our text interactions. future studies exploring how an entire cohort supports one another via text messaging might provide a richer understanding of how counselling psychology students engage in this method. additionally, looking at the different types of disclosures, the degree of emotional distress shared, and how emotionality is addressed may shed light on the kinds of emotional challenges counselling students encounter. furthermore, the comparison of text messaging to other similar modes of communication (e.g., email) may elucidate the effectiveness of text messaging for capturing emotional content. overall, the study findings provided insight into the nature of text messaging-based peer support among counselling graduate students and may be useful as a first step to help inform current and future peer support initiatives or research aimed at reducing stress. acknowledgements the researchers would like to thank dr. tom strong and ms. karen ross for their encouragement and guidance throughout the research process. references braun, v., & clarke, v. (2006). using thematic analysis in psychology. qualitative research in psychology, 3, 77-101. doi:10.1191/1478088706qp063oa clark, h. k., murdock, n. l., & koetting, k. (2009). predicting burnout and career choice satisfaction in counseling psychology graduate students. the counselling psychologist, 37, 580-606. doi:10.1177/0011000008319985 cruz, e. v., & higginbottom, g. (2013). the use of focused ethnography in nursing research. nurse researcher, 20, 36-43. doi:10.7748/nr2013.03.20.4.36.e305 denzin, n. k., & lincoln, y. s. (2008). collecting and interpreting qualitative materials (3rd ed.). thousand oaks, ca: sage. el-ghoroury, n. h., galper, d. i., sawaqdeh, a., & bufka, l. f. (2012). stress, coping, and barriers to wellness among psychology graduate students. training and education in professional psychology, 6, 122-134. doi:10.1037/a0028768 elo, s., & kyngäs, h. (2008). the qualitative content analysis process. journal of advanced nursing, 62, 107-115. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2007.04569.x harley, d., winn, s., pemberton, s., & wilcox p. (2007). using texting to support students’ transition to university. innovations in education and teaching international, 44, 229-241. doi:10.1080/14703290701486506 horstmanshof, l. (2004). using sms as a way of providing connection and community for first year students. in r. atkinson, c. mcbeath, d. jonas-dwyer & r. phillips (eds.), beyond the comfort zone: proceedings of the 21st ascilite conference (pp. 423-427). perth, 58 december. retrieved from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/perth04/procs/horstmanshof.html langford, c. p. h., bowsher, j., maloney, j. p., & lillis, p. p. (1997). social support: a conceptual analysis. journal of advanced nursing, 25, 95-100. doi:10.1046/j.13652648.1997.1997025095.x lecompte, m. d., & goetz, j. p. (1982). problems of reliability and validity in ethnographic research. review of educational research, 52, 31-60. doi:10.3102/00346543052001031 kokotailo, chan kent, & choy/ emerging perspectives (2018) 5 montgomery, p., mossey, s., adams, s., & bailey, p. h. (2012). stories of women involved in a postpartum depression peer support group. international journal of mental health nursing, 21, 524-532. doi:10.1111/j.1447-0349.2012.00828.x sindahl, t. n. (2011). chat counselling for children and youth – a handbook. [pdf document]. retrieved from http://www.childhelplineinternational.org/media/75013/chat_counselling_handbook.pdf tedlock, b. (1991). from participant observation to the observation of participation: the emergence of narrative ethnography. journal of anthropological research, 47, 69-94. doi:10.1086/jar.47.1.3630581 timmis, s. (2012). constant companions: instant messaging conversations as sustainable supportive study structures amongst undergraduate peers. computers and education, 59, 3-18. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2011.09.026 tompkins, k. a., brecht, k., tucker, b., neander, l. l., & swift, j. k. (2016). who matters most? the contribution of faculty, student-peers, and outside support in predicting graduate student satisfaction. training and education in professional psychology, 10, 102-108. doi:10.1037/tep0000115 yin, r. (1989). case study research: design & methods (2nd ed.). beverly hills, ca: sage. table 1 themes of support for supporters and supportees conversational role theme examples supporter action: includes the subtopics of information providing, action plan, and advice giving (42 instances) “do not make any changes you are not comfortable with” “worry about assessment after tomorrow night.” connection: includes the subtopics of concern/care, empathy, encouragement, validation, reassurance, normalizing, and optimism (101 instances) “i believe in your hard work and ability to do a great presentation on thursday.” “oh no :( i’m sorry to hear; i feel you!” “that is what happens sometimes, and that’s okay.” disclosure: includes the subtopics of disclosure and reflection (24 instances) [... keep yourself focused on the goal of graduating]. “i have to remind myself of this regularly.” kokotailo, chan kent, & choy/ emerging perspectives (2018) 6 hearing: includes the subtopics of agreement, affirmation, and acknowledgment (28 instances) “absolutely… we can only do what we can do and ultimately you are here for a reason.” initiation: includes the subtopics of help seeking, follow up, inquiry, offer of support, update, and invitation (49 instances) “hey, how’s it coming along? hanging in there?” “i’ll try my best to explain!” shared happiness: includes the subtopics of shared happiness, well-wishing, appreciation, and celebration (47 instances) “congrats!” “yay!” “sleep well and feel better soon” “all the best on your interview!” solidarity: includes the subtropics of commiseration, solidarity, and similarity (14 instances) “yes, i know exactly what you mean.” “i’m the same way.” supportee action: includes the subtopics of information providing, action plan, self-care, decision making, and advice giving (19 instances) “yes, let’s study together! i want to stay focused and efficient with our time.” “don’t bog yourself down with editing papers. i’m not saying don’t, because it’s useful to share --but don’t be pressured to help everyone.” connection: includes the subtopics of praise, encouragement, reassurance, empathy, and optimism (24 instances) “well done! i’m sure you’ll do great!” “ah that’s super rough :’( so sorry to hear.” disclosure: includes the subtopics of disclosure, reflection, and explanation (72 instances) “i’m hating my life right now.” kokotailo, chan kent, & choy/ emerging perspectives (2018) 7 hearing: includes the subtopics of confirmation, acknowledgment, agreement, and affirmation (14 instances) “sounds like a deal.” initiation: includes the subtopics of follow up, help seeking, inquiry, update, expression of needs, probing, and declining or accepting support (42 instances) “our ethics assignment doesn’t need to be handed in until tomorrow before midnight, right?” “i would definitely love to chat about it.” shared happiness: includes the subtopics of well-wishing, appreciation, celebration, and shared happiness (46 instances) “thank you!” “best of luck!” solidarity: includes the subtopics of commiseration, solidarity, and togetherness (9 instances) “yes, we will survive!” nogueira & donadon, 2024 (d).docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca using digital technologies for school-family partnerships: a case at a brazilian preschool during the pandemic bruna nogueira*, daniela donadon university of calgary this paper presents a case of remote education during the covid-19 pandemic with preschool students in brazil. the sudden change from in-person to online instruction required innovative and creative ways to engage students and families in the learning process. digital resources and technologies facilitated communication, instruction, and the promotion of strong and enriching school-family partnerships. reflections on the experience's outcomes were based on freire’s (1987, 1989, 1996) concepts and perspectives on education, with a particular emphasis on the significance of context and collaboration. both access and literacy in the use of digital technologies were sometimes barriers that had to be overcome. the proximity and partnership between school/educators and families brought invaluable gains that continued after the end of the remote teaching period. this new and complex pedagogical design and approach amplified the number of agents involved in the teaching-learning process of preschool students and pointed to transformations in the educational practices of the school where they were implemented. among the changes brought by this experience is the families’ greater empathy and respect for educators as well as their lasting and increasing will to engage in their children’s education. this experience has also shifted the beliefs and practices of the educators involved as they not only learned new strategies but also kept on using many of them after students were back on site. keywords: remote education, school-family partnership, early childhood education, preschool education, digital technologies nogueira, b., & donadon, d. (2024). using digital technologies for school-family partnerships: a case at a brazilian preschool during the pandemic. emerging perspectives special edition: designing for digital futures, 7(1), 1–12. this article shares an experience at a public preschool in sao paulo, brazil, during the covid-19 pandemic, when students were suddenly forced to transition to a remote delivery mode of education. the participants were a teacher and one group of 30 mixed-aged preschool *bruna.nogueira@ucalgary.ca nogueira & donadon/ emerging perspectives (2024) 2 children from 3 to 5 years old. the school of early childhood education grouped children of different ages in preschool based vygotsky's understanding that: learning awakens various internal developmental processes that are able to operate only when the child interacts with people and his environment and when in cooperation with his peers. once internalized, these processes become part of the acquisition of children's independent development. (vygotsky, 1991, p. 118) this means that a more knowledgeable person can teach what they know to someone else. for instance, more experienced children could teach less experienced ones during interactions (silva & hai, 2016). based on these ideas and following governmental guidelines, the school proceeded to mix children of different ages in the same classroom to benefit all children's learning and developmental processes (prefeitura municipal de campinas, 2013). when the covid-19 pandemic became a serious global concern, brazilian schools were suddenly required to change how education was delivered. remote instruction became imperative, affecting students of all ages, including preschoolers. the lack of sufficient time to train teachers and prepare families for the instant changes posed significant challenges to the accomplishment of pedagogical practices, which primarily involved concrete and hands-on activities for motor and cognitive development with an additional intense focus on developing social skills facilitated by in-person interactions. the following sections will provide more details on those challenges and the strategies adopted to overcome them. overall, the set of pedagogical practices applied by the teacher was perceived as positive by participants. as highlighted by kim and sheridan (2015), “connections between families and schools are viewed as a key element of children’s positive adjustment and are linked to children’s academic, social, emotional, and behavioural functioning” (p. 1). popular discourse among early nogueira & donadon/ emerging perspectives (2024) 3 childhood educators tends to agree that the involvement of families in the educational processes of children is critical for an enhanced overall learning experience, and this aligns with multiple research findings (see francis et al., 2016; kim & sheridan, 2015; schuck et al., 2023). the brazilian official document that includes guidelines for childhood education in the country also highlights that “education is a duty of the family and the state” (ministério da educação, 1996, para. 4). considering this, it is crucial to acknowledge that much of the favourable outcome of this experience was the result of a positive and collaborative relationship between the teacher and the parents of the children involved. the emergency remote teaching experience with this group of young children stimulated reflections that linked to freire's ideas (1987, 1989, 1996). freire’s ideas were referenced and embedded in the text as the experience was described and unfolded. ultimately, this paper’s goal is to encourage conversations on the importance of school-family partnerships in early childhood education and the incorporation of digital tools and resources into children's education to develop digital literacy and skills essential in the 21st century. the experience: transitioning to remote instruction amidst the chaos brought upon by the covid-19 pandemic, the brazilian government declared the temporary closure of all schools in march 2020, mandating that students continued their education remotely. in that context, a group of 30 children between the ages of 3 and 5, along with their families and a teacher, participated in an emergency experience to facilitate the children’s remote learning. although the use of digital resources was already encouraged in the school pre-pandemic, the activities that children participated in did not require active engagement or mediation from families, whose involvement became necessary during the pandemic. to provide adequate support to families and facilitate communication between nogueira & donadon/ emerging perspectives (2024) 4 schools and caregivers, the teacher created a whatsapp group. in this group, the teacher used to post suggestions of educational youtube videos as well as websites and blogs that offered children’s songs, fun science experiments that could be easily reproduced at home, videos on healthy eating education, environmental preservation, anti-racist education, and other resources carefully selected to alight with the school’s pedagogical project. communication, interaction, and relationships between teachers and caregivers gradually improved. photos and videos of the children working on the suggested activities at home were shared so the teacher could provide feedback and encouragement to students and families. freire (1987) suggested that dialogue must always be embraced as an educational principle. this implies acknowledging that all those involved in the teaching and learning process teach something and learn from each other and that education must promote “reflection and action together” (pouwels, 2019, p. 5). freire’s dialogic pedagogy is “a humanizing process and not just a transformative one” (razzak, 2020, p. 1006). similar principles supported the proactive engagement of the teacher with the caregivers to inquire about their and their children's interests so activities tailored to their preferences could be proposed. this proved efficient as families later voluntarily shared videos and links to educational content on the previously suggested topics. the whatsapp group became a collaborative educational space where technology was used in innovative ways that promoted families' involvement in their children's education. upon the return of the children to the school in november of 2021, families asked for the continuity of the whatsapp group. initial challenges in building the school-family partnership during the 18 months of remote instruction, challenges existed that interfered with the success of the experience. one of the main issues experienced by some families was their poor nogueira & donadon/ emerging perspectives (2024) 5 home internet connection and limited access to reliable electronic devices. this often went hand in hand with another problem: certain adults were not available to help their children with school activities for various reasons. due to those problems, some children from that school and their families chose to be excluded from the experience described in this paper. another issue worth highlighting relates to the sudden changes in instruction delivery brought about by the pandemic that did not allow enough time for participants to prepare themselves for that situation. in addition, neither the government nor the school provided specific training and/or sufficient resources to support educators. moreover, a significant number of teachers needed access to adequate electronic devices at that time and needed to gain the knowledge to research and use readily available digital resources and create digital content. a notebook was provided to teachers, but it had limited capabilities and poor memory space, and it could have been more helpful to those who already struggled with technology use. the lack of teacher training resulted in a significant increase in educators' workload, which needed to be reflected in their salaries, possibly affecting the motivation of some. again, dealing with digital technologies in their professional practice was something many teachers at that school were not familiar with, and others were not open to, so this posed a significant problem to the effective continuation of the education of some groups during remote instruction. in the experience described in this paper, the teacher’s willingness and professional dedication were essential to successfully managing the situation. the teacher’s openness to dialogue, use of digital technologies, and innovative pedagogical approach were essential to the positive outcomes observed during the emergency remote instruction period. positive outcomes of the experience nogueira & donadon/ emerging perspectives (2024) 6 the strategies adopted and the school-family partnership created during the remote schooling experience discussed in this paper enabled families to play a critical role in their children's education. at home and under the teacher's guidance, families had a similar role to educators in the classroom as they worked as mediators in the educational activities developed by the students. in doing that, caregivers became aware of the value and vastness of the pedagogical work developed by teachers. they could appreciate the diverse and varied curriculum experiences young students had access to, including art, science, environmental and food awareness, and emotional education (ministério da educação, 2010). many families disclosed that they learned new things with their children, and there was a growing recognition of the importance of experiential learning in early childhood education. another positive outcome was related to the relevant shift in families’ perception and usage of electronic devices and digital technologies in general. during and after this experience, families reported having learned how to use their devices in more purposeful ways, for example, to research and learn in addition to a mere means of entertainment. in this process, families and children explored and learned new technology methods. another noteworthy aspect relates to how this situation led to a collaborative learning community where everyone had a voice and actively participated in their learning, opposing the historically predominant traditional education approach that looks at learners as passive subjects (freire, 1987). for example, families became more engaged when a father's magic experiment video was shared, inspiring participation from all. a teacher's video on the importance of bees for pollination also sparked discussion and led to two families sharing photos of their fruit plants and the health benefits they provide. these experiences integrated themes of early childhood education and fostered a movement of autonomy and collaboration in knowledge construction. nogueira & donadon/ emerging perspectives (2024) 7 discussion using digital resources in this experience was essential to help build and strengthen school-family ties. school-family partnership is fundamentally important for early childhood education, and through this experience, families learned to participate more actively in the formal education of their children. this has also built a collaborative learning community that has brought invaluable gains to all participants. it is important to consider that this experience emerged from a new and unplanned situation, with no expected roles for families and educators a priori. the partnership between the teacher and the parents was elaborated as the experience evolved. looking back at the experience and analyzing it through theoretical lenses makes it possible to understand how the teacher applied freire’s (1987) dialogic principle in her strategic decisions. the activities proposed to students were collaboratively discussed and designed in a dialectical movement where parents, children and instructors contributed and had a voice in the process. according to a study by schuck et al. (2023) that investigated a similar situation, teachers reported that technology-mediated teaching “allowed for parents and teachers to gain better mutual understanding” (p. 297). the authors stated that technology-mediated instruction “also created the possibility of greater insight for both teachers and parents. empathy from parents and teachers is crucial, as past research has shown that increased mutual understanding leads to better teacher-parent partnerships” (schuck et al., 2023, p. 301). the whatsapp group worked as a safe space to share ideas and feelings, support each other, ask questions, build relationships, as well as give and receive feedback. this links to freire’s (1989) culture circle, a learning situation where everyone has a voice and an active role. freire’s culture circle idea is based on the teacher as a mediator, on dialogue and problem-based learning to empower those involved to change their reality through knowledge and awareness. nogueira & donadon/ emerging perspectives (2024) 8 according to freire (1989), in a culture circle praxis, each person is the author of their knowledge construction process, although the participation of others is valued. it is essential for teachers to design their actions with pedagogical intention, knowing the children's learning realities and needs. in the current digital age, the development of specific skills and learning how to use digital devices and resources for acquiring knowledge and improving productivity are essential not only for preparing students for the future job market but, more importantly, for equipping citizens with reasonable conditions for inclusion and participation in society. freire (1989) argued that literacy is not just about reading and writing but instead using these skills as tools for personal growth, social inclusion, and empowerment. by fostering digital literacy, individuals are better prepared to navigate an increasingly connected world and effectively contribute to the global community. finally, a collaborative learning community emerged among caregivers and the teacher with a focus on cooperation, collaboration, and mutual support during unprecedented circumstances such as emergency remote teaching. the interactions through the whatsapp group allowed the engagement and active participation of families, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and ownership of the learning process, which could be particularly empowering for caregivers who may have felt isolated or overwhelmed during the pandemic. this sense of community and collaboration has proved to have lasting benefits, even after the remote teaching period ended, by encouraging ongoing communication, support, and shared learning among caregivers, teachers, students, the school community, and other stakeholders. conclusion nogueira & donadon/ emerging perspectives (2024) 9 the covid-19 pandemic has forced schools worldwide to adopt new course delivery modes, and this experience of transitioning to remote instruction in a public preschool in brazil signals the possibility of a new educational design and new practices in early childhood education. overall, all those involved considered the outcomes of the experience positive. however, some limitations prevented more families from participating, such as poor home internet connection, lack of electronic devices, and lack of availability of caregivers to instruct and assist the children. these issues deserve to be addressed in future opportunities tor a more inclusive experience that effectively embraces digital technology and resources in early childhood education. in conclusion, creating a whatsapp group was essential to support families during the emergency remote schooling period. it facilitated communication between schools and caregivers. despite the challenges experienced, the strategies adopted and the school-family partnership created enabled families to play a critical role in their children's education. this experience resulted in a growing recognition of the importance of experiential learning in early childhood education and a relevant shift in how families perceived and used electronic devices and digital technologies in general. the situation led to the establishing of a collaborative learning community, where everyone has space and voice, corroborating the development of individuals actively participating in their learning. nogueira & donadon/ emerging perspectives (2024) 10 references francis, g. l., blue-banning, m., turnbull, a. p., hill, c., haines, s. j., & gross, j. m. s. 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(2015). foundational aspects of family–school connections: definitions, conceptual frameworks, and research needs. in s. sheridan, e. m. kim (eds), foundational aspects of family-school partnership research (pp. 1-14). springer international publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13838-1_1 ministério da educação [mec]. (1996). lei de diretrizes e bases da educação nacional [law guidelines and bases of national education], lei nº 9.394. brasília: mec. https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l9394.htm ministério da educação [mec]. conselho nacional de educação [cne]. 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(2016). o conceito de zona de desenvolvimento proximal na educação infantil: apropriações nas produções acadêmicas e documentos oficiais brasileiros [the concept of the zone of proximal development in early childhood education: appropriations in brazilian academic productions and official documents]. perspectiva, 34(2), 602-628. https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-795x.2016v34n2p602 http://portal.mec.gov.br/dmdocuments/diretrizescurriculares_2012.pdf http://portal.mec.gov.br/seb/arquivos/pdf/rcnei_vol1.pdf https://www.campinas.sp.gov.br/arquivos/educacao/04_diretrizes_infantil.pdf https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444.ijsp.2019.v7.1.009 https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2020.1716731 https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2021.1967421 https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-795x.2016v34n2p602%20 nogueira & donadon/ emerging perspectives (2024) 12 vygotsky, l. s. (1991). a formação social da mente: o desenvolvimento dos processos psicológicos superiores [mind in society: the development of higher psychological processes]. (4th ed.). martins fontes. https://edisciplinas.usp.br/pluginfile.php/3317710/mod_resource/content/2/a%20formaca o%20social%20da%20mente.pdf https://edisciplinas.usp.br/pluginfile.php/3317710/mod_resource/content/2/a%20formacao%20social%20da%20mente.pdf https://edisciplinas.usp.br/pluginfile.php/3317710/mod_resource/content/2/a%20formacao%20social%20da%20mente.pdf emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca assessing students with exceptional learning needs jenna bishop university of calgary a universal approach to teaching is no longer effective because it will not appropriately and effectively meet the unique learning needs of students in inclusive classrooms. as a result, teachers and school leaders must learn how to best support students with special needs, and educational leaders will need to provide professional learning opportunities and support to teachers to ensure that appropriate teaching and assessment practices are being utilized to effectively meet the needs of all students. the use of formative assessment is an effective tool for teachers to appropriately differentiate instruction through a response to intervention (rti) model. despite potential challenges, leaders can have a positive impact on the success of inclusive assessment practices in their schools. to support all learners, it is essential that teachers create safe learning environments for their students. also, leaders need to encourage collaboration and ongoing communication between the school and parents. finally, students need to be involved in the learning process, so it is important that teachers get to know their students from both an academic and personal perspective. this will allow teachers to plan effective and appropriate opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning. keywords: emergent epistemology, empathy, compassion, wisdom, narrative writing, hermeneutics bishop, j. (2019). assessing students with exceptional learning needs. emerging perspectives, 3(3), 1-8. teachers and school leaders should consider the means by which to appropriately and effectively assess all students, as inclusive classrooms are no longer the exception, they are the norm. in alberta, students are entering school with increasingly unique and complex learning needs, and it is the teacher’s responsibility to support the learning of diverse students in inclusive classrooms (morton & mcmenamin, 2011; alberta education, 2010). alberta learning (2002) described students with disabilities as experiencing lifelong challenges and difficulties that affect their ability to learn and process information. the problem here is that many teachers are unaware and uncertain about how to effectively teach in inclusive classrooms, because they feel they lack the necessary training and support required to meet the diverse needs of the students they work with every day (lin & lin, 2015; morton & mcmenamin, 2011). as a result, teachers and school leaders must learn how to best support students with special needs in our increasingly complex and diverse classrooms. moreover, it is important for educational leaders to embrace bishop/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-8 2 and support teacher development of inclusive assessment practices to meet the needs and improve the learning of all students (bourke & mentis, 2014). methods a universal approach to teaching is not sufficient for today’s inclusive classrooms, because diverse leaners require a variety of instructional and assessment methods in order to provide teachers with an accurate and thorough description of a student’s learning (bourke & mentis, 2014). black and wiliam (1998) suggested that improvements to student learning can only be made when teachers implement changes directly, by working with students in their classrooms. alberta education (2010) suggested that one way that teachers can provide individual and meaningful learning opportunities for all students is through differentiated instruction, because “differentiation depends on knowing and using a variety of teaching methods so that students have opportunities to learn and demonstrate their learning in multiple ways” (p. 5). for most students, effective differentiated instruction will be enough to foster growth and learning; however, some students will require more supports and need individualized opportunities to demonstrate their learning (wiliam, 2016; alberta education, 2010). in these situations, response to intervention (rti) is an essential framework for education. this is because rti builds on differentiated classroom instruction and assessment strategies by allowing for increased and targeted interventions to support students with higher needs through the use of formative assessment (wiliam, 2016). wiliam (2016) explained that formative assessment is a key driver in carrying out effective differentiated instruction and response to intervention initiatives, because formative assessment provides opportunities for students to engage in learning and personalize learning to suit individual needs. additionally, alberta education (2010) reminded teachers that, “the goal is not to have an individualized assessment plan for each student, but to have a manageable class assessment plan that is flexible enough to accommodate a range of student needs” (p. 47). this can be achieved through the use of formative assessment strategies. chappius and stiggins (2002) described formative assessment as a process directly involving students. when teachers and students work interactively to combine a variety of assessment approaches, both parties will gain assessment information that is accurate, comprehensive and reflective, while at the same time allowing learners to develop as self-directed, focused, motivated, and engaged learners (bourke, mentis, & todd, 2011; bourke & mentis, 2014; morton & mcmenamin, 2011). finally, black and wiliam (1998) recognized that “while formative assessment can help all pupils, it yields particularly good results with low achievers by concentrating on specific problems with their work and giving them a clear understanding of what is wrong and how to put it right” (p. 6), rather than concentrating on effort, ability, and comparisons to other students. nevertheless, educators must be cautious of formative assessment practices to ensure that the activities and strategies are truly inclusive and appropriate for individual learners with special needs. for example, ravet (2013) cautioned that learners with autism experience great difficulty in communication and when engaging in social interactions, so teachers should make modifications to formative assessment activities that require such skills. therefore, to effectively accommodate students with learning disabilities, teachers must have a solid understanding of both the disability, and of formative assessment strategies, and also demonstrate a willingness to modify the learning environments in their classrooms (ravet, 2013). bishop/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-8 3 results leaders tend to have a significant impact on the quality of teaching that occurs within schools, and this can indirectly contribute to increased student learning and achievement; however, improving teacher quality as a means to improve student achievement for all students is a significant challenge for educational leaders (bourke & mentis, 2014; webber, scott, aitken, lupart, & scott, 2013). one of the reasons for this challenge is that many teachers have expressed concern and uncertainty in how to best support learners with special needs: teachers feel they lack necessary training, professional development, and they ask for leadership support to help them improve their own understandings of effective instructional practices and learning disabilities (morton & mcmenamin, 2011; ravet, 2013). in response, leaders must work with their school communities to establish “a culture of success, backed by the belief that all pupils can achieve” (black & wiliam, 1998, p. 6). this culture must be created before initiatives such as differentiated instruction and rti policies can be effectively implemented in schools. in order for schools to support the notion that all students can learn, learning disabilities cannot be viewed as the reason, or as an excuse for why the needs of exceptional students are not being met (morton & mcmenamin, 2011). by using differentiated instruction and the rti model, leaders can have a positive impact on the success of inclusive assessment practices in their schools. this can be accomplished by ensuring teachers receive appropriate and effective professional development, so teachers can confidently contribute to inclusive schools by creating safe learning environments, foster effective communication and collaboration, and get to know students. creating safe learning environments as teachers attempt to change their roles within the classroom, the relationship between teacher and student is critical. when teachers create differentiated assessment opportunities for students, they provide students with the opportunity to be responsible for their own learning by supporting and mentoring these students, rather than being relied upon to simply deliver knowledge (learn alberta, 2008; black et al., 2004). when the teachers and students are working together in this way, students need to feel safe in their learning environment, and feel as though they are capable of success. black and wiliam (1998) reported that low achieving students often avoid challenging tasks and are reluctant to persevere due to low self-esteem and a fear of failure, but teacher feedback that focuses on criteria and how to improve, rather than on ability and competition can have positive effects on student achievement. moreover, the “development of strong, respectful and positive relationships between teachers and learners … is a critical factor in a successful formative assessment process” (bourke et al., 2011, p. 409), because it will allow students to be more comfortable with sharing their perspectives, challenges and learning goals with their teacher and peers. for many teachers, it is a priority to create accepting and welcoming learning environments. teachers often spend a significant amount of time and effort, especially at the beginning of each school year, developing a positive classroom culture with their students; however, some teachers may require additional support to successfully welcome and embrace all students. lin and lin (2015) studied the perceptions of pre-service teachers in regard to teaching students with learning disabilities and they concluded that inclusive assessment training cannot occur without first knowing the perceptions and misunderstandings teacher candidates had towards teaching students with special needs. “as the purpose of [assessment for learning] is to strengthen and advance student learning, it is critical for teacher educators to assist future bishop/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-8 4 teachers in modifying and changing the perspectives for future teaching practices” (lin & lin, 2015, p. 781). finally, a positive school culture depends on the ability of school leaders to model the way. school principals will successfully lead change when they are guided by a strong set of values led by a moral conscience (webber et al., 2013). when principals’ interactions with students with special needs reflect sincerity, acceptance, and empathy, teachers and students will be more responsive to embracing an inclusive school. effective communication in order for teachers to effectively assess students, it is important that they provide appropriate opportunities for students to communicate their learning. the importance of teacher feedback is an essential component of the formative assessment process when it is specific, descriptive, and immediate (chappius & stiggins, 2002; black & wiliam, 1998). furthermore, when teachers are frequently providing feedback to students, it allows teachers to assess student performance and adjust or modify teaching approaches as necessary (alberta learning, 2002). feedback can be provided formally and informally through a variety of means, so it is essential for teachers to provide students with opportunities to express themselves in ways that are appropriate to their learning needs. ravet (2013) explained this by recognizing the communication challenges that many autistic students experience. she noted that when teachers expect autistic students to interpret feedback, engage in questioning, self and peer assessments, and other ‘“talk” based activities, learning can be misrepresented by students with autism, thereby providing teachers with incorrect or unreliable information (ravet, 2013). this feedback, along with self-assessments, will support learners in not only recognizing where they currently are at with their learning, but where they need to go (chappius & stiggins, 2002). self-assessment can contribute to meaningful learning, and it is a skill that the majority of students are capable of (chappius & stiggins, 2002); therefore, self-assessment is also an effective assessment strategy for inclusive classrooms. in addition to ensuring there are effective methods of communication between teachers and students, communication with parents is another essential component to the academic success of students with special needs. students and parents must be included in working with school personnel in the planning, development, and assessment of student goals. teachers cannot overlook the knowledge held by parents of children with disabilities when they are trying to accommodate students with special needs in their classrooms, as parents are a valuable source of knowledge and information (morton & mcmenamin, 2011; alberta learning, 2002). when teachers create meaningful assessment opportunities using a differentiated approach, teachers are able to gather more authentic and accurate information about the abilities and challenges facing students, which will “result in clearer and more meaningful discussions about ongoing learning with the learners, and their peers, and parents” (bourke & mentis, 2014, p. 394). finally, educational leaders should also be involved in communication about the progress and challenges facing students with special needs. principals are ultimately responsible for ensuring that teachers are communicating student achievement with the appropriate stakeholders, and it is school leaders who must share the school assessment policies with parents and ensure that they are understood (webber et al., 2013). bishop/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-8 5 knowing your learners in order “to address individual learning needs, it is imperative for teachers to adapt their assessment and teaching practices for these students … [and] match students’ special needs with the types of accommodations and the purposes of assessments” (lin & lin, 2015, p. 774). the advantage of using assessment for learning activities is that its differentiated approach allows opportunities for both teachers and students to identify their challenges and strengths through a variety of methods (alberta education, 2010). teachers can encourage students to be uniquely assessed in ways that appropriately address individual learning needs by providing students with choices in how to showcase a final product, accommodating activities to allow the use of multiple intelligences, or using assessment tools such as learning logs, and journals, for example (alberta education, 2010). teachers can modify or adapt both formative and summative assessments, or allow the use of alternate assignments as a means to allow students with learning disabilities the opportunity to accurately demonstrate their learning without allowing their disability to interfere with the assessment process or the results (alberta learning, 2002). ravet (2012) stated, “[i]f the needs of learners on the autism spectrum are met using approaches such as these, the learning environment will become more ‘autism friendly’ and the data yielded by formative assessment is likely to be better focused, reliable and accurate” (p. 961). discussion educational leaders need to be aware of challenges that can impede their ability to support teachers in diverse classroom environments. one factor that can have a negative effect on teachers’ abilities to appropriately differentiate instruction is the lack of training about students with disabilities, and the lack of professional learning opportunities available to them as teachers. another challenge that leaders face when developing inclusive schools, is trying to change teachers’ negative perceptions and opinions regarding students with special needs to more positive ones. first of all, morton and mcmenamin (2011) summarized the lack of teacher training in special education by recognizing that most teacher education programs do not provide sufficient teacher training in the areas of inclusive education. most teachers who are knowledgeable in special education have pursued postgraduate training to specialize in this area (morton & mcmenamin, 2011). with the increasingly complex and challenging nature of inclusive classrooms, post-secondary institutions should seriously consider including inclusive education courses into their standard teacher education programs. of course, ravet (2013) would further suggest that teacher education and training needs to involve both an understanding of inclusive education and of formative assessment, as one cannot rely upon the other. additionally, educational leaders must continually support teacher development of inclusive assessment practices at all stages of one’s teaching career. school leaders can create opportunities for teachers to collaborate through embedded and ongoing professional development in a variety of ways. notably, morton and mcmenamin (2011) suggested that collaboration “can lead to capacity building and professional learning among teachers that would promote inclusion and support access to the curriculum for all students” (p. 110). as a result, teacher growth and understanding can be achieved through professional development with a focus on collaborative learning such as the implementation of professional learning communities. finally, educational leaders must develop a school culture that embodies the belief that all students can learn, despite the challenges caused by learning disabilities or any other factor that may affect a student’s academic achievement. black and wiliam (1998) recommended that bishop/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-8 6 when teachers are effectively using formative assessment in their classrooms, teachers will be more successful in uncovering potential in those students who previously struggled to experience academic success. similarly, “inclusive formative assessment can be more successful where teachers can abstract themselves from the straightjacket of normative thinking about learning in order to understand the minds of children who function differently” (ravet, 2013, p. 961). although changing the perceptions of teachers is a great challenge, educational leaders must be persistent in attempting to influence these positive changes. webber et al. (2013) recommended that leaders begin by working first, with those teachers who are open to learning and adapting their worldviews and teaching practices. this is what wiliam (2016) referred to as finding the bright spots. it is also important for leaders to model the way by staying true to their vision and values, and relying on both “procedural and pragmatic knowledge” (webber et al., 2013, p. 251). conversely, volante (2010) explained that many administrators actually lack a proficient theoretical understanding of assessment for learning; therefore, it is important that while educational leaders demonstrate a willingness to learn, they also utilize the expertise of staff through distributed leadership models. conclusion nobody said change is easy, and leading change is even more difficult; however, it can be done. when diverse students enter our schools, every single one of them deserves to be provided with opportunities that will meet their individual and unique learning needs. when teachers use differentiated instruction they create authentic experiences for students, allowing them to take ownership of their learning. when learning is personalized, assessments will be more meaningful and more accurate. therefore, assessment for learning is the tool needed to bring rti to life and to create more inclusive learning opportunities for all students, regardless of ability. although wiliam (2016) provided clear evidence that formative assessment is the solution for improving student achievement, assessment for learning practices can only begin when teachers create safe learning environments for their students, collaborate and use effective communication, and when they build relationships with their students by getting to know them. since teachers do not feel prepared to adequately teach students with diverse learning needs, the role of educational leaders is essential in fostering the notion that all students can succeed. however, educational leaders must be patient because change at this magnitude will not happen immediately. school administrators have to prioritize inclusive education as a key goal for school improvement, and provide continuous opportunities for teacher professional development in both formative assessment and in understanding students with special needs. future research would be needed to investigate what professional development strategies would be most beneficial to teachers, and to further explore the role of school leaders in fostering the learning and implementation of such professional learning. in conclusion, principals must create opportunities for teachers to learn how to meet the needs of students with special needs by effectively modifying and adapting formative assessment activities in ways which will complement a student’s disability, not compete with it. principals can provide ongoing professional support to teachers by creating opportunities for teachers to continually attempting to improve their practice. this will entail a clear focus on the use of formative assessment to meet the diverse learning needs of students, as well as time, space, support, and encouragement for teachers to improve their practice and understandings (wiliam, bishop/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-8 7 2016). “inclusion in education and society ultimately relies on inclusive thinking … through diverse and supportive action that values all learners” (bourke & mentis, 2014, p. 395). references alberta education. (2010). making a difference: meeting diverse learning needs with differentiated instruction. alberta: crown in right of alberta. alberta learning. (2002). unlocking potential: key components of programming for students with learning disabilities. alberta: learning and teaching resources branch. black, p., & wiliam, d. (1998). inside the black box: raising standards through classroom assessment. phi delta kappan, 80(2), 139 -148. retrieved from http://www.rdc.udel.edu/wpcontent/uploads/2015/04/insideblackbox.pdf black, p., & wiliam, d. (2004). working inside the black box: assessment for learning in the classroom. phi delta kappan, 86(1), 9-21. retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20441694 bourke, r. & mentis, m. (2014). an assessment framework for inclusive education: integrating assessment approaches. assessment in education: principles, policy & practice, 21(4), 384-397. doi: 10.1080/0969594x.2014.888332 bourke, r., mentis, m. & todd, l. (2011). visibly learning: teachers’ assessment practices for students with high and very high needs. international journal of inclusive education, 15(4), 405-419, doi:10.1080/13603110903038488 chappuis, s. & stiggins, r. j. (2002). classroom assessment for learning. educational leadership, 60(1), 40 – 43. retrieved from http://ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=tr ue&db=ehh&a n=7386630&site=ehost-live learn alberta. (2008). assessment in alberta – discussion paper. retrieved from http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/ssass/html/assessmentinalberta.html lin, p. & lin, y. (2015). identifying canadian teacher candidates' needs for training in the use of inclusive classroom assessment. international journal of inclusive education, 19(8), 771-786, doi: 10.1080/13603116.2014.970669 morton, m., & mcmenamin, t. (2011). learning together: collaboration to develop curriculum assessment that promotes belonging. support for learning, 26(3), 109-114. retrieved from http://dc8qa4cy3n.scholar.serialssolutions.com.ezproxy.li b.ucalgary.ca sid=google&auinit=m&aulast=morton&atitle=learning+together:+collaboration+to+de velop+curric ulum+assessment+that+promotes+belonging&id=doi:10. 1111/j.1467 9604.2011.01488.x&title=support+for+learning&volume =26&issue=3&date=2011&spage=109&issn=0268-2141 ravet, j. (2013). delving deeper into the black box: formative assessment, inclusion and learners on the autism spectrum. international journal of inclusive education, 17(9), 948 – 964. doi: 10.1080/13603116.2012.719552 volante, l. (2010). assessment of, for, and as learning within schools: implications for transforming classroom practice. action in teacher education, 31(4), 66-75. retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01626620.2010.1046353 6 webber, c.f., scott, s., aitken, e.n., lupart, j., & scott, d.e. (2013). leading assessment for enhanced student outcomes. school leadership & management, 33(3), 240 – 255. retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2013.773885 bishop/ emerging perspectives (2019) 1-8 8 wiliam, d. (2016). leadership for teacher learning: creating a culture where allteachers improve so that all students succeed. west palm beach: learning sciences international. microsoft word pethrick et al. (2022) intro vol. 6(1) layout.docx 1helen.pethrick@ucalgary.ca emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca introduction: empowering graduate students in publication spaces helen pethrick1, stephanie hladik2, arushi manners1, apoorve chokshi1, marcus gottlieb3 1 werklund school of education, university of calgary, canada 2 university of colorado, boulder, usa 3 university of british columbia, okanagan, canada in this introduction to the first volume of the sixth issue of emerging perspectives: interdisciplinary graduate research in education and psychology, we reflect on our experiences as members of the editorial team, advocate for the relevancy of graduate student journals, and introduce the three articles featured in this issue. keywords: graduate students, academic publishing, graduate student journals, educational research, educational psychology pethrick, h., hladik, s., manners, a., chokshi, a., & gottlieb, m. (2022). introduction: empowering graduate students in publication spaces. emerging perspectives, 6(1). 1-5. since the inception of emerging perspectives: interdisciplinary graduate research in education and psychology (epigrep) in 2015, our journal has been committed to empowering graduate students in all aspects of the academic publication space. seven years later, publishing continues to be an essential part of the graduate student experience, as we facilitate graduate students in communicating their research findings, establishing their voices in their fields, and preparing for future careers in academia and beyond. our colleagues and founders of epigrep have reflected upon the significance of building an academic journal by and for graduate students (woodend et al., 2017) as well as the needs of graduate student authors (syeda et al., 2020). this introduction builds upon these findings by illustrating the practical ways that graduate students can be empowered in publication spaces and advocating for graduate student-led journals. we also introduce three newly published articles featured in this issue of epigrep. pethrick et al. – emerging perspectives (2022) 2 why graduate student journals? within the fields of educational research and educational psychology, graduate students are often mentored by faculty as co-authors of academic publications, but are rarely the sole authors of their publications (garbati & samuels, 2013; o’hara et al., 2019). publishing in a journal can seem mysterious and intimidating as a first-time or graduate student author, requiring tacit knowledge and etiquette (jalong et al., 2014). while we cannot understate the value of supportive faculty members to demystify publishing in our fields, we believe it is just as important to offer spaces where graduate students can safely explore the publication process among peers. epigrep is a journal for graduate students; all submissions have a graduate student listed as the first author and many are sole-authored by graduate students. our editorial team and reviewers provide developmental feedback and mentorship to our authors from submission and revisions through to copyediting and publication. after publishing with epigrep, it is our aim that graduate student authors have communicated their research in a rich forum of interdisciplinary conversation while learning the intricate, step-by-step procedure of publishing a journal article. this experience can be particularly valuable to first-time authors or first-time lead authors who can now be empowered to publish in other journals. secondly, epigrep is a journal by graduate students. with the support of faculty mentors, our journal has always been led by an interdisciplinary team of graduate students from the fields and subfields of education and psychology. being in a similar stage of our academic journeys as the authors submitting to epigrep allows us to empathetically tailor our ways of working to the graduate student experience. our editorial team engages in a process of experiential learning (syeda et al., 2020) as we learn how to manage the ‘behind the scenes’ of an academic journal. this is a unique experience that would prepare a member of the epigrep editorial team to serve in a similar role on the editorial board of another journal, and has facilitated more depth in our understanding of our own submissions to other journals. every new editor who joins the epigrep editorial team is mentored by a more experienced editor, allowing for continuous capacity-building. we acknowledge that there are valid critiques of graduate student journals. the legitimacy and impact of publishing in a graduate student journal has been questioned, leading some to advise ‘saving’ a publication for a higher-impact journal (doran et al., 2012). we advocate for the relevance and necessity of graduate student journals, including epigrep and similar journals in our field. as outlined in our experiences with epigrep and by other graduate student editorial teams (see arsenault, 2021), graduate student journals are a space of developmental learning for graduate student authors and editors. the impacts of the covid-19 pandemic have led to a decline in motivation and opportunities for many graduate students to publish their work, while the expectations of graduate student productivity have continued to increase (arsenault, 2021; de caux, 2021). in these contexts, we believe that graduate student journals have an essential role to play in reducing the barriers for publication, offering a space of learning, and celebrating the valuable contributions of graduate students to scholarly research. pethrick et al. – emerging perspectives (2022) 3 overview of the articles with great appreciation for our graduate student authors, we are pleased to introduce three new epigrep articles, all of which highlight the work of graduate students to promote mindfulness, equity, and emotionality in diverse educational and learning contexts. christopher siegle shows that among secondary school student populations, teachers and parents report that the impact of learning during multiple pandemic-related lockdowns have impacted students' well-being. while teachers may have tried to bring mindfulness practice into their virtual or physical classrooms to support some of these concerns, siegle explores the tension between mindfulness being used to advance equity and mindfulness practices which, perhaps unknowingly to many educators, maintain the very power structures we hope to challenge in our classrooms. teachers will often seek the benefits of mindfulness practices embedded in social emotional learning (sel) curricula to positively influence student behaviour and readiness for learning. seigle uses a hermeneutic approach with a small population of teachers in western canada to suggest that, in their well-meaning intentions to bring sel and mindfulness into the classroom, teachers view students with a deficit-model and consequently maintain systemically oppressive educational practices within schools. as we move towards post-pandemic teaching and learning, trauma-aware and mindfulness practices in schools could inform many student-centred learning and teaching initiatives and siegle recommends that, rather than looking towards prepackaged sel products, educators match their intent to improve classroom community with their actions by critically examining their classroom interventions. harrison campbell and joshua grieman explore literacy and meaning-making through the lens of cake artistry, expanding the idea of what it means to be “literate” within different professions. specifically, they draw upon post-humanist perspectives on literacy to demonstrate the ways in which storytelling, reflection, and emotional expression – key aspects of literacy – can be found in the design and baking of beautiful and detailed cakes. showcasing two different pride cakes, they reflect on their own positionality in the lgbtqqip2saa community by deftly highlighting how their personal stories and reflections are embodied in the cakes’ designs. campbell and grieman also show how fiction and reality were intertwined in the storytelling behind a wedding cake for two of their best friends. they note the ways in which understanding cake artistry as literacy has implications for resisting the mind/body binary, as the physicality of pastry arts requires attending to embodiment as a key aspect of literacy and meaning-making. additionally, these authors explore how viewing literacy as a social practice rather than a static skill can make the importance of relationality visible, strengthening connections between literacy and professions in which relationships and communication are critical to success. campbell and grieman conclude with a call to language educators to consider how other professions and lived experiences, such as with pastry arts, can be used as opportunities to explore embodiment, relationality, and meaning-making and thus spark new conversations around literacy within and beyond the classroom. pethrick et al. – emerging perspectives (2022) 4 in the final article of this issue, julie sleilaty discusses the impacts of a regular mindfulness practice on teachers by synthesizing a critical review of the literature. motivated by the increasing demands made of teachers that challenge their ability to maintain positive mental health and wellbeing, and approaching the work through the lens of both an educator and a mindfulness practitioner, sleilaty reviewed 40 articles that used a variety of approaches and methods to measure the impact of regular mindfulness practice on in-service teachers. she found that regular mindfulness practice improved the overall well-being of teachers, including their ability to handle stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression, as well as their physical health. sleilaty’s review also revealed positive emotional and social impacts, including teachers’ self-awareness, emotional regulation, and relationship skills. finally, the articles indicated that regular practice also fostered educators’ prosocial values of self-compassion, empathy, and forgiveness. sleilaty concludes by pointing out some gaps in the literature: participants in such studies are predominantly female and there is a lack of studies conducted in developing countries. she argues for future research that seeks to determine the efficacy of specific mindfulness techniques, and/or investigates the relationship between teacher mindfulness and the outcomes of their students. for educators who are interested in engaging in mindfulness, sleilaty also includes a curated list of resources and activities that can be incorporated into teachers’ busy schedules. conclusion we would like to congratulate the authors of these outstanding articles. we look forward to continuing epigrep’s mission in future issues: to celebrate the academic and scholarly endeavors of graduate students in education and educational psychology while providing a forum for collaborative knowledge exchange and translation. references arsenault, a. c., heffernan, a., & murphy, m. p. (2021). what is the role of graduate student journals in the publish-or-perish academy? three lessons from three editors-in-chief. international studies, 58(1), 98-115. https://doi.org/10.1177%2f0020881720981222 de caux, b. c. (2021). doctoral candidates’ academic writing output and strategies: navigating the challenges of academic writing during a global health crisis. international journal of doctoral studies, 16, 291-317. https://doi.org/10.28945/4755 doran, j. m., antonius, d., brown, a. d., kriss, a., lehr, e. y., evans, j., & steele, h. (2012). the perceived relevance and efficacy of a graduate school journal among graduate faculty and training directors. teaching of psychology, 39(1), 62-66. https://doi.org/10.1177%2f0098628311430316 garbati, j., & samuels, b. (2013). publishing in educational research journals: are graduate students participating?. journal of scholarly publishing, 44(4), 355-372. https://doi.org/10.3138/jsp.44-4-004 jalongo, m. r., boyer, w., & ebbeck, m. (2014). writing for scholarly publication as “tacit knowledge”: a qualitative focus group study of doctoral students in education. early pethrick et al. – emerging perspectives (2022) 5 childhood education journal, 42(4), 241-250. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-0130624-3 o'hara, l., lower-hoppe, l., & mulvihill, t. (2019). mentoring graduate students in the publishing process: making it manageable and meaningful for academics. international journal of teaching and learning in higher education, 31(2), 323-331. syeda, m., woodend, j., liu, j., & roy, s. (2020). ready to leave the nest? education graduate students' voices on publishing. international journal of teaching and learning in higher education, 32, 107-116. woodend, j., syeda, m. m., paris, b. m., ko, g., & chondros, k. (2017). how can graduate students contribute? reflections on creating a journal for and by graduate students. in p. preciado babb, l. yeworiew, & s. sabbaghan (eds.). selected proceedings of the ideas conference: leading educational change, pp. 75-83. calgary, canada: werklund school of education, university of calgary. microsoft word 72565-article text-223409-1-9-20211130.docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca adapting to the new normal during the covid-19 pandemic: innovative approaches in virtual teaching and research towards youth engagement suzie sukyoung lee, 1 didem erman, 2 and tanvir chowdhury turin2 1department of clinical neurosciences, cumming school of medicine, university of calgary 2department of family medicine, cumming school of medicine, university of calgary despite a growing number of immigrants and refugee (ir) youth, limited knowledge exists concerning the challenges that these youth face that can impact their health. we aimed to address this knowledge gap by conducting summer education programs for ir youths to increase their knowledge of health and wellness. due to the epidemic of covid-19, we transitioned to online learning, which required us to come up with creative ways to engage the students. we utilized tools including a virtual human library, simulations, and games to meaningfully engage learners. we learned that diversified and interactive learning activities are essential for participant engagement, and a virtual environment provides the opportunity to connect with diverse individuals. however, online learning may have reduced accessibility for students who do not have the suitable technology or environment. in the future, we will address this limitation by making asynchronous study materials available for students. keywords: community-capacity building, youth engagement, virtual teaching, virtual research, simulation-based learning, game-based learning, human library, immigrant and refugee youths. lee, s. s., erman, d., turin, t. c. (2021). adapting to the new normal during the covid-19 pandemic: innovative approaches and research towards youth engagement. emerging perspectives, 5(2), 23-28. the covid-19 pandemic has led to a large disruption in traditional education and research practices. as a group of students and researchers who work to empower youth in health advocacy by leading education programs and engaging in discussions with youth, it was necessary for us to transition from in-person meetings to online engagement. this paper discusses the various strategies and tools that our group has been using for facilitating an engaging online learning environment and conducting research to study the different challenges faced by immigrant and 1 sukyoung.lee@ucalgary.ca lee, erman, & turin (2021) – emerging perspectives 24 refugee youth. we discuss how different online tools were chosen and utilized to effectively engage with youth and obtain their feedback regarding what they gained from the program and how the program can be improved. we adopted three innovations – a virtual human library, simulations, and game-based learning – and delivered them using zoom, breakout rooms, powerpoint and kahoot. we hope that the findings of our paper will help individuals to build their repertoires of tools for community-engagement education and research involving youth. the program the rise (refugee and immigrant student empowerment) for health and wellness is a team of students and staff at the university of calgary whose objective is to advance immigrant and refugee health through community engagement. to do this, our team leads summer education programs every year for immigrant and refugee youths (14-18 year olds) to increase their knowledge of health and wellness. increase in health knowledge is assessed through preand postprogram surveys that asks students to report their level of understanding on specific topics in health (e.g., health research, social determinants of health, and nutrition). examples of learning activities that are typically part of the in-person summer program include a field trip to the local homeless shelter and a mini-symposium where students present their health research projects to their friends and families. we collect feedback from students and conduct a focus group with the youth participants to better learn about the impact of our program and the challenges that immigrant and refugee youth face. pandemic-related challenge and adaptations due to the suspension of in-person gatherings, our education sessions had to be delivered entirely online. this required us to come up with creative ways to engage the students. we explored and utilized a variety of virtual tools to adapt our methods of content delivery, learning activities, and learning supports that form the framework of effective teaching (oliver, 1999). in particular, we utilized simulations, human libraries, and game-based learning as tools to meaningfully engage learners by promoting conversations and collaborations that are essential for effective learning (northrup, 2002). figure 1 provides an overview of these adaptations. the sessions were carried out using zoom video conference and small breakout rooms to promote active discussion and involvement (simon, 2018). figure 1 comparison of frameworks used for in-person education sessions and virtual education sessions virtual human library lee, erman, & turin (2021) – emerging perspectives 25 one of the program objectives was to help the students understand how culture and ethnicity affect health. we aimed to introduce youth to individuals from diverse racial and professional backgrounds and create a safe discussion environment to identify stigma and biases. to do this, we facilitated a ‘human library’ (the human library organization, n.d.), whereby students heard the lived experiences of the challenges surrounding culture and race from guest speakers of different backgrounds. our guest speakers included a counsellor who works daily with immigrant and refugee families, an indigenous artist and teacher, and an immigrant medical student from africa. we stationed our speakers in individual virtual breakout rooms and students were split into the rooms, where they had the opportunity to engage with each speaker. some of the discussed topics included mind-body connection in the indigenous community, mental health in immigrant and refugee families, and challenges and benefits of the immigrant experience. after 30 minutes, students were rotated into a different room with a different speaker who shared their unique insights on the lesson topic. we felt that virtual breakout rooms worked even better than in-person for such a session because each discussion was able to take place in isolation without noise interference or the requirement of separate physical rooms. in post-session feedback forms, students reported that they learned how ‘racism can come in different shapes and forms’ and that in immigrant families, ‘it’s important to destigmatize mental health and let them know it’s ok[ay] to seek help’. simulation-based learning simulation-based learning refers to the use of simulation software, tools, and games to enrich student learning by modeling a real-life situation (aebersold, 2018). in our session that focuses on social determinants of health, we aimed to augment student understanding of the topic through experiential learning. we designed and conducted a simulation board game on powerpoint to teach about social determinants of health. the game design was inspired by the board game “the last draw straw!” (reeve et al., 2008). within small groups, each player took on a character profile with defined gender, social-economic status, and race. students were led through different scenarios and the outcomes of actions were determined by their predefined character profile. for example, a given scenario would illustrate how socioeconomics can affect exposure to accidents in a poor/rich neighborhood. after the session, one student commented that she enjoyed the game as it ‘gave insight into the many small and often forgotten ways that social determinants impact people’s lives’. figure 2 an overview of the social determinants of the health simulation game lee, erman, & turin (2021) – emerging perspectives 26 note. students gained or lost chips (movable yellow circles) based on resulting consequences which were listed on an event card. students were led through different stages of life (childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age) and different sets of event cards corresponding to each life stage. the game was prepared by suzie lee and whitney ereyi-osas. game-based learning we utilized a platform called kahoot (https://kahoot.it/) which can be used to generate gamified multiple-choice quizzes. it was used to test students’ knowledge about the lesson topic at the beginning of the session, prompt participant participation, and allow students to recognize a knowledge gap that may motivate them to focus on the lesson. we found it helpful that the platform permits students to respond anonymously, providing the opportunity for them to participate without the fear or shame of answering questions incorrectly. in addition to using a game, students were encouraged to draw and type their ideas onto the shared screen in prompting class discussions. for example, students were encouraged to circle their answers when given different choices on the screen and asked to describe the reasoning behind their answers. this gave way to interactive discussions. the annotation tool, which was built-in to zoom, was used to complement teaching because it helped students visually engage with the lecture material, provide their insights, and allowed interaction with other students. reflections on access and participation our program engages immigrant and refugee youth, and it is important for us to consider the socio-economic constraints in online teaching and learning. students may have technical constraints that may prevent them from engaging in online learning such as lack of stable internet access, or lack of conducive environment for learning at home (lapitan et al., 2021). this highlights an important concern of equity in accessibility because we may have lost willing students who no longer register or fully engage in our program. we tried to address this problem by recording and sharing the sessions for participants to access later. in the future, we will also make asynchronous teaching materials (e.g., articles, videos, and podcasts) accessible to students along with recorded sessions. participants also mentioned their need to socialize and connect with their peers during the sessions. to address their socialization needs, we will reserve time for interactive activities (i.e., sharing answers to an icebreaker question and games) that enhances meaningful engagement amongst participants. despite limitations, our virtual program showed benefits: before transitioning to online, we heard feedback from students that commuting to class for the rise program was very difficult. the transition to a virtual program eliminated the need for students to physically commute to class, which may have increased accessibility for students in general. conclusion the pandemic pushed us to adopt new ways to carry out our learning program and research. in turn, this also provided us with a valuable opportunity to explore a variety of new tools and frameworks because we were obliged to develop creative solutions to overcome the limitations of virtual teaching. we learned that diversified and interactive learning activities are essential for participant engagement, and a virtual environment provides the opportunity to connect with students and speakers from different places. students reported gaining new insights from engaging with different members of the community. when we transition back to an in-person program, we lee, erman, & turin (2021) – emerging perspectives 27 hope to incorporate the newly adapted methods of games (e.g. kahoot, jeopardy, social determinant of health game) that facilitate virtual mentorship outside of class, and to bring in diverse guest speakers to meaningfully engage students and help promote growing understandings of health and wellness. references aebersold, m. (2018). simulation-based learning: no longer a novelty in undergraduate education. online journal of issues in nursing, 23(2), 1–1. https://doi.org/10.3912/ojin.vol23no02ppt39 edmonston, b. (2016). canada’s immigration trends and patterns. canadian studies in population [archives], 43(1–2), 78–116. https://doi.org/10.25336/p64609 lapitan, l. d., jr., tiangco, c. e., sumalinog, d. a. g., sabarillo, n. s., & diaz, j. m. (2021). an effective blended online teaching and learning strategy during the covid-19 pandemic. education for chemical engineers, 35, 116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ece.2021.01.012 northrup, p. t. (2002). online learners’ preferences for interaction. quarterly review of distance education, 3(2), 219. https://www.learntechlib.org/p/95275 oliver, r. (1999). exploring strategies for online teaching and learning. distance education, 20(2), 240–254. https://doi.org/10.1080/0158791990200205 reeve, k., rossiter, k., & risdon, c. (2008). the last straw! a board game on the social determinants of health. medical education, 42(11), 1125–1126. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2008.03215.x simon, e. (2018). 10 tips for effective online discussions. educause review. https://er.educause.edu/blogs/2018/11/10-tips-for-effective-online-discussions. the human library organization. (n.d.). the human library. https://humanlibrary.org/about/ lee, erman, & turin (2021) – emerging perspectives 28 acknowledgements we would like to acknowledge and thank the past and current rise for health and wellness team members for their contributions in creating and applying the virtual adaptations – adibba adel, amira kalifa, amy chen, amy omusuku, aria ardebili, chin tan, hailey lafave, hannah yaphe, ife onabola, ini adeboye, jarrah aburezq, jovita shroff, kaitlyn paltzat, karam senjar, katherine liu, kim davarani, marisa vigna, naomie bakana, nour hassan, omar razavi, sanam sekandary, sophia lu, thompson luu, tobi souza, and whitney ereyi-osas. author note we have no known conflict of interest to disclose. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca corresponding author: summer.cowley@mail.utoronto.ca socioeconomic status, bourdieu’s capitals, and higher education attainment summer juliet cowley university of toronto attaining a degree from a higher education institution has the potential to positively affect students’ career outcomes and to enable their social mobility through the acquisition of powerful social and cultural capitals in the form of social relationships and credentials. however, the path to acquisition of these capitals varies between individuals from different demographic backgrounds. through unequal access to and participation in various k-12 schooling and extracurricular activities, students gain powerful social and cultural capital at unequal rates leading up to the transition from secondary to post-secondary schooling. through gaining different capitals via early schooling experiences, students engage with higher education in ways that are stratified by socioeconomic status. keywords: higher education, bourdieu, socioeconomic status cowley, s.j. (2020). socioeconomic status, bourdieu’s capitals, and higher education attainment. emerging perspectives, 4(2), 51-66. a country’s rate of post-secondary educational attainment by its citizens can be interpreted as an indicator of its prosperity and standard of living (bauer, schweitzer, & shane, 2006; eurostat, 2018). canada currently enjoys one of the world’s higher participation rates in postsecondary education; with 54% of canadians aged 25-64 holding some form of higher education qualifications. canada lies well above the organization for economic cooperation and development (oecd) countries’ average of 36.7% (statistics canada, 2017). the variety of higher education options available to students in canada ranges from short-term continuing education or certificate programs, through to baccalaureate and advanced university degrees (statistics canada, 2017). with a vast array of available post-secondary programs (universities canada, 2019) and with available government funding and student loans (government of canada, 2019), it may seem as though all canadians have the opportunity to enjoy improved personal success through working diligently to graduate from higher education institutions. in such a scenario, the image of higher education as a social and economic equalizer drives students and families to prioritize post-secondary schooling (marginson, 2016) in pursuit of higher salaries, higher social status, and improved long-term outcomes over the span of an individual’s life (elder, johnson, & crosnoe, 2003; marginson, 2016). with seemingly widely accessible higher education opportunities, talented and capable students from all socioeconomic cowley emerging perspectives (2020) 52 backgrounds may consider themselves poised to leverage their abilities in the pursuit of economic and social gains. however, higher education attainment is not a wholly meritocratic process but instead is strongly linked to the socioeconomic status, demographic characteristics, and economic, social, cultural, and symbolic capitals of students (e.g. davies & aurini, 2011; parekh & gaztambidefernández, 2017). in the context of readily available higher education, individuals lacking the inherited and economic capital common to the privileged children of advantaged families are able to strive for increased social and material advantage through successful completion of postsecondary programs. however, the route to and through higher education is neither as simple nor as equitable as many individuals and families might hope. individuals from historically disadvantaged groups remain disadvantaged in their pathways leading up to and moving through post-secondary schooling (davies & aurini, 2011; frempong, ma, & mensah, 2012; perry & mcconney, 2010). rather than empowering students through engagement with new intellectual challenges and broader social environments, it has been argued that current higher education systems result in the strengthening of existing social stratification and the replication of preexisting patterns of inequity in incomes (corak, 2013) and in broader society (marginson, 2016). in order to effectively address the inequities that individuals hope to remedy through higher education, researchers should consider systemic inequities that exist at earlier points in the schooling process. higher education attainment: unequal beginnings, unequal paths, unequal results in canada in particular and north america in general, children born to wealthier families from dominant linguistic, ethnic, and religious groups, and who live in affluent neighbourhoods tend to find greater success in the school system than their peers of ethnic, linguistic, and religious minorities and of lower socioeconomic classes, who live in poorer neighbourhoods (kohen, oliver, & fritz, 2009). the compounding effects of socioeconomic disadvantages on schooling success begin to accumulate in early childhood and grow through primary and secondary schooling, continuing into and through higher education (hannon, 2003; kao & thompson, 2003; maaz, trautwein, ludtke, & baumert, 2008). these effects have been seen across broad categories, with voices in the literature pointing to early childhood as a crucial moment for education in order for students to have an equitable playing field in university and college (heckman, 2011; reynolds, temple, robertson, & mann, 2001; reynolds, temple, ou, arteaga, & white, 2011). since inequities affecting early childhood are tightly bound to inequities affecting families and parents, the entirety of the systemic inequities of a society play into any student’s schooling experiences and educational success and attainment, whether positively or negatively. looking forward through students’ educational pathways, this article argues that inequities within society are not reduced by individuals’ formal schooling. rather, according to the literature cited throughout this article, the schooling process serves to reproduce and maintain the inequities of the surrounding social context through the stratified nature of k-12 schooling systems. schools in neighbourhoods of lower socioeconomic status often have fewer resources and amenities than schools in neighbourhoods of higher socioeconomic status and, perhaps more cowley emerging perspectives (2020) 53 pertinently, children living in neighbourhoods of lower socioeconomic status have lower academic achievement than those living in higher socioeconomic status ones, regardless of the presence or absence of school poverty (wodtke & parbst, 2017). from unequal beginnings, individuals experience inequities in their schooling experiences that compound over time. these inequities may be maintained due to unequal accumulations of markers denoting economic, social, cultural, and symbolic status, which are referred to as capitals (bourdieu & passeron, 1990; bourdieu, 1986). that is, the capitals that an individual bears and acquires through their life act as both markers of success and prerequisites to success, creating a causality paradox (where capitals are needed to gain capitals) that bars true social mobility (marginson, 2016). capitals and schooling consider the distribution of capitals at the moment of a person’s birth. when an individual is born, they are born into a particular country, region, city/town, and neighbourhood, to a particular family unit within a larger social milieu, within a particular culture with its various religious and cultural practices, and within an environment in which particular languages are spoken, particular jobs are worked in the local area, and older individuals serve as various positive or negative exemplars. through the lottery of birth, any individual’s positioning within society can be highly advantageous, disadvantageous, or mixed, and each individual has the duration of their life to try to position themselves as best they can into their surrounding physical, social, and mental environment in a way that they can enjoy or at least that they can bear. for individuals born into positions of economic, social, or cultural privilege, attaining a satisfying position in life is aided by the wealth of opportunity afforded to them at birth. for those born into disadvantageous positions, additional effort must be put into attaining the objective manifestations and symbolic markers of status that help their more advantaged peers to succeed. these markers of status have been described by bourdieu as capitals (bourdieu, 1986 bourdieu & passeron, 1990) and go beyond the financial definition of capital as the accumulation and measurement of monetary wealth. similar to economic capital, the other capitals are theorized to bestow advantage upon their bearers in the contexts which define them. the capitals, as outlined by bourdieu (1986; 1988) and bourdieu and passeron (1990), include economic, cultural, social, and symbolic capital. in brief, economic capital refers to money and wealth; cultural capital refers to markers of possession of rare and valued traits within a society, such as a particular rank or a particular certification; social capital refers to relationships and connections between people; and symbolic capital refers to the perceived value or power of a person through the eyes of others (bourdieu, 1986; bourdieu & passeron, 1990). the markers of status—capitals—within economic, cultural, social, and symbolic contexts, relate to the position that an individual holds within their society (bourdieu, 1986). so, social mobility appears as though it should be possible through the acquisition of diverse forms of capital. consider formal schooling: through education, individuals have the opportunity to strengthen existing skills, acquire new ones, make social connections with other individuals and groups, and eventually gain certifications and credentials that mark the successful completion of their educational program. however, individuals’ engagement with formal schooling systems and acquisition of various forms of capital may depend too heavily on the socioeconomic status and social connectedness of their families to provide equitable access to the capital-building benefits cowley emerging perspectives (2020) 54 that schooling can offer. through implicit or incidental filtering processes, students may be divided into groups based on socioeconomic status and demographic characteristics. for example, consider situations in which students can only participate in certain school and extracurricular programs if they are able to pay program fees or be available outside of the regular school-schedule. in these scenarios, school populations can become divided by possession of economic, cultural, social, and symbolic capitals. these divisions in access can result in an environment in which opportunity to acquire capitals is largely available only to those who already possess them in large amounts. now, let us consider literature that describes in greater depth the ways in which achievement-boosting capitals accrue at variable rates over time. literature pertinent to the arguments of this paper covers three major domains: k-12 schooling registration, explicit and implicit withinand between-school streaming practices, and higher education achievement and attainment. the theoretical frameworks used to analyze these phenomena include bourdieu and passeron’s (1990) framework of social reproduction and economic, social, cultural, and symbolic capitals and marginson’s (2016) framing of “the universal family desire for betterment” (p. 414) through education as driving global growth in high participation higher education systems. below, i discuss the ways in which the presence or accumulation of various forms of capital affects students’ schooling trajectories. combined, findings from these three bodies of related literature indicate that the inequalities that are present at an individual’s birth persist over time and that the achievement gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged students early in formal schooling widen as students advance through k-12 schooling and into higher education. one such process of socioeconomic stratification occurs even before children are exposed to inequitable school activities: parental choice of school for their children. unequal beginnings: families, neighbourhoods, and k-12 school choice an examination of k-12 education in canada reminds us that although education systems in canada are governed by separate provincial and territorial governments and can differ broadly between jurisdictions as a result, some general statements apply to canada’s k-12 schooling as a whole. first, elementary student school choice is often bounded by location within the province, town, or city (e.g. government of ontario, 2013) and although families may request to enroll their children into schools outside of their home neighbourhood, their acceptance into the schools may be determined via lottery, interview by school administrators, or on a first-come-first-served basis (e.g. edmonton public schools, 2013a, saskatoon public schools, 2005; vancouver school board, 2018). the matter of parental choice in school registration creates opportunities for inequitable registration patterns. when school enrollment is bound solely by location and there is no opportunity to choose a school other than the one designated by the school district, then student enrollment is dependent upon the neighbourhood in which they live. these scenarios can create a system of filtration or segregation in schools by wealth, as families’ abilities to enroll their students into particular schools is determined by their ability to afford to live in particular neighbourhoods. although scholars have noted neighbourhood effects on academic achievement (chetty, hendren, & katz, 2016; kohen, leventhal, dahinten, & mcintosh, 2008; kohen, cowley emerging perspectives (2020) 55 oliver, & pierre, 2008; wodtke, harding, & elwert, 2011), the accumulation of social capital through in-school relationship-building creates an additional form of capital accumulation outside of purely academic bounds. that is, by living in a particular neighbourhood, students build social relationships with students from the same neighbourhood and accumulate social capital along lines divided by economic capital. when families are able to choose the schools in which students are enrolled, then registration patterns may be affected by families’ differing transportation patterns for getting their children to the school (larsen et al., 2009); importance placed by the family upon specific school types (davies & aurini, 2008); and overall family beliefs about the importance of schooling and the ways in which it should take place (davies & aurini, 2011). in these scenarios, families’ hopes of improving their children’s future careers and social status through education (marginson, 2016) are, unbeknownst to the families, supported to varying degrees depending on the ways that the families interpret and address the matter of engagement with their children’s formal schooling. for families who are aware of the significance placed by others on particular types of schools and school programs, it may be more obvious which types of schools and which types of school programs would best help them to achieve an advantageous position. for families who recognize the significance of education but are unaware of the nuances that others around them may see in school choice, the relative advantages of their children’s school may be largely left to chance. through lack of knowledge regarding the school environments and programs that may confer greater social, academic, cultural and symbolic capital advantages on their children, parents may miss opportunities for their children to build their stores of the various capitals and be perceived more favourably by others as they progress through formal schooling. after the issue of registration in a school is addressed, analysis of the unequal paths through k-12 schooling can begin with questions of how school administrators, teachers, and staff perceive students and interpret their interests, behaviours, and abilities, and how those perceptions can result in student streaming. unequal pathways: withinand between-school streaming streaming, in the context of k-12 education, describes processes by which students are separated into groups based on school assessments of academic and social characteristics (schroeter & james, 2015). also known as tracking, streaming has been criticized as subjective and biased (gaztambide-fernández, saifer, & desai, 2013; tsuchida, 2016). these streaming practices, which have led to different secondary schooling preparation for students from different socioeconomic classes, ethnicities, and genders (chmielewski, 2015), may lead to different exposure to concepts, training, instructors, peer groups, and most damningly, different expectations of career and post-secondary futures (gaztambidefernández et al, 2013; schroeter & james, 2015). for example, when high-achieving students are streamed into classrooms with peers of similar ability levels, they tend to receive higher grades than before they were streamed while their peers streamed into a non-academic designation do not, resulting in an increase in the achievement gaps between students streamed into academic and non-academic streams (johnston & wildy, 2016). similarly, students in the academic stream in ontario in grades 9 and 10 take university-level courses in the last grades of high school, while their peers in the applied stream cowley emerging perspectives (2020) 56 enroll in college-level courses, setting students from each stream along different academic pathways (brown, 2010; parekh, 2013). here, the issue of streaming broadens the discussion of the relationship of socioeconomics to higher education attainment and adds the spectre of gender and race-based discrimination. the effects of streaming, however, are not agreed upon in education literature. between-school streaming is described as subsidiary to neighbourhood effects on student achievement (wodtke & parbst, 2017) and, conversely, as perpetuating inequality (betts, 2011). similarly, schroeter and james (2015) found that, regardless of school administrators’ best intentions in streaming students to provide language-background-specific instruction, separating students into groups can have unwanted negative impacts on students’ self-perception and on students’ perceptions of the school. however, when comparing the effects of withinand between-school streaming and course-by-course tracking in 14 countries and regions across europe and asia, chmielewski, dumont, and trautwein (2013) found that students’ self-concept of academic ability varied depending on the type of streaming/tracking environment they were placed in. within canada specifically−and according to the scholars cited above−streaming is not currently well-received. within the canadian context, the effects of streaming are described in bleak terms. in studies focused on first nations students, racial bias was found to frequently result in inaccurate placement of first nations students into non-academic or general streams (galabuzi 2014; riley & ungerleider, 2011). in the ontario public school system, teacher and family attitudes towards streaming have been recorded as largely negative, with participants displeased with their impressions that race, gender, and socioeconomic class are more predictive of where students are streamed than is academic ability (kinon, 2016). in toronto, where fogliato (2017) and tsuchida (2016) echoed arguments from broader contexts that streaming can negatively impact student self-perception (riley & ungerleider, 2011; rubie-davies et al., 2010; schroeter & james, 2015), the toronto district school board (tdsb) has begun to enact de-streaming processes (toronto district school board, 2018). de-streaming processes described by the tdsb include a move away from separate classes for students “generally identified with the exceptionalities of learning disability, autism, language impairment or mild intellectual disability” (toronto district school board, 2009, p. 2) and the inclusion of those students into “the regular class at their neighbourhood school” (toronto district school board, 2013b, p. 12). through de-streaming, it is hoped that social inequalities made worse by inequitable streaming processes might be remedied. however, with the continued existence of specialty programs across public schools in canada, family and student self-selection into particular pathways through k-12 schooling goes on. whether through student choice or parent advocacy, students continue to be divided through programming participation in which students of higher socioeconomic status and in the hegemonic majority are overrepresented in academic and “elite” programs (parekh & gaztambidefernández, 2016). in a context of inequitable student streaming, the potential for loss and gain of various capitals is high. when streamed into a high-status group, a student may experience an increase in societally-valued academic and social capital, while another student streamed into a different, lower-status group may experience the opposite. separate from the symbolic and social capital at stake when gaining membership into one or another group through streaming, individual students cowley emerging perspectives (2020) 57 will be exposed to different content, instructional styles, instructors, and peers (kalogrides & loeb, 2013). through exposure to these differing phenomena students in different streams at school will find themselves acquiring different social, cultural, and symbolic capitals than their peers in different streams (galabuzi, 2014). to understand the ways in which the capitals held by students affect the outcome of streaming decisions, teachers’ judgments of students’ abilities must be considered. although parental expectations of students (rubie-davies et al., 2010) and involvement in schools (altschul, 2010) have been found to influence student outcomes and experiences at school, decisions to stream students are often catalysed by teacher judgments (glock, krolakschwerdt,klapproth, & böhmer, 2013; kalogrides & loeb, 2013). studies of the relationships between the various capitals and teacher expectations of academic achievement have emphasized the need for acknowledgment of the impact on streaming decisions of teachers’ implicit biases against students who are not members of the dominant ethnic, religious, or cultural groups (riley & ungerleider, 2012; smaller, 2014; van den bergh, denessen, hornstra, voeten, & holland, 2010). when implicit biases are seen as related to perceptions of the economic, social, cultural, and symbolic capitals held by another, they can be interpreted as affecting the acquisition of capital and as powerful factors in students’ eventual educational achievement and attainment. unequal results: higher education entry and attainment finally, by the time the application window for post-secondary institutions opens for students in their final year of high school, the window for effective intervention and practical assistance programs has already begun to close. for groups of students who have been historically disadvantaged or underrepresented in higher education attendance, support programs are most powerful when they take place well in advance of the application process itself, as in the college horizons program for native american students detailed in keene (2018). in addition to practical aid, early support may help to combat self-stratification, a process whereby high achieving students from lower socioeconomic classes may choose not to apply to higherranked institutions, removing themselves from the competition before it begins (kao & thompson, 2003; marginson, 2016). in fact, the choice to pursue higher education in canada has been found to vary with ethnicity (abada, hou, & ram, 2008; abada & tenkorang, 2009a; gordon & white, 2014), socioeconomic status (caro, 2009), urban versus rural residence (newbold & brown, 2015), gender (abada & tenkorang, 2009a), and language background (grayson, 2009). given the economic, social, cultural, and symbolic capitals apparent in the diverse characteristics associated with differences in canadian higher education attainment, it would be prudent to reflect upon how capitals play into higher education attendance and attainment. higher education enrollment and attainment are related to the family and parental capitals of students, which are often comorbid with socioeconomic status and demographic characteristics. the importance placed upon higher education by families in canada and the kinds of higher education that are accessed varies, often dependent upon students’ own demographic characteristics and on those of parents. abada and tenkorang (2009a), for example, found that educational attainment of female children of immigrants into canada is cowley emerging perspectives (2020) 58 more strongly tied to their mothers’ education, whereas male children’s attainment was tied to a self-identified sense of ethnic ancestry. these connections between higher education attainment and parent and family capitals suggest the significance of social and cultural forces similar to those noted by grayson (2009), who found that ethnic and language background relate to students’ university grade point averages (gpas), with canadian-born anglophones achieving generally higher gpas and korean, black, and south asian students generally lower. the family capitals implicit in students’ socioeconomic status, ethnicity, gender, immigration status, language background, and educational achievement highlight the importance of recognizing the ways in which formal schooling is not meritocratic. although individual students and their families may desire social mobility through educational attainment (marginson, 2016), their achievement, to a certain extent, may be hindered by the characteristics of their parents or families (picot & hou, 2012; sen & clemente, 2010)—factors entirely outside of students’ control. higher education attainment levels and their connection to socioeconomic status and demographic characteristics are the final set of circumstances in this discussion of the inequitable pathways from birth through schooling. although completing higher levels of university education may provide some economic status gains in canada (statistics canada, 2013), this improvement of career outcomes through education is not equally accessible across socioeconomic status or ethnicity. in their analysis of data from 42,476 survey respondents from diverse backgrounds in canada, abada and tenkorang (2009) found that race was related to enrollment in or completion of higher education, with south asian and chinese individuals the most likely to obtain a university degree, and with black respondents “25% less likely than whites to be in university rather than high school or community college” (p. 195). writing on differences between people from different ethnic groups in education and career outcomes in canada, kunz, schetagne, and milan (2001) found that “regardless of education, non-racialized groups still fare the best in terms of employment. on a national as well as regional level, nonracialized groups had the lowest unemployment rate, especially if they had a university education” (p. 18). in a study of individuals who attended post-secondary schooling, bastedo and jacquette (2010) found that while the number of students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds to attend higher education increased significantly from 1972 to 2004, growth “is concentrated in community colleges and non-competitive 4-year institutions” (p. 326). similarly, when looking at longitudinal survey data from 12,376 students in the united states, walpole (2003) found that “low ses students have lower incomes, lower levels of educational attainment, and lower levels of educational aspirations than their peers from higher social strata nine years after college entry” (walpole, 2003, p. 263). in such a situation, it may seem that little hope can be offered to families and individual students in canada with an interest in upward social mobility. individual mobility, as discussed above, is hampered by inequitable accumulations of various capitals through life; and intergenerational mobility, though present, is not agreed upon as a strong or weak force (aydemir, chen, & corak, 2009; pfeffer, 2008; sen & clemente, 2010). to address unequal educational attainment, one must consider the roots of the inequities faced by students and look beyond the short timeframe in which students apply to and register in higher education institutions. cowley emerging perspectives (2020) 59 unequal ranges of opportunity: possible interventions several large and small-scale early interventions might offer some aid. these interventions could include early childhood education and k-12 outreach; subsidized high-status extracurricular programs (e.g. hockey, gymnastics, dance); termination of streaming/tracking in k-12 education; and mandatory teacher training coursework addressing social stratification in society and in schooling. let us consider the potential impact of each of these attempts to mediate the unequal distribution of the capitals throughout society and their corresponding shortcomings. outreach first, consider outreach programs in early childhood education and k-12 schooling. programs focused on increasing academic achievement for students with lower socioeconomic statuses (e.g. abc headstart, 2018) may enable these individuals to develop academic capabilities (e.g. phillips, gormley, & anderson, 2016) and to benefit from high-expectation schooling environments. however, given that parents must take action to seek out such programs and enrol their children in them, these programs may require connections to parental-education programs. high-status activities certain extracurricular activities in canadian schools, such as hockey, are expensive, creating a de facto filtration system by socioeconomic class. participation in activities such as hockey and other organized sports may confer social, cultural, and symbolic capital. subsidizing such programs has the opportunity to provide students with lower socioeconomic statuses or from groups outside of the hegemonic majority with capital-building experiences, expectations, and relationships (holt, kingsley, tink, & sherer, 2011). on the other hand, continued valorization of elite activities such as hockey perpetuates the value system of the hegemonic majority while doing nothing to raise the capital that can be accrued through participation in other cultural activities. terminating streaming putting an end to streaming/tracking practices in canadian k-12 schools and to the corresponding separation of students by perceived ability provides the same classroom environments for all students and the same access to capital-building experiences (parekh & gaztambide-fernández, 2017). nonetheless, with family choice in specialty program registration still available, the possibility for student division into in-group and out-group will continue. teacher training since inequity for students begins in early childhood, with access to educational services and access to teachers with strong skills and high expectations, the field of education should turn to teacher and administrator training in the k-12 systems within canada as sites for potential intervention. by providing teacher candidates instruction on the deleterious effects of social stratification and its reproduction in education systems, small steps might be taken towards cowley emerging perspectives (2020) 60 building more equitable school and higher education experiences for canada’s youth (reifer & davis, 2011). this suggests the significance of educational foundations aspects of teacher education, in which philosophical, historical, and potentially political content is made integral to teacher training. shortcomings of the interventions overall, these potential interventions have the possibility to improve educational experiences for students from underserved populations. however, various pitfalls in each intervention exist. most notable in the current ontario education context, the movement towards de-streaming is fundamentally flawed in that it removes some of the opportunity for individualized support for students who benefit greatly from advanced academic placement or targeted remedial skill building. noting this flaw, the toronto district school board (2018), although it supports de-streaming processes in general, “[does] not recommend phasing out gifted programs” (p. 11). although speciality programs exist that focus on the delivery of specific programs−such as french immersion, advanced placement, fine arts (toronto district school board, 2014)−the onus to become aware of and enrol in these program is placed on parents and families (toronto district school board, 2018, p. 12). as de-streaming moves towards a general model of education, students who require either more challenging material or more structured support may be underserved by “one-size-fits-all” school programming. another notable downside of interventions aimed at increasing access to high-status capital-building activities and organizations is that this method does not attempt to change the kinds of capitals that are valued in broader society. teacher training as an intervention, for example, ignores the larger problem of systemic inequities in broader society and widespread discriminatory processes and practices faced by groups. nonetheless, given that teacher assessment of student capabilities can affect student streaming decisions where streaming exists (glock et al., 2013; kalogrides & loeb, 2013), and given the significance of implicit biases to children’s academic achievement (riley & ungerleider, 2012; smaller, 2014; van den bergh et al., 2010), interventions aimed at teachers’ perceptions of students have the possibility of creating more equitable outcomes for the students in their care. conclusion there are vast numbers of students who participate in higher education in canada (skolnik, 2018) but the levels at which they participate are stratified by a variety of factors, including gender, race, and socioeconomic class (krahn & taylor, 2005). before students begin to choose the schools to which they want to apply, their perceptions of where they best fit in the higher education system have already been shaped by the expectations of their family, k-12 teachers, and peers (marginson, 2016). despite variable success rates for individuals from minoritized (non-dominant) and hegemonic majority (dominant) groups, the range of opportunities for each group of students appears to be unevenly distributed. with the possible interventions and their corresponding shortcomings that have been discussed above, the appropriate direction seems unclear. given the “chicken-or-the-egg” problem of needing capitals to build capitals, it seems likely that a two-tiered (at minimum) cowley emerging perspectives (2020) 61 confrontation of inequity is required. beginning with groups and individuals of lower socioeconomic status or outside of the hegemonic majority, greater higher education attainment and greater benefit from higher education attainment may be pursued through strategic participation in school and extracurricular programming. by this means, upward social mobility can be envisioned as a process of scaling a high mountain through preparing for the obstacles that lie ahead and choosing the best teammates with which to make that climb. this method of addressing inequity takes a deficit approach to the situation and aims at increasing highly valued social, cultural, and symbolic capital markers to achieve the betterment to which marginson (2016) refers. in opposition to this analogy of climbing a single steep mountain, a twinned approach involves looking to other heights to be climbed and elevating the symbolic value of different characteristics and experiences and the capitals that they can confer. in this scenario, rather than accepting the value of the capitals of the hegemonic majority and trying to train to gain those capitals, students, families, and groups can advocate for the value of the social, symbolic, and cultural capitals of something that builds capitals separate from those of the current majority. although it seems likely that neither of these approaches alone will solve the problems of inequity in formal schooling and higher education attainment discussed here, a slow movement of broad societal perceptions may 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(2017). neighborhoods, schools, and academic achievement: a formal mediation analysis of contextual effects on reading and mathematics abilities. demography, 54(5), 1653–1676. wodtke, g. t., harding, d. j., & elwert, f. (2011). neighborhood effects in temporal perspective: the impact of long-term exposure to concentrated disadvantage on high school graduation. american sociological review, 76(5), 713–736. higher education attainment: unequal beginnings, unequal paths, unequal results capitals and schooling unequal beginnings: families, neighbourhoods, and k-12 school choice unequal pathways: withinand between-school streaming unequal results: higher education entry and attainment unequal ranges of opportunity: possible interventions outreach high-status activities terminating streaming teacher training shortcomings of the interventions conclusion references manners & coombs, 2024 (d).docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca editorial: designing for digital futures emily coombs* & arushi manners university of calgary the global pandemic catalyzed a transformative shift in education, exposing the fragility and resilience of traditional systems as institutions rapidly pivoted to digital platforms. in designing for digital futures, this editorial examines this abrupt transition's lessons, challenges, and opportunities. drawing on insights from multiple contributors, it explores how integrating technology, including artificial intelligence, can reshape education while addressing persistent issues of equity, inclusion, and academic integrity. the editorial highlights various articles that delve into decision-making frameworks in faith-based and higher education institutions, the ethical dimensions of digital citizenship, and the evolving landscape of assessment and feedback practices. it also emphasizes the importance of centring indigenous knowledge systems and decolonizing digital education. through diverse perspectives, the edition invites reflection on how digital tools can enhance learning and foster more adaptive, inclusive, and human-centred educational environments. this collection challenges us to reimagine the future of education, where technology and tradition coexist to create equitable and dynamic learning ecosystems. keywords: digital education, equity, inclusion, post pandemic, innovation coombs, e., & manner, a. (2024). designing for digital futures. emerging perspectives special edition: designing for digital futures, 7(1), 1–4. the global pandemic reshaped education in ways previously unimaginable. with classrooms closed and institutions pivoting to digital platforms almost overnight, the crisis became an opportunity for transformation. this sudden shift revealed both the fragility and resilience of traditional education systems. as we emerge into a post-pandemic world, pressing questions remain: will education revert to its old forms, or can it embrace the innovations born from necessity to craft a more adaptive, inclusive, and dynamic future? designing for digital futures is a special edition born out of these reflections. it examines the lessons learned, the ongoing challenges, and the potential of digital learning and teaching. the pandemic forced educators and learners to reimagine education in real time, *emily.coombs@ucalgary.ca wang & walsh/ emerging perspectives (2020) 2 sparking critical conversations around the role of technology, the integration of artificial intelligence (ai), and the enduring challenges of equity, inclusion, and academic integrity. as theorists like illich (1971) envisioned decades ago, technology has immense potential to decentralize and democratize education. yet, as digital platforms become ubiquitous, there is a risk of replicating existing inequities rather than dismantling them (selwyn, 2016). this edition addresses these tensions by exploring how education can evolve as an adaptive system that balances tradition with innovation, equity with accessibility, and human connection with technological advancement. contributors in this collection delve into the intersections of technology, equity, and creativity, offering nuanced perspectives on what a reimagined educational landscape might look like. together, their voices invite us to understand education not as a static system but as an evolving ecosystem that responds to the challenges and opportunities of a digital world. one article explores decision-making in online catholic education through the lens of communities of faithful inquiry (cofi). by investigating the factors that shape lms selection, this piece highlights how faith-based institutions navigate digital platforms to meet both pedagogical and spiritual goals. another examines the complex interplay of policy and practice in higher education, providing key considerations for blended and online learning policy development. these contributions demonstrate how decision-making frameworks and institutional priorities shape the digital learning experience. an article discussing academic integrity and digital citizenship centers on the ethical dimensions of digital learning. drawing on post-secondary teaching experiences, the authors examine how open digital tools, such as discussion boards, can foster thoughtful learning while addressing the challenges of diverse student cohorts. by emphasizing accessible design, norming practices, and ethical engagement, this piece aligns with frameworks for digital literacy that prioritize citizenship and independent thinking (ribble, 2011). the special issue also critically addresses equity in assessment and feedback practices. the pandemic exacerbated inequities in ontario’s k-12 system, challenging traditional grading methods. one article advocates for a compassionate, holistic approach using data wang & walsh/ emerging perspectives (2020) 3 triangulation—observation, conversation, and student products—to prioritize feedback and student agency over rigid grading systems. similarly, another article investigates assessment literacy among teachers in confucian cultural contexts, offering insights into how cultural values shape online learning environments. another contribution introduces an innovative approach to navigating academic disciplines through hyperlinked, visual-spatial digital maps. using tools like the learning discourses map, the article demonstrates how hypermedia can foster a relational and dynamic understanding of knowledge, moving beyond traditional textbooks to create accessible and interconnected academic landscapes (azevedo & witherspoon, 2009; sawyer, 2022). the lived experiences of students also feature prominently in this issue. one article focuses on racialized students in postsecondary online classrooms, exploring how digital spaces can act as safe environments where students control their visibility, reducing microaggressions and fostering belonging. these findings emphasize the importance of creating inclusive digital and in-person spaces that advance equity, diversity, and inclusion (edi) initiatives (ahmed, 2012; nasir et al., 2012). additionally, a brazilian case study highlights how digital technologies were leveraged to strengthen school-family partnerships during the pandemic, illustrating the importance of collaborative, culturally responsive practices. indigenous perspectives add a crucial dimension to this collection. two articles explore how educational technology intersects with decolonization and land-based learning. they emphasize the importance of centring indigenous knowledge systems and practices in digital education, presenting models that honour relational and place-based approaches to learning. together, these contributions—highlighted here and many others—invite readers to envision a future where digital tools not only enhance learning but also address systemic inequities and drive meaningful innovation. they challenge us to critically examine the intersection of tradition and technology, urging the design of educational systems that are equitable, adaptive, and profoundly human. as selwyn (2021) aptly reminds us, the future of education extends beyond merely adopting new technologies; it is about reimagining the possibilities for learning, teaching, and inclusion. wang & walsh/ emerging perspectives (2020) 4 references ahmed, s. (2012). on being included: racism and diversity in institutional life. duke university press. azevedo, r., & witherspoon, a. m. (2009). self-regulated learning with hypermedia. in d. h. jonassen & s. m. land (eds.), theoretical foundations of learning environments (2nd ed., pp. 171–210). routledge. earl, l. (2003). assessment as learning: using classroom assessment to maximize student learning. corwin press. illich, i. (1971). deschooling society. harper & row. nasir, n. s., rosebery, a. s., warren, b., & lee, c. d. (2012). learning as a cultural process. in k. r. sawyer (ed.), the cambridge handbook of the learning sciences (2nd ed., pp. 489–504). cambridge university press. ribble, m. (2011). digital citizenship in schools: nine elements all students should know. iste. sawyer, r. k. (2022). the cambridge handbook of the learning sciences (3rd ed.). cambridge university press. selwyn, n. (2016). education and technology: key issues and debates. bloomsbury publishing. selwyn, n. (2021). should robots replace teachers? ai and the future of education. polity. emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca corresponding author: shannon.dames@viu.ca why are you thriving when i’m barely surviving? an exploration of personal resiliency factors that enable novice nurses to thrive shannon dames vancouver island university despite exposure to similar workplace stressors, some novice nurses manage to thrive while others experience high levels of emotional exhaustion and burnout. this qualitative research study of eight novice nurses from british columbia, canada explored the interplay of personal resiliency factors that enable nurses to thrive in their nursing roles. the study outcomes demonstrate that personal resiliency factors play a significant role in how the novice nurse participants interpreted workplace stimuli, either as challenges they felt confident to navigate, or as threatening stressors. the most prominent personal resiliency factors that impacted the novice nurses’ ability to thrive included congruence, self-compassion, self-efficacy, and the resulting ability to navigate workplace stressors. personal resiliency impacts the ability to navigate the stressors endemic in many novice nurse work environments. study results underscore the importance of resilience education for nurses in training and ongoing support as they cross the threshold into professional practice. dames, s. (2020). why are you thriving when i’m barely surviving? an exploration of personal resiliency factors that enable novice nurses to thrive. emerging perspectives, 4(2), 16-35. nursing culture is well-known for toxic work environments (jacobs & kyzer, 2010), and international research trends that span over a decade show that most novice nurses experience severe levels of emotional exhaustion from job conflicts and stress (cho, spence laschinger, & wong, 2006; laschinger, borgogni, consiglio, & read, 2015; mckenna, smith, poole, & coverdale, 2003; parker, giles, lantry, & mcmillan, 2014). as discussed in leiter, price, and spence-laschinger’s (2010) research on the topic, the workplace, where novice nurses begin their journey into professional practice, can be an emotional battlefield with stressors that can have significant adverse physical and mental health impacts on workers. for this study, personal resiliency is the culmination of biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors that intertwine to determine how one responds to stimuli and specifically, whether one perceives the stimuli as a manageable challenge or a threatening stressor (southwick, bonanno, masten, panter-brick, & yehuda, 2014). besides the steep personal cost of burnout, the emotional demand on nurses has a wider impact on team morale and when nurses succumb to burnout, there are financial costs to fill resulting vacancies (rush, adamack, & gordon, 2013). some nurses will change work settings, some will leave the profession altogether, and many remain working in a burned-out condition dames emerging perspectives (2020) 17 (currie & carr hill, 2012; lavoie-tremblay, o’brien-pallas, gelinas, desforges, & marchionni, 2008). in terms of scope, research suggests the stressors leading to burnout may begin in the undergraduate experience, with nurses who were already experiencing feelings of burnout before entering the profession being at significantly higher risk of leaving their position after only 10 to 15 months (rudman & gustavsson, 2012). based on an integrative review by reyes, andrusyszyn, iwasiw, forchuk, and babenko-mould (2015), when students experience ongoing stress, it erodes their ability to cope. as a result, it impacts wellbeing and academic performance, and puts them at a higher likelihood of leaving the profession altogether. for nursing students, when ineffective coping is ongoing, their well-being and academic performance deteriorates, causing some to leave the program (wells, as cited in reyes et al., 2015). nurses and those in training face compounding stressors as they deal not only with the academic workload, but highly stressful practicums and culture shock. they are faced with several endemically stressful factors such as the harshness of nursing culture, direct and ongoing exposure to death and suffering, fears of making mistakes, and fears of not being deemed good enough in the eyes of faculty and senior nurses. those who have more resiliency, reflected by greater sense of coherence and congruence, are likely to be better able to buffer stressors, setting them up for an ability to manage similar challenges as they cross the threshold into professional practice. the study provides a greater understanding of how personal resiliency factors affect novice nurses’ perception and management of stress and the resulting ability to engage in selfactualizing activity in their newly acquired professional role. because early career burnout has several ripple effects related to morale, a steep financial burden of replacing those who leave the profession, and ultimately patient care, interweaving resiliency as a core component in caregiver education is a worthy and necessary investment. theoretical background the theoretical framework that informed the interview questions, data analysis, and the lens through which the results were interpreted centred on the work of abraham maslow’s theory of unmet needs (1943) and carl rogers’ concept of congruence (1959). maslow and rogers’ work centred on one’s ability to self-actualize. self-actualization relates to the degree that one fully develops one’s personal potential, which is a significant factor in the ability to engage in thriving (coon, mitterer, & martini, 2017). while rogers’ (1959) concept of congruence and maslow’s (1943) theory of unmet needs are not formally linked, they are implicitly aligned. congruence relates to one’s inner connection and ability to authentically selfexpress, and maslow’s work around self-actualization relates to the ability to express one’s unique talents and passions. the self-actualizing process centres on the ability to engage with life from an authentic or congruent place (rogers, 1959). thriving and self-actualization both share definitions using similar descriptors. for example, those who are thriving feel alive, full of energy, and optimistic about their progress or learning (mortier, vlerick, & clays, 2016; porath, spreitzer, gibson, & garnett, 2012). to illustrate this point further, stock (2017) performed a study that asked 12 registered nurses how they defined thriving. the study found that meaning was the most valued characteristic, which dames emerging perspectives (2020) 18 encompasses the idea that life demands are worthy of engagement and their degree of motivation to succeed. secondarily, manageability was the next most significant characteristic. manageability is the felt sense that the novice nurse has adequate resources to cope. finally, though participants refer to comprehensibility the least, it was still significant. this short list of characteristics aligns with my theoretical framework, which also addresses meaning, manageability, and comprehensibility as factors that influence engagement in self-actualization. a characteristic of self-actualization is the subconscious need to achieve, which rogers (1951) articulated as “one basic tendency and striving to actualize, maintain, and enhance the experiencing organism” (p. 487). the self-actualizing process centres on the ability to engage with life from an authentic or congruent place (rogers, 1959). relating to authentic living, rowen (2015) described it as an honouring of the intertwining connection of the mind, body, and spirit, whereby one takes ownership of their life and feels motivated to participate in life fully. one’s internal compass guides them, whereby they see the world and actions in the world through their eyes, rather than the eyes of others (rowan, 2015). it enables them to reach a level of fulfilment that transitions them from looking at their needs to the needs of others (starcher, 2006). conversely, when motivated by a role ascribed to them by others, they act from an obligation to gain approval and become consumed with having their own needs met. the ability to self-actualize relates to one’s degree of congruence (rogers, 1959). numerous critiques have addressed maslow’s hierarchy of needs (bouzenita & boulanouar, 2016). many take issue with the theory’s assumed universal application, finding it western-centric, individualist, and atheistic (bouzenita & boulanouar, 2016). to address the atheistic concerns, for this study, we acknowledged spirituality as a component in one’s felt ability to belong and to achieve a sense of unconditional positive regard. the focus is on the common human needs as a group, rather than a linear prioritization of the needs. in terms of the ability to engage in thriving, unmet primary needs will distract if not disable us from thriving. until they address the felt unmet need, getting lost in self-actualizing activity is limited. learning to thrive: a core component of caregiver education understanding resiliency factors will better inform nursing students as they develop their skills and abilities in the post-secondary setting, providing an opportunity to bolster their personal resiliency assets. in a survey study of 421 nursing students across canada and australia (rees et al., 2016), researchers found that resilience had a significant correlation with mindfulness, self-efficacy, coping abilities, and burnout scores. those with higher resilience were less likely to have symptoms of burnout (rees et al., 2016). highlighting these important assets in the post-secondary environment and providing the tools and time to develop and integrate them is an important if not imperative strategy to address early career burnout. resilience education prior to crossing the threshold to professional practice could potentially buffer novice nurses from stressors endemic in the field, stemming the tide of early career burnout. to do so, we must broaden our reach, using a strengths-based approach as we stretch back to the personal assets that exist before coming into nursing school, enabling students to build upon their current assets, and to take hold of development opportunities in their training, providing a robust foundation as they move into their careers. dames emerging perspectives (2020) 19 congruence carl rogers’ (1959) concept of congruence between the real and ideal provides further insights into the needs of novice nurses as it is a primary indicator of their likelihood to engage in the self-actualizing process. one’s degree of incongruence is dependent on how far apart the perceived real self and the ideal self are. these incongruences affect decision-making because one may do things to please others, rather than satisfying their needs. furthermore, those that have a greater discrepancy between the real and the ideal will be more at risk for maladjustment, resulting in feelings of shame and dissatisfaction. rogers (1959) suggested that for a person to achieve congruence, they require an environment that provides them with unconditional positive regard. much like a tree that will not flourish without sunlight and water, one needs a nurturing space for authenticity, which promotes the experience of feeling known and accepted (bryan, lindo, anderson-johnson, & weaver, 2015). these nurturing spaces result in one’s ability to naturally engage in the self-actualizing process (rogers, 1959). conversely, when experiences occur within a perceived relationship of conditional regard, people are more likely to prioritize the opinions and values of others above their own, leading to further incongruence (rogers, 1986). this same premise also applies to work relationships where novice nurses feel free being authentic and as a result, engage in selfactualization as a novice nurse. incongruence in nursing a common stressor reported in the literature is the incongruence evident within the power struggles which exist between novice nurses and experienced nurses. the novices often report scrutiny that causes them to further doubt their competencies and innate way of being, which causes many to assimilate, contributing to the dysfunction (pearson & porath, 2012). furthermore, adding to the pressure to belong, griffin (2004) found that there was pressure to keep pace and prove their competency, but based on their novice nature they had not gained the efficiencies to do so. the result of not earning the approval and respect of more experienced nurses is emotional insecurity and a potential barrier to ascertaining more favourable schedules and nursing roles (griffin, 2004). refusing to acknowledge otherness, including differing levels of self-efficacy, is the fuel that sustains the homogenization within many nursing cultures (palmer, zajonc, & scribner, 2010). maintaining a positive social self and gaining peer acceptance is a fundamental part of the human condition (dickerson, gruenewald, & kemeny, 2009) and is highly relevant to novice nurses who feel compelled to earn the acceptance of senior nurses. based on this primal need to belong they are then vulnerable to shaming that occurs as a motivator to assimilate into the established culture (adamson & clark, 1999). those that argue for acceptance of diversity become vulnerable to scrutiny and those that assimilate often feel incongruent as a result. adding to the pressures of cultural incongruences, the binary ways of thinking and the heavy focus on ideals in nursing school promotes tendencies toward individual incongruence/perfectionism; as a result, high levels of anxiety and depression are commonplace when the real context cannot accommodate the ideals (jahromi, naziri, & barzegar, 2012). perfectionism is not always negative as it is often a motivating factor to complete work and dames emerging perspectives (2020) 20 produce the best possible product. however, extreme perfectionism and socially prescribed perfectionism in particular, can create toxically stressful environments for those who do not fit neatly into the status quo. these health effects correlate with fears of criticism and failure, which when left unaddressed can lead to burnout (chang, 2012; sevlever & rice, 2010). relating perfectionism to emotional management, when extreme, it leads to dissociation from emotions, characterized by ignoring or internalizing fears of worthlessness, shame, and failure. this habitually defensive way of being will result in an overall lower tolerance for exposure to stress (petersson, perseius, & johnsson, 2014). cultural and personal incongruence is a breeding ground for frequent feelings of dissonance, shame, and anxiety in the workplace. what is lacking in the literature is a robust account of what and how development assets interplay to buffer nurses from the stressors that are endemic in nursing workplaces. the study this paper presents one part, the personal resiliency components, of a whole study on multiple factors of interplay. the overarching purpose of the study was to gain an understanding of how previous life experiences, the post-secondary experience, and workplace contexts interplay to enable or disable engagement in the process of self-actualization within the first year of nursing practice. the research sub-question addressed in this paper is: how might personal resiliency factors enable or disable the ability to thrive/self-actualize in the workplace? the exploration of this question can inform and encourage educators and students to focus on opportunities to develop personal resiliency assets within the post-secondary setting. design guided by a merriam’s (2014) basic qualitative research methodology, i used semistructured interviews to explore the perspectives of new graduate nurses. i interviewed each participant three times, which provided an opportunity to deepen understandings and validate my interpretations of the data. additionally, this approach encouraged reflection and discourse with the aim of uncovering patterns and meaning within the interplay between context and the experience of stress in the workplace. i then analyzed and interpreted the data, documenting meaning that arose through the descriptions used by participants and the connections they made between their experiences. the data collection, analysis, and the interpretation of results were viewed through the lens of the theoretical framework, which was underpinned by maslow’s theory of unmet needs (1943) and rogers’ concept of congruence (1959). participants as illustrated in table 1, eight novice nurses were recruited for the study via a third-party website available to all british columbian registered nurses. eight participants were initially enrolled, with others on a wait list, ready to enrol if more were needed to reach data saturation. the purpose of keeping the study small was to focus on depth, to probe into the interplay between factors, as opposed to identifying a wide breadth of factors with a larger sample size. participant eligibility was based on having worked in the field for more than six months, but less dames emerging perspectives (2020) 21 than two years. they had to reside in a location that was feasible to meet for interviews with a preference for those who resided on vancouver island. participants were chosen based on a first come first serve basis. the first eight that signed the informed consent were approved for the study and all eight of them remained in the study until completion. all participants were all female, born and raised in canada, identified as caucasian, were working as registered nurses in british columbia and were under 40 years of age. table 1 summary of profile data of study participants (p) p mo. of work site age fulltime has children thriving at work (most times) childcentred upbringing mh dx in past * childhood trauma ** introvert in high stimulus context goal to leave position mary (1) 9 mh 31 yes yes yes no yes yes no no jessica (2) 12 acute 30 yes yes yes yes yes no yes yes tabitha (3) 12 or 37 no yes yes no no yes no no rhonda (4) 12 acute 25 yes no no no no yes yes yes sarah (5) 12 acute 25 yes no no yes yes yes no no candice (6) 12 acute 29 yes no yes yes yes yes no no janice (7) 12 acute 28 yes no yes yes no no yes yes cherie (8) 10 lc 25 no no no yes no yes yes yes note. thriving at work most days relates to feeling congruent and able to engage in the self-actualizing process at work on a regular basis. mh= mental health, lc = long-term care, or = operating room, dx = diagnosis, mo=months *includes a history of addiction to drugs/alcohol. **self-ascribed traumatic event, defined as an event(s) that was pivotal in their childhood development with lingering effects of depression or anxiety into their adult years. data collection as per the guidelines of merriam’s (2014) basic qualitative research design and adhering to the guiding principles, data was collected in the summer of 2017 using three 60-90 minute semi-structured and iterative interviews with each participant. each interview was recorded and transcribed. the first interview was focused on inducing knowledge by exploring participant perceptions surrounding their ability to thrive/self-actualize at work and the primary influencing factors that enabled and disabled them from engaging in self-actualizing activities. subsequent interviews continued to explore, inducing knowledge, but also provided a deducing opportunity, whereby themes that were beginning to emerge could be validated and probed for deeper dames emerging perspectives (2020) 22 meaning. the first and second round of interviews were separated by one to two weeks, which enabled enough time for the participants to review the interview transcript prior to the next interview and for the researcher to collate individual patterns and themes for validation and further probing. three to four weeks were left between the second and third interview, which provided enough time to collate potential collective themes to bring forward to the final interview. data analysis the interview process centred on answering the research questions, building an understanding of the influence of how personal resiliency factors interplayed with context and the iterative process enabled emerging themes to be validated, and probed for understanding at subsequent interviews. in order to document insights and potential assumptions and areas of subjectivity, field notes were also kept throughout the interview process and emerging themes were brought forward to participants for validation. the thematic coding process was influenced and interpreted by the theoretical framework centring on maslow (1943) and rogers’ work (1959). these theories provided the lens from which the data themes emerged, using an inductive and comparative technique (merriam, 2014). transcripts were provided for respondent validation, ensuring that they were accurate, colour-coded based on potential patterns and themes that arose in the interview. themes were then summarized and then validated again to ensure that the summary of individual themes rang true to the participants. finally, all collective themes among the participants were validated in the final interview to ensure that they resonated with the participants. validity the findings were validated through respondent validation (merriam, 2014), by comparing and contrasting findings with the existing literature (leung, 2015), and by regular review of the study’s theoretical framework, design, and iterative results with doctoral committee members. by the time the research got to the interview with the sixth participant, no new themes emerged, which suggested data saturation. given the qualitative nature of the study and the small sample size, the goal was to develop a greater understanding of impacting factors, not to generalize to all novice nurses. ethical considerations ethical approval was obtained from the university hosting the research study and the research process adhered to the approved research design. participant confidentiality was protected via the use of pseudonyms. findings as illustrated in table 2, during the analysis, the most influential life experiences that emerged were: (1) those that promote the development of congruence in childhood and the young adult years, (2) the tendency to practice self-compassion, and (3) one’s degree of selfefficacy and the confidence to resolve dissonance in the workplace. dames emerging perspectives (2020) 23 table 2 summary of findings congruence self-compassion self-efficacy optimism previous travel or work experience childhood spirituality/other sources of confidence and connection perceived unconditional positive regard childhood age ability to resolve stressors coping choices outside of work note. congruence, self-compassion, and self-efficacy were the primary factors that emerged in the analysis. congruence and self-efficacy had several interplaying sub-factors. congruence in this study, congruence appeared to provide a buffer against the effects of stress that emerged in their professional roles in areas such as role ambiguity, learning from mistakes, and receiving negative feedback about their performances. multiple factors interplayed with the participants’ ability to develop congruence, including their ability to orient themselves optimistically, their childhood experience, whether they had relationships that provided unconditional positive regard, and the role age played as they begin their nursing career. congruence and childhood experiences. according to rogers (1959), one’s degree of congruence as an adult is tied to one’s felt sense of unconditional positive regard as children. a key factor is not whether they were provided with unconditional positive regard, but whether they believed they had it. in this study, jessica and janice described their upbringing as child-centred and one that provided many opportunities to thrive and thereby gain congruence. while jessica struggled as a teen mother, she felt the enduring support of her parents, which enabled her to gain congruence despite the difficulties associated with the experience. janice reflected on her young adult years as a time of transitioning from a shy and passive child to an assertive adult who embraces her unique path and voice in the world. she was grateful that she developed a significant amount of congruence in her childhood, which supported her identity-finding journey as a young adult. janice stated, “i am very thankful that i didn’t have to go through a lot of that suffering as a child, mine was more as an adult, where i felt i had more capacity to deal with it more as a more developed adult.” while still difficult, the congruence she developed as a child enabled her to take on her young adult challenges with confidence. not all participants felt that they came out of their childhood with a congruent sense of self. six of them felt varying degrees of incongruence because of either a lack of a child-centred upbringing or adverse events that took place in their childhood. those that came out of their house of origin with more incongruence felt prone to perfectionistic tendencies as they entered their young adult years. these tendencies were characterized by frequent self-destructive thoughts, depression and/or anxiety. “i was terrified of not being what others expected of me, or dames emerging perspectives (2020) 24 even what i expected of me…terrified of failing,” tabitha said, “it felt like it would destroy me.” mary also recalled times when she felt “that whatever happened was my fault in some way.” this self-doubt, especially in the young adult years, was more evident in those who felt that they survived as opposed to thrived as children. the participants who felt their childhoods harmed their development have had to work to establish congruence in their young adult years by using professional counselling, being in relationships with unconditional positive regard, and being willing to reflect on feelings of dissonance and shame as they re-emerged in their adult lives. congruence and optimism. in this study, optimism describes the participant’s ability to orient themselves, events, and external stimuli in a positive and hopeful light. for instance, candice optimistically viewed the difficulties that she experienced in her personal and professional life as an opportunity to become more conscious and intentional, “people are more likely to wake up from a nightmare than a dream that is all good.” rhonda recognized that having to take on an adult role as a child gave her confidence to communicate with people of all ages. tabitha described the benefits of working through her childhood dissonance as a way of freeing herself from perpetuating destructive patterns in her adult life. she felt that the confidence that she had garnered from overcoming personal challenges enabled her to be willing and able to feel empowered to navigate workplace challenges. “if i hadn’t worked through those experiences…i could have turned into a mean person that contributed to that bullying instead of making it better…they [hostile nurses] would have crushed me” (tabitha). coming from an optimistic orientation, mary and candice found that the adversities they endured when they were children deepened their capacity for compassion and connection to their patients. “i feel like i can relate better. i feel like i have more of a connection with the clients whether they know it or not” (mary). “i’ve been through hell…if i hadn’t gone through that, i wouldn’t be where i am…people feel that shared suffering, it allows you to be truly nonjudgmental, and people know when you are genuine” (candice). finally, optimism was evident in the gratitude they expressed for the opportunities to establish relationships that promoted congruence. congruence and relationships with unconditional positive regard. unconditional positive regard is a term used to describe a relationship(s) where we feel safe to be vulnerable, promoting a willingness to express ourselves openly (rogers, 1959). those that experienced unconditional positive regard in their childhood appeared to have a greater ability to be more accepting of their real selves, which then enabled them to enter their adulthood with more congruence. turning to the present, six out of the eight participants reported that having a relationship with a counsellor was helpful to gain a more objective perspective. however, it was primarily relationships with nursing friends, intimate partners, immediate family members, and work mentors that provided an opportunity for them to feel accepted as their real self. for example, mary could be vulnerable with her work mentor because she felt a sense of unconditional positive regard. she stated, “[i was] able to talk about anything. i could throw anything at him…if it wasn’t for [him], i wouldn’t be where i am today” (mary). additionally, being older dames emerging perspectives (2020) 25 appeared to be an influential factor that emerged in this study, which related to the development of congruence, especially for participants who lacked relationships of unconditional positive regard as children. congruence and age. in doing this thematic analysis, it was apparent that the varying ages of the participants affected their degree of congruence as novice nurses. those that were older reflected on the novice nurse challenges they would have had if they had begun their nursing careers five years earlier. all five of them felt that due to their age they had fewer tendencies toward perfectionism, which buffered them from anxiety relating to fears of not measuring up to what others want from them. they felt they had more self-compassion, confidence, and perspective due to their age. for example, tabitha stated that in her young adult years she was, “a people pleaser versus a mepleaser…it was my role to make everyone else happy.” with age, she came to accept all sides of herself, both the “rainbows and sunshine and also the other side that needs space.” in a similar vein, regarding her ability to articulate her needs, “at 25, i would have still been honest, but there might have been a lot more guilt involved in me saying what was affecting me…i was still a people pleaser versus a me-pleaser” (tabitha, age 37). similarly, in response to addressing workplace hostility, mary stated that five years ago, when she was in her mid-twenties, “i would have turned it around in my head, that i was wrong, that whatever happened was my fault in some way.” janice stated that she “would have been walked all over by everybody…i would have just been walked all over.” the participants that were in their mid-twenties, expressed feelings of ambiguity, resulting in a desire to feel more congruent. cherie characterized it as a “fluid” feeling in her sense of self. sarah described it as a journey of learning what she wants to do with her life, still feeling unsure of whether her wants are authentic to her, or if they are the result of trying to please those around her. they articulated the feelings of disconnection related to their lack of experience as adults and feelings of uncertainty relating to life and career goals. rhonda was working on being less “black and white” in her views, embracing the messiness of many of the situations she encounters in her nursing role. sarah reflected on a similar feeling of ambiguity around her sense of self, feeling challenged to differentiate between what she wants in life as opposed to defining her wants based on the desires of others. “it has been a process to step back…to do something that is more what i want to do, not that i [feel i] have to do.” essentially, those that were older seemed to have a higher level of self-efficacy. self-compassion while congruence had sub themes related to the overarching concept, self-compassion interplayed with one’s felt congruence. given the impact of self-compassion for participants who had it, it was considered a primary theme. the habitual practice of self-compassion seemed to be a primary factor that influenced the participants’ ability to engage in frequent moments of thriving. self-compassion appeared to act as a buffer against the stress produced by making mistakes, role ambiguity, and negative feedback from coworkers. ultimately, those that viewed themselves in a compassionate light appeared to be better able to resolve workplace stimuli and to prevent rumination on negative self-talk before it became disabling. for example, janice dames emerging perspectives (2020) 26 described how she had to learn to respond to mistakes with self-compassion, “my challenges at work, my mistakes…don’t make or break who i am…dwelling on it will just impact my ability to take care of my other patients” similarly, cherie stated “i make mistakes at work, but i don’t really feel bad about it…it is more important to look at what is happening to cause that to happen in the first place. it isn’t all about me.” participant self-compassion levels were not scored, rather it was discussed on a dynamic and rather fluid spectrum that influenced their ability to manage stressful experiences and the intensity and duration of stressful thoughts. those that were more self-compassionate seemed less apt to spiral into self-destructive thoughts and had a greater ability to “let go” (mary) of stress, rather than spending long periods of time “dwelling” (janice) on it. conversely, those that lacked self-compassion were often consumed and disabled by negative thoughts when mistakes occurred or when they felt that coworkers did not approve of them. self-efficacy for this study, self-efficacy refers to one’s confidence or belief in self to manage life events and attain their goals. self-efficacy was a reoccurring pattern that influenced the participant’s ability to engage in thriving at work, which also interplayed with their felt personal congruence in their professional nursing role. the primary sub-factors that seemed to interplay with self-efficacy included one’s previous travel and work experience, spirituality, childhood experience, the ability to resolve workplace stressors, and coping choices outside of work. self-efficacy and previous work or travel. the participants that worked or traveled before nursing believed that they developed skills that enabled them to be more congruent. for example, they experienced times of intense vulnerability followed by a period of rapid growth. they had to make new friendships and navigate unfamiliar situations by themselves. they characterized these opportunities as transformative periods of building self-awareness and self-efficacy. to illustrate this point, cherie stated, “i started traveling...this is when i ended getting to know myself more…i started talking, and i haven’t really stopped since. it was very much like this switch in me.” janice said, “[traveling] was the first time where…i wasn’t being compared to anyone. i wasn’t being anyone but me.” janice also believed that her previous degree and career enabled a more solid sense of who she is and where she wants to go in life. jessica was a waitress for ten years before becoming a nurse and stated, “i learned how to prioritize, how to manage stressful times when many people needed things at the same time. i gained a lot of skills that carried right into the hospital. it gave me skills and confidence to manage it.” those that garnered a sense of identity in a role outside of nursing appeared to feel less threatened when a mistake occurred or when they received negative feedback at work. they felt it enabled them to have a more objective perspective. tabitha and sarah reflected on how their non-nursing roles in athletics built their confidence and acted as a buffer against stress. tabitha stated, “everyone knows me as [her sport identity] and has for a long time. it’s kind of an identity for me…it’s the most confident and authentic i feel compared to anywhere else…where i feel the most whole.” sarah stated, “[my identity] was always [sport], that was my ‘be all end all,’ that was who i was. i was a [sport] player…nursing school stress came second to my role as dames emerging perspectives (2020) 27 a [sport] player. it probably was less stressful because of that.” similarly, jessica and mary strongly identified with their role as a mother, which motivated them to leave their tensions at work so that they could be present in their family role. self-efficacy and spirituality/other areas that bolstered personal confidence and connection. spiritual practices, beliefs, and a community that gathered for spiritual connection was an impactful factor for one of the eight participants. janice felt that her spiritual identity was an influential factor that enabled her to maintain perspective when she encountered stress at work. she stated, “my faith helps me feel that you know it’s okay, i’ve done what i can to make it right, i’ve changed what i can change, i know i am forgiven, and i can move on.” like spirituality for janice, having another role that participants felt confident in enabled them to keep workplace stressors in perspective, as opposed to feeling threatened and insecure, which prevented them from ruminating on self-destructive thoughts at work. essentially, they diversified their sense of self. self-efficacy and childhood. participants who reported frequent childhood adversities and a lack of relationships of unconditional positive regard as children also reported more mental health challenges and anxiety in the workplace. compounding this, those that were in their early twenties had less time outside of their house of origin to resolve childhood adversities; as a result, unresolved childhood dissonance bubbled up in nursing school or at work, which they felt was often an overwhelming and disabling source of stress. self-efficacy and the ability to resolve stressors. a lack of self-efficacy and fears of inadequacy appeared to be especially disabling when enmeshed with unresolved childhood shame or dissonance. for example, rhonda talked about her struggle when caring for patients that reminded her of unresolved issues with her father. “to care for patients that resembled him was really hard…pretty much everything comes back to my relationship with my dad.” cherie felt at times that she did not know as much as she should in her nursing role, which affected her confidence to assert her opinions and proactively address areas of dissonance. “i often feel like i don’t know much…i just assume that…others know more than me. i guess i feel like a fraud a little, pretending to be smarter than you are and then having that confirmed.” sarah also felt like she felt she “should” know more. “i don’t feel like i know what i should know, like i’m skating by.” similarly, rhonda noted, “whenever anyone in power says, ‘i need to talk to you’ i’m still like, ‘oh my god’! …i’m worried for being called out for being wrong or bad.” the fear of exposure for not knowing enough created a chronic source of stress for the novice nurse participants. it disabled them from being authentic and asserting their voice. their fears often disabled them from resolving dissonance, which presented as a barrier to engaging in self-actualization. because healthcare environments tend to have high frequency and varying stimuli, dissonance between one’s real situation and their ideal expectations is common. a frequent source of dissonance for the novice nurse participants in this study came from coworker dames emerging perspectives (2020) 28 feedback, which often felt more critical than constructive. adding to the fear of being criticized, it was common for participants to feel triggered, leading to a compounding experience from emotional transference from unresolved events of the past. for instance, when sarah received criticism at work, it often reminded her of her adolescence. she stated, “when i was really bullied in middle school and when i was really depressed. … my big bully keeps popping into my head.” similarly, cherie experienced constant scrutiny and rejection from her childhood peers, which compounded her experience of threat about being excluded at work. she stated, “i worry they will think that i think i am better than them, or that i’ll be excluded from the coworker network or something…i was a weird kid, a weird adult. it has always put me outside the circle.” jessica felt pangs of shame that she was working through when she remembered some of her childhood choices, “it blows me away that i was ever in such a dark shitty place and hung out with such rough people…i’m ashamed.” tabitha talked about how her childhood experiences were still evident in her hesitancy to trust others, how her value felt tied up in her achievements and she had developed a habit of taking responsibility for other people’s mistakes. tabitha stated, i don’t really trust people very easily, and also i have that feeling that i need to achieve all the time. if something goes wrong in the room…i automatically think it is my fault somehow. it’s the guilt that…drains my energy. i have to tell myself, ‘no, that was not on me.’ emotional authenticity was a key factor that seemed to interplay with the ability to resolve stressors as they arose at work. only one participant believed that emotional displays at work were acceptable. for seven of the participants, when emotions arose at work, they typically denied their expression. for example, candice stated, “i never cry at work. i never come close…that just can’t happen. you just don’t have time to process those things…i try not to dwell on it, which i am sometimes guilty of, but i can usually put it aside and then reflect on it after.” self-efficacy and coping outside of work. regular debriefing, exercise, and counselling were the most common ways in which the participants positively resolved or at least managed their stress. cherie talked about how she embraced debriefing and reflecting, either individually or with another, as an essential part of how she managed the effects of workplace stress. she stated, “i do a lot of self-talk. i work through a lot of shit on my own...i like to think things through to the point until they are exhausted. i find it to be a fun journey.” seven out of the eight participants used physical exercise to manage stress and bolster their confidence. jessica stated, “i like to feel strong. it helps me feel confident at work…it makes my brain feel good.” in a similar vein, tabitha said, “it [exercise] relaxes me…it makes me feel like i can protect myself. it makes me feel like ‘i got this, i can do this’…when i’m in the gym, it’s the most confident and authentic i feel…where i feel the most whole.” six out of the eight participants found that debriefing through counselling enabled them to gain a more objective perspective. they felt little to no shame associated with seeking this form of help when needed. five of the participants had peers or faculty members that normalized dames emerging perspectives (2020) 29 counselling as a coping tool in nursing school. “it was another nursing student who normalized it for me. she would talk about it and made it seem pretty normal” (sarah). participants talked about other forms of coping such as using alcohol, food, and cannabis. these coping mechanisms enabled the novice nurses to either to resolve stressors or find reprieve from them. in terms of using food to cope with stress, rather than to provide energy or nutrition, jessica stated, “i find when i have a particularly stressful day i’ll mow down on a bunch of carbs or sugary foods. i’ll binge eat…i wake up with puffy eyes sometimes, but it helps!” similarly, sarah stated, “some days i just want to go to the coffee shop and get a treat because i’ve had a sh*t day.” cherie said, “i probably eat [to cope], but i don’t really have anything harmful.” a critical interplaying factor in the participant’s confidence to resolve stressors, as opposed to using substances to cope, seemed to be tied to the tendency to practice self-compassion. those that were more self-compassionate were more likely to choose coping mechanisms that were enjoyable and felt kind to self, as opposed to those that had negative cultural or physical consequences. to summarize the prominent findings, viewed through the lens of the theoretical framework, the most impactful life experiences in this study were those that had the greatest influence on the participant’s ability to develop congruence in their childhood and young adult years. this congruence appeared to promote self-compassion, which then provided a buffer against the effects of stress that came from role ambiguity, learning from mistakes, and from receiving negative feedback about their performance. additionally, those that carried unresolved dissonance from their childhood and that entered nursing at a young age seemed more prone to unresolved emotions/projections from the past emerging at work. finally, the development of congruence cultivated self-efficacy in their novice nurse role, which promoted the ability to creatively navigate stressors/challenges. discussion of prominent findings regarding the development of congruence, a factor that appeared to promote congruence was age, whereby those participants who had more life experience had more opportunities to become aware of maladaptive tendencies and work toward resolving them. the older nurses also had more time to develop personal relationships that provided unconditional positive regard for their real selves. hwang, kim, yang, and yang (2016) also found a significant connection between age and self-compassion, and an even stronger correlation between age and self-esteem. those who were older reported that they had high self-esteem and efficacy, which they largely credited to life experience. allan, duffy, and douglass (2015) found that individuals between the prime working ages of 20-50 years who had a high degree of meaning in their work also had higher levels of overall life meaning. furthermore, the study results are in line with erickson’s stages of development, which describes how adults nearing their 40’s are more likely to feel driven to contribute to causes beyond themselves, promoting a greater sense of meaning at work (as cited in allan et al., 2015). conversely, those in their young adult years were less likely to be driven to contribute outside of themselves and thereby experienced a less meaning from their work (allan et al., 2015; mcadams, de st. aubin, & logan, 1993). dames emerging perspectives (2020) 30 optimism was another emergent factor in this study and was more evident among participants who considered themselves fairly congruent. according to the literature, optimism is significant in one’s resilience against numerous psychological illnesses (aldao, nolenhoeksema, & schweizer, 2010). those participants who were able to see the opportunities in workplace challenges felt less personally threatened by them. for example, coworker feedback and learning through mistakes provided a chance to practice self-compassion and to seize the opportunity to improve one's practice. those that tend toward an optimistic orientation tend to reflect on workplace challenges from a strengths-based approach, recognizing when a stressor may not be changeable and reframing their perspective to accept and navigate the challenge, as opposed to feeling disempowered by it (troy, wilhelm, shallcross, & mauss, 2010). a significant relationship emerged between congruence, frequent reports of thriving at work, and the participants’ ability to habitually practice self-compassion. the culmination of these factors promoted congruence and buffered participants from experiencing workplace stress. self-compassion is defined by neff (2003) as an ability to see mistakes and feelings of inadequacy in a nonjudgmental way, viewed as part of the larger human experience. multiple factors interplayed to support the development of self-compassion, which included a childcentred upbringing, relationships of unconditional positive regard, age, an optimistic perspective, and self-efficacy in one’s roles inside and outside of nursing. those who naturally practiced selfcompassion expressed a confidence and even tendency to advocate for themselves to take breaks to nourish themselves and rest when needed. conversely, those with lower levels of selfcompassion frequently skipped breaks and denied their needs, often feeling a greater need to prioritize the completion of work tasks. montero-marin et al. (2016) found that health care providers that suffered from burnout were also deficient in self-compassion. those who demonstrate higher levels of self-compassion are more likely to effectively cope with workplace stressors, as opposed to feeling overwhelmed by a sense of personal inadequacy in addition to the initial stimulus. additionally, those who regularly practice self-compassion had higher levels of emotional intelligence (heffernan, quinn griffin, mcnulty & fitzpatrick, 2010) and had a greater ability to provide empathy to others (boellinghaus, jones, & hutton, 2014; raab, 2014). finally, self-compassion is a protective factor against depression, mixed anxiety-depressive disorder, eating disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorders (bluth, campo, futch, & gaylord, 2017; hwang, kim, yang, & yang, 2016; kelly, vimalakanthan, & miller, 2014). essentially, the ability to be self-compassionate acts as a buffer from emotional exhaustion. emotional exhaustion can be a result of feelings of insecurity and habitual rumination on selfdestructive thoughts. participants in this study who felt they lacked self-compassion also reported frequently struggling with perfectionism and self-destructive thoughts. the participants who felt they lacked self-compassion also felt they lacked a sense of unconditional positive regard as children, and they also struggled with perfectionism and ruminated on self-destructive thoughts. supporting this connection, tanaka, wekerle, schmuck, paglia-boak, and the map research team (2011) found that emotional abuse in childhood correlated positively with reduced levels of self-compassion. additionally, greater maternal support and family functioning promote environments of unconditional positive regard, which correlates with higher levels of self-compassion and is significant in the ability to psychosocially dames emerging perspectives (2020) 31 adjust to challenges in adulthood (amato & kane, 2011; neff & mcgehee, 2010). in this study, the ability of participants to manage workplace challenges before they evolved into stressors seemed to correlate with the tendency to habitually practice self-compassion, childhood opportunities, and having the time and resources to resolve areas of incongruence in their young adult years. participants that had a meaningful life role outside of nursing, previous work, and travel opportunities believed this life role helped them to feel more confident and able to practice selfefficacy to manage workplace stressors. identifying with more than one life role and having previous life experience that built confidence diversified their sense of self. steger, dik, and duffy (2012) described meaning in work as the subjective perception that one’s labor is significant, that it promotes personal growth, and that it contributes to a greater cause. the question brought about by this study is how one’s meaning in work relates to meaning felt outside of work. numerous studies concluded that work is one source where people can draw meaning from in their lives, but other influential sources can add or subtract from one’s overall assessment of their ability to lead a meaningful life (allan et al., 2015). consistent with my study’s findings, munn (2013) found that when life roles and work roles balanced positively, there is a 21% increase in meaningful work. conversely, when life roles and work roles conflicted, employees experienced 6% less meaning in their work (munn, 2013). based on munn’s work (2013) and echoed in this study and others, those that find balance and confidence across their life and professional roles are more likely to feel a sense of meaning in their work, which is a characteristic of self-actualization and thriving. finally, self-efficacy also relates to one’s ability to identify what can and cannot be changed to enable thriving in one’s novice nurse role. when a stressor can be modified then taking action is often the most effective way to resolve the dissonance. however, if it cannot be changed, one must employ positive reappraisal/optimism to manage the stressor, which may prevent one from feeling emotionally disabled by it (troy et al., 2010). in this study, and echoed by the literature, self-efficacy provided an ability to be objective in the face of adversity, enabling choice and creativity in the process of navigating obstacles. limitations while this paper contributes to a greater understanding of the factors that interplay to promote thriving among novice nurses, the study had limitations. while the results promote a greater understanding of how factors may interplay to impact the ability to engage in thriving as a novice nurse, they are not directly transferable or generalizable to all novice nurses or novice nurse contexts. to manage the transferability limitation, findings were compared to the literature and interpreted through a well vetted theoretical framework. finally, all participants were female, caucasian, and born and raised in canada. seven resided on vancouver island. owing to the sample size, limited geography, relative homogeneity in gender/ethnicity, this research does not include a wide range of diverse perspectives and contexts. thus there is scope for other researchers to take up this type of research to investigate other nursing demographics or contexts. dames emerging perspectives (2020) 32 recommendations for future research research is lacking in the relationship between the impact of workplace stimulus and one’s felt degree of incongruence in their nursing role. this appears to be an area of inequity among nurses. those who suffered as children, based on the frequency and intensity of adversities, are more likely to experience further suffering as young adults, which is then further pronounced when immersed in highly stressful nursing work environments. therefore, those who suffered as children are disadvantaged as nurses. developing effective strategies that promote congruence amongst novice nurses will require more research. specifically, a greater understanding of how personal resiliency factors impact personal and professional congruence may provide tools to buffer novice nurses from the stressors that are endemic in the field of nursing. recommendations for education and training circling back to the core findings, congruence, self-compassion, and self-efficacy are primary personal resiliency factors that promote a greater ability for novice nurses to thrive. while there may be many practical reasons to assimilate to workplace norms, assimilation at the cost of one’s felt sense of congruence can disable their ability to thrive. one’s degree of selfcompassion and self-efficacy provides a buffer against the homogenous forces that pervade many nursing cultures. for novice nurses, the consequence of silencing their inner voice, which may feel less important than the opinions of those in positions of authority, is a higher risk of emotional burnout. these 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(2014). resilience definitions, theory, and challenges: interdisciplinary perspectives. european journal of psychotraumatology, 5, 10.3402/ejpt.v5.25338. doi:10.3402/ejpt.v5.25338 steger, m. f., dik, b. j., & duffy, r. d. (2012). measuring meaningful work: the work and meaning inventory (wami). journal of career assessment, 20, 322–337. stock, e. (2017). exploring salutogenesis as a concept of health and wellbeing in nurses who thrive professionally. british journal of nursing, 26(4), 238-241. doi:10.12968/bjon.2017.26.4.238 tanaka, m., wekerle, c., schmuck, m. l., paglia-boak, a., & map research team. (2011). the linkages among childhood maltreatment, adolescent mental health, and self-ompassion in child welfare adolescents. child abuse & neglect, 35(10), 887-898. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2011.07.003 troy, a. s., wilhelm f. h., shallcross, a. j., & mauss, i. b. (2010). seeing the silver lining: cognitive reappraisal ability moderates the relationship between stress and depressive symptoms. emotion, 10, 783–795. doi:10.1037/a0020262 theoretical background learning to thrive: a core component of caregiver education congruence incongruence in nursing the study design participants table 1 data collection data analysis validity ethical considerations findings table 2 congruence congruence and childhood experiences. congruence and optimism. congruence and relationships with unconditional positive regard. congruence and age. self-compassion self-efficacy self-efficacy and previous work or travel. self-efficacy and spirituality/other areas that bolstered personal confidence and connection. self-efficacy and childhood. self-efficacy and the ability to resolve stressors. self-efficacy and coping outside of work. discussion of prominent findings limitations recommendations for future research recommendations for education and training references fu & koh, 2024 (d).docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca unpacking formative assessment literacy among teachers in confucian cultural contexts: an investigation in online learning environments rong fu*, kim koh university of calgary this study critically examines the concept of formative assessment literacy within the realm of confucian cultural contexts, particularly in light of the widespread adoption of virtual learning platforms and online schooling post-covid-19. despite the universal expectation for teachers to develop sophisticated formative assessment literacy, formidable challenges persist, specifically in confucian heritage countries in asia, due to inadequate formative assessment literacy and limited professional development opportunities. this paper dissects the historical and cultural barriers preventing the implementation of formative assessment in these contexts, including ingrained hierarchies, traditional utilitarianism ethos, and rigorous conformity. the transition to online platforms has further complicated this landscape, underscoring the urgency of equipping teachers with skills to navigate and leverage new educational technologies effectively. keywords: formative assessment literacy, confucian, cultural contexts, teacher-student relationship, online learning fu, r., & koh, k. (2024). unpacking formative assessment literacy among teachers in confucian cultural contexts: an investigation in online learning environments. emerging perspectives special edition: designing for digital futures, 7(1), 1–9. introduction to enhance student learning experiences, teachers around the globe are expected to develop assessment literacy that enables them to implement sound assessment practices in the classroom (stiggins, 1999). assessment literacy refers to teachers’ understanding of assessment processes as well as their capacities to design, select, adapt, and use assessment tasks that elicit students’ understanding of the subject matter and demonstration of cross-cutting competencies (i.e., 21st-century skills) and that yield reliable and valid assessment data to inform instruction *rong.fu1@ucalgary.ca fu & koh/ emerging perspectives (2024) 2 and student learning (koh, 2011; koh et al., 2018). teachers’ effectiveness in using assessment to adjust instructional practices and to improve students’ learning has become a key aspect of teachers’ assessment literacy (koh et al., 2019). clearly, formative assessment literacy has been widely seen as a pivotal component of comprehensive assessment literacy since black and wiliam’s (1998) seminal work on the positive effects of teachers’ formative assessment practices on students’ learning in the day-to-day classroom. a substantial body of literature has centred around teachers’ assessment literacy in general, especially teachers’ formative assessment practices in the western cultural context. in this article, we focus on teachers’ formative assessment literacy in the confucian cultural context. regardless of their teaching contexts, we posit that all teachers must develop a sophisticated level of formative assessment literacy. however, many teachers face two enormous challenges: inadequate formative assessment literacy and minimal professional learning opportunities for developing formative assessment literacy. the situation is more complicated in the aftermath of the unprecedented covid-19 pandemic, particularly with the widespread adoption of virtual learning platforms and online schooling, which has emerged as a prevalent phenomenon both globally and within confucian societies in asia. the utilization of online formative assessment is facing an invisible hurdle in the form of non-traditional face-to-face classroom interactions inherent to the virtual learning environment. the context confucian cultural heritage context includes “chopsticks” countries, primarily in east asia and southeast asia (wang, 2015). the most notable nation is greater china, which refers to mainland china, hong kong, macau, and taiwan. over the centuries, from ancient times to the colonial period and the present day, these societies have embraced confucianism as a fu & koh/ emerging perspectives (2024) 3 fundamental belief system, integrating it into every facet of life and promoting its tenets through education. accordingly, confucian societies have developed a strong emphasis on the pursuit of academic excellence through summative assessment, leading k–12 teachers to rely heavily on summative methods to determine student learning outcomes. consequently, to prepare students for success, teachers teach to the test (popham, 2001). the barriers although formative assessment is well established in western classroom practices and is required as one of the underpinnings of teacher literacy (popham, 2011), when the idea of formative assessment was introduced to confucian heritage countries in asia, tensions for k-12 teachers arose due to both historical and technological barriers. first, the ineradicable thought of filial piety, stemming from confucius’s idea of li (feudal propriety), solidifies the hierarchical relationship between teacher and student that the former possesses supreme authority over the latter. xunzi, another important confucian philosopher after confucius, juxtaposed teachers with nature, lords, and parents as one societal underpinning element (machle, 1993). this greatly jeopardized the everyday reciprocal interactions in implementing formative assessment, especially providing feedback. one of the principles of formative assessment literacy in practice is to engage student involvement in assessment (chappuis & stiggins, 2002, p. 41). when bloom (1969) defined the terminology of formative assessment, he pointed out that its initial purpose was to provide feedback in the teaching-learning process. that is, the foundation of formative assessment is deploying teacher feedback, and the duty of teachers within formative assessment is “to assess the work and provide feedback” (yorke, 2003, p. 478). nevertheless, local teachers tend to employ didactic teaching approaches to manage the classroom, while students acquiesce to the absolute authority fu & koh/ emerging perspectives (2024) 4 of the teacher by remaining silent. the existence of such a “silent” classroom hinders the establishment of equitable feedback practices in formative assessment, which contravenes the notion that students are expected to be “active participants” (heritage, 2007, p. 141) in accordance with the principles of formative assessment. secondly, the traditional utilitarianism ethos rooted in ke-ju (imperial examinations) has resulted in a societal obsession with exclusively emphasizing academic outcomes, disregarding the importance of the student learning process (ko, 2017). historically, confucius established a connection between the utilitarian objective of education and bureaucratic employment (confucius, 2007), which has pervaded the societal mindset to the present day. moreover, the content of ke-ju is solely comprised of confucian classics, which need to be more relevant to practical applications in the real world (feng, 1995). consequently, the monotonous outcome of student learning was obtaining admission to an ancient governmental position. on the other hand, formative assessment is focused on holistic learning procedures, marking every learning phase to progress students' learning visibly and gradually (sadler, 1998). for example, teachers can utilize synchronous or asynchronous formative assessment approaches to support student learning processes (khan & khan, 2018), aided by either paper-based portfolios or online technology, which provide dynamic and multi-dimensional means of documenting students' seemingly insignificant yet enduring learning accomplishments. by prioritizing daily academic progress over ultimate outcomes, this formative approach can substantially enhance the significance of the overall learning process. third, rigorous adherence to conformity is another significant confucian ritual. according to confucius, he comprehended nature's mandate and posited that human beings ought to coexist in peace with nature, others, and oneself, which he termed as he (harmony) fu & koh/ emerging perspectives (2024) 5 (tan, 2013). consistent with this notion, confucian culture instills the habit of practicing moderation in public, such as wearing a mask, as a guiding doctrine (liang, 1975). however, a crucial aspect of formative assessment is the individualized assessment process (popham, 2008). research on chinese students' implementation of formative assessment has revealed that chinese students prefer to display introverted tendencies (ding & chew, 2019). accordingly, a predilection exists to emulate their peers' evaluative schemas and substance. innately, teachers and students are inclined to reticence when confronted with the prospect of incorporating diverse formative assessment approaches. implications for online assessment practices our argument is that the fundamental features of an online learning environment can impede the effective implementation of formative assessment in confucian educational settings. for instance, virtual classrooms and online feedback can function synchronously and asynchronously (khan & khan, 2018). this duality may influence the immediate delivery of feedback (schuldt, 2019), which is typically prompt in traditional face-to-face settings with clear human cues. thus, addressing the challenge of implementing formative assessment in confucian cultures within an online context necessitates that teachers overcome the historical and cultural influences of confucianism. this involves embracing their ability to create and administer formative assessment tasks that provide high-quality feedback, as well as developing virtual learning environments that are effective and leveraged by new educational technologies. using mixed methods data sources, we suggest researchers examine the intricacy of implementing formative assessment by teachers in confucian nations amidst the prevalence of online learning mandates and proffer recommendations for enhancing local teacher training programs in the future. in conclusion, the provision of high-quality professional learning opportunities need to be fu & koh/ emerging perspectives (2024) 6 made available for teachers to learn how to design and implement formative assessments that align with local socio-economic, political, and cultural contexts, as well as to leverage new technologies such as ai, machine learning, and data analytics for intelligent formative assessment, which in turn contributes to improvement in students’ learning experiences and outcomes. fu & koh/ emerging perspectives (2024) 7 references black, p., & wiliam, d. 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(2003). formative assessment in higher education: moves towards theory and the enhancement of pedagogic practice. higher education, 45(4), 477–501. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1023967026413 microsoft word 68836-article text-218385-1-10-20210629.docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca ibtissem.zekri@ucalgary.ca social media in the linc classroom: instructors’ perceptions, barriers and support necessary for effective integration ibtissem zekri* university of calgary research on the integration of social media (sm) in english as a foreign (efl)/second (esl) language learning instruction in k-12 and higher education settings exists. however, the use of sm platforms in the language instruction for newcomers to canada (linc) program has remained under examined. to fill this gap, this study used a mixed-method design to investigate linc instructors’ perceptions about integrating sm in english language learning. the study also examined the barriers that might hinder sm integration into linc instruction and the support these instructors need for an effective use of sm. to this end, 13 linc instructors completed an anonymous online survey that collected both quantitative and qualitative data. findings suggest that linc instructors have positive perceptions about using sm to support english language learning. yet, successful sm integration might be hindered by the instructors’ lack of training, time, and support. these findings have important implications for policymakers and linc programs administrators who might consider providing instructors with the necessary support to effectively use sm in english language instruction to better meet the needs of their diverse group of learners. keywords: social media, linc, perceptions, barriers, support zekri, i. (2021). social media in the linc classroom: instructors’ perceptions, barriers and support necessary for effective integration. emerging perspectives, 5(1), 31-47. canada has long been declared a nation of immigrants (mulholland & bile, 2004, p. 4). between 290,000 and 330,000 new immigrants entered canada in 2018, with this number predicted to grow more by 2020 (immigration, refugees and citizenship canada [ircc], 2019). between the years 2015 and 2016, 97,717 newcomers received language training, 99% of whom received english language training (ircc, 2017). these numbers underscore how pertinent learning english is for settlement in canada. in fact, the projected increase in number of immigrants has brought english as second language learning front and centre. zekri emerging perspectives (2021) 32 for these newcomers, acquiring english is necessary for success. english language proficiency (elp) is a critical factor determining new immigrants’ educational and economic life chances in most provinces of canada (boyd, 1990; derwing & waugh, 2012; desilva, 1997; pendakur & pendakur, 1997). in the province of alberta for example, a canadian language benchmark of 5 to 8 is usually needed to get a job (government of alberta, n. d.). likewise, research has shown that language is the main barrier newcomers experience in their settlement (bartel, 2018; cray & currie, 2004; derwing & waugh, 2012; cic, 2010; ricento et al., 2008). newcomers’ inability to integrate socially and economically may have dire repercussions for the whole country (duffy, 2000). the onus has always been on newcomers to socially integrate and adapt (bartel, 2018). yet, crossing the “linguistic borders” (long, 2014. p.4) can be an arduous task for new arrivals who bring in different cultural backgrounds, learning experiences, and expectations. most newcomers also start the english language learning journey in adulthood. in 2018, most newcomers to canada were between 25 and 39 years of age and most identified as speaking a language other than english or french (ircc, 2019). to support adult newcomers with language learning, citizenship and immigration canada (cic) offers the language instruction for newcomers to canada (linc) program among many other settlement services. the objective of the linc program is “to offer basic language training in english or french to facilitate social, cultural, economic and political integration into canada” (cic, 2010, para. 2). classes are offered full and part time and are designed to accommodate the needs of adult newcomers (18 years of age and over). although linc emphasizes the ability to function in society, research shows that the linc curriculum faces many challenges and that many of linc students’ needs are not being met (araf et al., 2018; cic, 2010; cray & currie, 2004; derwing & munro, 2013; ricento et al., 2008). a 2017 evaluation of the settlement program overseen by immigration, refugee and citizenship canada (ircc) stated that changes should be implemented to the language training program to better meet the diverse needs across clients and language skills. among the report recommendations is the necessity to “consider new and innovative approaches to language training for adult immigrants” (ircc, 2017, p. 2). research has shown that social media (sm) environments can offer linc students an authentic and motivating language learning experience (blattner & lomicka, 2012; kabilan et al., 2010; kárpáti, 2009; wheeler, 2010). by embracing sm as instructional tools, linc facilitators can respond to the call made by ircc while helping students learn english. it is in this context that the current study is situated. the main argument being made in this study is that the accessibility and popularity of sm can be leveraged by linc instructors to assist their students with the task of english language learning. little is known, however, about whether sm is used in linc classes and about how linc instructors perceive such integration. it is this gap in literature that drives this research. for the purpose of this study, data was gathered from linc instructors to answer the following questions: • what are the perceptions of linc instructors about the integration of sm in english language learning? • what barriers may hinder the integration of sm in linc instruction? • what support is needed to prepare linc teachers to effectively integrate sm in their linc instruction? zekri emerging perspectives (2021) 33 literature review linc program: the challenges the assumption behind the linc program is that newcomers need no more than basic language proficiency to socio-economically integrate into life in canada (cray & currie, 2004). this assumption was, however, challenged by studies that showed that elp was directly linked to the level of immigrants’ socio-economic integration, with low elp resulting in poor access to job opportunities (boyd, 1990; derwing & waugh, 2012; desilva, 1997; pendakur & pendakur, 1997; picot & sweetman, 2012). in today’s knowledge and technology economy, only immigrants with high elp can successfully participate in the workplace (watt et al., 2006). these findings speak to the need for linc to adopt new approaches to bridge this gap to facilitate newcomers’ access to the changing job market. linc is a time-limited rather than competence-determined program (veeman, 2004). in fact, many linc students believe the language learning they receive through the linc program is insufficient for them to achieve their academic and job goals (ricento et al., 2008). this argument is substantiated by watt and lake (2004), who maintained that the 1200 funded hours are not aligned with research on adult rates of second language learning. newcomers’ language learning experience is time-constrained by employment, attendance, and family duties which may constitute a further barrier to learning (beder & medina, 2001; mcshane, 2005). the need for increased instructional hours is even more germane considering the low literacy levels of new immigrants (prince-st-amand, 2016). many longitudinal studies have also revealed that linc program did not prepare language learners to use real world language (araf et al., 2018; derwing & munro, 2013; derwing et al., 2008). additionally, derwing and waugh (2012) speculated that the number of immigrants in the workplace is outpacing canadian-born employees. therefore, language programs have to emphasize pragmatic competence without which “immigrants . . . may experience considerable difficulties fitting in” (derwing & waugh, 2012, p. 26). this, in turn, may have far-reaching social outcomes in and outside the workplace. in this context, derwing and waugh (2012) have suggested the importance of studying the role of sm in helping with the social integration of immigrants. these challenges urge linc instructors to embrace new approaches to facilitate newcomers’ socio-economic integration. one approach is to supplement linc instruction by using sm platforms to make learning personalized and accessible outside the classroom. for the purpose of this study, sm is defined by kaplan and haenlein (2010) as “a group of internet-based applications that . . . allow the creation and exchange of user generated content” (p. 61). the underlying premise in this study is that the popularity, accessibility, efficiency, and ease of use of sm platforms have the potential to enhance language learning. social media in language learning: the merits as literature on the usefulness of sm in linc instruction is scarce, this section explores studies that addressed potential benefits and pitfalls of sm in efl/esl language learning in k-12 and higher education. advocates of sm integration in learning settings have argued that the education sector has to join the sm bandwagon given its potential. nowhere are these calls stronger than in studies that have tried to uncover the role that sm plays in different language learning contexts (blattner & fiori, 2009; blattner & lomicka, 2012; kabilan et al., 2010; mcbride, 2009; mills, 2011; mitchell, zekri emerging perspectives (2021) 34 2012; stevenson & liu, 2010). in this respect, blattner and fiori (2009) argued that “it is imperative that second language (l2) classes plug into the network . . . to capitalize on the social and academic opportunities that high-tech learning has to offer” (p. 1). more so, sm tools constitute a stimulating learning environment beyond the classroom setting (kárpáti, 2009; wheeler, 2010). lee and ranta (2014) claimed that social networking sites provide esl learners with the chance to interact with native speakers. research has also indicated that interaction with the target language builds pragmatic awareness, which is a major aspect of language learning (blattner & fiori, 2009; blattner & lomicka, 2012; prichard, 2013; thorne, 2003). another benefit of using sm in language learning is motivation, a “strong predictor of success in language classes” according to gas and selinker (2008, p. 21). the inclusion of sm as virtual safe environment can positively impact language learners’ motivation and autonomy (antenosconforti, 2009; wu & hsu, 2011). while the landscape is not easy to map out because of sm’s continuous growth, taken together, these studies provide evidence that integration of sm into language instruction can have substantial impacts on language learning. lomicka and lord (2016) asserted that “instructors that are well informed about these social sites and are able to develop pedagogically sound activities for their students are in the best position to foster linguistic and cultural development in their classes” (p. 265). social media in language learning: the demerits despite evidence about their merits, sm integration is still limited due to some setbacks (manca & ranieri, 2016). among the obstacles that hinder successful integration of sm in educational environments is instructors’ perceptions of sm as unreliable sources and a distraction to learning (chen, 2008). the use of sm in instruction can also be marred by issues such as cyberbullying, sharing inappropriate content, and privacy issues (butler, 2010; brew et al., 2013). furthermore, some students consider sm as unacademic tools (ellis & abreu-ellis, 2014; mitchell, 2012). sm can also discriminate against adult learners who may not be tech-savvy or who may lack the inclination to build online social networks (nalbone et al., 2015; vandoorn & eklund, 2013). this is relevant to linc adult students who may be new to the digital world and may be unaware of the importance of securing their privacy while online. however, the design of language curricula that support the integration of sm tools (szapkiw & szapkiw, 2011; wheeler, 2010) and that consider conduct, privacy, and accessibility codes (lomicka & lord, 2016) can help outshine these detractors. barriers to social media integration in language learning many barriers prevent educators from making the most out of the possibilities that are offered by digital tools (brinkerhoff, 2014; buabeng-andoh, 2012; chen, 2008; ertmer, 1999; neyland, 2011; reid, 2014; rogers, 2003; tondeur et al.,2008). ertmer (1999) distinguished between first-order and second-order barriers. according to ertmer (1999), first-order barriers are “extrinsic” to teachers and include inadequate equipment, time, training, and support. teachers may be discouraged from using technological tools in their instruction if technical support does not exist (becca, 2004; tong & trinidad, 2005). similarly, research has shown workload and lack of time to be the major deterrents to technology integration (brinkerhoff, 2014; cuban et al., 2001; mumtaz, 2000; neyland, 2011; pelgrum, 2001). this is particularly critical in the linc context where instructors are overloaded with daily planning and conducting portfolio-based assessments zekri emerging perspectives (2021) 35 (ripley, 2012). for teachers to be able to manage the daily workload and to respond to the calls for technology integration, it is necessary to lessen their workload (fullan, 2006). in addition to first-order barriers, second-order barriers are “intrinsic” to teachers and include pedagogical beliefs, skills, and knowledge (ertmer, 1999). according to ertmer (2015) second-order barriers “are the true gatekeepers to technology integration” (p. 8). overcoming these barriers is key to efficient technology integration. in fact, cubans (1993) explained “it is belief system . . . that determines failure or success” (as cited in holloway, 1998, p. 1110). professional development is the key to circumventing first-order and second-order barriers and improve technology integration into instruction (brinkerhoff, 2014; ertmer, 1999; mueller et al., 2008). this is especially the case for using sm for pedagogical purposes as these platforms were first created for communication purposes (koehler & mishra, 2009; zhao, 2003). yet for professional development to be effective, it must address pedagogical and technological needs (bybee & loucks-horsley, 2000; ertmer, 2005; koehler & mishra, 2008; reid, 2014), and it must be coordinated and sustained over time (bybee & loucks-horsley, 2000; speck, 1996). methodology research design as this study focused on the problem of sm integration in linc english language learning, mixed-method design informed by the pragmatic worldview was deemed the most fitting methodology (creswell, 2014). creswell and plano clark (2007) explained that the “central premise [of mixed-method design] is that the use of quantitative and qualitative approaches in combination provides a better understanding of the research problems than either approach in isolation” (p. 5). mixed-method design increases confidence in the findings (bryman, 2006; o’cathain et al., 2010), improves accuracy, contributes to overall validity (mckim, 2015), and provides an accurate interpretation of data (morse & chung, 2003; tashakkori & teddlie, 2003). participants and recruitment participants in this study were linc instructors in the province of alberta. recruitment materials were forwarded by alberta association of teachers of english as a second language (atesl) to its members after receiving permission to conduct the study from the conjoint faculties review ethics board. after excluding three respondents because they submitted empty surveys, the number of respondents included in the study is 13. question 3 of the survey asked participants about the canadian language benchmarks (clb) they most commonly teach. clb refers to the national standard used in canada for describing, measuring and recognizing the english language proficiency of adult immigrants. six participants reported that they teach clb 1-3, three participants commonly teach clb 4-5 and four participants teach clb 6-8. their level of comfort with the linc curriculum ranged from very comfortable to somewhat comfortable. seven participants use sm in their linc classroom. despite the small sample size, this population allows for insights into the issue investigated. instrument a cross-sectional anonymous online survey questionnaire was used for the collection and analysis of both types of data. the survey instrument was used because it allows the collection of the same data from every participant and the unprejudiced representation of the population of interest (owens, 2002). some items in the survey were adapted from other studies (abrahim et al., zekri emerging perspectives (2021) 36 2018; ertmer, 1999) while others were created by the researcher. the survey was comprised of 41 items in four sections with both close-ended and open-ended questions. in addition to background information, respondents indicated their perceptions about using sm in their instruction, barriers that may hinder its use, and the support they needed to make it more effective. the survey was designed using the platform survey monkey (http://www.surveymonkey.com). data were collected from mid-october 2018 through mid-november 2018. data collection the researcher used a concurrent nested design where both quantitative and qualitative data were collected at the same time through the anonymous online survey (creswell et al., 2003). the qualitative component was nested within the survey questionnaire. this design was based on two considerations. first, the overriding research question in the study, which was the investigation of linc instructors’ perceptions about using sm in english language learning, was answered mainly through quantitative data. second, because of the time constraints of data collection and analysis, priority needed to be given to quantitative data reflected in the number of close-ended items. qualitative data were used to complement those results. greene et al. (1989) defined complementarity as “elaboration, enhancement, illustration, clarification of the results from one method with the results from another” (p. 259). accordingly, the open-ended items in the survey extended the breadth and depth of respondents’ answers to the close-ended items. confidentiality was protected by the anonymous survey and the abstaining from collecting demographic data. only the researcher had access to the data stored on the researcher’s password protected computer. data analysis thirty-eight out of the 41 survey items were on a 5-point likert-type scale. a descriptive statistical analysis was applied to the data gathered through the likert scale items after downloading them to an excel spreadsheet. descriptive analysis helped summarise the quantitative data to describe patterns and relationships. the qualitative data was analysed manually using thematic analysis (attride-stirling, 2001; braun & clarke, 2006). this exploratory approach allowed for new impressions to emerge rather than following predetermined interests. this design allowed the multiple views and experiences of the respondents to be heard both in their consistency and contradictions. qualitative items were transcribed into separate word documents. to reduce data, wording codes were used to help capture the essence of the narratives. codes were then grouped to represent the emerging theme/patterns that helped shed light on the research questions. findings the number of respondents included in the study is 13. however, out of the 13 linc instructors who completed the survey, only eight answered the open-ended questions of the survey. perceptions of linc instructors about using sm as english language learning tools the results of the second section of the survey are presented in table 1. the overall mean ratings across the items that are about the benefits of sm are close or equal to 4 (agree). in addition, the percentage of participants (n = 13) who strongly agreed and agreed exceeds 71% for these items. nine participants agreed that sm as a teaching and learning tool can increase students’ language learning. while only four participants felt ready to use sm as a teaching and learning tool, ten zekri emerging perspectives (2021) 37 participants expressed the desire to learn about how other language instructors are using sm in their classes (m=4.00, sd= 1.47). table 1. perceptions of linc instructors about using sm as english language learning tools a similar theme emerged from the qualitative data. the participants (n = 8) indicated that sm can be an effective teaching and learning tool. sm platforms can provide an authentic environment for meaningful language practice “critical to learners' language acquisition” respondent 13 (r 13), noted that sm can provide “a different platform” to connect students and teachers (r 7) while “building a sense of community” necessary for many linc learners who “may be experiencing disorientation, social isolation and culture shock” (r 13). participants also highlighted the importance of considering privacy and security issues, the need to make the right choice of platform, and the need to integrate these spaces throughout the curriculum. barriers to integrating sm in english language instruction figure 1 shows the statistics for the computed items from section three of the survey. lack of training was the major barrier identified by participants in this study with nine respondents (n =13) agreeing that they do not have access to training about integrating sm in instruction (m= 3.67, sd= 1.49). the second major barrier is the lack of time to plan (five participants) and locate resources on sm integration (seven participants). five respondents (n =13) also indicated the lack of technical support as another challenge hampering sm use in linc instruction. sa a u d sd m(sd) sm can increase students’ language learning. 23.08 69.23 7.69 0.00 0.00 3.92 (1.21) sm can make learning more interesting. 46.15 53.85 0.00 0.00 0.00 4.46 (0.50 sm can enhance collaboration and engagement. 16.67 75.00 8.33 0.00 0.00 3.83 (1.21) sm can give students more opportunities to practice outside the classroom. 58.33 41.67 0.00 0.00 0.00 4.58 (0.49) sm can help me communicate with my students outside the classroom. 16.67 41.67 16.67 0.00 8.33 2.92 (1.75) i believe that learning how to incorporate sm in instruction is important. 25.00 58.33 8.33 16.67 0.00 3.75 (1.36) i want to learn about how other language instructors are using sm in their classes. 50.00 33.33 8.33 8.33 0.00 4.00 (1.47) zekri emerging perspectives (2021) 38 figure 1. barriers to sm integration note. sa= strongly agree, a= agree, u= undecided, d= disagree, sd= strongly disagree the qualitative data provided by the respondents (n = 8) offered more insights into the nature of barriers. the respondents identified teacher-related barriers such as lack of “proficiency” and time, student-related barriers such as lack of interest and computer illiteracy, and institutional barriers as “linc administration do not support teachers in the use of social media in any platform, let alone a platform within a teaching context” (r7). support needed for an effective integration of sm in english language instruction the results from participant surveys are organized in table 2 based on respondents’ selection of the support they most need to effectively incorporate sm in their linc instruction. 11 participants (n = 13) stated that the best support is professional development while nine respondents indicated the need for resources about the use of sm in language teaching. technical support was identified by six participants as necessary for effective integration of sm in their instruction. table 2. support necessary for an effective sm integration professional development 91.67% technical support 50.00% mobile learning devices 41.67% community of practice 25.00% resources about use of sm in language teaching 75.00% other 8.33% the analysis of the qualitative data to this section showed commonalities across respondents (n = 8) (workshops, webinars, courses and tutorials) and some differences 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 lack of time to plan lack of time to locate resources lack of know-how lack of training lack of technical support sa a u d sd zekri emerging perspectives (2021) 39 (“curriculum development projects” (r13), guidelines on privacy (r8) and support of linc program curriculum). discussion using mixed-method design, this study aimed at investigating linc instructors’ perceptions about integrating sm in their instruction, the challenges they face, and the support they need to make this integration effective. the findings from this study indicate that though linc instructors recognize the value of sm in instruction, many barriers exist that may hamper such use. the current study findings are consistent with previous studies. the potential of sm in making language learning more authentic and giving students more opportunities to practice outside the classroom aligns with the arguments made by kárpáti (2009) and wheeler (2010) that sm spaces are engaging learning environments beyond the limits of the classroom setting. this is especially relevant to linc students for whom meaningful language practice is limited both by instructional scenarios and the insufficient number of funded instruction hours for which a linc learner is eligible (lee & ranta, 2014; saykili & kumpete, 2014). the findings also indicate that for use of sm spaces to yield positive results, instructors should be cognizant of the issues that accompany such adoption. likewise, literature revealed that instructors should set codes of conduct to guarantee appropriate online behavior and should use platforms created specifically for the learning experience to mitigate privacy risks (barretta, 2014; blyth, 2008; blattner & fiori, 2009; lomicka & lord, 2016). this study highlighted the lack of time, training, and support as the main barriers to sm integration within the linc context. these findings closely mirror other studies that emphasized that removing these barriers is a determining factor in adopting technology in instruction (brinkerhoff, 2014; buabeng-andoh, 2012; ertmer, 1999; porter et al., 2015; reid, 2014; ricento et al., 2008; shebansky, 2018). this is pertinent in the case of linc instructors who may be too overloaded in dealing with continuous intake, multilevel large classes, portfolio-based assessments, and students’ diverse needs to find the time to explore sm use, locate resources, and weave sm into their curriculum (cray, 1997; henrie, 2012). ertmer (2005) claimed that dealing with this “laundry list” can be overwhelming for teachers. this is especially true considering that sm platforms were not initially created for classroom use and that any integration of such tools entails a creative repurposing so that tools support the meeting of instructional objectives (koehler & mishra, 2009). awareness about the barriers to sm integration in linc instruction has implications for the type of support needed. findings from this study indicate that instructors need support in the form of professional development and resources to circumvent the various barriers they face (bauer & kenton, 2005; brinkerhoff, 2014; ertmer, 1999; koehler & mishra, 2008; mueller et al., 2008; riasati et al., 2012; shebansky, 2018; stanford & reeves, 2007). these findings have implications for both the designers of the linc curriculum and the leaders of linc institutions. the former should consider redesigning the curriculum so that it supports the integration of sm while the latter should provide linc instructors with the necessary support such as the reduction of the linc instructors’ workload, the provision of timely technical support and ongoing professional development to enable them to use sm to supplement their teaching practices. the review of the literature has showed that introducing new educational technologies into the learning process changes both the tools and the pedagogical approaches used, something that is usually overlooked by institutional leaders (koehler & mishra, 2009). zekri emerging perspectives (2021) 40 limitations several limitations of the current study need to be noted. first, the low response rate makes questionable the generalizability of findings (creswell, 2014). in fact, research has shown that the larger the population, the more generalizable the results (blair & zinkhan, 2006). related to the first limitation is the possibility that the overall positive perceptions held by all the respondents about the use of sm in english language learning may be attributed to a response bias where only linc instructors with strong views about the topic participated in the study. the limitations of the study warrant future research that might investigate the perceptions of other stakeholders such as linc students and administrators to see if they are on par with those of instructors. conclusion the findings of this study shed some light on the perceptions of linc instructors about the use of sm in english language learning, the barriers that exist, and the support needed to overcome these barriers. the study findings show that linc instructors have positive attitudes about sm which can be effective pedagogical tools in english language instruction. however, barriers such as overloaded teaching schedules, lack of training and technical assistance that hamper sm integration do exist. this speaks to the linc instructors’ need for support in the form of professional development, institutional and technical support, and resources to make sm integration in linc program possible and effective. the understanding gained from this study is aligned with the ircc recommendations for the adoption of innovative approaches to supplement linc instruction. one such intervention is the use of sm to provide linc students with an authentic and engaging 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(2003). what teachers should know about technology: perspectives and practices. information age. microsoft word bello, cho, liang, luoepigrep2021layout.docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca living through covid-19 pandemic as international students in canada: collaborative autoethnography of struggles and resilience jhonattan bello1, suyeon cho2, siyin liang3, cong luo4 university of calgary the covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of a number of international students and the disruption inevitably has caused suffering. with an aim to provide an in-depth understanding of the international students’ experiences, we examined our own written narratives on how the pandemic challenged our lives, and how we strove to build resilience and deal with the challenges. upon analysis of the qualitative data collected from our respective narratives and group discussion, the following themes emerged: (1) intersecting identities, (2) systemic barriers to achieving goals, (3) systemic risks caused instability, and (4) strategies to build resilience. by addressing several complex challenges that the international students faced, we hope to inform higher education stakeholders who seek to better accommodate the unique needs of international students. keywords: covid-19, international student experience, resilience, graduate students, challenges in higher education, post-secondary education bello, j., cho, s., liang, s., & luo, c. (2021). living through covid-19 pandemic as international students in canada: collaborative autoethnography of struggles and resilience. emerging perspectives, 5(2). 17-22. during the covid-19 pandemic, international students (is) have been experiencing dramatic changes in life that have led to an increased number of obstacles that range from travel restrictions to anxiety about immigration status. this challenging situation has disrupted the educational progress of many students (blankstein et al., 2020; hilburg et al., 2020; simamora, 2020). with is representing 57.2% of the total growth in all postsecondary program enrollments over the 2018/2019 academic period (statistics canada, 2020), there is an emphasized need for higher education institutions to find ways to help overcome is’ difficulties and enhance their wellbeing. in this context, this collaborative autoethnography (chang et al., 2012) research examined the challenges that the authors experienced and their strategies for building resilience. 1 jhonattan.bello@ucalgary.ca bello, cho, liang & luo emerging perspectives (2021) 18 literature review amidst the pandemic, is have been identified as a particularly vulnerable group that has been struggling with covid-19-related challenges including mental health issues (amoah & mok, 2020; le, 2020). amoah and mok also reported that when asked about their wellbeing, a considerable number of is reported feeling at risk and isolated, primarily since they were far away from home and restricted from travelling during lockdown. regarding the academic aspect, they also felt that this pandemic caused a massive disruption in their educational progress (amoach & mok, 2020). moreover, data indicated that is were more vulnerable than domestic students in terms of resilience (oecd, 2018). notably, resilience-building requires not only individual efforts but also systematic support from immediate communities (ungar, 2019). taking all this into account, we argue that is need proper support from universities, as well as canadian society, to enhance their resilience and overcome this pandemic. as firang (2020) argued, is’ insights and experiences during this time of uncertainty are worth being investigated by scholars. methodology we, a group of international graduate students in canada, employed collaborative autoethnography to examine our own lived experiences during the covid-19 pandemic. according to chang et al. (2012), this methodology allows researchers to “gain a meaningful understanding of sociocultural phenomena reflected in their autobiographical data” (p. 24). the purpose of our collaborative autoethnography research was to understand, (1) how the pandemic affected our lives, including our academic achievements and well-being; and (2) how we built resilience to deal with the pandemic. all the authors acted as both participants and researchers. the authors critically reflected on their life experiences during the pandemic and wrote their respective narratives. upon agreement, we shared these narratives with one another and analyzed them by generating codes and themes collaboratively (merriam, 2009; saldana, 2011). all data collection and analysis were secured via online data storage and online video conferences. only the authors had access to the storage and participated in the conferences. findings upon analysis of our stories, four themes emerged: intersecting identities; systemic barriers to achieving goals; systemic risks caused instability; strategies to build resilience. these themes represent the various forms of adversity that the authors experienced, as well as ways in which they developed resilience. intersecting identities to understand the complexity and contextuality of our own lived experiences, examining the intersecting identities that we occupied was critical. for example, author 1 expressed that being a “full-time graduate student, partner, parent, and teacher of my own kids aggravated by a feeling of social isolation became a load too heavy to hold which ended up in more fear, anxiety, bello, cho, liang & luo emerging perspectives (2021) 19 frustration, irritability, unmanaged stress, and depression”. we acknowledged that the status of is was not the only aspect of our identities; different dimensions of our identities determined the unique way in which we dealt with our challenges. our perceptions of identities went beyond the role of being students. when the pandemic hit, our political, social, cultural, and psychological dimensions collapsed all at once, and we felt more at risk as the unstable status of is became more evident. some of the additional challenges that were represented in our stories included, the lack of access to support staff with intercultural competence; concerns regarding anti-asian sentiment; and proper economic support. systemic barriers to achieving goals the pandemic brought about systemic barriers to pursuing our educational, career, and life goals and caused a series of frustrations. more specifically, all the authors struggled to achieve a satisfactory level of academic performance and research progress, which is one of the most salient goals for is. for example, author 1 and author 2 had to cancel the fieldwork for their research, which was the most desired method for their studies, and they struggled to abruptly change their research design. additionally, working from home was found challenging for most of the authors and negatively affected their academic performance, which caused severe frustration. furthermore, author 1 especially grappled with this challenge due to the increased child-care responsibility that did not allow for enough time and productivity for his study. the pandemic obstructed our attempts to achieve certain life goals such as achieving financial independence and pursuing an after-graduation career. more specifically, author 3 sought to obtain intercultural experiences while studying in canada. however, her pursuit of intercultural experiences was interrupted by social isolation during the pandemic. author 3 stated, “no, this is absolutely not the lived experience [emphasis added] that i want to have as an international graduate student.” these challenges, including the feeling of frustration, might have been experienced by any student. however, our research found that these challenges could easily and directly threaten is due to their unstable status. systemic risks caused instability structural disadvantages that face is have become more evident since the pandemic. our research identified some of these that were related to immigration status, financial instability, mental health, social isolation, and discrimination. for example, author 1 stated, “not achieving the expected performance at the university that will, in turn, jeopardize the completion of my degree and my immigrant status.” he felt this way because he was worried about “running out of money to pay for basic needs and tuition fees,” and the increasing uncertainty “to get a postgraduate work permit.” in fact, from the onset of the pandemic, is still paid significantly higher tuition fees than their canadian counterparts but received limited to no financial support from the government and their university (greenfield, 2021; quinn, 2020). although scholarships and internal on-campus work opportunities were available, there were very few financial support programs that were specifically tailored for is to help overcome this economic predicament. the financial instability further affected mental health by causing severe levels of anxiety. for example, author 2 stated, “i was feeling guilty over wasting time and money, and accordingly i was bello, cho, liang & luo emerging perspectives (2021) 20 unconsciously punishing myself by spending all day at the workstation while not allowing proper care for myself.” additionally, the authors remarked on the isolation from the academic community and social networks, which intensified our feelings of frustration, depression, and trepidation. we found connecting ourselves to proper support platforms where we could have sought help and built resilience more effectively too difficult, such as in the parent-student community which author 1 sought to reach out to. furthermore, the increasing concerns around racism and xenophobia were identified as another factor that aggravated our feeling of isolation and instability. since the outbreak of the pandemic, there have been increasing reports on anti-asian sentiment and hate crimes worldwide (gover et al., 2020; kong et al., 2021). author 4 stated that he had experienced microaggression and subtle forms of discrimination which resonated with author 2 and 3. we contend that the pandemic took a heavy toll on the mental, physical, and psychological well-being of is. strategies to build resilience during the pandemic, the authors strove to motivate and encourage themselves to build resilience by seeking positive perspectives and useful strategies to deal with challenges. for example, author 1 chose his supervisor as a role model and found positive traits of “optimism and resilience.” similarly, author 4 consistently communicated with his supervisor and discussed the strategies to advance his academic performance and future career, which he described as “a driving force to make me motivated.” in addition, he “obtained new perspectives by participating in online events” and engaged himself in various social programs available, including support for academic and professional development. such online events, including a variety of workshops, conferences, and socializing events that the university hosted, also helped the authors to stay connected with support communities. in this regard, all the authors emphasized that rebuilding a sense of community (mcmillan & chavis, 1986) was an effective and essential strategy for developing resilience. however, the authors further pointed out that simply gathering people did not necessarily provide them with a sense of community, especially when such gatherings occurred sporadically. author 2 stated, “i did not feel like i was belonging to the groups of random people in which no one expected further relations with each other.” consequently, the authors focused on building an “authentic” sense of belonging through the opportunities that could have created stable bonds with people. for example, author 2 further stated that engaging in this collaborative research helped her feel “authentically connected” as “the trusted colleagues” shared their struggles to “contribute to changing society for the better.” bello, cho, liang & luo emerging perspectives (2021) 21 conclusion the contributions made in this study are aimed at serving as a window for educators, administrators, policy makers, and many other stakeholders in the field of higher education to gain a nuanced understanding of is. this collaborative autoethnography allowed us to look back on our struggles, discomforts, and unpleasant experiences during the covid-19 pandemic. we also reflected on the practices and strategies that we developed and adopted to cope with these challenges. along the path of this research, we established a genuinely trustful relationship with each other, and this strong sense of community helped boost our resilience. in sum, we strove to shed light on the covid-19-related challenges that is faced, with the hope that this study provides insights for post-secondary institutions seeking to better accommodate the unique needs of this growing population of students. author details 1 jhonattan bello, leadership, werklund school of education, university of calgary, canada. jhonattan.bello@ucalgary.ca 2 suyeon cho, curriculum and learning, werklund school of education, university of calgary, canada. suyeon.cho@ucalgary.ca 3 siyin liang, adult learning, werklund school of education, university of calgary, canada. siyin.liang@ucalgary.ca 4 cong luo, language and literacy, werklund school of education, university of calgary, canada. cong.luo@ucalgary.ca *all authors contributed equally, and their names are listed alphabetically. references amoah, p., & mok, k. h. 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(2019). change your world: the science of resilience and the true path to success. the sutherland house. ra revisions_belonging and othering in research and education_draft (1).docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca belonging and othering in research and education: bringing indigenous voices into the classroom razieh alba* university of calgary this article explores the use of two-eyed seeing as a guiding framework to bring indigenous and western knowledges alongside one another in post-secondary art education. in response to growing calls for decolonization in education, the research highlights the need for culturally responsive pedagogy, relational accountability, and authentic engagement with indigenous communities. rooted in decolonization and indigenous methodologies such as storywork, the research centers indigenous voices through collaborative workshop design led by indigenous knowledge holders and artists. the study emphasizes the educator’s responsibility to move beyond tokenism, engage in critical self-reflection, and build reciprocal relationships. two-eyed seeing fosters transformative learning by valuing diverse knowledge systems equally and supporting student connection, creativity, and relationality. the article critically examines the challenges non-indigenous educators face in decolonizing curricula, including fear, lack of preparation, and systemic barriers. it calls for education that is co-created, reflective, and committed to centering indigenous perspectives in meaningful, sustained, and respectful ways. key words: two-eyed seeing, decolonization, indigenous education, art education, culturally responsive pedagogy. razieh, a. (2025). belonging and othering in research and education: bringing indigenous voices into the classroom. emerging perspectives. *razieh.hekmat@ucalgary.ca alba/ emerging perspectives (2025) 2 relationality of the researcher, current research, and two-eyed seeing in art education the role of the educator is one that is constantly evolving, particularly as it relates to culturally responsive pedagogies and practices to address the needs of diverse learners as interconnectedness and globalization continue to bring different cultures closer together (bartz & bartz, 2018; samuels, 2018). at the same time, the criticisms towards colonialism continue to grow, leading to increased calls for decolonization within educational curricula (poitras pratt et al., 2018). a crucial element in decolonization discourse is focused on bringing indigenous voices and indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing alongside western ways of knowing in the classroom; a complex process which requires an awareness of the generational injustices experienced by indigenous peoples throughout the history of colonization (dei & cacciavillani, 2024). the methods of bringing indigenous knowledges into the classroom in respectful, reciprocal, and authentic ways requires careful attention and collaboration with indigenous communities and knowledge holders. one potential path forward might be found in two-eyed seeing, a concept of learning focused on seeing the world through one eye with indigenous ways of knowing – and with the other eye, seeing the world through western ways of knowing (hatcher et al., 2009; jeffrey et al., 2021; poitras pratt et al., 2018). by understanding each worldview separately, the individual is able to bring those knowledges together to see the world with fresh perspectives (hatcher et al., 2009). in application, two-eyed seeing requires a multifaceted approach, with a significant amount of learning and development placed on the non-indigenous educator as they learn new skills and build relationships with indigenous community members and knowledge holders (hatcher et al., 2009; jeffrey et al., 2021; poitras pratt et al., 2018). this article explores the opportunities and challenges of using two-eyed seeing as a framework for bringing indigenous and western knowledges alongside one another in art education spaces, the responsibilities of educators in decolonizing curricula, as well as looking at the steps required to create learning spaces that centre indigenous voices in the classroom. relationality of the researcher as an educator and phd candidate, my current research is focused on bringing indigenous knowledges into art education spaces and making indigenous perspectives a core aspect of the coursework alongside western knowledges and western artistic techniques. within indigenous research, the relationality of the researcher plays a substantial role in creating relationships and situating the researcher within the research itself (kovach, 2021). as a non-first nations, métis, or inuit educator, i take a non-indigenous position within the research process. as someone indigenous to iran, seeing the world through persian and western worldviews through my western education in canada, the barriers (as well as perceived barriers) to bringing first nations, métis, or inuit knowledges into the classroom are still present for me, as they are with many non-indigenous educators. while the peers that i have engaged with as a community member, practicing artist, student, and educator have all been made up of a diverse collective of individuals, the eurocentric lens within classrooms and curricula have not evolved to match the lived experiences of students. colonial legacies continue to impact and shape how we see our national identity, how we package and transmit knowledge in the classroom, and beyond that, these legacies impact the implicit biases and stereotypes that place western perspectives at the centre of the canadian education system. alba/ emerging perspectives (2025) 3 it wasn’t until late in my mfa program that i realized how little exposure i had to indigenous knowledges and perspectives from indigenous communities, individuals, or knowledge holders. despite this, i had previously felt that i was well informed about indigenous experiences because of what i had been taught through a western lens. during a workshop seminar with a visiting indigenous artist, peter morin of the crow clan of the tahlton nation, i was suddenly confronted with the understanding that everything i thought i knew about indigenous knowledges was most likely wrong. or, if it was not wrong, it was information about indigenous experiences that had been heavily filtered through western perspectives. while i had continuously spent my life aware of how western perspectives viewed my own persian culture, where i had firsthand experience of persian worldviews, i had little to no experience engaging in the similar ways with indigenous first nations, métis, or inuit worldviews – and entering into this area of research required that i turn decolonization practices inward and begin the process of unlearning to relearn what i knew about indigenous histories, experiences, and knowledges. at the core of my teaching philosophy is actively engaging with culturally responsive pedagogies and creating diverse, inclusive spaces where students feel a sense of belonging, where students learn from one another as they work to understand their own relationality and engage with indigenous perspectives. throughout the course of my research, applying a decolonization approach to the classroom and curricula moved beyond working solely in my own classroom and expanded to look at the challenges and opportunities from the perspectives of indigenous knowledge holders, non-indigenous educators, and diverse student populations as a means of contributing to the larger discourse of decolonization and indigenous education in canada. two-eyed seeing two-eyed seeing captured my attention because it provided a framework for balancing indigenous and western ways of knowing alongside one another. two-eyed seeing, or etuaptmumk, was introduced by mi’kmaq elder albert marshall (hatcher et al., 2009). originally developed to support indigenous students in western education, the framework highlights the strengths of both knowledge systems without placing more importance on one over the other (bardwell & woller-skar, 2023). by viewing indigenous and western perspectives as equally valid and interconnected, education can become a transformational force—one that fosters critical reflection, builds relationships across worldviews, and envisions new educational futures beyond colonial paradigms (hatcher et al., 2009; st. denis, 2011). two-eyed seeing is particularly valuable in education, as it fosters inclusive and culturally responsive teaching (acharibasam & mcvittie, 2021). by presenting indigenous and western worldviews as equally valid, it challenges students to think critically and engage with diverse perspectives. at the same time, however, there is a need to centre indigenous knowledges within the framework, which is critical to the framework’s ability to rebalance education and focus on local contexts (poitras pratt et al., 2018). the two-eyed seeing framework not only expands how students understand knowledge and knowledge generation, but also encourages relationality—an indigenous principle centered on interconnectedness, reciprocity, and respect for all life from the local level to the global level (bartlett et al., 2012; poitras pratt et al., 2018). the first major challenge in the research project was learning how to conceptualize and communicate the framework. a non-indigenous educator doesn’t teach indigenous ways of knowing. what the non-indigenous educator can do is engage with indigenous knowledges, by placing indigenous voices and perspectives at the centre of the work. it creates a space where the alba/ emerging perspectives (2025) 4 educator can step back and recognize that they are also in the active process of learning. another challenge to conceptualizing was envisioning what bringing indigenous and western ways of knowing would look like. it wasn’t the process of weaving, because the two knowledge systems weren’t being braided together. indigenous knowledges sit separate but alongside western ways of knowing. two-eyed seeing could be viewed as two boats traveling alongside one another, offering different perspectives of the world but still heading in the same direction. bringing the two worldviews together meant expanding the field of vision and giving the viewer a fuller sense of the world around them. current research project: two-eyed seeing in art education the aims of the research project were to create a four-part workshop for post-secondary art learners that provided them the opportunity to engage with indigenous ways of knowing and artistic practice in ways that allowed them to begin to expand their own perspectives. within the history of indigenous research, significant, long-term generational harm and trauma has been caused by researching on indigenous populations, rather than researching for the direct (and desired) benefit to indigenous communities (kovach, 2021). to address and minimize this risk, the research project was designed to be developed directly in collaboration within indigenous knowledge holders, with two-eyed seeing and decolonization as the frameworks, while storywork and storytelling as methodology were selected as the methodologies, all of which work together to centre indigenous knowledges and self-determination throughout every layer of the research study. each of the four 90-minute workshops would be led by an indigenous knowledge holder and/or practicing artist, who would speak to their own personal experiences but not share indigenous community knowledge. the workshop sessions would be designed to provide learners with different perspectives, informing their creation of an ephemeral art piece that could be installed outdoors in natural environments, and that would decompose naturally over time. the materials would be sustainably harvested or provided, and from the local environment in and around the university of calgary as a way to connect the learning to the land. while the design of the initial stages of the workshops was based in research and ethical considerations, the next (and current at the time of writing) phase of the research was centred around building relationships with indigenous knowledge holders and beginning the collaboration process to design each of the four workshops. one of the primary concerns among non-indigenous educators is the fear of making mistakes, or a struggle with how to authentically and respectfully engage with indigenous ways of knowing, often due to a lack of lived experience or cultural understanding (carroll et al., 2020; mckinley, 2020). developing relationships takes time, while also requiring a level of understanding of how to respectfully reach out and create the foundational relationships to begin a collaborative process. it’s one that the average non-indigenous educator does not receive training for, with little to limited support from administrations when it comes to starting the process (mckinley, 2020). in my position as a non-indigenous researcher, i had to become comfortable with making mistakes and missteps, while also ensuring that once i became aware of the mistake, i worked diligently to correct it and not make the same misstep again. this process is one that non-indigenous educators must become comfortable with when moving into indigenous-led knowledge sharing, and centering indigenous voices in the classroom. while the research currently remains in the collaboration stage, the challenges and opportunities among indigenous knowledge holder participants will be collected through alba/ emerging perspectives (2025) 5 one-on-one interview processes grounded in indigenous storywork and storytelling as methodology, which provide a methodological framework for participants to share their lived experiences through oral storytelling practices. an additional component of the research is focused on the experiences of learner participants as they engage with two-eyed seeing in art education settings, and take part in informal talking circles where the learner participants can share their experiences with their peers through storytelling. it is hoped that the research study will contribute to the understanding of how non-indigenous educators and indigenous knowledge holders can respectfully seek to build relationships and work alongside one another to bring indigenous knowledges alongside western knowledges in the classroom. the call for decolonization in education the increasing call for decolonization in the classroom, and within the education system as a whole, requires a fundamental shift in how knowledge is taught or transmitted, valued, and understood. while the aim of education is to impart valuable information, teach specific practices, and develop student competency, it is more difficult to define what we mean by knowledge and decolonizing knowledge (clemens, 2020). decolonizing knowledge is difficult, as it requires setting aside the difference that knowledge must be true or false, and instead recognize that knowledge is contingent on the context and perspective it derives from (clemens, 2020). to decolonize knowledge, the western belief that there is only one correct, true or false, form of knowledge needs to be challenged and reframed to support and invite diverse knowledges and ways of knowing, while recognizing that no one knowledge system is more valuable than others (clemens, 2020; poitras pratt et al., 2018). decolonizing education is not about adding in additional knowledge systems within the existing western belief structure towards knowledge. decolonization instead requires a complete transformation of pedagogy, as well as identifying and shifting power structures and relationships (clemens, 2020; poitras pratt et al., 2018). at its heart, decolonization is meant to break or undo colonial systems, but it can also be a mechanism for critical reflection and recognition of knowledge constraints within colonial processes, and making room for alternative paths forward (shahjahan et al., 2022). when inviting indigenous ways of knowing into the classroom alongside western ways of knowing, decolonization must be addressed first. at the same time, laying a decolonizing foundation benefits students of all backgrounds, as it creates space for a multiplicity of knowledge systems that students can engage with (clemens, 2020; poitras pratt et al., 2018). challenges in decolonizing education there is a common fear among a large percentage of educators when it comes to teaching outside their field of expertise, especially when the educators have been trained in western academic institutions (baraskas & gladwin, 2021; mckinley, 2020; mitchell et al., 2018). the call for decolonization of curricula amid educators’ fears of teaching outside their comfort zones is an area that requires dedicated attention, or feeling as though they are not culturally qualified to bring indigenous knowledges into the classroom (barkaskas & gladwin, 2021; mitchell et al., 2018; scott & gani, 2018). the uncertainties and fears often lead to avoidance, which can result in the exclusion of indigenous perspectives from the classroom altogether (barkaskas & gladwin, 2021; mckinley, 2020). it is not that indigenous knowledges need to be taught, but that indigenous voices need to be invited in (jacob et al., 2015). indigenous voices and perspectives should be layered throughout every facet of the education system, which includes alba/ emerging perspectives (2025) 6 areas of learning and research (jacob et al., 2015). additionally, these indigenous voices need to be driven by the self-determination of indigenous peoples, which requires collaboration and the non-indigenous educator taking up the role of learner alongside their students (jacob et al., 2015; mckinley, 2020). responsibilities of educators to engage with decolonization in the classroom requires that educators make concerted efforts to expand their own learning and focus on moving beyond tokenism, or the appearance of diversity and inclusion practices in the classroom. tokenism often appears in the classroom as a symbolic gesture, which on the surface appears to be inclusive but does not lead to transformational change that supports decolonization or reconciliation (cooper et al., 2021). tokenism might be found in the inclusion of indigenous voices through the addition of one indigenous literature in the curriculum, while the course as a whole still only reflects dominant western views, or when the educator engages with indigenous experiences from a western lens, rather than create dedicated, centred spaces around indigenous voices. the process of decolonization in the classroom is an ongoing practice, as is the inclusion of the two-eyed seeing framework when bringing indigenous and western knowledges alongside one another. part of this process requires that educators routinely engage in self-reflection and unlearning, which requires a critical examination of their own relationship and conditioning by western knowledge systems, and identifying and addressing their own (conscious or unconscious) biases and assumptions (carroll et al., 2020). it is also crucial that indigenous voices be invited into the classroom, and the responsibility of building reciprocal relationships falls on the non-indigenous educator. meaningful inclusion of indigenous knowledges, voices, and perspectives requires direct collaboration with indigenous knowledge holders, and to accomplish this and build direct connections to indigenous community members, the non-indigenous educator should seek to build authentic relationships based on mutual respect and commitment to maintain the relationships over the long-term (kovach, 2021; webb & mashford-pringle, 2022). at the centre of this, there should be a focus on repairing relationships with indigenous communities on the individual level, and seeking not to embed indigenous content into the classroom from eurocentric perspectives, but to empower indigenous communities to share and transmit their knowledge with self-determination (dei & cacciavillani, 2024). indigenous perspectives should be embedded authentically into the curricula and classrooms, and developing relationships of mutual respect and knowledge sharing are at the foundation of the learning (carroll et al., 2020; mckinley, 2020). decolonizing education is an ongoing process, requiring critical reflection and attention over time. educators must be committed to learning, adapting, and challenging the existing structures that maintain colonial frameworks and the idea that there is only one correct form of knowledge. rather than place the burden of decolonial work on indigenous and marginalized educators or communities, non-indigenous educators must also be willing to contribute to decolonial practices within education and seek to continuously push forward, while overcoming feelings of personal discomfort that are experienced along the way. conclusion embracing two-eyed seeing and engaging in the foundational, ongoing groundwork of decolonization in the classroom requires more than adjusting the language and adding tokenistic alba/ emerging perspectives (2025) 7 activities that appear inclusive (poitras pratt et al., 2018; dei & cacciavillani, 2024; tuck & yang, 2012). within the current research project, two-eyed seeing and decolonization have provided a framework of ongoing reflection and centering of indigenous voices and perspectives, while storytelling as a means of collecting experiences among the participants provides a bridge between indigenous oral traditions and western qualitative research practices. there will be ongoing challenges and difficulties to overcome as knowledge systems are brought alongside one another, and these processes require active commitment from educators and institutions, as well as ongoing learning and a deep willingness to shift and dislodge colonial structures. the benefit lies with creating a classroom where all students can connect to their cultural knowledge systems, while learning to see the world through alternative ways without perpetuating a negative sense of other. alba/ emerging perspectives (2025) 8 references acharibasam, j. b., & mcvittie, j. 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(2022). incorporating indigenous content in k-12 curriculum: supports for teachers in provincial and territorial policy in post-secondary education spaces. canadian journal of educational administration and policy, 198, 55-73. editorial.docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca belonging and othering in research and education: a foreword nurgul rodriguez del ojo, fabielle rocha cruz, warren ferguson, emily coombs* university of calgary the 2024 edition of the graduate studies faculty in education journal emerges from tapestry 2024: belonging and othering in research and education, a symposium exploring the intricate dynamics of inclusion and exclusion in educational and research contexts. this foreword reflects on the conference’s central themes through a personal lens, highlighting the profound impact of identity, culture, and lived experience in shaping scholarly and pedagogical work. drawing on the metaphor of a tapestry, it underscores the richness of diverse narratives and methodologies—from autoethnography to community-based research—that challenge dominant paradigms and reimagine education as a site of belonging, recognition, and justice. emphasizing reflexivity, vulnerability, and the transformative potential of embracing difference, the foreword invites readers to consider their own positionalities and roles in fostering inclusive practices. the contributions in this volume call for sustained, collaborative efforts to dismantle systems of othering and co-create educational spaces grounded in equity, respect, and relationality. key words: belonging, critical pedagogy, educational justice, intersectionality rodriguez, n., rocha cruz, f., ferguson, w., coombs, e.(2025). belonging and othering in research and education. emerging perspectives. acknowledgments: we would like to sincerely thank my copy editor, danielle shinbine, for their keen attention to detail and dedication to clarity, and my editor, mica piba, for their insightful guidance and thoughtful feedback throughout the editing process. your support and expertise have been invaluable in bringing this work to life. *emily.coombs@ucalgary.ca rodriguez/ emerging perspectives (2025) 2 as we unveil the 2024 edition of the graduate studies in education journal, we write this foreword with deep gratitude, reflection, and a profound sense of purpose. the 2024 conference, tapestry 2024: belonging and othering in research and education, provided fertile ground for critical inquiry, creativity, and collective action. against a global backdrop of sociopolitical polarization and educational inequity, the conference invited participants to interrogate how inclusion and exclusion—belonging and othering—are enacted, resisted, and reimagined in contemporary educational spaces. the tapestry metaphor evokes for me the interwoven nature of personal narrative, cultural memory, pedagogical commitment, and scholarly inquiry. as an immigrant, artist, and educator, my own experiences navigating cultural in-betweenness mirror the central question raised by many of the contributions to this volume: what does it mean to belong, and how do educational systems reproduce or disrupt the boundaries of that belonging? belonging, as noted by abawi et al. (2022), is not merely about presence but about participation, recognition, and relational connection. yet many of us, like the "insider-outsider" adult learners described by rautins et al. (2024), live in a state of tension between proximity and distance, visibility and erasure. this dual positionality is not a limitation but a critical lens. it pushes us to consider how structures of power and identity co-construct the meaning-making processes in graduate education and beyond. the works featured in this issue reflect a methodological and epistemological richness that challenges the boundaries of conventional academic discourse. the use of posthumanist inquiry in burnett and stewart’s (2023) redefining educational places reminds us that belonging is not only socially mediated but spatially and materially constituted. educational “place” is not fixed but emergent, relational, and entangled with the human and more-than-human world—a view that invites us to rethink how spaces of learning are constructed and experienced. this volume also foregrounds the emotional and embodied dimensions of education. for instance, wilson and jones’ (2023) study using heartmath biofeedback and sel interventions among adolescents illustrates that fostering emotional self-regulation is not tangential but foundational to cultivating belonging. emotion, often marginalized in traditional academic discourse, is central to how students experience safety, inclusion, and connection. rodriguez/ emerging perspectives (2025) 3 belonging, however, must be held alongside its shadow: othering. as ahmed (2012) notes, inclusion often operates through mechanisms of conditionality: “you can belong, but only if you conform.” this tension is echoed in phan’s (2024) exploration of her own affective responses to the “curriculum of fear,” where english language learners are positioned as perpetual outsiders, marked by their difference. her work challenges us to consider how emotional labour, linguistic borders, and racialized expectations shape the pedagogical landscape. a similar critique emerges in belonging and othering in research and education: bringing indigenous voices into the classroom (walker et al., 2024), which calls for the centring of indigenous epistemologies not as additive but as constitutive to just education. as the authors argue, inclusion that does not engage with the historical and ongoing effects of settler colonialism risks becoming performative. true belonging, they suggest, is co-constructed through relational accountability, land-based knowledge, and ethical engagement with difference. several contributions push the boundaries of conventional pedagogy through the integration of technology and creativity. sharma’s (2024) exploration of generative ai in middle school art education presents a compelling case for leveraging digital tools to foster collective meaning-making and creative risk-taking. similarly, lópez and huang’s (2024) investigation into machine translation tools demonstrates that, when critically implemented, these technologies can support, not supplant, language learners in constructing multilingual identities. across these works, a recurring theme emerges: belonging is not a static end-state, but an ongoing, negotiated, and co-created process. it is not merely about being included in what already exists, but about reshaping the very conditions of possibility — curricular, spatial, emotional, and epistemological — that define the educational experience. this aligns with florian’s (2014) assertion that true inclusion necessitates a shift in mindset: from viewing diversity as a problem to be managed to embracing it as an opportunity for transformation. through my research [rodriguez] and arts-based practice, i have come to understand that fostering a sense of belonging requires reflexivity and vulnerability. it requires that we, as educators and researchers, continuously interrogate our own assumptions, positionalities, and complicities. as the conference underscored, creating inclusive spaces is not only a theoretical endeavour but also profoundly ethical and affective. this volume stands as a testament to the courage, imagination, and commitment of its contributors. it offers no simple answers but instead invites critical dialogue. it challenges us to disrupt the comfort of sameness and embrace the generative tension of difference. let it serve as both a provocation and an invitation to reimagine what education can be when belonging is not merely a goal, but a way of being, knowing, and relating. as you engage with these articles, i invite you to ask: where do i locate myself in this tapestry of belonging and othering? how might i act, personally, pedagogically, institutionally, to ensure that education becomes a space where all are recognized, valued, and transformed? rodriguez/ emerging perspectives (2025) 4 references abawi, l., oliver, m., & johnson, b. (2022). defining inclusion: what it is and what it is not in educational settings. international journal of inclusive education, 26(5), 555–570. ahmed, s. (2012). on being included: racism and diversity in institutional life. duke university press. burnett, c., & stewart, h. (2023). redefining educational places: a posthumanist exploration of place in higher education. higher education research & development, 42(1), 25–39. florian, l. (2014). what counts as evidence of inclusive education?. european journal of special needs education, 29(3), 286–294. lópez, c., & huang, r. (2024). exploring the potential of machine translation tools for english language learners. tesol journal, 15(1), e00489. phan, j. m. (2024). othering in curriculum of fear: an esol educator’s autobiography of difficult emotions. journal of language, identity & education, 23(2), 145–159. rautins, c., ibrahim, s., & jackson, m. (2024). insider-outsider adult learners: culture and the meaning-making of belonging in graduate education. adult education quarterly, 74(1), 44–62. sharma, a. (2024). how can generative artificial intelligence (ai) be effectively incorporated into middle school art to develop creative thinking and enhance a sense of community?. journal of art education, 77(3), 215–229. walker, c., blackbear, n., & thomas, r. (2024). belonging and othering in research and education: bringing indigenous voices into the classroom. canadian journal of indigenous education, 47(1), 1–18. wilson, t., & jones, r. (2023). using integral theory to study the effectiveness of heartmath biofeedback and social-emotional learning in adolescent emotion regulation. journal of youth and adolescence, 52(9), 1789–1805. rodriguez/ emerging perspectives (2025) 5 appendix a: acknowledgements the success of tapestry 2024: belonging and othering in research and education and this special edition of the graduate studies in education journal would not have been possible without the collective efforts, insights, and commitments of many individuals and organizations. we express our sincere gratitude to the following contributors: conference and editorial leadership ● alexandria poppendorf, co-president of the graduate programs in education student association (gpesa), whose encouragement and leadership were instrumental in securing the gsa quality money grant that made this symposium possible. ● fabielle rocha cruz, symposium co-chair, whose initiative and vision helped expand tapestry 2024 into a multi-institutional, interdisciplinary event, fostering collaboration across campuses and fields of study. ● warren ferguson, journal liaison, for moderating the journal call for papers and supporting authors through the submission and review process, strengthening the academic rigour of this special issue. editorial team and reviewers we are deeply appreciative of the editorial guidance and support provided by: ● emily coombs and the epigrep journal editors, for their commitment to showcasing graduate student scholarship and advancing intersectional, critical, and equity-focused research in education and psychology. ● the anonymous peer reviewers, whose thoughtful feedback elevated the quality of the published works and supported the professional development of our contributors. keynote speakers and panellists we extend heartfelt thanks to our keynote speakers (names to be inserted), whose powerful talks brought depth and provocation to our conversations around belonging, identity, and structural transformation in education. presenters and participants to all presenters, facilitators, and attendees: your contributions of time, scholarship, vulnerability, and lived experience created a space of rich dialogue, mutual respect, and collective growth. thank you for courageously sharing your research, stories, and questions. institutional and financial support rodriguez/ emerging perspectives (2025) 6 we gratefully acknowledge the financial and logistical support of: ● the graduate students’ association (gsa) of the university of alberta for awarding the gsa quality money grant. ● the department of educational psychology and the faculty of education, whose ongoing support affirms the value of student-led initiatives that center equity, inclusion, and critical inquiry. volunteers and organizers finally, we wish to recognize the many student volunteers, tech support staff, and organizing committee members whose behind-the-scenes efforts ensured the smooth execution of both the symposium and the editorial process. your work, often unseen, was vital to the success of this initiative. appendix a: acknowledgements conference and editorial leadership editorial team and reviewers keynote speakers and panellists presenters and participants institutional and financial support volunteers and organizers emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca corresponding author: cameron.smith2@ucalgary.ca essayons: french as a second language teacher experiences of technology-enhanced practice cameron smith university of calgary while past research has identified the importance of teacher beliefs in informing practice, this work is underexplored in the context of canadian french as a second language (fsl) teachers. numerous studies have emphasized the benefits of technology-enhanced teaching practices, yet the daily challenges faced by fsl teachers limit their capabilities to fully integrate these tools and pedagogies into their practices. by considering how practicing fsl teachers experience the integration of technology in second language learning, this research contributes a current understanding of these realities. through an interpretive lens, this article presents an account of the experiences of four fsl teachers in an urban school board in southern alberta. the participants’ responses reveal that while current trends in technology integration aligned well with their beliefs, numerous barriers have presented ongoing challenges in enacting their visions for their professional practices. smith, c. (2020). essayons: french as a second language teacher experiences of technologyenhanced practice. emerging perspectives, 4(2), 1-15. despite the recognized benefits and promotion of digital technologies in teacher practice, french as a second language (fsl) teachers across canada face numerous difficulties in enacting technology-enhanced practices in their classrooms. while studies have demonstrated the potential for digital technology to engage students and extend learning environments beyond traditional constraints (e.g. koua, 2013), the unique context of the fsl classroom presents additional challenges that often go unnoticed and unaddressed in schools (karabulut, levelle, li, & suvorov, 2014). this article begins by presenting an overview of the context of fsl learning in canada, as well as literature relevant to understanding the experiences of four fsl teachers in a school board in alberta. the stories of these teachers highlight the reality faced by fsl teachers integrating digital technology into their teaching. the article concludes with a call to further study and consider the fsl teacher experience in schools. with two official languages, french and english, the canadian government promotes the learning of both languages in k-12 schools across the country. outside of francophone schools, fsl programs are usually divided into core and immersion levels. immersion programs use french as the language of instruction, promoting fluency and a deeper connection with francophone culture. conversely, core programs provide a less intensive, single-class offering for those wishing to pursue french language learning. fsl programs vary considerably in different provinces, particularly at the elementary level (turnbull, 2000). the amount of instructional time, the grade at which students begin to learn smith emerging perspectives (2020) 2 french, as well as whether or not the program is compulsory vary both within and across provinces. in alberta, most students begin learning fsl in grade four as part of the nine-year sequential program (alberta education, 2007). importantly, however, students in alberta are not required to take fsl in their program of study, as there is no mandate to offer additional language education. thus, the actual amount of french instruction time students receive may vary even if these programs are available to students. as of 2016-17, over 1.709 million students (nearly half of all students in canada) were enrolled in fsl programs across canada (canadian parents for french, 2017). with 191,000 students in alberta pursuing optional fsl programs, the percentage of participation is lower, at only 30% (canadian parents for french, 2017). challenges associated with fsl programs are commonly cited in the research literature. in a report from the standing committee on official languages, chong (2014) noted that “learning french as a second language remains a challenge in canada” (p. 10), describing ongoing concerns of accessibility as well as declining enrolment. despite the promotion of bilingualism and its benefits, fsl programs are frequently marginalized, as seen in the lack of control, integration, and autonomy given to fsl teachers (lapkin et al., 2009). kissau (2005) challenged the idea that, despite the rhetoric, “the study of french is not a national priority” (p. 9). fsl programs are also seen as an “add-on” and non-essential subject, which leaves the value and potential of fsl programs up to the discretion of school and board administrators (faez, 2011; leblanc, 1990). traditionally, fsl programs are also associated with particularly low retention after the end of the compulsory period. roughly 95% of students in secondary fsl programs are estimated to leave the program after completing their mandatory studies (chong, 2014). these issues have been identified repeatedly in the literature yet they continue to plague fsl education. the fsl teacher is generally undervalued and marginalized within the school and teaching community; indeed, “the working conditions of fsl teachers [are] worse than those for teachers of other subjects” (kissau, 2005, p. 14). given that fsl is only offered for short periods each day, the fsl teacher may be seen as an outsider in the school community (lapkin et al., 2009). this issue is often exacerbated by the lack of a designated classroom. most often, at the elementary level, fsl teachers are not assigned a designated classroom (lapkin et al., 2006). this forces teachers to move their resources from room to room, creating an impression of inferiority (kissau, 2005). similarly, a lack of administrative support can be combined with a lack of parental and student support for the study of french (kyungsuk & rixon, 2015; robinson, 2005). these negative factors may influence the beliefs and practices of fsl teachers, compounding other cognition-related challenges related to technology integration (lawrence, 2014). numerous studies have suggested the possibilities for technology-enhanced instruction to improve, and even revolutionize fsl and general second language learning (koua, 2013; wang & vásquez, 2012). technology-enhanced teaching and learning extend practices beyond traditional means to support or deepen environments and experiences for students (brown, 2013; havard, 2013). digital devices and their various uses in the fsl classroom allow “interesting and dynamic mediums through which students can exercise and perfect their skills in the target language” (turnbull & lawrence, 2003, p. 253). students who struggle or who are disengaged by traditional fsl teaching methods can benefit greatly from technology’s applications. this potential has evolved considerably from grammar and form-based drilling exercises to focus instead on language use and collaborative approaches. numerous tools are able to support the creation of “engaging learning environments to facilitate communicative competence” smith emerging perspectives (2020) 3 (lawrence, 2014, p. 60). indeed, technology has potential for use in all second language (l2) curriculum areas (grammar, listening, reading, writing, speaking, culture, etc.) and in developing various specific language skills (levy, 2009). arrays of tools exist to assist with specific content, such as spelling, or with overall language training in online platforms (koua, 2013). unfortunately, these benefits may not be reflected in the current practice of classrooms, and technology alone will not transform learning (motteram & thomas, 2010). this study examined the way in which fsl teachers in a southern alberta school division perceive and experience teaching fsl with technology. by discussing the teachers’ practices and approaches to teaching, i was able to explore insights into the beliefs and technology usage of current fsl teachers in alberta. thus, the lived experiences of these four fsl teachers provide insights into the core question of this study: how do practicing fsl teachers in alberta perceive and experience the integration of technology in second language learning? literature review there is a rich array of literature investigating french as a second language (fsl), the impacts of educational technology, and teacher beliefs. however, limited research exists at the nexus of these three areas (lawrence, 2014). further, much of the literature examining educational technology and teacher beliefs relate more generally to l2 classrooms, as opposed to fsl, and the canadian context is largely unexplored. in canada, fsl teachers are trained by means of a pre-service teacher education program. chong (2014) noted that numerous fsl teachers were enrolled in fsl programs themselves, and french is therefore their second or an additional language. there are also longstanding difficulties in recruiting and retaining fsl teachers. recruitment concerns have resulted in an ongoing shortage of qualified fsl teachers in canada since the early 2000s (chong, 2014; faez, 2011; lapkin et al., 2009). according to a study from lapkin and barkaoui (2008), more than one in five fsl teachers surveyed did not intend to stay in fsl in the next three years (as cited in lapkin et al., 2009). this may be attributed to the devalued position and lack of attention paid to this side of the profession (chong, 2014). as previously discussed, a lack of student engagement and motivation, funding concerns, and inequitable treatment in schools are considered factors in this devaluation (kissau, 2005). educational technology the prevalence of digital technologies has increased substantially in the 21st century. with the normalization of technology use has come the belief that schools should be integrating technology. parents, students, and various educational stakeholders, including teachers, expect technology to be used in all classrooms (gruba, 2006; macdonald, 2003). this results in an increase in pressure on teachers in all fields to integrate technology, and to be both aware of and knowledgeable about using various digital tools and resources. stockwell (2009) noted that such technological literacy and uses are also an asset in hiring and promotion practices, which increases the perceived value of these skills. the growing technological competency of students compounds this issue, particularly in the digital divide between student and teacher knowledge (kessler, 2006). there has been a considerable investment in educational technology, with the drive to equip schools having begun in the late 20th century (deyrich & dyson, 2006). part of the initial mania can be attributed to the perception that technology would serve as a panacea to the problems of education. however, in light of the wide-ranging benefits of educational technology, smith emerging perspectives (2020) 4 it may be more prudent to ask what aspects of educational technologies, and how effective integration will benefit the teaching and learning process (robinson, 2005). in integrating technology, the context of each school, and the knowledge of its teachers are significant. understanding technology generally, being familiar with specific tools, and knowing how technology may be used in the classroom are crucial to this knowledge-building process (levy, 2009). this is particularly important, as effective technology use distinguishes it from simply being an add-on or a novelty to traditional instruction. it is worth noting that technology is a tool and it cannot produce learning inherently (brown, 2007; deyrich & dyson, 2006). indeed, simply using a technology does not mean that it is being used in a manner that supports improved teaching and learning (robb, 2006). benefits and challenges of educational technology while the current landscape of educational technology undoubtedly includes some challenges, the effective integration of technology also affords a number of benefits and opportunities (koua, 2013). the multiple uses and functions of many digital tools and resources means technologies are able to be integrated in many different ways and for many different purposes (levy, 2009). internet-based and other digital tools in particular allow for a wide range of “communicative, socially constructive and dynamic, student-centered learning environments” that can facilitate deeper learning (macdonald, 2003, p. 455). effective uses of technology necessitate altering traditional roles and teacher-directed instruction (kessler, 2006; kim, 2008). as technology mediates more and more communication outside of the classroom, using these technologies inside the classroom reflects the relevance and real-world connection of these programs (motteram & thomas, 2010). from a pedagogical perspective, technology often serves to motivate students to engage with classroom activities and tasks. the use of dynamic digital resources, multimedia tools, and technologies can serve as a “purposeful motivational strategy,” both inherent from the use of technology and the design of the learning opportunity (kissau & salas, 2013, p. 99). this is particularly relevant in the language classroom, where motivation is a key element of successful learning (hess, 2012). while motivation alone is not grounds for effective use, this factor gives technology the additional bonus of both cognitive and motivational assistance (kim, 2008). digital tools provide access to a large array of language resources, student and teacher supports, as well as different means of capturing students’ language use (koua, 2013; lawrence, 2014). providing meaningful but enjoyable applications, as well as opportunities for practice and remedial support outside of classroom time, is also beneficial (koua, 2013; macdonald, 2003). interactive websites, apps, digital games, programs, (social) media and other resources are increasingly uploaded and shared online. this is particularly valuable given the current challenges surrounding accessing quality resources in second language classrooms (chong, 2014). changing pedagogies and teaching styles through technology have also afforded a focus on language use and higher-order skills, which promote engagement, motivation, interest and deeper language learning (koua, 2013). indeed, student-centered pedagogies are often associated with technology use, which allows for greater student independence and agency than is traditionally seen in the second language classroom (lawrence, 2014). however, there are also challenges, limitations, and barriers to technology use for both general and language classrooms. robinson (2005) and ertmer, ottenbreit-leftwich, sadik, sendurur, and sendurur (2012) recognized two broader categories of barriers to technology use: smith emerging perspectives (2020) 5 primary barriers—such as access, time, and insufficient support, as well as secondary barriers— such as beliefs, established routines, and resistance to change. at the very core, technology use is most restricted by the limitations of the technology, as well as the teacher and learners’ technological competency (chapelle, 2001). indeed, “as with any tool, their ultimate value and power are largely a function of the capacities of the user” (murphy, 2002, p. 216). this knowledge is not always easily accessed, and the opportunity to see and experience proficient technology use in practice would likely be more beneficial (stockwell, 2009). a lack of adequate training makes the integration of technology a more challenging task. robb (2006) noted that there is a pervasive “tendency for schools to invest in hardware with little regard for the training of personnel in its effective use” (p. 340). being unfamiliar with appropriate technology-enhanced pedagogies, as well as a lack of knowledge and understanding about the role and possibilities of technology, are substantial barriers to technology use (lawrence, 2014). teachers require ongoing and scaffolded learning, building from their current knowledge outward, in order for their technology integration to be normalized and seamlessly connected with their practice (levy, 2009). when in-school and administrative support is lacking, or worse, restrictive of technology use, teachers are often left to explore and troubleshoot technology integration alone (kyungsuk & rixon, 2015; robb, 2006). unfortunately, a number of these concerns are outside of the individual teachers’ control (lawrence, 2014). the school or district’s technology infrastructure, professional development and training, policies, and lack of time in balancing curricular demands all constrain technologyenhanced teaching (lawrence, 2014; stockwell, 2009). even when schools have the necessary tools, access to the devices may still pose a challenge. the availability of the devices when shared among staff, the number of devices in relation to the number of students, and technical difficulties can also inhibit integration (murphy, 2002). therefore, access alone does not bring about technology use (motteram & thomas, 2010). the unique context of the fsl classroom adds additional considerations to technology integration. indeed, hubbard & levy (2006) warn against taking “too much generic educational criteria” (p. 15) about technology use into the language classroom. language teachers face difficult challenges when attempting to integrate technology, more so than their colleagues (levy, 2009). for example, educational technology tools and training are often designed for other courses or for general classrooms (lawrence, 2014). language instructors often come away from professional development without the understanding required to integrate it into their own context (robb, 2006). language departments and teachers are rarely consulted over technology decisions, and the differences between the language and general classroom are frequently overlooked (levy, 2009). as deyrich and dyson (2006) noted, technology must be linked to the subject, as well as with pedagogies and practices that support its use. while the newest tools may not necessarily indicate effective practice, many teachers are using a limited number of traditional technology tasks in established ways, and new tools that promote higher order thinking and language use are rarely integrated (peters, weinberg, & sarma, 2009). teacher beliefs literature given that the teacher is one of the most important factors in implementing educational change, understanding how teachers think and feel about technology is essential (lawrence, 2014). as such, the successful integration of technology depends on the teacher’s attitudes. positive beliefs will likely encourage innovation and change, while negative opinions will impede or inhibit its use altogether (lawrence, haque, & king, 2013). indeed, the more positive view of the benefits of computer technology, the more the teacher will be willing to use such smith emerging perspectives (2020) 6 technology in their teaching (lam, 2000). robinson (2005) recommended working to uncover and speak to individual teacher’s beliefs once technology becomes available in a school. many teachers currently perceive technology from a limited viewpoint, regarding it mostly as an add-on to their own didactic instruction, rather than as a student-centered or student-directed tool (lawrence, 2014). one particularly notable issue concerning teacher beliefs is technology resistance. teachers often resist experimentation with new technology, as they have likely already developed routines and practices that appear to function in a certain lesson (meskill, anthony, hilliker-vanstrander, tseng, & you, 2006). a vast number of reasons are thought to develop resistance (turnbull & lawrence, 2003), including “discomfort with . . . new roles and the dynamic, increasingly non-hierarchical nature of knowledge building, methodology and interaction which seems to conflict with school structures and previous educational experiences” (lawrence, 2014, p. 62). this problem is exacerbated by the fact that many teachers do not transfer a considerable amount of what is taught in formal courses and teacher education into their practice, unless they were motivated to use technology before entering the program (kessler, 2006). this is not surprising, given that teachers who are “able to fit [technology] into an existing framework of beliefs and practices” are more likely to experience success in integrating it into their practice (wong & benson, 2006, p. 261). this implies that teacher education programs are not consistently addressing the negative perceptions of technology during their degree courses. this leaves teachers to supplement their learning later on with informal information gathered from their colleagues and other sources after they graduate (walker & white, 2013). methodology this study employed a qualitative, instrumental case study (merriam, 2009; stake, 2006). the interest in providing several cases is grounded in the idea that these cases allowed for a greater quantity and variation in the responses of the participants, supporting the precision of the interpretation and the bounding of the results (merriam, 2009). while having multiple cases is not intended to promote generalizations or to focus on making comparisons across the cases, some will inevitably be made in order to better understand the quintain (stake, 2006). having several instances of phenomena across the cases can provide more compelling evidence (heck, 2006), while contradictions of themes will also provide insight (stake, 2006). in seeking to understand the social realities of teachers, as they perceive it, the study of teacher beliefs is rooted in the interpretivist tradition (given, 2008). further, as teachers’ beliefs, perceptions, and experiences are not directly observable phenomena, the teachers must be engaged in data collection methods which elicit these insights (borg, 2006). in this study, a selfreport instrument (an online questionnaire) and verbal commentaries (semi-structured interviews and stimulated recall) were used. the questionnaire served as both a recruitment and data collection tool. the questionnaire was distributed to teachers in elementary schools in a southern alberta school division by email. the survey prompted the teachers to indicate interest in the study, supply their demographic information, as well as provided initial insights into their beliefs and knowledge of technology-enhanced practices through likert scales and open-ended, shortanswer questions (mertens, 2015). the questions were based on the beliefs of the teachers, relating to their affective (preferences), cognitive (knowledge), and action-based (practices) cognitions (borg, 2006). from the ten responses to their survey, four teachers were selected for interviews based on their responses seemingly “having strategic importance” to the research questions (flyvbjerg, 2006, p. 307). smith emerging perspectives (2020) 7 the semi-structured individual interviews and stimulated recall exercise expanded the depth of the data, posing questions and eliciting further responses from the participants. these interviews were intended to highlight the teacher’s beliefs, practices, experiences, and factors that influenced these individuals in greater depth and detail. the interview questions were selected from a pool, to allow for a certain amount of shaping to occur within each interview, unique to the conversation with the participant (wilkinson & birmingham, 2003). the interview questions explored the benefits and challenges of technology use in the fsl classroom, as well as discussing the factors that influence technology use in their schools generally. the responses provided insights into the how the teachers view fsl programs, the use of technology, and the value of technology in teaching and learning fsl. each of the four participants voluntarily displayed examples of lesson plans, completed student work, and other teaching materials related to technology use during the interviews. these materials prompted the teachers to reflect further, and to provide specific examples in addition to those discussed during the interview (borg, 2006). these documents also provided new insights into the daily practices of these teachers, which may have supported or contradicted their verbal statements. these instances uncovered when the teachers’ beliefs and their practices were aligned, and when they diverged. while the majority of the data are drawn from the interviews, critical moments in the analysis of the documents and teacher recall associated with artifacts provided depth to the analysis. the study’s participants (pseudonyms: alexandria, anna, laura, and mackenzie) included four, female-identifying fsl teachers at various stages of their career. mackenzie, a recent bachelor of education graduate, described herself as confident with technology, having grown up using it. anna, an assistant principal, has promoted technology integration in her school through professional learning and leading by example. laura, an experienced teacher, has taught fsl to adolescent students, using technology to connect them with french language and culture globally. alexandria, a current fsl supply teacher, was more hesitant in using technology, though she takes an active interest in learning and trying new strategies. results the participants commonly referenced the optional status of fsl programs in alberta as a challenge in their professional life. each teacher noted various issues that were either brought on by, attributed to, or exacerbated by the non-compulsory nature of the programs. these issues include varying program availability, inconsistent prior linguistic knowledge among students, the challenge of motivating students enrolled in varying optional programs, program consistency and instruction time within the program, as well as the perception of the program and support given to fsl teachers as a non-compulsory subject. the teachers expressed that the optional status of the program affects how fsl was perceived and valued within their schools and the board. this includes the perception of students, parents, other teachers, and administrators. mackenzie and laura consistently reported frustrations with the treatment of the program. laura commented generally that in the board, “not all schools promote it as they should. some do and some don’t. it’s hit or miss, even in schools with fsl.” when discussing her work in the school, mackenzie described being an fsl teacher as though “you’re an island off by yourself.” she elaborated that she felt isolated from her fellow teachers, unsupported by administrators, and generally undervalued in the school. laura noted that in the upper grades her program cannot contend with core subjects: smith emerging perspectives (2020) 8 over the years, i’ve changed my attitude. i’ve learned i can’t compete with core courses. i can’t send a kid home with a lot of french homework when they’ve got homework from the other subjects. they’ll be out of your class so quickly. mackenzie noted that this diminished status influenced her approach to integrating technology. she said, “i’m just an option. i’ll give the technology up if an english teacher needs the [tablet] cart, because, you know, i think i can just get away without it and they need it more.” the teachers repeatedly emphasized that an understanding of using technology, and comfort in using it, were essential elements of technology integration. the participants often spoke of technology integration as a professional obligation, as seen in anna’s statement: you have to do it. you have to know, as a teacher, especially with technology. it doesn’t take very long to figure something out, but you still need to learn it, and take the time to do it. you don’t want to be that teacher who’s sitting in their classroom and having no idea what’s happening out there. this perceived obligation poses added challenges for these teachers, as they must keep pace with technology integration without receiving the same level of support as their colleagues. fsl and technology participants’ discussions of fsl and technology often included comments on pedagogy, and the changes in instructional style and method used by the teachers. both technology and the influence of the technology-enhanced pedagogy were commonly referenced as significant factors in this change. the participants frequently contrasted their current practice with the traditional styles of their own schooling, and even their own prior teaching. laura shared her experiences, explaining that “when i went to school, it was textbooks, it was rote, and it was not useable. we memorized a lot of vocabulary that was absolutely useless. we did worksheets upon worksheets.” she contrasted this with her changing approach to fsl: the main thing that i’ve seen change is going from that traditional, rote learning, to trying to develop kids who are comfortable speaking the language. i know that sounds really simple, but it should never have been any other way. i mean, i was guilty of that 25 years ago. that was how we’d always done it. but the technology is really helping change that. similarly, alexandria added that, as her teaching changed, she has realized new possibilities for student engagement. “students can be very creative and surprise you with their ideas, and they can show their love from french in many ways that are not the traditional methods” she stated, “they can't do that when reading from the textbook or doing a worksheet.” she continued, kids who were not very outspoken, but who listen to french music or shows, showed me that they were trying and understanding. i would ask them questions and it shows they were developing on the topic. i think the spark is there, but you just have to get them to be more confident to use their french and connect with it. the use of some technology was inevitable, according to the participants, as anna noted: it's nicer for the kids because technology is all around them; you can't really go the traditional route anymore, it's just part of the changing times. there is a time for the smith emerging perspectives (2020) 9 traditional, when it’s pen and pencil, but technology makes teaching a lot easier and it helps get the kids more engaged, and wanting them to learn. like anna, appealing to her students’ interests was a significant factor in alexandria’s technology integration. “students have different expectations today,” alexandria commented, “they want french to be more up-to-date, more modern, more related to their everyday life.” in her teaching, technology served an important role incorporating more oral communication and interactive lessons. in her current practice, having her students “experience it. getting them to speak more french” was a key tenet. she added, “maybe their pronunciation or grammar isn't perfect, but they need to give it a try and be persistent.” importantly, each teacher noted that her teaching is far from entirely digital. a result of both necessity (e.g., a lack of devices) and their own beliefs about language learning, they still regularly include non-digital tasks and activities. as previously mentioned, the participants commented that technology does not inherently improve student work, or the quality of teaching. the teachers unanimously maintained that their teaching would preserve these technology-free lessons, at least for the foreseeable future. the teachers reasoned that balancing digital with nondigital tasks was the reality of schools today, and that students do not need devices all the time, simply for the sake of using them. laura commented, “it’s a language it’s about the artifacts, what you’ve read and taking part. you can do that without technology, but there has to be a balance.” though their practices were varied, the teachers reported two predominant changes to their pedagogy–access to visual aids, and the use of games. the teachers noted that, with technology, it is easier to enhance lessons with graphics and multimedia. the ability for students to create and consume media and multimodal options for combining the strands (reading, speaking, writing, listening) is important. electronic access to videos, movies, and audio clips are thought to enhance presentations. as well, books and other non-digital media were more easily retrieved and either distributed or displayed to the class. anna commented: for kids, they’re more engaged because of it. they’ll see the information, they’ll see the picture, they’ll see a video. for them, it’s more useful than just the teacher going in front of the class and just talking or writing on the board. the participants also frequently discussed the use of games, both digital and non-digital, as a new addition, though now a staple of their teaching. for mackenzie, these games were intended to engage students in using vocabulary and ideas from the unit. she commented: i’ve found some success with bringing in games after we’ve introduced a topic, to have [students] reflect on what it is. mostly something i’ve found online. before having that final formative assessment, i’ll use them to see if they’ve understood. these changes are promising, as they suggest that even teachers who face obstacles with technology integration may still be open to opportunities that they have the skills, resources, and support to access. discussion understanding the beliefs and experiences of teachers is a critical component of analyzing their current practices (kim, 2008). this is particularly true of second language teachers, whose study in the field of teacher beliefs is relatively recent and still emerging (turnbull & lawrence, smith emerging perspectives (2020) 10 2003). teacher beliefs and prior experiences play a critical role in shaping the use of technology in a teacher’s practice, and research indicates that fsl teachers’ beliefs and practices may not be keeping pace with those of their colleagues (deyrich & dyson, 2006). in discussing the transition to their current technology-enhanced teaching practice, the teachers compared their new approach with their own experiences as students. the notable differences between their past and present mindsets and pedagogies highlight the potential for beliefs to change over time, while the ongoing similarities speak to the enduring legacy of certain beliefs (ertmer, 2005). for mackenzie and laura, and to some extent for alexandria, being introduced to a new pedagogy style in their professional development caused a shift in their teaching, away from the experiences they had in fsl classrooms as students. these participants discussed making a conscious effort to move away from traditional approaches to fsl, which was supported by digital technology tools and resources (lawrence, 2014). as a result, their beliefs now reflect the influence of later experiences, more so than their own schooling. this progression was particularly explicit for laura, who admitted using more traditional pedagogies at the beginning of her teaching career. laura noted that as new information and professional development opportunities became available her teaching practices began to shift. the rationale underlying the new pedagogy was essential to shifting each of these teachers’ beliefs, providing a necessary impetus for change (ertmer, 2005). laura, mackenzie, and alexandra described growing recognitions that longstanding approaches to fsl instruction seemed too focused on grammar, vocabulary, and drilling exercises (peters, weinberg & sarma, 2009). as accessing technology in the classroom became more common, their practices shifted mediums, allowing them to better integrate their new beliefs into their daily work. participants’ use of digital technologies also suggests a limited influence of prior school experience. most of the participants had little to no experience with digital tools and devices in their classrooms as students or as beginning teachers. indeed, only mackenzie, the youngest participant, spoke about how she “grew up” with technology. thus, participants’ experiences and beliefs about teaching contrast with their non-digital past. in speaking to their gradual incorporation of more and more technology, the teachers reveal how the influence of their prior experience was replaced by experiences of success with newer pedagogies. this perspective was reinforced over time, and as richards, gallo, and renandya (2001) suggested, became the participants’ dominant approach. as mackenzie’s current teaching content is more compatible with her schooling experience, she offers an interesting contrast to the limited influence of school on other participants’ teaching. mackenzie’s experience with technology from an early age may have promoted her own technological competence, and predisposed her to use it in her teaching. professional development professional development builds essential knowledge for teachers, at both the preand inservice levels (hubbard & levy, 2006). these experiences present opportunities for teachers to reflect on their current knowledge, and to build upon it with new strategies and resources (richards et al., 2001). similar to the general lack of technology use in their schooling experiences, none of the teachers reported seeing technology used widely or effectively in their own teacher education programs. even mackenzie, a recent graduate, expressed misgivings about her experiences with technology during her teacher education program. this is significant, as a lack of practical technology integration in pre-service education may influence a teacher’s later beliefs (deyrich smith emerging perspectives (2020) 11 & dyson, 2006; kagan, 1992). the participating teachers have, however, developed more robust beliefs about the use of technology, though it is unclear whether they were already motivated to learn about and use technology, or if they developed this interest as their careers progressed (see kessler, 2006). the teachers repeatedly emphasized the importance of in-service professional development opportunities. most of the participants contended that targeted and engaging sessions supported their success with technology integration, presented them with opportunities to connect with other teachers, and helped to expand their knowledge. however, the teachers noted numerous challenges associated with in-service professional development, particularly related to technology and the second language classroom. the participants also commented on the difficulties they experienced in finding and accessing these sessions, especially given their recognized benefits. this is consistent with murphy’s (2002) observations that while teachers may wish to engage in professional development (pd) on technology use, access concerns may hinder their ability to take part. mackenzie reported a general lack of technology-related pd, while alexandria and laura shared experiences of struggling to find sessions that would connect to fsl. compounding this issue, as laura notes, is that while french-related pd is available in the board, much of it focuses on french immersion, not fsl. thus, these teachers may leave pd sessions without knowing how to integrate ideas into their own context (robb, 2006). the teachers also spoke to challenges associated with the uniqueness of the fsl classroom, particularly when available pd is unlikely to cover the expectations of their language classroom, their stream of french learning, or the age group of their students. this lack of direction was a common source of frustration for these teachers. contextual factors the context in which each teacher conducts their practice plays an important role in influencing their approach (levy, 2009). physical, social, and systemic settings, whether temporary or permanent, shape a teacher’s cognitions and practices; thus, understanding these contextual factors is essential to studying the beliefs and behaviours of teachers (borg, 2006). one of the most common subjective norms that participants discussed was an expectation to use technology in their teaching. indeed, the common use of technology in alberta classrooms was part of each teacher’s motivation to use technology, connected to the learning and technology policy framework (alberta education, 2013). alexandria, for example, noted that her students asked for technology to be used, while anna observed that district administrators regularly include technology as part of board initiatives. mackenzie, meanwhile, believed that teachers’ technology skills were an asset during hiring, further influencing her own views of technology use (see macdonald, 2003; stockwell, 2009). in this way, participants’ subjective norms framed technology use in a positive light, contributing to their desire to integrate technology in their teaching. mackenzie also noted that using technology encouraged further use. that is, teachers who already work to integrate technology into their practice may be motivated to continue doing so, particularly if their beliefs align with bring your own device policies or digital citizenship (ertmer, 2005). participants contrasted the expectation to use technology with a lack of parental and administrative support for fsl. mackenzie, for example, believed that her school board did not provide sufficient support for the fsl program. laura specifically contended that the program’s optional status reduced her enrollment numbers, while alexandria suggested that french language learning in general should be better supported since it also serves as one of canada’s smith emerging perspectives (2020) 12 official languages. yet, the participants’ recognition of the treatment of the subject in schools and in school districts, often as a low priority as anna suggests, are also consistent with lapkin and colleagues’ (2006) report. the teachers in this study discussed a lack of meaningful consultation and guidance, as well as a lack of available funding and in-school support. conclusion fundamentally, in order to support technology integration, teacher development programming must recognize the importance of beliefs in order to better prepare teachers to use technology. developing positive attitudes towards technology is essential (lawrence, 2014). this positive attitude must extend beyond using technology themselves as teachers, but also in designing lessons for their students to use technology effectively (peters, 2006). assisting teachers in receiving repeated exposure to technological practices, and implementing technology themselves, is reported to improve the attitude and confidence of teachers (turnbull & lawrence, 2003). in terms of the participants’ beliefs, these teachers seem to agree with new technological developments, and the growing influence of technology seems largely compatible with their beliefs. this is essential to changing practice in the classroom (johnson, 2006; kennedy & kennedy, 1996; lawrence, 2014). these teachers, with varied prior experiences with technology in their own schooling, have found the benefits of technology integration to be impetus enough to adapt their beliefs. these teachers state that they are willing to learn and to try to integrate new technologies, even in recognizing the associated challenges. the experiences of these teachers seem to support statements which claim that technology integration in second language classrooms is behind that of other subjects (lawrence, 2014; robinson, 2005). the participants identified numerous challenges when attempting to integrate technology into their practice, including both primary (e.g. scheduling, access, number of devices) and secondary (e.g. knowledge, resistance) barriers. the most concerning primary barriers for these teachers seem to centre on issues of access and availability of the technology, specific pd, and the challenges associated with adapting these resources to the context of the fsl classroom. the teachers’ reports suggest that, in their view, efforts to support technology integration in fsl seem disconnected and haphazard and lack a unified and effective response (deyrich & dyson, 2006). this is likely a contributing factor to frustrations and ongoing challenges in their practice. there is still a need for research in the area of fsl teacher beliefs (bayliss & vignola, 2007; lawrence, 2014). generally, while the influence of belief systems on teachers’ practice is well-researched, much less has been conducted with teachers in the fsl classroom (turnbull & lawrence, 2003). the same applies to the use of educational technology, where the fsl context has been overlooked by research studies (lapkin et al., 2009). this article serves a call to action for the continued study of fsl teachers’ experiences, and the ways in which they can 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(2006). in-service call education. in p. hubbard & m. levy (eds.), teacher education in call (pp. 251-264). amsterdam: john benjamins. literature review educational technology benefits and challenges of educational technology teacher beliefs literature methodology results fsl and technology discussion professional development contextual factors conclusion references microsoft word 69764-article text-218383-1-10-20210629 (3).docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca corresponding author: stefan.rothschuh@ucalgary.ca graduate students’ meaning-making of teaching and learning in an international doctoral forum stefan rothschuh, jody dennis, jingzhou (jo) liu, jennifer macdonald, sylvie roy, marlon simmons university of calgary the purpose of this paper was to make meaning of doctoral students’ experiences as they expanded their understanding of teaching and learning through reflection. using case study as a methodology approach, a group of doctoral candidates examined purposeful events that unfolded during their participation in an international doctoral forum in china. guided by transformative learning theory and reflective practice inquiry, the research findings indicated that graduate students’ perceptions of teaching and learning in an international context were shaped by their various identities, past experiences, cultural backgrounds, and social interactions. the research also illustrated how participation in the forum supported doctoral candidates in advancing their scholarly identities as they reflected upon transformative moments throughout the event. the implications for the scholarship of teaching and learning (sotl) were significant as reflective activities surrounding the doctoral forum helped to explain how transformative learning experiences could contribute to doctoral students’ transition into academia. keywords: reflective practice, sotl, doctoral student identity, transformative learning rothschuh, s., dennis, j., liu, j., macdonald, j., roy, s., simmons, m. (2021). graduate students’ meaning-making of teaching and learning in an international doctoral forum. emerging perspectives, 5(1), 1-15. my heart and mind were wide open that day as we shared our wisdom, our understandings, our experiences, and best practices in our schools. deep down inside me, i felt appreciation for the common understanding we shared in having a similar purpose to embrace learning at the forefront of every conscious decision and action for the sake of our students. although our own lived experiences were vastly different, the entire room of educators desired to learn and know of each other’s work performed on a daily basis. (excerpt from the second author’s personal recollections of the doctoral forum) rothschuh, dennis, liu, macdonald, roy, & simmons emerging perspectives (2021) 2 with this paper, we explore our perceptions of teaching and learning that emerged during our participation in an international doctoral forum in beijing, china. our group of four doctoral students and two professors from a research university’s faculty of education examine how these experiences informed our meaning-making and understanding of the events that unfolded. we build our discussion around our participation in the international doctoral forum that we attended as a group. this forum led us to reflect on our scholarly progression and our views on teaching and learning. the opening vignette, for instance, showcases how one of the participating doctoral students recognized a mutual teaching codex when conversing with educational leaders during the conference. drawing on these and other reflective accounts, we illustrate how doctoral students’ reflective inquiry can lay the foundation for further advancements in the scholarship of teaching and learning (sotl). the scholarship of teaching and learning is a practice that is built on systematic inquiry of student learning, that draws on the reciprocal relationship between teaching and learning in postsecondary settings (boyer, 1990). lastly, we point out how transformative learning experiences during graduate school can support doctoral candidates in advancing their scholarly identities and help them transition into academia. graduate school and doctoral identity doctoral students face many challenges when navigating graduate school, some of which are more explicitly recognizable than others. for instance, austin (2002) pointed out how changing demands characterize the evolving nature of institutions of higher education. consequently, graduate students must adapt accordingly to pursue their graduate education and transition into academic careers. one of the changes involves a shift from a teaching to a learning-focus at many institutions, often to accommodate an increasingly diverse student population (austin, 2002). these and other demands fundamentally impact graduate experiences. factors such as previous work experiences, family situations, or the person’s age also shape the transition processes that take place during graduate school, and thus also contribute to students’ academic profile formation. in fact, doctoral students draw upon a multitude of diverse identities by taking on elements of a specific cultural group to determine how they fit with internal values and beliefs (foot et al., 2014). this maturation practice not only shapes doctoral learning processes and scholarly identity formation, but also determines how graduate students fit in and perceive teaching and learning. as future and current academics in the field of education, we aimed at identifying these undercurrents of our doctoral identity formation. we also planned to showcase how our perception of teaching and learning was shaped by our layered identities as educators, practitioners, doctoral students, and academics. context of our study our group of four doctoral students, accompanied by two professors from a research university in western canada, recently attended an international doctoral forum in beijing, china. the forum was the key moment of an agreement between institutions of higher education in australia, china, and canada, whereby doctoral students come together annually for a week-long symposium. our diverse group of canadian delegates included international and canadian doctoral students, as well as two university professors in the field of education. participating doctoral students had prior practical teaching experiences at the k-12 and the undergraduate level, including social studies at the middle school level, mathematics and physical education at the high school level, or undergraduate courses on health and wellness in education. the forum rothschuh, dennis, liu, macdonald, roy, & simmons emerging perspectives (2021) 3 encompassed preparatory face-to-face meetings before travelling abroad with the intent to build relationships among the group. we also scheduled regular reflective activities including individual and group sessions before, during, and after the international forum. during these initial meetings, we realized that our experiences and perceptions of teaching and learning in an international context were scattered, which we attributed to our diverse personal backgrounds, as well as our scholarship of varied subs-specialties in education. moreover, we found it challenging to imagine how our diverse identities would impact our understanding of educational activities during the forum, and how our doctoral student identities would advance and/or transform we attended the forum in beijing with these uncertainties in mind and continued to engage in our regular reflective activities. upon our return to canada, we were soon able to formulate the research question that guided this study. the overarching question this study attempted to address was, how do graduate students’ experiences and perceptions inform their meaning-making practices of teaching and learning during an international doctoral forum? we responded to the question by drawing on our experiences during the international seminar, and by expanding on our reflective practice inquiry before, during, and after attending the forum. the ongoing reflections helped us in coming to know our multifaceted experiences in china and understand our perceptions of teaching and learning we encountered abroad. emerging research on doctoral students’ reflections on teaching and learning has demonstrated how transformative learning experiences can be at the heart of advancements in sotl (kreber, 2006). upon returning to canada, the group of doctoral candidates extracted important lessons learned from the experience of the forum. they explored how transformation in teaching and learning in an international context was perceived from six different perspectives including the views of their professors. after engaging in written reflective practice for this article, the group drew on two exemplary vignettes that illustrate the diverse nature of experiences and ways of coming to know, such as knowledge construction for sotl (kreber, 2006). the vignettes were written by two graduate students in education who participated in the forum. one individual worked as a teaching principal at the time and the other student worked as a high school mathematics teacher before starting his phd studies. both vignettes provide comprehensive reflections by comparing, complementing, and combining key insights from the international trip with the ongoing scholarly discourse in sotl. ultimately, the outcome of our study, this article, was also intended to spark discussions on transformative teaching and learning and their influence on doctoral identity formation. we attempted to relate our reflective accounts on perceptions of teaching and learning to transition processes in graduate school. by expanding the discourse to doctoral identity formation, we were coming to know our developing scholarly identity as educational researchers. in addition, we situated this study in a larger field of inquiry on socialization processes and graduate school and doctoral identity formation. organization of this paper in this article we present how our understanding of teaching and learning as graduate students and professors has evolved as a result of our inquiry. the doctoral forum in china served as a lever in which we used self-reflection as a tool to examine how our experiences and perceptions informed our meaning-making of teaching and learning in an international context. with this inquiry, we attempt to contribute to the ongoing discourse on reflective practice and transformative learning and how it informs sotl, and ultimately doctoral identities. in the rothschuh, dennis, liu, macdonald, roy, & simmons emerging perspectives (2021) 4 following section, we describe three major theoretical frameworks that guided our inquiry. our research was framed as a case study, whereby we articulate our rationale and our approach in determining the cases’ boundaries in the methodology section. we then include two vignettes in the article, which illustrate individual accounts of participants’ experiences during the international forum in china. simultaneously, the vignettes showcase how the issues raised by our research question could be addressed by reflective accounts to come to know our collective understanding of teaching and learning in graduate school. we conclude this article by pointing out how our identities as educators and emerging educational researchers have been shaped by our experiences in beijing, and how our perceptions of teaching and learning have progressed by attending the international doctoral forum. theoretical perspective first, we discuss how mezirow’s (1991) transformative learning theory can be applied to sotl. following that, we also briefly examine a larger body of literature on sotl for further critical analysis of our findings (boyer, 1990; felton, 2013; kreber 2006; kuh 2001, 2009; trigwell & prosser, 1991). next, we describe schön’s (1983) reflective practice framework and its implications for the advancement of sotl. finally, we outline how doctoral identity formation processes have been characterized and we discuss how socialization processes in graduate school shape future academics (austin, 2002; foot et al., 2014). sotl as transformative learning the history of sotl goes back thirty years, whereby boyer (1990) laid the seminal work in the field. boyer founded the four aspects that are often considered to be foundational to sotl, which are the scholarship of discovery, the scholarship of integration, the scholarship of application, and the scholarship of teaching (boyer, 1990). shulman (2000) built upon boyer’s (1990) groundwork by exploring how deep learning could be systematically improved. one of shulman’s (2000) strategies focused on enhancing the teaching quality among higher education academics, so that the result of the practice of teaching becomes true learning. for the purpose of this essay, sotl was defined as the systematic reflection of teaching and learning (mckinney & jarvis, 2009). this definition stated the features necessary for teaching to be classified as a scholarship activity. mezirow’s (1991) transformative learning theory explained how adult learning was structured, for instance, by determining the processes that transformed our frame of reference, we utilized that to interpret and make meaning of our experiences. transformative learning is a constructivist theory of adult learning, which contends that different factors help us to construct meaning from our experiences (mezirow, 1991). the experiences are then reflected upon and interpreted, and the process results in the formulation of meaning (mezirow, 1991). furthermore, mezirow (1991) summarized his theory by arguing that learning was a paradigm with five interrelated contexts: “a meaning perspective; the communication process; a line of action; a selfconcept; and the external situation” (pp. 34-35). in other words, diverse adult learners interpret the same experience in their own personal contexts because of various factors originating in childhood memories, culture, belief systems, values, and education. mezirow’s transformative learning theory, therefore, is interwoven with sotl. kreber (2006) explained that reflections for transformative learning can be linked to sotl by integrating two vital elements: (i) the construction of knowledge, which can be internalized through reflection, rothschuh, dennis, liu, macdonald, roy, & simmons emerging perspectives (2021) 5 and (ii) the critical analysis of goals and intentions of post-secondary education. by recalling previous experiences, learners are able to examine their own assumptions, make personal connections, and engage in critical thinking about their own personal development in teaching and learning (auten & twigg, 2015; felten, 2013; kreber, 2006; kuh, 2001, 2009). we drew on these sotl frameworks to explore our own transformations that were grounded at the international forum, and to address the challenge of becoming integrated teaching and learning professionals in graduate school (colbeck, 2008). schön’s (1983) reflective practice our reflective inquiry was guided by schön’s conceptualization of reflective practice as described in his 1983 seminal book the reflective practitioner. schön (1983) laid out how reflective practice inquiry determines professional development and continuous learning. reflection was described “as the deliberate, purposeful, metacognitive thinking and/or action in which educators engage in order to improve their professional practice” (schön, 1983, p. 2). therefore, reflective practice is the ability to reflect on one's actions for the purpose of engaging in professional learning. schön (1983) defined the concept of knowing-in-action, which was described as acting based on an intuitive understanding of the situation. in other words, practitioners often apply their professional knowledge to instrumental decision-making processes without consulting additional sources in certain situations (intuitive knowledge and decision making). knowing-in-action is thus particularly prominent in the teaching profession, as teachers are required to constantly analyze situations and base their following decisions on their understanding of these actions and scenarios. while it may seem self-explanatory at first, schön (1983) highlighted how this ongoing seamless (inter)action of educational professionals and their students is indeed professional practice and requires further study to fully comprehend the complex underlying processes. in fact, students also engage in a form of knowing-in-action, as they constantly adapt to situations of learning by applying their knowledge and expertise. conclusively, situations of learning are not predetermined, but rather emerge from the ongoing knowing-in-action of all participating individuals. reflection-in-action has been described as the generation of meaning from other individuals’ knowing-in-action (schön, 1983). in a teaching context, observers can assign meaning to children’s knowing-in-action when analyzing their (inter)actions in situations of learning. similarly, one can also observe a teacher’s actions and thus determine which underlying processes have guided this individual’s professional practice. coming to know a professional practice by constantly engaging in reflection on the ongoing interaction is essentially reflection-in-action. for the purposes of this article, we engaged with the framework by coming to know our own understanding of situations of learning by generating interpretations of the knowing-in-action that took place. this process was further determined by our emerging scholarly identities grounded in professional educational backgrounds from various cultures, as well as our insights in educational research and scholarly practice during our doctoral studies. we elaborate further how these aspects impacted our analysis in a later section of this paper. rothschuh, dennis, liu, macdonald, roy, & simmons emerging perspectives (2021) 6 identity formation in graduate school graduate school as socialization process the graduate experience has been described as a socialization process of future faculty members, or a preparation phase for academic careers (austin, 2002). the socialization during graduate school sets the precedent for careers in the academy and depends on a multitude of factors, some of which are changing personal values, individuals’ attitudes and expectations, but also aspects such as age, family situation, or previous employment. new faculty members continue to be subject to high expectations, some of which include the anticipation that graduate school forms integrated professionals who are able to apply research skills to improve teaching and students’ learning (colbeck, 2008). austin (2002) highlighted the importance of observation in graduate school, also known as “apprentice of observation” (p. 104), which included observations of faculty, peers, and university administrators. these impressions ultimately determine graduate students’ transition into faculty positions in academia. austin (2002) reported that many graduate students’ expectations remain unfulfilled, because their initial passion tends to be overshadowed by a lack of guidance, a focus on research over teaching, and unclear understanding of faculty roles and responsibilities. we addressed some of these difficulties by exploring our own socialization processes with regards to our experiences during an international doctoral forum. drawing on austin’s (2002) notion of the apprenticeship of observation, our doctoral learning was impacted sustainably by observing the conference interactions in beijing. some of the observations we made during the forum encompassed cross-national faculty interaction and exchange of official, departmental gifts. others required our doctoral students to observe, process, and actively apply insights, such as briefly summarizing own research interests, or engaging in small talk with faculty members from various disciplines and institutional backgrounds. doctoral identity formation the transition processes during graduate school were also described as fundamental for identity formation processes of future academics. foot et al. (2014), summarized the transition from past and professional lives to scholarly identities as a transformative process that occur within various academic and non-academic contexts. for instance, a doctoral student is exposed to institutional contexts of the specific college or university, the departmental and supervisory perspectives, as well as the overarching research context of the discipline. previous belief systems and perceptions also influence the developing academic. according to recent research, doctoral students navigate among these contexts when building their developing doctoral profile, usually by going through multiple temporary identities whose values and beliefs overlap and may even contradict each other (foot et al., 2014; kovalcikiene & buksnyte-marmiene, 2015). simultaneously, previous identities are constantly reshaped and reconsidered (colbeck, 2008). it is therefore crucial that doctoral students are provided with the time, resources, and the appropriate guidance to navigate these transformation processes in order to fully advance a scholarly stance and an academic profile. foot et al. (2014) identified four disruptions in doctoral identity formation that tended to occur: comparison to others, fear of the future, not knowing where one “fits”, and fear of failure. to help formation processes take place, foot et al. suggested self-study so that emergent doctoral identities could be advanced more easily without ongoing disruptions as described above. personal rothschuh, dennis, liu, macdonald, roy, & simmons emerging perspectives (2021) 7 reflections can support identity development and should therefore be regularly pursued by future academics, so that a clear image of the future professional academic profile can be advanced (kovalcikiene & buksnyte-marmiene, 2015). in terms of our visit to china, we brought a multitude of previous identities to the international forum, since all members of our delegation had been shaped by their different personal and professional backgrounds as well as their disciplinary specializations. our reflections illustrated these underlying professional identities as educators and future educational researchers, for example, in terms of our past experiences and associated generation of meaning, but also by our disciplinary focus and diverse interests. the visit to china helped us to shine light onto our emerging academic identity formation, especially since we were able to perceive and review our western canadian institutional practice and our disciplinary lenses more clearly in the international context. in the following section, we explain the methodological considerations for our inquiry. methodology case study, a way of investigating complex problems, continues to be a significant and widely accepted research methodology in education (merriam, 1998, 2009). we aligned more closely with merriam’s interpretive perspective on case study even though we were aware of other diverse interpretations of this methodology. we followed merriam’s (1998, 2009) holistic, flexible approach to case study, which was a constructivist, interpretive method to the inquiry. this echoed our personal beliefs that varying individual experiences were shaped by our backgrounds, culture, childhood memories, and individual contexts. merriam (1998) defined a case study as “an intensive, holistic description and analysis of a bounded phenomenon” (p. xiii) and emphasized how it can explore and describe multifaceted problems. the salient feature of merriam’s (1998) case study methodology is that a case is viewed as a bounded entity. our group of doctoral students fenced in the case by place, time, and participants in order to determine what we were going to study (merriam, 1998). the case, therefore, was the doctoral forum in beijing, china. the context of the case was bound by the time frame of our week-long participation in the forum; the place, a university in beijing; the six participants from the western canadian university, as well as participants from the local post-secondary institution and their counterparts from australia. additionally, the case was also bound by our focus on participants’ perceptions of teaching and learning during the international doctoral forum in china, whereby we explicitly acknowledged how these had been shaped by our prior experiences. our experiences: two exemplary vignettes the vignettes were guided by schön’s (1983) principles of reflective practice, which manifested as our knowing-in-action when observing teaching and learning during the doctoral forum in china. the participants’ experiences as educators in western school systems, and their perceptions as emerging educational researchers impacted observations and reflections. vignette one, for instance, was written by a practicing teaching middle school principal pursuing a doctoral degree simultaneously. therefore, descriptions often entailed an analytic part in which the events and impressions are compared to previous experiences as a teacher and a principal. indicative words such as “remind of” or “seem” show the persons’ attempts to assign meaning to observations that appeared unusual or incomprehensible (owing to a language barrier), thus differing from the rothschuh, dennis, liu, macdonald, roy, & simmons emerging perspectives (2021) 8 individuals’ own professional practice. both accounts were written in first-person narration, which highlights the personal importance of the two events for the delegation members. vignette one: reflections on attending a meeting of secondary school principals on the second day of the forum, our delegation was invited to attend a university-based professional development meeting for principals. i entered the front steps of the local, inner-city university on this cold fall morning as a doctoral student, but i could not help but think of my elementary students i left behind in western canada. i already missed them. coming from canada, as a teaching principal, i was surrounded by a new culture, student scholars and professors from international countries, and a deep longing to belong. navigating my way between being a leader in my school and doctoral student was both a privilege as well as a struggle for me: as a curious learner, who neither knew the local protocol, nor the doctoral procedures and etiquette, i soon became grateful for others around me. my inner desire to learn and grow gave me the confidence to trust in other participants’ leadership. on that day i became a follower. also, i became an observer, a listener, and an open-minded, reflective practitioner as each moment unfolded. i entered a room where a large group of principals dressed in all black waited for us. we sat informally around a large table, and i remember the moment distinctly as i thought to myself: “you are a follower. you are a learner. just listen and watch.” as my eyes gazed around the room with the distinct smell of cigarette smoke, all eyes were on our delegation and their faces showed expectation and interest. i wondered if they were practitioners or scholars. i also wondered if they were visible instructional leaders in their schools. i was curious if their students hugged them. i wanted to know if their teachers trusted them. as these thoughts went through my mind, i realized that i was one of them because of our similar positions in schools, and yet i yearned to gain their wisdom about their own school leadership practices. i also yearned to know if they felt a responsibility to their students to help them learn and grow. deep down i had hoped the principals wanted to help each other and reciprocate by creating new knowledge together. calmly glancing over to my university professors to observe their behaviour, i tried to mirror their actions and follow presumable university etiquette because i wanted to fit in. engaging in dialogue, i listened attentively, as the group shared insights on the standards and requirements for becoming a principal, as well as the ways in which educational reform was taking place in the local country. i felt a deep connection with these school leaders as they explained electives and options to customize and personalize learning for their students. i realized there was an unspoken relationship with school principalship and how we were situated in school governance. as i entered into this new relationship with practices different from the ones in my own country, i came to know that the principals were compelled to make a difference in the lives of their students by helping them personally to grow into their authenticity. the principals’ wisdom, what worked in practice, spoke to me because i had been promoting differentiated instruction at my school for a while and could easily relate to the challenges they highlighted. i sensed a strong desire for transformation in their schools. it was the same deep desire for change that my colleagues and i share. in our diverse countries, we all wanted our students to flourish. as we engaged in more generative dialogue, the principals in the room wanted to know how we connect to students’ parents in western canada. without hesitation, i immediately stood up and shared my own personal experience of inviting parents into our school to observe how students learn in our differentiated and flexible classrooms. i said that we have an open-door policy to parents, and encourage parents to come into our school classrooms to view and participate in our learning environments, where we have flexible seating, as well as use technology to assist in reading and writing. i was surprised by the silence in the room that followed my comment. did i rothschuh, dennis, liu, macdonald, roy, & simmons emerging perspectives (2021) 9 say something they did not understand? was the language barrier too much? my impression was that the principals could not relate their school practice to these experiences. i quietly and humbly sat down and pondered the moments we spent together as principals in one room. i should have listened and observed, but my own intuitive understanding of the situation, the leader within me, compelled me to speak up and share my experience. i was engaged in my own professional learning, and i instinctively knew that to generate knowledge, i needed to engage in dialogue for learning to take place. my heart and mind were wide open that day as we shared our wisdom, our understandings, our experiences, and best practices in our schools. deep down inside me, i felt appreciation for the common understanding we shared in having a similar purpose to embrace learning at the forefront of every conscious decision and action for the sake of our students. although our own lived experiences were vastly different, the entire room of educators desired to learn and know of each other’s work performed on a daily basis. at the end of the international forum, as i left the front steps of the university in beijing after seven unforgettable days, my life was placed in a reflective pause as i pondered on teaching and learning. i will forever recall the time filled with rich dialogue, research presentations, observations of teachers and practices from an international perspective, and the many cultural experiences encountered. most importantly, i had time to reflect upon how i learned this past week, and the ways in which i came to know myself as a leader and learner through impressions and memories. the experiences during the doctoral forum, my interpersonal dialogue, my emotions, the act of listening, my attempts at being a follower, and the non-verbal interactions with others resulted in a deep, transformative moment of learning; one that more clearly than ever before indicated to me how i had started my journey towards becoming a scholar. i believe my transformational development towards doctoral identity has just begun–it is not out of reach, as i move closer toward the process of becoming. as i bridge the gap and challenge myself to work towards trusting the continuous process in pursuit of my doctoral identity, i will continue to make meaning as i systematically reflect on my personal connections, my assumptions, and my doctoral education. vignette two: reflections on a lesson observation during a school visit during one forum day, our delegation was invited to visit a local elementary school. the school’s gated campus is located in china, and the part of the city was described as well-respected by our local guide, mostly because of the highly educated middle class which resides here. upon our arrival, a uniformed guard removed metal barriers so we could enter the school grounds. we were greeted by the school principal. the school grounds seemed deserted at first, but i was able to see students inside some of the windows on the ground floor level. students wore bright pink and light blue outfits, which i later identified as girl and boy school uniforms. the campus housed several multi-story buildings that made it almost impossible to estimate its size. i found out later that the school accommodates approximately 3,000 students. during my work as a teacher and educational researcher i had seen many school grounds before, but this campus was different: the cleanliness of the yard, and the meticulously welltrimmed bushes and hedges stood out to me. moreover, there was little green space or playground equipment visible. i was expecting more spacious areas to play, more sports fields, playground areas, and a parking lot. this campus, however, reminded me of a private college or a tech company estate, and little evidence indicated the presence of a public elementary school. as part of our visit, we were able to observe a grade one mathematics lesson. our delegation was led to a large room, where we were expected by a class of students, their teacher, rothschuh, dennis, liu, macdonald, roy, & simmons emerging perspectives (2021) 10 and several other audience members who had already arrived and been seated. in total, there were approximately 25 adults observing the class. the room itself had a similar layout to a movie theatre, with several rows of comfortable armchair-style seats which allowed good visibility of the students on the stage in front. i am sure that the class is normally taught in a different location. similarly, to the school grounds, this space was nothing like i had seen in schools before, and i was eager to see the lesson unfold. some students waved “hello” when we entered the room, but they remained seated and looked at us curiously. the groups of four consisted of two girls and two boys at each table. some students talked to their neighbors quietly so that a murmur was recognizable, but the overall noise level was very low and would not, at least in my experience, allow to conclude the presence of more than 40 students in the room. many students crossed their arms on the table and sat upright, which probably added to my overall impression of a wellbehaved class. during my prior visits to elementary classes in europe and north america, classrooms were usually buzzing with excitement and students would rarely await the beginning of a class quietly. at the beginning of the lesson, all students got up and bowed towards the teacher. the mathematics lesson was taught entirely in the local language. to my surprise, however, i was able to follow most parts of the lesson without translation, since many teacher and student activities entailed manipulatives and visuals. i think that my personal history as a mathematics teacher and teacher educator also allowed me to identify elements and phases of the learning, but it still felt strange to see the engaged learners without recognizing any of the ongoing spoken interaction. the first part of the lesson was mostly teacher-directed unless individual students were questioned, and they responded with short answers. the lesson’s theme was introduced through a story, and several accompanying drawings were shown on a digital screen while the teacher read the story to students. students seemed to be able to follow along well and the observable level of engagement was high. next, students reached into bowls on their desks and took out a handful of dried beans. they placed them on paper plates and most students started counting them. on the teacher’s signal, students were expected to stop working on the manipulatives and refocus their attention to the front. this refocusing was done by most of the class immediately, and only very few students kept working or playing with the beans after the teacher’s spoken signal. i found that this switch of attention took place extremely fast, which indicated the high level of discipline of the class. this was again different from what i had seen in other elementary classrooms. besides, students also rose from their seats when responding to the teacher’s questions, which added to the impression of strictness and discipline. following another teacher prompt, students filled the beans in clear plastic cups, and then compared the height with their group members’ cups. they worked individually and in pairs for some time. one could observe how they would place their cups next to each other and lower their heads to look at it sideways to compare heights. this independent, mostly student-paced inquiry was remarkable, as the attention level still seemed high during this part of the lesson. i remember telling my neighbour that every early elementary classroom i had seen so far would have been distracted at this point, and i would have expected the beans to be spilled everywhere. two students were asked to come to the front and show their measurement technique to the class. the teacher pinned corresponding images of cups and beans to the board. sharing results and introducing visual summaries are important steps in inquiry-based learning, and i have seen similar approaches in many mathematics classes before. the facilitated exploration of measurement strategies seemed to be ongoing as several other techniques followed. for instance, rothschuh, dennis, liu, macdonald, roy, & simmons emerging perspectives (2021) 11 a pencil was introduced to help with the cup-measure strategy, since it could be used as a line of reference when placed sideways across both cups. later, students were asked to empty the beans from their cups onto rectangular paper trays. they compared the area covered by the beans to other students’ paper trays and were thus also able to conclude which tray had more beans on it. during the entire class time, i was impressed by the level of maturity with which the teacher-student discussions seemed to take place. students waited until they were called out and the microphone was handed to them, and the vast majority of students followed along attentively. i would have associated this advanced level of discourse with older students. overall, i am very grateful for this amazing opportunity and really appreciate the insights we were able to gain. discussion we conducted an in-depth analysis of the lived experiences in the vignettes and our reflections associated with these descriptions. guided by the theoretical frameworks of reflective practice inquiry and transformative learning, our group strived to unpack the events during the forum more holistically. for example, we discussed how our research foci and our teaching experience may have shaped our perceptions. we assumed that the vignettes were a first layer of exploration and we sought to examine underlying connections to previous and ongoing professional practices and highlighted relations to educational theory (kreber, 2006). additionally, we discussed how transformative learning and associated meaning-making through reflection could be at the heart of advancing sotl for graduate students by exploring how one participant’s teaching epistemology had developed in the process. last, we examined how the vignettes were indicative of our layered identities as educators and scholars, and how these different personas affected our reflective practice (foot et al., 2014). we wanted to unpack this interconnectedness to articulate how the events abroad and our ongoing reflexivity shaped our doctoral identity. the vignettes provided first-hand impressions of two canadian delegates’ perceptions of teaching and learning, as well as their interpretations of the meaning of these observations and experiences. kreber (2006) noted that practitioners gather information on certain teaching methods and associated student learning constantly, mostly by echoing own practices. the individuals’ professional backgrounds as teaching principal (vignette one) and former mathematics teacher (vignette two) were infused throughout their reflective accounts. in terms of the scenario described in vignette two, the doctoral student could identify indicative practices of rich mathematical meaning-making and powerful moments of mathematics learning during the observed lesson. we wanted to caution how the doctoral student’s interpretations of learning and teaching practices were primarily based on reflection-in-action (schön, 1983). even though the student spoke another local language and an interpreter was absent, he felt that he could intuitively grasp most of the intended classroom practices. based on years of professional teaching, one can assume that the doctoral student constantly compared the observed classroom practices to his previous experience as an educator in western classroom, and thus identified similarities and differences. schön (1983) explained how this reflective practice inquiry could be at the heart of continuous learning and professional development for practitioners, whereby our paper connected this notion to sotl and graduate student learning. kreber (2006) described these professional processes of relating observations to personal experiences as knowledge construction in sotl. the doctoral candidate perceived students as very well-behaved, which could be interpreted as an embodied realization of underlying cultural norms in the chinese classroom but could also indicate local notions of learning and how it takes place. our own teaching experience was therefore fundamental for rothschuh, dennis, liu, macdonald, roy, & simmons emerging perspectives (2021) 12 gaining insight into the teaching and learning principles of a classroom in china. more generally speaking, we suggest that practical teaching experience is a valuable asset for decoding complex situations of teaching and learning, especially with regards to using principles of reflective practice inquiry (schön, 1983). besides, reflective practice inquiry could enable graduate students to understand their own perceptions of teaching and learning more clearly and therefore advance sotl to ultimately develop their own academic teaching identity. a second focus of our discussion explores how forum activities such as lesson observations or leadership debates with local principals promoted transformative experiences. for the scenario described in vignette one, the teaching principal troubled her own perception of teaching and learning by navigating her role as principal, teacher, observer, learner, doctoral student, and follower. this moment in time demonstrated how she became aware, through the process of reflection (schön, 1983), of how much she had in common with the chinese teachers and administrators, and how her impressions resonated with her doctoral research on leadership practices of principals. two insights particularly spoke to her perception of leadership and her understanding of teaching and learning. first, she found that principals from both countries were motivated by a deep commitment to serve the interests and passions of their students. moreover, she was reassured in her belief that student learning involved promoting and serving students’ interests, so that they are empowered to make connections between their learning tasks, past personal experiences, and the wider social community (kreber, 2013). this brief moment in china, engaging in a generative dialogue with other like-minded principals, gave the doctoral student an understanding of how educational practices may vary. she came to know that student learning was at the heart of every leader in the room, even though the context, culture, and ideologies, were different. entering this relationship with leaders in another location, enabled the participants to reach consensus on best practices (kreber, 2006), coming to an agreement on the preferred leadership practices at their schools. second, the teaching principal had previously perceived learning as “messy” but was able to expand her understanding of the process during the follow-up activities of the forum. the principal recognized that knowledge construction and learning can be validated through our own reflections (kreber, 2006). as an example, she realized that learning, or coming to know, takes place in regard to who we are, our backgrounds, our culture, our past experiences, our memory, and our personal motivation to learn. this realization had been transformative because it influenced her teaching practice in several ways. she became more conscious of her students’ ability to connect their learning to past personal experiences. she understood more holistically who they were as learners and how they perceived themselves. also, she was more aware of how students come to know and learn, and how their backgrounds show in this process. the principal’s teaching practices were transformed by reflecting on her own learning and relating these insights to her students (schön, 1983). the work of vignette one was steeped in kreber’s (2006, 2013) research on transformative learning and its significance for sotl. the doctoral student reached the insights described above by critical analyses of the processes and conditions of the leadership discussion with her chinese counterparts, and her ongoing reflections on the events during the forum. in other words, she engaged in moments of emancipatory learning (kreber, 2006), and thus identified the professional practices for leaders in educational environments, regardless of place. as kreber (2006) pointed out, rich reflective accounts could be a starting point of connecting practical knowledge with rothschuh, dennis, liu, macdonald, roy, & simmons emerging perspectives (2021) 13 educational theory, and therefore resulted in an enhanced understanding of sotl. thus, educational theory can be a second source for knowledge construction in sotl (kreber, 2006). kreber’s (2006) notion of research-based knowledge can also be associated with the events described in vignette two. the doctoral student was able to generate research-based knowledge when he re-engaged with his initial reflective writing of the classroom observations. rather unexpectedly for the doctoral student, he realized that theoretical underpinnings of mathematics education research in his area of expertise were unfolding when he re-read through his reflections, and he was able to relate his observations to specific educational theory. for instance, students explored different strategies for measuring quantity, which led him to conclude that they engaged in an in-depth exploration of the number concept. learners often associated a number of objects (beans, fingers, etc.) with cardinality, a one-dimensional idea of number and how it can be represented. by comparing filling heights and area sizes, alternative representations of numbers were introduced and the doctoral student recognized concepts he had previously read about in academic publications (see lakoff & núñez, 2000). by adding this second layer of reflection-inaction (schön, 1983), the doctoral candidate learned about the transformative potential of the events he observed and wrote about (see mezirow, 1991). he came to know the lesson through a research-informed lens. he also learned that his identity as an educator and practitioner had become intertwined with his scholarly mind. in other words, he had started to transition into academia (foot et al., 2014), whereby writing the vignette became a practical illustration for his layered identity. this identity drew heavily on the practitioner-informed persona for the first reflective account, but also bridged insight to the emerging doctoral scholar’s mindset (austin, 2002). conclusion attending the doctoral forum helped our group of graduate students and professors understand how previous work experience and graduate research skills could be integrated in pursuing a collaborative research endeavour of teaching and learning. participants became more able to articulate who they were as doctoral students striving to become scholars (foot et al., 2014). these realizations during the doctoral forum underlined the importance of first-hand experience and personal reflections in the process of becoming doctoral scholars (foot el al., 2014). engaging in rich learning experiences in a variety of contexts during years of doctoral education was therefore essential to advance a balanced, well-suited understanding of the field of interest, and not at least an entry-point into forming a sustainable doctoral identity for future research explorations. our group engaged in regular individual and group reflections before, during, and after the international forum. these written recollections allowed us to revisit situations of meaning-making and identify transformative experiences in individual building processes of emergent doctoral identities. participation in the doctoral forum was thus in itself transformative for our delegation because delegates became mindful of how reflection was a valuable tool in examining and preparing graduate students as future scholars and faculty (foot et al., 2014). foot el al. (2014) pointed out how self-study can support formation processes in scholarly identity formation. identity transformation occurs within multiple contexts that include various institutions, specific experiences, departments, and supervisors’ perspectives (foot el al., 2014). we constantly navigated among these contexts and advanced multiple temporary identities whose values and beliefs overlap and may even contradict. our group experienced the prominence of these different identities during our engagements abroad, since the international context and the rothschuh, dennis, liu, macdonald, roy, & simmons emerging perspectives (2021) 14 forum’s overarching theme invited us repeatedly to reflect and analyze our experiences as learners, educators, and doctoral students. our delegation of doctoral students and professors was thus able to recognize our multiple layered personas more clearly, including our identities as educators, practitioners, and learners. these realization processes may require several reflective iterations, as the doctoral student in vignette two learned when attempting to make meaning of the teaching and learning practices described earlier. upon attending the doctoral forum, our group learned three important lessons. first, we realized the importance of having open minds for rich learning to unfold. open and honest discussion with other delegates and professors benefited not only doctoral students but also our professors by creating new knowledge together. our canadian delegation created opportunities to transform our thinking on teaching and learning by being intentional and systematic about reflecting on our experiences. second, participants understood their work as educators differently after attending the forum. for example, the doctoral student who reflected on the events in vignette one refined her understanding of learning. she realized that it came from intrinsic motivation, past experiences, discussions, language, culture, and from recognizing that students can engage in rich learning experiences without teachers. the delegate underwent a deep transformation in her understanding of what learning means and entails. third, our ongoing reflection-in-action helped us to come to know the socialization processes of graduate school (austin, 2002) and our transition towards scholarly identities (foot et al., 2014). connecting with other leaders through generative dialogue, spending time with doctoral students and professors from other countries and engaging in written reflective accounts on what constitutes sotl was particularly transformative for the participating graduate students. we became more aware of our academic standing within the scholarly field and became more conscious of how our graduate student identities are shifting towards academic scholarly profiles. references austin, a. e. (2002). preparing the next generation of faculty: graduate school as socialization to the academic career. journal of higher education, 73(1), 94–122. https://doi.org/10.1353/jhe.2002.0001 auten, j. g. & twigg, m. m. (2015). teaching and learning sotl: preparing future faculty in a pedagogy course. teaching & learning inquiry, 3(1), 3–13. https://doi.org/10.2979/teachlearninqu.3.1.3 boyer, e. l. (1990). scholarship reconsidered: priorities of the professoriate. carnegie foundation for the advancement of teaching. colbeck, c. l. (2008). professional identity development theory and doctoral education. in c. l. colbeck, k. o’meara, & a. e. austin (eds.), educating integrated professionals: theory and practice on preparation for the professoriate (new directions for teaching and learning no. 113, pp. 9–16). jossey-bass. https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.304 felten, p. (2013). principles of good practice in sotl. teaching and learning inquiry, 1(1), 121–125. https://doi.org/10.2979/teachlearninqu.1.1.121 foot, r., crowe, a. r., tollafield, k. a., & allan, c. e. (2014). exploring doctoral student identity development using a self-study approach. teaching & learning inquiry, 2(1), 103–118. https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.2.1.103 rothschuh, dennis, liu, macdonald, roy, & simmons emerging perspectives (2021) 15 kovalcikiene, k., & buksnyte-marmiene, l. (2015). towards an understanding of doctoral students’ professional identity complexity. procedia social and behavioral sciences, 191, 2693–2698. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.04.603 kreber, c. (2006). developing the scholarship of teaching through transformative learning. journal of scholarship of teaching and learning, 6(1), 88–109. kreber, c. (2013). the transformative potential of the scholarship of teaching. teaching and learning inquiry, 1(1), 5–18. https://doi.org/10.1353/iss.2013.0015 kuh, g. d. (2001). assessing what really matters to student learning: inside the national survey of student engagement. change: the magazine of higher learning, 33(3), 10–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/00091380109601795 kuh, g. d. (2009). the national survey of student engagement: conceptual and empirical foundations. new direction for institutional research, 141, 5–20. https://doi.org/10.1002/ir.283 lakoff, g., & núñez, r. (2000). where mathematics comes from: how the embodied mind brings mathematics into being. basic books. mckinney, k., & jarvis, p. (2009). beyond the lines on the cv: faculty applications of their scholarship of teaching and learning research. international journal for the scholarship of teaching and learning, 3(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2009.030107 merriam, s. b. (1998). qualitative research and case study applications in education. josseybass. merriam, s. b., & tisdell, e. j. (2016). qualitative research: a guide to design and implementation. (4th ed.). jossey-bass. mezirow, j. (1991). transformative dimension of adult learning (1st ed.). jossey-bass. schön, d. a. (1983). the reflective practitioner: how professionals think in action. routledge. shulman, l. s. (2000). from minsk to pinsk: why a scholarship of teaching and learning? journal of the scholarship of teaching and learning, 1(1), 48–53. simons, h. (2009). case study research in practice. sage. trigwell, k. & prosser, m. (1991). improving the quality of student: the influence of learning context and student approaches to learning on learning outcomes. higher education, 22(3), 251-266. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00132290 olivieri, 2024 (d).docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca homework-school: deconstructing assessment, fairness and future learning in ontario k-12 spaces patt olivieri* university of calgary the covid-19 pandemic exposed an array of inequities in education and called into question the meaning of fairness within current grading systems. it provoked ontario educators to critically reflect and deconstruct practices in assessment for, as, and of learning in k-12 digital spaces. navigating the tension between students engaging in homework and students learning from home sparked inquiry into assessment practices. educators soon faced an assessment dilemma: how might we authentically triangulate student learning through observation, conversation and products in online platforms? the boundaries were blurred regarding when, where and how student work could be assessed fairly. the traditional focus on student products, translated into letter and/or numerical grades, continues to dominate discussions about measuring academic achievement since products, such as tests and exams, are perceived as more reliable evidence than communication about learning through observation and conversation. existing inequities in the k-12 schooling experience are at greater risk of being amplified in digital learning spaces where the social nuance of observation and conversation becomes highly complex. this essay critically analyzes assessment and evaluation policy in ontario’s publicly funded schools. through examination of a policy in effect since 2010, initially designed for in-person learning and e-learning contexts, this essay suggests that non-evaluative protocols (i.e., assessment for and as learning) are fundamental in reshaping equitable assessment practice for future learning. keywords: assessment, gradeless, equity, triangulation, digital learning, pedagogical documentation, ontario education policy patt, o. (2024). homework-school: deconstructing assessment, fairness and future learning in ontario k-12 spaces. emerging perspectives special edition: designing for digital futures, 7(1), 1–10. introduction it is worth noting, right from the start, that assessment is a human process, conducted by and with human beings, and subject inevitably to the frailties of human judgement. however crisp and objective we might try to make it, and however neatly quantifiable may be our “results”, *patt.olivieri@gmail.com olivieri / emerging perspectives (2024) 2 assessment is closer to an art than a science. it is, after all, an exercise in human communication. (sutton, 1991) with the sudden onset of covid-19, assessment and evaluation protocols for ontario k-12 schools were called into question, particularly how to grade fairly in digital spaces. in early 2020, teachers grappled with the new realities of remote learning learning that occurs when classes are taught at a distance and when students and educators are not in a conventional classroom setting (ontario ministry of education, 2020) and the immense inequalities the pandemic revealed about the lives of students and their families (westheimer, 2022). it was vital to consider the vast differences in students’ and families’ situations, as well as the fundamental importance of supporting students’ health and well-being (people for education, 2020). during this time of uncertainty, the educational landscape broadened, specifically in the questioning of what ‘counts’ as learning. with the implementation of de-streaming policy in ontario secondary schools in september 2021 (ontario ministry of education, 2020), along with discussions about going gradeless, grading-less and ungrading (blum, 2017), assessment discourse as an equitable practice continues to take shape. assessment and evaluation in ontario’s k-12 learning spaces is an iterative endeavour. how one comes to know something, and how that knowing is to be communicated and evaluated based on teachers’ professional judgment, is both multifaceted and nuanced. with the rise and continuous changes in digital technology, educators are called to reflect on the complexities of assessment by examining what the pandemic exposed about grading inequities and “raise an eyebrow at grades as a systemic practice” (stommel, 2021) by exploring other ways of knowing. background olivieri / emerging perspectives (2024) 3 the pandemic signalled an emergency response to assessment and evaluation in ontario’s schools. as staff and students faced an immediate halt to in-person learning and moved to ‘emergency remote learning, ’ questions emerged about formative assessment (assessment for and as learning) and evaluation (assessment of learning). students who were on the path to graduation by june 2020, specifically those planning to attend postsecondary school in the fall, were particularly in a state of flux as final grades related to admission requirements, scholarship, etc., mattered. an underlying tension permeated between the ‘business as usual’ perspective (i.e., how do we measure the ability of students to “perform” in a crisis?) and a critical stance (i.e., what do we want grading to do (or not do) in our classes (for students or teachers)? (stommel, 2021). the ongoing changes prompted ‘on the fly’ directives from the ontario ministry of education. after it was officially announced in may 2020 that schools would remain closed for the remainder of the academic year, secondary school graduation requirements were altered (ontario ministry of education, 2020). this included a ‘freeze’ on students’ grades (as determined by mid-march) but did not preclude a teacher from exercising their professional judgement to grant a higher grade if there was evidence of improved learning (ontario ministry of education, 2020). additionally, both the literacy and community service requirements were waived (ontario ministry of education, 2020). the intent was to recognize students' level of achievement pre-pandemic, not penalize any student academically due to the unprecedented conditions, nor jeopardize any student’s secondary or post-secondary plans moving forward. this was an act of ‘emergency assessment’ in response to ‘emergency remote’ conditions. policy: changes and perspectives olivieri / emerging perspectives (2024) 4 ‘synchronous’ learning (learning that happens in real-time) and ‘asynchronous’ learning (learning that is not delivered in real-time) soon became part of the daily education lexicon, and by august 2020, these terms were officially defined through moe policy (ontario ministry of education, 2020). requirements for remote learning, policy/program memorandum 164 (ppm 164) was issued in response to the ongoing uncertainty. this ‘new’ policy was to assist school boards in navigating instruction and assessment for the upcoming school year and to provide further direction on remote learning protocols (ontario ministry of education, 2020). regardless of ‘location’, ppm 164 directed educators to adhere to the assessment protocols outlined in growing success (ontario ministry of education, 2010) and growing success: the kindergarten addendum (ontario ministry of education, 2016). the policy reiterated that evidence of student achievement for evaluation was to be collected over time from three different sources and teachers’ strategies for assessment should be triangulated to include observation, student-teacher conversations, and student products (ontario ministry of education, 2010). school closures continued to fluctuate throughout the school year, and conditions for triangulating assessment remained, at best, an ‘emergency response’ rather than authentic professional judgments about student thinking and learning. homework-school: blurring the lines in digital spaces the publication of growing success in 2010 motioned a significant change to traditional standards and methods for evaluation, including the compartmentalizing of academic achievement in a subject-specific curriculum, set apart from the learning skills (responsibility, organization, independent work, collaboration, initiative, self-regulation). it depicts academics and social-emotional learning as separate entities and suggests how learning skills may influence but should not determine achievement outcomes. one notable change applied to homework. olivieri / emerging perspectives (2024) 5 homework was newly classified under the learning skills, which brought to a halt, by policy standards, traditional methods of ‘grading’ homework. assignments for evaluation could no longer include “ongoing homework that students completed in order to consolidate their knowledge and skills or to prepare for the next class” (ontario ministry of education, 2010). as an equitable approach to assessment, educators could now exercise their professional judgement in evaluating a student’s level of achievement, which is now solely based on work in the presence of students work observed during the instructional day and quantify the demonstration of learning in alpha-numeric form. during school closures, the dissonance between this policy and all work completed or uncompleted ‘at home’ was palpable. this raised questions about authenticity, fairness in evaluation, students’ context and lived experience, in addition to the overwhelming concerns about privacy in the realm of digital learning (i.e., cameras ‘on or off’). the entanglement of home-work and school-work that which should be counted as observable work was further complicated by how it was to be ‘measured’ along the school-home time continuum. although the eventual return to in-person learning began to stabilize daily routines, what lingered was an underlying struggle between yearning for ‘back to normal’ and an awakening to question instructional and assessment practices moving forward critically. the current homework policy aligns with the purpose of assessment: to improve student learning (ontario ministry of education, 2010). it helps to mitigate conditions outside of school that may impact a student's achievement level, whereby teachers can make better judgments of student learning. as educators reflect on experiences throughout ‘emergency learning,’ we can begin to untangle an array of assessment inequities, predominantly in the realm of evaluation, and reimagine better ways to leverage the use of digital tools for future learning. olivieri / emerging perspectives (2024) 6 pedagogical documentation: a way forward pedagogical documentation is a “process for making pedagogical (or other) work visible and subject to dialogue, interpretation, contestation, and transformation” (edwards, c., gandini, l., & forman, g., 2012). it builds on “engagement and inquisitiveness in the here-and-now event” (edwards, c., gandini, l., & forman, g., 2012) and has the potential to view learning in new ways, to assess flexibly with particular needs in mind, and to individualize and differentiate response by engaging students as active participants in their learning (ontario ministry of education, 2015). a learner-centred environment is one that emphasizes assessment for learning, the process of seeking and interpreting evidence to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go, and how best to get there (assessment reform group, 2002) and as learning, the explicit fostering of students’ capacity over time to be their own best assessors (western and northern canadian protocol for collaboration in education, 2006). pedagogical documentation, as an iterative process of examining and responding to the interplay between learning, the educator’s pedagogical decisions, and the student’s role and voice in the learning process (ontario ministry of education, 2015), enables educators to reimagine equitable assessment as a way of bringing assessment for and as learning to life (ontario ministry of education, 2013). this requires a shift in practice, from “telling to listening” and wondering about student thinking (ontario ministry of education, 2015). intentionally designed assessments, guided by curiosity and wonder, can be used to determine what students know and gain insight into how, when, and whether students use what they know. this can allow teachers to assess and evaluate differently, and to streamline and target instruction and resources (earl, 2010). in digital spaces, where the boundaries between home and school become blurred where an appreciation for nuance and social-emotional development may be at risk pedagogical olivieri / emerging perspectives (2024) 7 documentation can help educators “develop a greater understanding of how students at various ages can be supported in their learning, academically as well as socially and emotionally” (ontario ministry of education, 2015). by dipping into the phases of pedagogical documentation, educators can exercise their professional judgment to contemplate and navigate a variety of ways in which students can demonstrate their learning. pedagogical documentation empowers educators to create learning conditions that can transform assessment by moving beyond the transactional ‘i teach, you do, i mark’ and to center formative assessment over traditional grading systems. documentation in the digital age the use of digital technology to support assessment not only serves to improve efficiency but can ‘reboot’ assessment by seeing deeply into students’ thinking, promoting self and peer assessment, maximizing time for assessment, and preserving evidence of learning (cooper & catania, 2022). with an assortment of digital tools available, reimagining equitable assessment through pedagogical documentation must be approached with ethical consideration. respect for human dignity, privacy and confidentiality, respect for vulnerable persons, and free and informed consent ensures the goal of minimizing harm and maximizing benefits to the community (ontario ministry of education, 2015). educators and students need to negotiate their way through ethical dilemmas that may arise when working with visual and/or audio artifacts intended to bring visibility to the lives of children in ways that include their voices in a collaborative endeavour (tarr, 2011). as the digital landscape evolves, documentation of learning must begin from a place of curiosity and care. pedagogical documentation, as a way to build an understanding of student learning across the grade,s conveys that presence in learning can better humanize experiences regardless of these ongoing changes (ontario ministry of olivieri / emerging perspectives (2024) 8 education, 2015). pedagogical documentation can transcend the ‘digital’ to the ‘relational’ and serve as an integral part of equitable assessment moving forward. future learning: policy, pedagogy, promise as educators envision a post-pandemic world one where assessment for and as learning is valued over assessment of learning it signals, perhaps, a need to recalibrate and challenge ‘traditional’ methods of assessment and evaluation by shifting the focus away from grades. educators can move from a “culture of teaching” to a “culture of learning” and discover that presence in learning, through pedagogical documentation, builds on students’ individual strengths and abilities (ontario ministry of education, 2015). it can redefine how learning is measured. this entails a reimagining of school a place where educators and students co-construct experiences that honour critical questions over answers, relationship-building over transactional evaluation, responsiveness over reactiveness, and flexibility over fixed frameworks to better seize moments that amplify process over product. fairness in all learning spaces can only be illuminated with an intentional shift to assess differently. focusing on assessment for and as learning (i.e., more feedback, grading-less) and where ethical consideration is given to ways of maximizing observation and conversation will strengthen a shared vision of equity and inclusion. it will empower educators to understand each student’s lived experience, how the interconnectedness of their strengths, struggles and abilities shapes their learning, and how future assessment practice can honour infinite ways of knowing. imagining future learning evokes a reimagining of presence in learning where we must first position ourselves differently in the world; business ought not to go on as usual (harste, 2001, p. 15). olivieri / emerging perspectives (2024) 9 references alfie kohn. (1999). punished by rewards: the trouble with gold stars, incentive plans, a’s, praise, and other bribes. mariner books/houghton mifflin harcourt. broadfoot, patricia & daugherty, richard & gardner, john & harlen, wynne & james, mary & stobart, gordon. (2002). assessment for learning: 10 principles. research-based based principles to guide classroom practice assessment for learning. earl, l. (2007). assessment a powerful lever for learning. brock education journal, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.26522/brocked.v16i1.29 edwards, c., gandini, l., & forman, g. (eds.). (2012). the hundred languages of children: the reggio emilia experience in transformation (3rd ed.). santa barbara, ca: praeger. harste, j. c. (2001). what education as inquiry is and isn’t. in s. boran & b. comber (eds.), critiquing whole language and classroom inquiry. ncte. ministry of education. (2010). growing success. https://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/growsuccess.pdf ministry of education. (2015). capacity building series: pedagogical documentation revisited. https://rrcanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/cbs_pedagogicaldocument.pdf ministry of education. (2016). growing success the kindergarten addendum. https://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/gskindergartenaddendum2018.pdf ministry of education. (2022). policy/program memorandum 164. ontario.ca. https://www.ontario.ca/document/education-ontario-policy-and-program-direction/policy program-memorandum-164 people for education. (2020). to grade or not to grade: assessment in a pandemic. people for education. https://peopleforeducation.ca/our-work/10745-2/ people for education. 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(2023). canadian k-12 schooling during the covid-19 pandemic: lessons and reflections. canadian journal of educational administration and policy, 201, 90–100. https://doi.org/10.7202/1095485ar stommel, j. (2021). ungrading: an introduction. https://www.jessestommel.com/ungrading-an-introduction/ susan debra blum, & alfie kohn. (2020). ungrading: why rating students undermines learning (and what to do instead). west virginia university press. sutton, r. (1991). assessment: a framework for teachers. routledge, rept. tarr, p. (2011). reflections and shadows: ethical issues in pedagogical documentation. journal of childhood studies, 36(2), 11–16. https://doi.org/10.18357/jcs.v36i2.15086 western and northern canadian protocol for collaboration in education. (2006). rethinking classroom assessment with purpose in mind: assessment for learning, assessment as learning, assessment of learning open government. open.alberta.ca. https://open.alberta.ca/publications/rethinking-classroom-assessment-with-purpose-in-mi nd westheimer, j. (2022). what does it mean to be well-educated? edcan network. https://www.edcan.ca/articles/what-does-it-mean-to-be-well-educated/ https://peopleforeducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/people-for-education_timing-is-everything-the-implementation-of-de-streaming-in-ontario-high-schools_2022.pdf https://peopleforeducation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/people-for-education_timing-is-everything-the-implementation-of-de-streaming-in-ontario-high-schools_2022.pdf https://doi.org/10.7202/1095485ar https://www.jessestommel.com/ungrading-an-introduction/ https://doi.org/10.18357/jcs.v36i2.15086 https://open.alberta.ca/publications/rethinking-classroom-assessment-with-purpose-in-mind https://open.alberta.ca/publications/rethinking-classroom-assessment-with-purpose-in-mind https://www.edcan.ca/articles/what-does-it-mean-to-be-well-educated/ alba 2024(a).docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca land-based learning and indigenous perspectives in educational technology razieh alba* university of calgary the shift to online learning has transformed higher education but raises critical questions about integrating indigenous ways of knowing. this paper explores the potential to bridge land-based learning with virtual classrooms, which centers relationships between indigenous peoples and the land. while online spaces often reflect settler-colonial narratives, they also offer opportunities to amplify indigenous voices through multimedia tools and digital collaborations. educators can create inclusive, equitable environments by challenging misconceptions about online spaces as culturally neutral and fostering collaboration with indigenous knowledge holders. this approach enriches learning and reimagines students’ relationships with the land, blending tradition with innovation in education. keywords: land-based learning, indigenous perspectives, online education, digital equity alba, r. (2024). land-based learning and indigenous perspectives in educational technology. emerging perspectives special edition: designing for digital futures, 7(1), 1–9. introduction the introduction and accelerated adoption of online learning has profoundly affected the accessibility of higher education among learners. from erasing geographical constraints to providing more opportunities for adults to pursue additional schooling later in life and the ability to engage with a diverse range of peers, online classrooms have led to significant changes in the education system. while virtual spaces are vehicles for education, we also need to remember that these environments are still in their infancy and that the changes occurring in physical classroom spaces need to be extended to the online space. the inclusion of indigenous ways of knowing and being is one of the many considerations that we need to make. in recent years, the canadian *razieh.hekmat@ucalgary.ca alba/ emerging perspectives (2024) 2 education system has increasingly looked toward integrating indigenous knowledges within curriculums (pratt et al., 2018). there has been some concern, however, on how to bring indigenous ways of knowing and being to virtual learning spaces (bujold et al., 2021).. the inclusion of indigenous voices and perspectives in the classroom is critical to diversity and inclusion practices and needs to be integrated throughout all layers of the education system, and one potential path forward is through the adoption of land-based learning. land-based learning and opportunities in online education creating space for indigenous ways of knowing and being in the classroom is a complex practice, and one that requires a significant reframing of the dominant settler-colonial ideology. for indigenous voices and perspectives to be brought alongside western ways of knowing, non-indigenous educators must set aside the idea that western knowledges are superior to all others (sam et al., 2022). there must also be widespread recognition of indigenous histories, specifically as it relates to the systematic erasure of indigenous ways of knowing and being as a method of solidifying dominant colonial mindsets, while simultaneously disrupting indigenous knowledges, cultures, and communities (pratt et al., 2018). a key colonial worldview that has continued to be perpetuated is “the perception that the land and people are separate instead of understanding people as an extension of the land on which they live” (bowra et al., 2021 p. 133). as we continue to move further into online spaces, particularly in the classroom, the separation of people from the land becomes even more pronounced. when imagining the future of education, there is a world in which land-based learning and online learning can come together. land-based learning centers indigeneity, while honoring the relationships between the land and indigenous peoples; it “acknowledges and appreciates the land as its own fundamental, sentient being that has spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and alba/ emerging perspectives (2024) 3 physical aspects” (bowra et al., 2021 p. 134). land-based learning also centres indigenous peoples, as well as centering indigenous ways of knowing and being (bowra et al., 2021). while online learning appears to be the antithesis of land-based learning, there are specific aspects of the online environment that are conducive to supporting land-based pedagogies. as bujold et al. (2021) explains, using online technologies can provide a wealth of resources that allow students to engage with multiple worldviews and perspectives. the inclusion of different mediums as a learning tool, “including audio, video, text, graphics, virtual and interactive programs, and even live chats” can support educators in bringing diverse voices into the classroom while centering indigenous ways of knowing and being (bujold et al., 2021). we have seen through the rise of social media, particularly during the covid-19 pandemic, that online platforms can be leveraged to create communities, centre land-based learning and indigenous ways of knowing and being, and support students’ connection to nature (bujold et al., 2021). how these technologies are leveraged, however, does pose concern. using online education and technology tools as a platform to support western worldviews that do not “inherently value the natural world could further remove us from it, whereas using technology with [indigenous perspectives]… encourages us to seek information relating to the land and our relationship to it” (bujold et al., 2021 p. 58). land-based learning is distinctly different from place-based learning, as place-based education approaches are inherently focused on western worldviews, and through this teach “about and within the local community and is rooted in connecting people with the outdoors… it does not connect to indigenous history, knowledges, or stories… [and it] fails to acknowledge that all places were once and continue to be indigenous lands” (bowra et al., 2021 p. 134). indigenous perspectives and challenges in online education alba/ emerging perspectives (2024) 4 there are very notable concerns among indigenous communities, particularly since online technologies are often framed as western technologies (bujold et al., 2021). given the historical patterns of claiming, erasing, and/or appropriating indigenous lands, knowledges, and cultures, it is crucial that indigenous ways of knowing, being, and thinking be centred within online education designs and curricula (bujold et al., 2021). today, there are a wide range of challenges in the physical classroom, particularly among non-indigenous educators who feel anxiety or discomfort over the unfamiliarity they have with indigenous ways of knowing and being, and these challenges easily translate to the online classroom (carroll et al., 2020; mckinley, 2020). educators must also acknowledge a crucial misconception associated with online learning in the context of indigenous knowledges, in which it is mistakenly believed that online environments are culturally neutral spaces (tessaro & restoule, 2022; university of saskatchewan, 2021). the pervasiveness of settler-colonial narratives embedded within the education system is present in any western educational context, regardless of the medium used to transmit knowledge (tessaro & restoule, 2022; university of saskatchetwan, 2021). moving forward with online learning will require considerable work to create online spaces where indigenous ways of knowing and being are integrated into course curriculums using land-based pedagogies (bowra et al., 2021; tessaro & restoule, 2022). as we continue to explore the opportunities and benefits of online learning, educators need to confront their own assumptions of what online learning is and what it could be. the virtual classroom is not limited to a series of modules and short discussion posts each week, but can instead include spaces where students come together to create community, to explore different worldviews, and to engage directly with indigenous perspectives, experiences, and alba/ emerging perspectives (2024) 5 histories (bujold et al., 2021). by applying land-based learning in the online classroom, students learn to see themselves in relation to the land and to better understand indigenous ways of knowing and being (bowra et al., 2021; bujold et al., 2021). there will be challenges to promoting inclusion and diversity in online spaces and combating the dominant western worldviews, which require out-of-the-box thinking and experiments in online learning, but the first step is recognizing that online spaces are not culturally neutral (blaskovits et al., 2023; tate & warschauer, 2022; tessaro & restoule, 2022). how indigenous voices and experiences are addressed in the classroom is a critical consideration that educators must make to promote equity, diversity and inclusion within online environments (fuentes et al., 2021; sam et al., 2022). a significant part of this process is the individual and collective reflection on the colonial-settler perspective and the inherent inabilities of colonial mindsets to consider different worldviews as being equally valid as the western worldview (st. denis, 2011). indigenous ways of knowing and being must be granted the same respect, depth of study, and importance as western ways of knowing (st. denis, 2011). opportunities and challenges for online educators providing students with indigenous literatures alongside western literatures. inviting indigenous voices to speak to students, asking students to reflect on knowledges they are unfamiliar with. indigenous students can benefit from engaging with indigenous ways of knowing and being, and seeing those worldviews represented in the classroom (bujold et al., 2021). giving non-indigenous students the opportunity to identify similarities and differences between their experiences and the experiences of indigenous peoples, all while linking back to the core coursework within the curriculum. the inclusion of indigenous perspectives in the classroom—physical or virtual—is not without its challenges. the sociocultural issues alba/ emerging perspectives (2024) 6 surrounding the promotion of non-dominant worldviews often can create tension within the education system, as it pushes away from established single-worldview, western curricula and challenges the dominant colonial narrative (carrol et al., 2020; mckinley et al., 2020). non-indigenous educators may not feel qualified to speak to indigenous ways of knowing, knowledges, and cultures, due to their own lack of knowledge and experience with indigenous knowledge systems (mckinley, 2020). one way to address this is to invite indigenous voices to the classroom through guest speakers or include first-person accounts of indigenous writers, storytellers, and artists. in online spaces, the opportunity to bring indigenous ways of knowing and being into the classroom is limitless, thanks to a rise in indigenous engagement online and in social media spaces (bujold et al., 2021). by sharing from online sources, or inviting indigenous voices into the classroom more directly, non-indigenous educators reduce the risk of misrepresenting or unintentionally teaching through a eurocentric lens while also centering a land-based learning approach (bowra et al., 2021; mckinley, 2020). educators seeking to teach indigenous ways of knowing in the classroom must recognize that they are learning alongside students, and that course designs require collaboration with indigenous communities (online and offline) and indigenous knowledge holders (mckinley, 2020). with the rise of indigenous-led and indigenous-created content online, a new generation of knowledge keepers has begun to share information publicly that can be brought into online education. the more that educators become comfortable seeking out, building relationships, and promoting indigenous voices in the classroom, the more commonplace the practice will be in the future. conclusion alba/ emerging perspectives (2024) 7 the virtual classroom has become a permanent fixture in higher education, but it is still undergoing research and development to identify its areas of weaknesses. by designing curriculums focused on land-based learning and the inclusion of indigenous voices, educators and researchers can use the digital space to continue to push for the inclusion of indigenous experiences and perspectives. a land-based approach, one that centres indigeneity, honoring the relationships between the land and indigenous peoples, and centering indigenous ways of knowing and being, can provide a means of showing students that reimagining their relationship and responsibilities to the land is possible (bowra et al., 2021). by considering the online classroom as a playground for learning and experimenting with new ideas, we can be excited about virtual spaces' opportunities. rather than relegating land-based learning and indigenous perspectives to the physical classroom, we should consider online education as a new avenue for digital equity to benefit all students and the communities that the education system seeks to serve. alba/ emerging perspectives (2024) 8 references blaskovits, f., bayoumi, i., davison, c. m., watson, a., & purkey, e. (2023). impacts of covid-19 pandemic on life and learning experiences of indigenous and non-indigenous university and college students in ontario, canada: a qualitative study. bmc public health, 23(96), 1-11. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-15010-5 bowra, a., mashford-pringle, a., poland, b. (2021). indigenous learning on turtle island: a review of the literature on land-based learning. 65(2), 132-140. doi:10.1111/cag.12659. bujold, r., fox, a., prosper, k., pictou, k., & martin, d. (2021). etuaptmumk-two eyed seeing: bringing together land-based learning and online technology to teach indigenous youth about food. canadian food studies, 8(4), 49-63. doi:10.15353/cfs-rcea.v8i4.466 carroll, s. m., bascuñán, d., sinke, m., & restoule, j. p. (2020). how discomfort reproduces settler structures: “moving beyond fear and becoming imperfect accomplices.” journal of curriculum and teaching, 9(2), 9–19. doi: 10.5430/jct.v9n2p9 fuentes, m. a., zelaya, d. g., & madsen, j. w. (2020). rethinking the course syllabus: considerations for promoting equity, diversity and inclusion. the science of teaching and learning corner, 48(1), 69-79. doi: 10.1177/0098628320959979 mckinley, e. (2020). the cultural interface tension: doing indigenous work in the academy. cultural studies of science education, 15, 615-621. doi: 10.1007/s11422-019-09963-6 pratt, y. p., louie, d. w., hanson, a. j., & ottmann, j. (2018). indigenous education and decolonization. oxford research encyclopedia of education, 1-32. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.240 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15010-5 http://dx.doi.org/10.5430/jct.v9n2p9 https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628320959979 alba/ emerging perspectives (2024) 9 sam, j., hare, j., nicol, c., & petherick, l. (2022). indigenizing design for online learning in indigenous teacher education. in quinn, j., burtis, m. f., jhangiani, s., & derosa, r. (eds.) towards a critical instructional design. hybrid pedagogy inc. st. denis, v. (2011). silencing aboriginal curricular content and perspectives through multiculturalism: “there are other children here.” review of education, pedagogy, and cultural studies, 33(4), 306-317. https://bit.ly/3mzlek2 tate, t. & warschauer, m. (2022). equity in online learning. educational psychologist, 57(3), 192-206. doi: 10.1080/00461520.2022.2062597 tessaro, d. & restoule, j. p. (2022). indigenous pedagogies and online learning environments: a massive open online course case study. alternative: an international journal of indigenous peoples, 18(1), 182-191. doi: 10.1177/11771801221089685 university of saskatchewan (2021, may). indigenous land-based education and the covid-19 pandemic. aboriginal education research centre: university of saskatchewan. https://aerc.usask.ca/documents/indigenous-land-based-education-and-the-covid-19-pand emic.pdf https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2022.2062597 tapestries conference _ jakobsen_how can generative artificial intelligence (ai) be effectively incorporated into middle school.docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca how can generative artificial intelligence (ai) be effectively incorporated into middle school art students to develop creative thinking and enhance a sense of community? joyce jakobsen* university of calgary as a middle school educator, i engage students by enhancing creativity through visual expression, weaving colorful threads of ideas into the cultural tapestry of education using emerging technologies like generative artificial intelligence (ai). research highlights that post-pandemic challenges center around connection and belonging. expressing feelings through writing and art fosters connection, boosts creative confidence, and empowers self-efficacy. this study aims to identify emerging technologies that enhance creativity and revitalize instruction, inspiring student learning. this research uses qualitative content analysis to evaluate curriculum content, and looks at ai as a tool to scaffold knowledge based on vygotsky’s theory on zone of proximal development (zpd). the research targets art and language educators who utilize generative ai to help students express their thoughts through creative disposition, even if english is not their first language. three issues within current educational practices and how ai might be used as a tool to help include the following: 1) hesitation to begin work: students often hesitate to express their ideas due to perceived limitations. ai can help by providing tools for creative expression on platforms for visualizing their thoughts. 2) readiness to learn: learning can be intimidating; and there is a perceived learning curve to make art and motivate language learning. ai can introduce novelty and engagement through collaborative ai-generated collaborative projects to make learning more enjoyable and accessible. 3) increased student needs: personalized learning environments are important. ai can adapt to individual student needs, offering insights to support diverse learners and paces. ai serves as a mediation tool to enhance learning efficiency in both language and artistic acquisition. it benefits english as a second language (esl) students by facilitating prompt engineering, evaluating understanding, and fostering critical thinking. uncovering the connection between prompts, creative thinking, and self-expression could help guide educators and ai developers in designing more effective teaching tools and pedagogy. key words: art education, creativity, generative artificial intelligence (ai), english as a second language (esl), prompt engineering jakobsen, j. (2025). how can generative artificial intelligence (ai) be effectively incorporated into middle school art students to develop creative thinking and enhance a sense of community? emerging perspectives. *joyce.jakobsen@ucalgary.ca or joyce.jakobsen@alumni.ucalgary.ca http://ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca mailto:joyce.jakobsen@ucalgary.ca jakobsen / emerging perspectives (2025) 2 introduction the impact of emerging technologies on education is pivotal in addressing the challenges posed by the pandemic, particularly in fostering connection and creativity. integrating emerging technology can support students’ development of personal skills within the “learning process seems to affect creativity positively” (li et al., 2022, p. 7). robinson (2020) detailed challenges encountered post-covid, which included the normalization of stress, anxiety, and behavioural patterns. success for students is defined as a state of fulfilment, where “individuals are recognized, and diversity of talent is celebrated” (p. 8). ai tools can help student learning by creating a collaborative space for self-expression and problem-solving by developing communication. robinson (2020) goes on to say that “they boost creative confidence, self-efficacy, and a sense of belonging. emerging technologies revitalize instruction, inspire learning, and foster connection, crucial for students’ social and emotional well-being post-pandemic” (p. 8). the research uses qualitative content analysis to evaluate curriculum content, and explores ai as a tool for constructivist knowledge scaffolding based on zone of proximal development (vygotsky, 1978). this aligns with knowledge scaffolding, where support is gradually reduced as students become more capable. ai helps: 1) enhance language learning efficacy for esl students (wei, 2023), 2) mediate learning though prompt engineering (walter, 2024), and 3) improve evaluative judgement to check for understanding and critical thinking (temirgalieva, 2025). belshaw (2014) says, “the way to learn hard skills is constant practice within a relevant context” (p. 34). three issues in current education are: 1) hesitation to start – students have but perceive inability to proceed. 2) readiness to learn – there is a “learning curve” to make art, but meaningful goals help motivation. research implies that an intrinsically motivated disposition has a highly positive effect on increasing creative potential and output (amabile & pratt, 2016, as cited in kelly, 2020). 3) increased student needs – 86% of teachers say social challenges among students have increased (alberta teachers’ association [ata], 2021). these issues are prevalent in k-12 education, especially for middle school students negotiating their sense of identity and belonging. technology helps navigate learning: 1) creative expression – ai supports creative expression with prompts, reducing learning curves. 2) novelty – ai engages students in creating and critiquing. the potential to foster creative engagement in design and collaboration further empowers students to generate innovative solutions (bahroun et al., 2023, p. 7). 3) personalized learning – assuming equitable access, ai can support divergent learning paths and paces. methods the study adopts qualitative content analysis to evaluate curriculum content and explore how ai tools can mediate learning and scaffold student knowledge in the form of a "more capable other" (vygotsky, 1978). the tools analyzed include adobe firefly, canva, and microsoft co-pilot – selected for their accessibility and widespread classroom use. ai acts as a coach (mollick & mollick,, 2023) where its role is prompt metacognition that creates opportunities for reflection and can improve learning outcomes. to optimize interaction with the ai coach, mollick suggests to “share challenges with the ai coach and ask directly for advice, give it context, and ask questions and seek clarification.” (p. 22). engaging with the group through generative ai allows educators to use ai as a mentoring tool, where the educator can mentor student ideation. by refining prompts iteratively, the study assesses the impact of jakobsen / emerging perspectives (2025) 3 ai-generated art on students’ creative confidence and language development, with teachers guiding and connecting concepts. data collection art generated by three ai tools was analyzed. table 1.1 (appendix a) guides teachers in: (1) transforming lesson plans and refining prompts; (2) demonstrating tool usability through image analysis; and (3) recommending practices for art educators. project-based learning encourages creative expression through art. refining prompts through feedback loops builds language and conceptualization skills. results a qualitative content analysis (qca) of ai-generated outputs was conducted to assess creativity and expression, as qca “addresses the content of texts, whether the texts are books, images, physical artifacts” (drisko & maschi, 2015, p. 85). table 1.2 (appendix b) shows how each prompt was coded based on theme, creativity, and technique. prompts were modified through review and reflection. table 1.3 (appendix c) outlines the coding process: (1) initial reaction—did the image inspire? match the prompt? could it evolve? (2) modified coding—refined prompts for alignment. canva outputs required refinement when “canadian identity” appeared too broad. copilot’s salvador dali-style art with melting maple syrup symbols was an attempt at combining identity and integrity. images that leaned on stereotypes were marked for revision. data analysis this comparative analysis revealed distinct styles from each ai, requiring prompt adjustments to clarify artistic direction. table 1.5 (appendix b) reflects on how outputs inspired ideation, feedback, and iteration. ai can help refine prompts and language use, enhancing creative expression. teachers and students benefit as language develops naturally while searching for specific keywords. significance of research ai tools fulfills the role as a coach that supports vygotsky’s zpd that builds knowledge gaps through creative expression. students often spend time visualizing ideas or searching online. generative ai may act as a “creative partner” (mccormack et al., 2019), but sometimes lacks cultural depth. canva and firefly produced less identity-rich outputs, reinforcing this limitation. table 1.5 (appendix d) connects findings to theory, suggesting that generative ai functions best when framed not as a replacement for human creativity, but as a scaffold—a tool that supports ideation, sparks dialogue, and encourages reflection (sawyer, 2012). ai can serve as a tool to support learners envision what they may not see independently. it supports critical and deep thinking. intentional prompt design and ongoing reflection can become an integral part of education practice. positive feedback and early success help build belonging. ai also contributes to community and collaboration among students. implications jakobsen / emerging perspectives (2025) 4 bates (2023) reminds us that teaching is a human activity, not merely technical. they must always be a human element in learning. eaton (2023) raises concerns that students who bypass critical thinking and creativity may struggle to apply knowledge meaningfully, emphasizing the need to prioritize creative practice over memorization and standardized responses. students may misuse ai or submit ai-generated work as their own. to mitigate this, schools can set specific guidelines and age-appropriate frameworks for ai use. ethical concerns in summative assessments are valid and may limit learning. ai can be a tool used to augment human creativity (ivcevic & grandinetti., 2024) and nurture human imagination. seventy-one percent of alberta teachers believe educational technology enhances inquiry-based learning (ata, 2021). training for educators can include ai integration into lesson design. conclusion this study explores how generative ai promotes creativity and belonging. ai acts as a coach for students and teachers. despite increasing ai integration, educators continue to actively monitor and guide learning. as belshaw (2014) suggests “skills are not learned in isolation” (p. 33) as learning is not insular. content analysis of prompt feedback supports ongoing refinement and helps non-native speakers express their ideas clearly. ai enhances imagination and supports ideation —not just outcomes. each tool offered new creative methods and inspired new forms of artmaking. this research highlights ai's potential to spark creativity. key findings include: 1. generative ai boosts creative idea generation and learning in both language and art. 2. ai mediates learning through prompt engineering. 3. ai inspires learning, reflection, and critical thinking. recommendations 1. monitor and adapt: adjust prompts regularly as outputs and student needs evolve. 2. professional development: train teachers to coach students to use ai ethically and creatively. 3. future research: explore ai’s long-term impact in art education through pilot programs or case studies. weaving the connection between prompts, creative thinking, and self-expression could help in designing more effective teaching tools and pedagogy. acknowledgements i thank dr. soroush sabbaghan for his guidance and patience, dr. harrison campbell for his humor and for challenging me to reach greater heights, and the werklund school of education for their resources and opportunities. i am also grateful for my family and friends for their support, and to my husband, my rock, whose unwavering belief makes all things possible. jakobsen / emerging perspectives (2025) 5 references alberta teachers’ association (2021). growing up digital (gud) alberta project, https://legacy.teachers.ab.ca/sitecollectiondocuments/ata/about/education%20resear ch/promise%20and%20peril/coor-101-10%20gud%20infographic.pdf bahroun, z., anane, c., ahmed, v., & zacca, a. (2023). transforming education: a comprehensive review of generative artificial intelligence in educational settings through bibliometric and content analysis. sustainability (basel, switzerland), 15(17), article 12983. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151712983 bates, a. w. (2023, july 22). education & cognition public lecture with dr. tony bates [video]. youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpwjs7z9npi belshaw, d. (2014). the essential elements of digital literacies. http://digitalliteraci.es drisko, j. w., & maschi, t. (2015). content analysis. oxford university press. eaton, s. (2023, march 15). academic integrity and artificial intelligence: implications for plagiarism and academic writing [video]. youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qnnpvsc24w ivcevic, z., & grandinetti, m. (2024). artificial intelligence as a tool for creativity. journal of creativity, 34(2), article 100079. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joc.2024.100079 kelly, r. (2020). collaborative creativity: educating for creative development, innovation, and entrepreneurship. brush education. https://ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct= true&db=nlebk&an=2394555&site=ehost-live li, y., kim, m., & palkar, j. (2022). using emerging technologies to promote creativity in education: a systematic review. international journal of educational research open, 3, article 100177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2022.100177 mollick, e., & mollick, l. (2023). assigning ai: seven approaches for students, with prompts. https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2306.10052 robinson, k. (2020). a global reset of education. prospects, 49, 7-9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-020-09493-y sawyer, r. k. (2012). explaining creativity: the science of human innovation (2nd ed.). oxford university press. temirgalieva, a. (2025). development of critical thinking through the use of ai. eurasian science review: an international peer-reviewed multidisciplinary journal, 2(special issue), 2439–2450. https://doi.org/10.63034/esr-300 vygotsky, l. s. (1978). mind in society: the development of higher psychological processes. harvard university press. walter, y. (2024). embracing the future of artificial intelligence in the classroom: the relevance of ai literacy, prompt engineering, and critical thinking in modern education. education and information technologies, 29(4), 2345-2362. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-024-00448-3 jakobsen / emerging perspectives (2025) 6 wei, l. (2023). artificial intelligence in language instruction: impact on english learning achievement, l2 motivation, and self-regulated learning. frontiers in psychology, 14, article 1261955. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1261955 mccormack, j., gifford, t., & hutchings, p. (2019). autonomy, authenticity, authorship, and intention in computer-generated art. digital creativity, 31(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/14626268.2019.1600769 https://doi.org/10.1080/14626268.2019.1600769 jakobsen / emerging perspectives (2025) 7 appendix a table 1.1 sample lesson plan objective encourage creativity using ai for idea development. introductio n review elements of art, discuss identity in art, and introduce three ai tools procedure students think-pair-share ideas combining art elements are identity themes. refine prompt with ai (e.g., “show me textural art that represents specific identity”). conclusion students begin artwork; teacher supports and celebrates progress. jakobsen / emerging perspectives (2025) 8 appendix b table 1.2 prompt categories and tools used in creative exploration of identity through ai category description # of prompts created artist-based prompts prompts in specific artists’ styles (e.g., picasso, matisse, dali, warhol) 14 technique-based prompts mixed-media collage, watercolor, pencil shading, perspective 14 style-based prompts barbie, graffiti, 8-bit pixel art, pop art 6 theme-based prompts self-portrait, identity themes (e.g., canadian) 28 total jakobsen / emerging perspectives (2025) 9 appendix c table 1.3 criteria and explanation of prompt outputs criteria explanation inspiration did the image inspire new ideas to create? clarity did the output articulate the category? evolve how can the idea grow or develop further? table 1.4 insights table 1.4 insights (continued) jakobsen / emerging perspectives (2025) 10 jakobsen / emerging perspectives (2025) 11 appendix d table 1.5 summary of findings and theoretical connections findings theoretical connection specific prompts inspired deeper engagement constructivist theory: building knowledge vague prompts led to generic outputs ai reflects limitations of training data refinement improves outcomes zpd scaffolding theory (vygotsky, 1978) user experience depended on knowledge level creative development theory (sawyer, 2012) microsoft word campbell & grieman (2022) vol. 6(1) epigrep layout.docx 1harrison.campbell@ucalgary.ca emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca a recipe for literacy: making meaning through cake harrison campbell1 and joshua grieman2 1 werklund school of education, university of calgary, canada 2 southern alberta institute of technology, canada within this article, we explore cake artistry as a means of demonstrating a process of meaning-making (starratt, 1996). we contend that the cakes themselves are tactile examples of literacy events (heath, 1982) due to the embodiment and relationality present within their design process (johnson et al., 2020). this article discusses two unique cakes that explore elements of literacy related to storytelling, personal reflection, and emotional expression. we, the authors, strive to position literacy, as explored through cakes, within a post-humanist perspective and provide an opportunity for authentic engagement and humanized/ing actions with meaning-making (beucher et al., 2019; garrett et al., 2019; perry & medina, 2015). we hope that this article will encourage our readers to think about literacy differently as well as what it means to be “literate” within different professions. keywords: literacy, post-humanism, culinary arts, cake artistry campbell, h., & grieman, j. (2022). a recipe for literacy: making meaning through cake. emerging perspectives, 6(1). 22-32. literacy in our household thoughts about literacy are constantly on my mind as a developing scholar in the field. both my prior teaching experiences and my graduate work have been, primarily, grounded within the realms of english language arts and literacy development (campbell, 2021). however, this article is unique from my earlier scholarship in that it is not specifically about literacy learning within a classroom setting. rather, this article is working to present embodiment and diverse forms of meaning-making as rich areas of possibility for literacy learning (perry et al., 2013). indeed, the lived experiences of professionals can offer the opportunity to explore learning environments as lived, responsive, and reflective spaces (hooks, 1995; irwin et al., 2004; springgay & irwin, 2005). my fiancé, josh, on the other hand, does not have the same relationship with literacy that i do; if i bring it up in relation to what i worked on that day. if i speak to him about how i feel literacy can be broken into many complex practices, and about how i primarily see literacy as a campbell & grieman – emerging perspectives (2022) 23 meaning-making process undertaken through both embodiment, relationality, and emergence (burnett & merchant, 2020) his eyes will glaze over, and he will revert to nodding encouragingly (which is appreciated!). for myself, literacy can come to involve moments of “facial expression, movement of bodies in space, body posture and shape, gesture, and words” (pascoe, 2002, p. 66). these embodied and relational moments can be applied when they emerge as meaning-making strategies across contexts (medina et. al., 2021). such conceptualizations of literacy move it, as a concept and practice, into new spaces. within some of my other research, this movement is from the page to the stage and in the context of this article it is in relation to cake artistry as a meaning making practice. josh also does not read for pleasure very often, due to being immensely busy as a pastry chef, which, for him, meant that he felt he was not engaging with literacy on a regular basis. however, i saw an opportunity to work with him to conceive of his engagement with literacy differently after seeing many of the incredible cakes he designs in his profession. from a scholarly perspective, i believe that his cakes demonstrate a process of meaning-making created in relation to his clients and co-workers that creates a literacy experience in his day-to-day life (starratt, 1996). i would go so far as to claim that this meaning is a tactile example of literacy events (heath, 1982) due to the elements of collective creation (lang, 2002) present within the processes of cake artistry. as you will see throughout this article, cakes can be used as a means of storytelling, reflection, and emotional expression. through such practices, josh, as the cake artist, is developing an increased capacity to become a more effective text user through multiple literacies (hansen, 2009), while also challenging himself to consider the meaning of literacy more critically (shenfield, 2015) by engaging within various reflective practices (tassi, 1995). since cake artistry is such a hands-on and physical activity, conceiving of literacy through its practices necessitates considerations of both embodiment and relationality (johnson et al., 2020). this will position literacy, as discussed here, within a post-humanist perspective by emphasizing embodiment within literacy as a way to assist learners, and practitioners, by providing an opportunity for authentic engagement and humanized/ing actions (beucher et al., 2019; garrett et al., 2019; perry & medina, 2015). i will extend this post-human perspective to also include envisioning cake artistry as a meaning-making tool, as a new kind of transformative meaningmaking encounter (lenters & whitford, 2020). ultimately, this article was written to demonstrate processes of meaning-making that are present in an industry not often explored by academics as well as a desire to engage with literacy in a creative, enjoyable, and meaningful way. over the course of this article, two unique cakes will be highlighted that explore elements of literacy related to storytelling, reflection, and emotional expression. this article will discuss how meaning is communicated through cake design, the process of cake design, including how the design is an interpretative process, and the personal reflections on the two different cakes by josh; the pastry chef who designed and created them. we hope that this article will encourage our readers to think about the recipe and ingredients of literacy differently as well as what it means to be “literate” within different professions. seeing literacy events within cake in order to position cake design as a form of literacy development, it is important to understand the origins of and impetus for literacy events. the term literacy event refers to moving literacy off of the page and into an event (heath, 1982). lenters (2018) discusses the advent of the term literacy event as significant in that it provided a “here and now” (p. 153) approach to literacy instruction that also “provided a common unit of analysis, allowing for a campbell & grieman – emerging perspectives (2022) 24 comparison of literacy practices across a variety of contexts” (p. 154). importantly, however, it must be noted that literacy events, as heath (1982) envisioned them, are problematic from a relational perspective due to their often “patterned, rule-bound (nature which) sits uncomfortably with notions of liveliness, affect, fluidity, and emergence” (burnett & merchant, 2020, p. 47). a way in which to address such criticism is by moving from a literacy event to literacy-as-event which “promotes an expansive, reflective, and imaginative engagement with literacy practices that aligns with relational thinking” (p. 46). seeing literacy-as-events within the practices of cake artistry positions the pastry chef as the primary meaning-maker, as they interpret design requests from their clients reflective of a certain story, emotion, or intention (hansen, 2009). this is a challenging request for any professional as it layers the meaning-making process within a series of complexities often requiring an approach that is more critical and informed (shenfield, 2015). therefore, envisioning literacy-as-event within the pastry arts has the potential to create more holistic and balanced literacy experiences by opening the conversation of “what is literacy?” into new previously unexplored and creative spaces (marco, 2015). so, what does this mean within a pastry arts setting? well, in the early stages of design, a pastry chef is a text analyst who goes about interpreting their design from a series of written instructions, visual prompts, and dialogue with clients and co-workers. so, even though josh, as the pastry chef, has a perception of not having time for literacy in a traditional sense he is still approaching literacy-as-event through his profession by creating meaning through conversations and dialogue relevant to the everyday life of his profession (starratt, 1996). however, prior to any connections between these notions and the post-human we wish to highlight the cakes themselves and discuss how they generate an “inventive space” within the bakery (daniels & downes, 2014). this “inventive space” is important for literacy since it creates “a highly engaging participatory (art) form that (is) capable of generating rich opportunities for learning” (dunn, 2016, p. 127). we see the way in which a pastry chef communicates through their craft as generating such an “evolving multimodal communicative landscape” in ways that are multimodally literate (whitelaw, 2017). a recipe for literacy in the kitchen: cake artistry personal reflection through cake – pride the first cake we are discussing holds deep personal meaning for both josh and myself, as we are members of the lgbtqqip2saa community. this cake is a celebration of pride undertaken through our own unique positionality within the lgbtqqip2saa community. campbell & grieman – emerging perspectives (2022) 25 figure 1 pride cakes the intended message of this cake relates to breaking free of normality and letting one’s true colors shine through. at one angle, in the raised cake on the far left, you will notice quite a traditional look with a concrete style finish. whereas, at another angle, in the lower cake beside it, it is possible to see the colors of the pride flag beginning to make an appearance. reasons for this are also quite personal as both josh and i have only come out in the last few years. we hid who we were in order to comply with expectations for many years. we are not alone in this as many members of our community live in the shadows of their own identities out of fear or insecurity. both josh and i remember those feelings well and that is in spite of us both coming from very supportive and loving families – something which we know makes us incredibly fortunate. as part of literacy-as-event, this pride cake allowed a distinctive and individual expression of self in a way that was true to us, while enabling new possibilities for us in relation to our own understanding of community. as much as we had both tried to hide things, we were not masters of deception, and people, in both of our lives, were not surprised by our coming out. to their credit though, everyone waited until we were ready to talk about it, another element which we are both very grateful for. this cake tells that story while also visually showing that we were both not super immersed in our community at the time. certain colors, or symbols, from the updated pride flag, are missing and it was promoted as an lgbtq cake rather than an lgbtqqip2saa one. both josh and i are introverted and even once we were out, we did not engage with the community very often. the second cake on the far right, with the more detailed pride flag showing, is meant to symbolize the growth we have both undertaken in recent years by highlighting our community more holistically and including as many members of the community as possible. josh even campbell & grieman – emerging perspectives (2022) 26 compiled his own independent research to ensure that his design was as authentic as possible. the cake incorporates particular techniques, like faultline design, and both cakes are styled entirely with buttercream. as josh reflects on the creative process which went into these cakes, the second one being created a year after the first, he remarks about how much fun it was to work with all the colors and how he enjoyed the freedom he had in designing the cake as the only gay member of staff at his bakery. josh sees these cakes as a way of communicating his identity through his profession. he hopes that if a young gay person looks at this cake it will help them to realize that even though it can be hard and overwhelming to come out, that life is so much better on the outside of the closet. being able to see “literacy-as-events” within the modality of cake artistry helps to position the pastry chef, and the client viewing the cake, as meaning-makers, as they interpret designs and share stories, emotions, and intentions (hansen, 2009). such thinking also allows for considerations surrounding notions of emergence to enter into conversation with what counts as literacy (burnett & merchant, 2020, p. 47). the term literacy “has come to mean many things; it is not just being able to read and write” (burton, 2017, p. 40). it is clear, through recent literacy scholarship, that there are multiplicities of meaning present within an ever-expanding paradigm of literacy. within this wider paradigm, i find myself defining literacy as a lifelong process of communication and meaning-making through our interconnected and embodied relations. the relationship of literacy to particular temporal and physical spaces, and an acknowledgment of that within creative processes, such as cake design, “create learning environments, or opportunities for reflection, designed to foster the complex process of becoming literate” similar to literacy within other kinds of communities (burwell & lenters, 2015, p. 208). cake artistry is an effective way to explore differences as opportunities, meaning that its practices can lead learners to develop an understanding of literacy that is embodied and experienced differently depending on personal, environmental, and educational contextual factors. it is in these moments of difference and exploration within the context of a community that we can begin to give voice to what constitutes an “experience of literacy” in a less traditional sense (burwell & lenters, 2015, p. 202). campbell & grieman – emerging perspectives (2022) 27 storytelling through cake – a tale of two ghosts figure 2 haunted wedding cake – front view and topper this cake holds special meaning to both josh and i, as it was the wedding cake for two of our best friends. the design of this cake is based entirely on a children’s storybook that was written as a love letter for the bride and groom. as you may be able to infer from the design, the story was a tale of two shy ghosts who were very timid and did not know how to scare people. when they find one another, they give each other confidence, become more complete versions of themselves, and ended up falling in love. both the story itself and the art on the cake were written and designed by the groom specifically for the bride. as such, the couple has a deep personal connection to the material and while it possesses elements of fiction it is also communicating the truth and reality of their own story. when josh reflects upon this cake the first feeling which comes to mind is the honor he felt being invited to be a part of such a deeply personal narrative. being able to tell this story in a new form, through a cake, is something which he will always remember. with that said, the process of designing this cake was a complex one since it involved a multistage process. firstly, consultation was required since the couple had to identify elements of the cake design that they enjoyed or elements that they had on their wish list for incorporation. this is what led to the inclusion of the storybook pages (edges in orange on the sides), on the back of the cake since both of them deeply enjoyed reading. the quotes seen on these pages are the favorite quotes from the story that each of them identified. beyond that incorporation, however, all the couple initially identified was that they wanted a small personal cutting cake based on the halloween themes present in the storybook and its art design. this conversation led josh to make a rough design, after having read the book in full, and having a discussion surrounding the couple’s favorite elements. for the bride, this element was the moon featured on the front center of the campbell & grieman – emerging perspectives (2022) 28 cake, and for the groom, it was a three-way tie between the ghosts, the pumpkins, and the haunted trees. it was hard for the groom to settle on only one component since he had poured so much of himself into each element of the design. nevertheless, josh combined each of these elements in addition to designing the cake topper as a surprise element not discussed in the consultation. the 3d cake topper was made from foam clay so, while not edible, it is a component that can be kept forever as a memory of the couple’s special day. stories such as this one can become literacy moments (cowan & albers, 2006) as the layers of characters, motivations, traits, and personalities are communicated through various mediums. cake artistry can be viewed as a literacy practice in this context since it provides opportunities to develop identity and creativity (daniels & downes, 2014) while at the same time encouraging those involved to consider their own relationships with text beyond the text itself (gallagher, 2015, p. 440). this cake, as an example, could be used to highlight the five elements of a good story. using an improvisation exercise, viewers of the cake could create short stories that include location, relationship, conflict, heightening of the stakes, and resolution⁠—or what they believe these factors to be based upon from provided stimuli. allowing viewers to both dialogically discuss and embody their stories helps to develop a host of skills such as “fluency, comprehension, and oral reading confidence” (peck & virkler, 2006, p. 792) not possible without the cake as a visual prompt. the importance of relationality literacy through a post-human perspective post-humanism, broadly defined, considers the interdependence of humans and nonhumans, of bodies, and of objects and entities (johnson et al., 2020). specifically of interest to me as a literacy scholar is how post-humanist thought places emphasis on bodies as sites of meaning-making since bodies are the way in which we experience existence and thus come to define, in large part, our lifeworld. the way in which we embody our existence, meaning the impact of what happens through, by, within, and to the material body defines the way in which we interact with the world (johnson et al., 2020). literacy, as a construct within this conceptualization of existence, bridges the mind with the body in such a way as to challenge traditional binary notions of a mind/body split (johnson et al., 2020). in this way, literacy is neither a set of strictly cognitive skills, nor a socially constructed process of meaning-making, but, rather, a complex interrelation between the human and the more-than-human (johnson et al., 2020). each of these distinct experiences influences the other in a complex interrelation that shapes meaning-making (johnson et al., 2020). post-humanism also speaks to literacy-focused research through its philosophical tendency to resist binaries (kuby & rowsell, 2017, p. 4). in so doing, post-humanism sees embodiment as more than just the object of the body itself but rather a site for meaning-making and pedagogical engagement (johnson et al., 2020). author jane bennett (2010) writes that “if we think we already know what is out there, we will almost surely miss much of it” (p. xv) and this speaks to the potential of post-humanism to revisit that which we once thought we understood when we begin to resist binaries. post-humanism can offer us a way of exploring other ways of knowing, becoming, and doing literacies, as well as looking to other ways of thinking about and defining what counts as literacy both within and beyond schools (kuby & rowsell, 2017, p. 4). creative modalities, such as cake artistry explored here, embrace the notion campbell & grieman – emerging perspectives (2022) 29 of entanglement as it is seen within post-human thought (barad, 2003) which means a braiding of knowing, becoming, and doing with both critical and creative thought and action (bennett, 2001; braidotti, 2013). this challenges our view of the literacy curriculum which tends to privilege traditional print-based literacies or mental conceptualizations of reading, writing, and teaching (peck & virkler, 2006). such considerations are dangerous as they exclude elements of literacy learning within the personal, reflective, and emotional realms and do a disservice to our overall understanding of what it means to be “literate” (nichols & campano, 2017). therefore, approaches like pastry arts can help to create opportunities for embodiment, critical engagement, and humanized/ing action beyond traditional texts (beucher et al., 2019; garrett et al., 2019; perry & medina, 2015). when considering professionals, such as pastry chefs, it is important to see how they are making use of literacy in relation to the creation of opportunities for ongoing aesthetic encounters (bennett, 2001). this is especially true of professions such as the pastry arts which rely on relationships and communication for success, making relationality key (deleuze & guattari, 2004; latour, 2004). over the past decade, literacy scholarship has increasingly moved towards notions of relationality. this shift, while being momentous in its own right, highlights how different notions of what it means to be “literate” can exist across time and place even today. indeed, ideas relating to what it means to be “literate”, are quite fluid within contemporary settings and expanded opportunities for meaning-making can add to this ongoing dialogue by considering literacy as a social practice rather than a static skill set (harste, 2003; marco, 2015). this idea of social practice is important since “instead of thinking about literacy as an entity (something you either have or don’t have), thinking about literacy as social practice can be revolutionary” (harste, 2003, p. 9). what aligns cake artistry with this construct of a social practice so strongly is that creativity, responsiveness, embodiment, and relationality are all present within the process of creating art through this medium. if storytelling and meaningmaking through practices like cake artistry could be applied more directly in schools through professional programs perhaps there could also be more instances of genuine student wonder and creativity within the classroom (daniels & downes, 2014). conclusions and recommendations for future research english language arts (ela) and literacy proficiency teachers are always looking for ways of developing literacy skills while also developing the capacities of students to understand complex “ways of knowing” (vicars & mckenna, 2015, p. 421). while this article is not specifically about literacy learning within the classroom it does present embodiment, relationality, and diverse forms of meaning-making as rich areas of possibility for literacy learning (perry, et. al., 2013). indeed, the lived experiences of professionals, such as pastry chefs, can also offer the opportunity to explore learning environments through the perspective of a lived, responsive, and reflective lens of human experience through diverse forms of representation (hooks, 1995; irwin, et. al., 2004; springgay & irwin, 2005). if, as educators, we can come to see opportunities for literacy learning as existing in the world around us as opposed to something prescriptive we can provide more unique opportunities to our students for the growth of their agency within literacy classrooms (daniels & downes, 2014). the examples of meaning-making that josh provided from his kitchen highlight those rich and shared literacy environments in which discussions of both literacy skills and perceptions of literacy, can be explored well beyond the walls of a formal classroom. this is an important campbell & grieman – emerging perspectives (2022) 30 consideration for teachers as the skills and content which we teach have to possess “value beyond success in school” (newmann, et al., 2001, p. 14). this value should be explored in relation to professions that exist outside of the academy as ways of showing how any “purposeful social activity” can create an opportunity for literacy to flourish (lenters & whitford, 2018, p. 122). while we by no means expect all language teachers to take up baking in their spare time having conversations about literacy through different modalities has changed the way that josh and i discuss the content at home. rather than something only i do every day we now discuss literacy as something regularly occurring in each of our lives. we hope that our exploration has inspired you to try new recipes of literacy within your own future dialogues! acknowledgment we would like to acknowledge josh’s employer whippt kitchen. whippt kitchen is a locally owned and operated catering company in calgary alberta, canada. 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(2017). arts-based literacy learning like "new school": (re)framing the arts in and of students' lives as a story. english in education, 50(4), 42. alarakyia jivani et al. 2024 (d).docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca blended and online learning policy development in higher education: key considerations raisa alarakyia jivani*, cameron carley, alysia christine wright university of calgary the global use of blended and online learning (bol) in higher education has recently increased due to the covid-19 pandemic. this exponential expansion requires higher education institutions to prioritize scholarship and examine the policies, frameworks, practices, and structures that support a clear objective toward high-quality bol that is cohesive across faculty and programs. within canada, the u15 group of canadian research universities (u15s) describe the top research universities that exemplify the production of scholarship that influences research and policy within and outside higher education institutions. through conducting two environmental scans of bol policies at the u15s in 2022, the authors identified important elements of bol policies that could be useful in future institutional planning and decision-making related to modality. the authors isolated key themes that would benefit institutions in standardizing and offered comprehensive strategies and limitations to ensure consistent regulation of bol policies. ultimately, there is no singular approach to creating effective policy regarding bol. however, creating and implementing bol policy is necessary for high-quality bol practices. keywords: blended and online learning, policy, higher education, u15s alarakyia-jivani, r., carley, c., & wright, a. c. (2024). blended and online learning policy development in higher education: key considerations. emerging perspectives special edition: designing for digital futures, 7(1), 1–7. globally, the covid-19 pandemic has led to increased usage of blended and online learning (henceforth, bol) in higher education (bhagat & kim, 2020; coman et al., 2020). higher education institutions constantly search for effective ways to create, enhance, and sustain bol practices. this research brief focuses on common considerations of bol policies based on two environmental scans of the present bol policies and guidelines at the u15 group of canadian research universities (u15s), the top research universities in canada. the authors conclude with recommendations regarding bol policy development. *raisa.jivani@ucalgary.ca alarakyia-jivani et al./ emerging perspectives (2024) 2 background king and alperstein (2017) emphasized that the effectiveness and success of higher education bol programs depend on a clear institutional vision and strategic plan with clearly defined policies, processes, and structures. yet, definitions of bol vary, leading to challenges in policy creation. for example, graham (2006) described blended learning as a combination of in-person and digital instruction. in contrast, garrison and kanuka (2004) emphasized the subjective nature of both in-person and online learning environments. furthermore, online learning is difficult to define due to its conflation with other forms of learning, such as distance learning and e-learning (moore et al., 2011; singh & thurman, 2019). policy definitions also include discrepancies. according to delaney (2017), policy should be established by a variety of institutional stakeholders with a clear aim. in contrast, pal (2006) defined policy as "a course of action or inactivity determined by a public authority to handle a given problem or interrelated set of problems" (p. 2). ultimately, king and alperstein (2017) emphasized that bol policies should be clearly defined and should reflect the interests of all institutional stakeholders engaging in bol. for context, freeman (1984) defines a stakeholder as “any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the organization’s objectives” (p. 46). as such, stakeholders include, but are not limited to, students, faculty, staff, administrators, and donors. methods in january 2022, the first author conducted an environmental scan of the u15 group of canadian universities (u15s) by reviewing the websites of each u15 for policies related to bol (table 1). the u15 group of canadian research universities is a collective of canada's top 15 research-intensive universities. these institutions are recognized for their leadership in research alarakyia-jivani et al./ emerging perspectives (2024) 3 and higher education, conducting “79 percent of all competitive university research in canada” and producing “more than 70 percent of all doctorates awarded in canada” (u15 group of canadian research universities, 2016). the scan involved reviewing the websites of each u15 institution to identify policies, guidelines, or frameworks that addressed bol practices. the search identified existing policies, guidelines, or frameworks concerning blended and online learning (bol). to capture a comprehensive view, we employed a range of search terms, including variations like “blended learning policy,” “online learning guidelines,” “bol framework,” “e-learning strategies,” “digital learning policy,” and “remote learning guidelines.” recognizing that universities may use different terminology, additional terms like “bol guidelines,” “blended learning frameworks,” and “online learning practices” were also included. specific u15-related terms, such as “u15 bol policy” and “u15 online learning guidelines,” were used to focus on the canadian research universities. the first author conducted a second scan in october 2022 to determine if any new policies had emerged or had been updated. the secondary environmental scan results noted that the university of ottawa and queen’s university initially had guidelines for bol, but those guidelines were removed by october 2022. it was determined that only one u15, the university of british columbia, had an explicit bol policy which only encompassed assessments, though it was later replaced by more general guidelines. additionally, three u15s outlined bol guidelines that recommended bol practices: dalhousie university, mcmaster university, and the university of toronto. the u15s that had neither a bol policy nor guidelines were mcgill university, queen’s university, université de montréal, university laval, university of alberta, university of calgary, university of manitoba, university of ottawa, university of saskatchewan, university of waterloo, and university of western ontario. the second author organized critical aspects of the existing bol alarakyia-jivani et al./ emerging perspectives (2024) 4 policy and the three guidelines into nine themes through thematic analysis (braun & clark, 2006). specifically, the thematic analysis included the coding and organization of data into succinct themes, isolated as academic integrity, accessibility, assessments, cybersecurity, framework development, professional development and support, student engagement and support, technology, and terminology. table 1 list of u15 universities and corresponding bol policies u15 university bol policy website university of alberta no bol policy university of british columbia https://distancelearning.ubc.ca/learner-support /policies-and-procedures/ university of calgary no bol policy dalhousie university https://www.dal.ca/dept/clt/e-learning/elearnin g_strategy.html université laval no bol policy university of manitoba no bol policy mcgill university no bol policy mcmaster university https://studentsuccess.mcmaster.ca/writing-an d-academic-skills/online-learning/ université de montréal no bol policy university of ottawa no bol policy queen’s university no bol policy university of saskatchewan no bol policy university of toronto https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/policies-guidelin es/online-learning-guidelines/ https://distancelearning.ubc.ca/learner-support/policies-and-procedures/ https://distancelearning.ubc.ca/learner-support/policies-and-procedures/ https://www.dal.ca/dept/clt/e-learning/elearning_strategy.html https://www.dal.ca/dept/clt/e-learning/elearning_strategy.html https://studentsuccess.mcmaster.ca/writing-and-academic-skills/online-learning/ https://studentsuccess.mcmaster.ca/writing-and-academic-skills/online-learning/ https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/policies-guidelines/online-learning-guidelines/ https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/policies-guidelines/online-learning-guidelines/ alarakyia-jivani et al./ emerging perspectives (2024) 5 university of waterloo no bol policy western university no bol policy results table 2 illustrates key themes identified within the existing bol policy and guidelines at the u15s (see appendix a). table 2 bol policy and guideline themes document theme and definition implications universities guideline academic integrity: the responsibility of ethical student participation in academia 1. consistent consequences are outlined in response to breaches of academic integrity 2. comprehensive academic integrity information appears on all course syllabi mcmaster university guideline accessibility: the ability to have comprehensive physical, cognitive, and financial access to learning 3. bol features and practices are purposefully included so bol can be accessed by all students 4. the universal design for learning framework and assistive technologies are implemented into bol classrooms university of toronto policy assessments: the assessment of knowledge through virtual tests, projects, and essays 5. a clear procedure is followed when assessments are incomplete or plagiarized 6. deadlines, procedures, and technological tools regarding the submission of students’ final grades is standardized university of british columbia alarakyia-jivani et al./ emerging perspectives (2024) 6 guideline cybersecurity: how digital information is secured, accessed, and used by the institution 7. stakeholders’ access to information is consistent and monitored 8. cybersecurity training is established, alongside outlining protocol in response to cybersecurity threats mcmaster university guideline framework development: the improvement of bol practices and designs over a consistent timeframe 9. institutional bol approaches are continuously improved and reviewed as bol evolves 10. bol models are created as a framework for bol course creation and maintenance 11. feedback about bol from all university stakeholders is collected and organized dalhousie university guideline professional development and support: how faculty are supported through bol knowledge expansion 12. bol resources within and outside of the classroom are promoted for faculty use 13. bol training opportunities for stakeholders are provided dalhousie university university of toronto guideline student engagement and support: how students interact and receive guidance in bol 14. technologies and strategies used to enhance students’ bol experiences are implemented 15. interactive features and instructor presence are upheld to ensure student engagement and accessibility dalhousie university mcmaster university university of toronto guideline technology: the virtual tools utilized to convey and expedite knowledge transfer 16. training opportunities for technology within the bol classroom are provided, alongside standards for appropriate use 17. feedback systems from stakeholders are organized to improve upon bol technologies university of toronto guideline terminology: the linguistic etiquette that is 18. an outline of appropriate and inappropriate language within bol environments university of toronto alarakyia-jivani et al./ emerging perspectives (2024) 7 appropriate within bol 19. a comprehensive definition of bol that is consistent throughout all faculties the following themes encompass recommendations that would be useful for bol policy development. academic integrity academic integrity is a fundamental aspect of bol, as it entails the respect and responsibility students must demonstrate when participating in class. many institutions have established and are committed to maintaining high standards of academic integrity within their programs. according to mcmaster university’s (student success centre, n.d.) guidelines, clear definitions of academic integrity are vital when implementing bol policy, alongside standardized consequences and procedures that address breaches of academic integrity. furthermore, bol policy should transparently address these standards within all course syllabi across the institution. from these standards, bol policy results in more explicit expectations about academic integrity in bol that are consistent across the institution for all stakeholders. accessibility institutions are responsible for ensuring that bol environments are accessible for all students with diverse physical, cognitive, or financial abilities. to achieve this, the university of toronto (school of graduate studies, 2022) posits that accessibility must address key design factors that encourage all students to participate in class online with the standards of equity, diversity, and inclusion (accessibility, n.d.), which can be addressed within bol policy. additionally, institutions should incorporate udl (universal design for learning) frameworks within these environments, ensuring consideration and awareness of the diverse needs of all learners. the policy should also promote incorporating assistive technologies to support students' alarakyia-jivani et al./ emerging perspectives (2024) 8 learning needs, alongside partnering with technology providers to consistently improve the quality of this technology. finally, accessibility resources must be communicated to all stakeholders to raise awareness regarding the multiple dimensions of accessibility. assessment the university of british columbia accentuates that assessments encompass the evaluation of student knowledge through virtual tests, projects, and essays (policies and procedures, n.d.). regarding bol policy, this university emphasized explicit definitions of plagiarism and outlined responses to incomplete or plagiarized assessments, which was connected to the institution’s policy on academic integrity. in addition, the policy must address the deadlines and procedures for submission of students’ final grades. institutions must also provide clear appeal processes for students who miss deadlines due to technical issues or personal circumstances. cybersecurity investing in cybersecurity is essential, especially in bol environments: it is the institution's responsibility to ensure that digital information is secured, accessed, and used by the institution to protect stakeholders' privacy. all stakeholders must be informed regarding the procedures for protecting this digital information (university technology services, n.d.). the policy framework should also highlight the guidelines and consequences in place when disregarding cybersecurity. institutions should be committed to providing secure bol spaces, considering confidentiality, integrity, and availability of digital information. as digital spaces change frequently, institutions should prioritize reviews to question if the present framework is still effective in protecting the institution’s bol environments. bol framework development alarakyia-jivani et al./ emerging perspectives (2024) 9 to ensure bol environments are practical and successful, it is essential that bol design be improved upon indefinitely, as bol continues to evolve (centre for teaching and learning, 2019). in creating this framework, feedback from stakeholders is valuable and must be utilized to improve the bol experience, which prompts the creation of various positions or teams to collect and use this information: chief online learning officer (colo) this senior administration role establishes online learning budget goals, examines strategies for improving online classrooms, oversees stakeholder training in online learning environments, and focuses on implementing bol policies (christians, n.d.; garret et al., 2021; herron et al., n.d.). ultimately, the colo ensures consistency throughout online learning within the institution. colos did not appear in any of the u15 policies and guidelines regarding bol. online program manager (opm) this role coordinates online learning programs that expand across different institutions (cote & white, 2020). thus, the opm is responsible for cross-institutional collaboration to foster consistency and quality in online learning across different institutions. opms did not appear in the u15 policies and guidelines regarding bol. councils and committees the coordinating council liaises between administrators, professors, and students who have experience in bol, often through faculty representatives who report information to this council (lim et al., 2019). once these experiences are synthesized, they are passed to a steering committee, which manages and creates new bol initiatives. all this information is streamlined to the vice president for teaching and learning, who records new knowledge. creating these roles can improve the efficacy of bol and ensure that stakeholder feedback is used to refine bol alarakyia-jivani et al./ emerging perspectives (2024) 10 environments continuously. coordinating councils did not appear in any of the u15 policies and guidelines regarding bol. professional development and support faculty within bol environments should be provided with professional development and opportunities to improve their knowledge regarding bol to enhance the quality of their courses (centre for teaching and learning, 2019; school of graduate studies, 2022). this type of professional development could include workshops, training sessions, online courses, and conferences. it should be provided in various formats and at varying times to ensure faculty availability. in addition, the institution should regularly evaluate and assess the effectiveness of these opportunities and encourage modifications as needed. student engagement and support student engagement and support are essential to bol to ensure positive and fulfilling learning experiences (centre for teaching and learning, 2019; school of graduate studies, 2022; student success centre, n.d.). technologies and strategies, especially instructor presence, must be utilized to enhance students’ bol experiences. in addition, institutional guidelines should support instructors in facilitating effective communication between themselves and students. finally, it is critical for institutions to collect feedback from students to ensure that they are receiving the necessary and relevant support within their bol experiences. technology technology is a vital component of bol environments and includes the virtual tools used to convey and expedite knowledge transfer (school of graduate studies, 2022). it is critical that institutions provide training opportunities for all stakeholders in appropriate technology use within bol classrooms. higher education institutions must establish clear definitions for the alarakyia-jivani et al./ emerging perspectives (2024) 11 proper uses of the technology within these bol environments. finally, institutions should ensure opportunities for stakeholders to provide feedback to ensure the best use of these technologies. terminology it is important for institutions to provide consistent and unambiguous terminology within bol environments (school of graduate studies, 2022), and this should be a strong focus of the framework. institutions must ensure that a comprehensive definition for bol is established and consistently used throughout all faculties and programs. institutions must also provide guidelines surrounding appropriate and inappropriate terminology, ensuring all stakeholders understand what language is acceptable in bol environments. finally, feedback from all stakeholders should be collected to improve and continuously add terminology used in bol environments. discussion our findings indicate that bol policies promote clarity, consistency, and continuity in decision-making related to modality and program delivery in higher education (ashraf et al., 2021; rajabalee & santally, 2021). based on our review, we recommend that future research focus on creating diverse frameworks that inform bol policy development. given the paucity of dedicated bol policies in the u15s, we recognize that the absence of dedicated bol policies may contribute to a lack of consistency and/or frustration with the lack of direction (thurab-nkhosi, 2018). subsequently, we offer a secondary recommendation for future research that targets in-depth research on the nine themes we addressed in our analysis: academic integrity, accessibility, assessments, cybersecurity, framework development, professional development and support, student engagement and support, technology, and terminology. throughout our research brief, we discussed the broad implications of these themes and how they can be implemented alarakyia-jivani et al./ emerging perspectives (2024) 12 into bol policy development. yet, more research is necessary to provide specific recommendations regarding each of these themes so policymakers have access to in-depth analysis for appropriate policy implementation. this is especially pertinent as bol policy development is under-researched due to policy research focusing separately on online learning (rajabalee & santally, 2021) and blended learning (ashraf et al., 2021; oleshko et al., 2022). our third recommendation relates to consistency in the process and formation of bol policies across different faculties within higher education institutions. this uniformity should reflect consistent terminology used in each policy to ensure stakeholders are clear about each aspect of bol policies and what those terms mean. institutions may also benefit from dedicating sufficient resources to support stakeholders during the development and implementation of bol policies and emphasize transparency of these policies with stakeholders. regarding consistency, it would be helpful for the u15 organization to provide clear frameworks guiding bol policies to ensure consistency across these institutions. throughout these recommendations, it is critical to recognize that the nine considerations for a bol policy framework we discuss here should be adapted to each institution's unique circumstances. before implementation, the institution's administration and stakeholders should review and approve these policies before implementation. as mentioned above, we underscore the importance of committees supporting programs, educators, and students through resources, tutorials, and training. finally, a clear plan for evaluating and assessing bol policies is pertinent, alongside addressing challenges for any stakeholders who implement or execute the policy. conclusion alarakyia-jivani et al./ emerging perspectives (2024) 13 bol requires cohesive policy development at u15s, which we uncovered through two environmental scans. these institutions must address the key themes of academic integrity, accessibility, assessments, cybersecurity, framework development, professional development and support, student engagement and support, technology, and terminology in future bol policy creation. further, key discussion points that examine the gaps in research regarding bol, the importance of consistency within bol policies, and the regular assessment and updating of these policies are all important considerations and avenues for future research. ultimately, this review is a launching point into the 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(n.d.). ecps guidelines for approval, development, and staffing of online courses. https://ecps.educ.ubc.ca/internal/policies-procedures/ecps-guidelines-for-approval-develo pment-and-staffing-of-online-courses/ u15 group of canadian research universities. (2016, march 22). budget 2016: a strong commitment to scientific research. https://u15.ca/publications/statements-releases/budget-2016-a-strong-commitment-to-scie ntific-research/ university technology services. (n.d.). technology resources for mcmaster students.mcmaster university. retrieved october 24, 2022, from https://uts.mcmaster.ca/technologyresources-for-mcmaster-students/#tab-content-it-security https://distancelearning.ubc.ca/learner-support/policies-and-procedures/ https://u15.ca/publications/statements-releases/budget-2016-a-strong-commitment-to-scientific-research/ https://u15.ca/publications/statements-releases/budget-2016-a-strong-commitment-to-scientific-research/ https://u15.ca/publications/statements-releases/budget-2016-a-strong-commitment-to-scientific-research/ https://uts.mcmaster.ca/technology-resources-for-mcmaster-students/#tab-content-it-security alarakyia-jivani et al./ emerging perspectives (2024) 18 appendix a key considerations for bol policy development yu, 2024 (d).docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca let’s chat about online student engagement: cultural-historical activity theory as a theoretical lens jacqueline yu* university of calgary student engagement has been linked to academic outcomes and school completion. during the covid-19 pandemic, online instruction became a learning mode of necessity, resulting in an explosion of related research. this article will explore engeström’s (1987/2019) cultural-historical activity theory (chat) as a theoretical lens to understand online learning environments. using third-generation activity theory, in-person learning environments will first be described through a model of two activity systems; one system relates to the teacher’s instruction, and the other relates to the student’s school participation or studying. this model will be extended for online settings to incorporate a third activity system, the homeschooling family. this extension may provide a promising approach to conceptualizing the unique dynamics of online student engagement. keywords: engagement, online learning, e-learning, cultural-historical activity theory, 5-12 schooling yu, j. (2024). let’s chat about online student engagement: cultural-historical activity theory as a theoretical lens. emerging perspectives special edition: designing for digital futures, 7(1), 1–11. before the covid-19 pandemic, student enrollment in k-12 online learning had already been building momentum in alberta, canada (barbour et al., 2021). however, the ubiquitous “emergency remote teaching” that became a necessity during the pandemic spotlighted the key difficulties of delivering effective online instruction, including fostering attentiveness and meeting students’ academic and socio-emotional needs at a distance (leech et al., 2022; martin et al., 2022; openo, 2020, p. 6; vaillancourt et al., 2022). the factors linked to course completion and student attrition have been an enduring concern for online learning environments, including *jacqueline.yu@ucalgary.ca yu/ emerging perspectives (2024) 2 efforts to develop techniques to identify and support at-risk learners (archambault et al., 2010; bienkowski et al., 2012; friedhoff et al., 2022; robyler et al., 2008) presumed to be supportive of school completion (appleton et al., 2008), student engagement has been a prominent research focus for online learning environments (henrie et al., 2015; martin et al., 2021). this emphasis placed on engagement is unsurprising, given the evidence supporting its relationship with academic perseverance and achievement (alrashidi et al., 2016; fredricks et al., 2004; lei et al., 2018). given the instructional challenges posed by online learning settings, an enhanced understanding of student engagement may help improve online pedagogies and interventions. in this paper, engeström’s (1987/2019) cultural-historical activity theory will provide a theoretical lens for the unique dynamics of online learning environments and a promising framework for understanding student engagement. engeström’s cultural-historical activity theory to provide a conceptual outline of engeström’s (1987/2019) cultural-historical activity theory (chat), it is first necessary to generally define the term, activity system. building on the prior theoretical work of vygotsky and leontiev, engeström (1987/2019) first proposed an approach to studying activity systems in learning by expanding. to provide an introductory definition, “an activity system is a relatively durable collective formation directed at and motivated by a continuously evolving object” (engeström, 2022, p. 134). activity systems are mainly composed of a singular or collective subject, an object serving as the intended focus and aim of the subject, and instruments, which the subject employs to alter the object; it supposes that the activity system is centred on an object, which is actively altered to strive for outcomes to meet the demands of its members, and those of additional activity systems (engeström, 2022). they are complexly wrought with multiple perspectives and traditions, possessing their historical yu/ emerging perspectives (2024) 3 narrative, which shapes current actions (engeström, 2001). a classroom environment can be studied as an activity system with its teacher, the subject focused on the progressing object, and their pupils’ learning (engeström, 2022). classroom learning through the lens of chat research related to activity systems may focus on a single activity system or the interactions between multiple activity systems (engeström, 2001; 2022; engeström & sannino, 2021), providing a lens to analyze k-12 online learning environments. referred to as “the third generation of activity theory” (p. 135), engeström (2001) described a model accounting for the interrelation of at least two activity systems. as shown in figure 1, the interaction between the two activity systems can be conceived as a transition from object 1, which is the basic, uninterpreted object, to object 2, referring to the meaning-imbued object as perceived by the activity system, to object 3, a “jointly constructed object” (p. 136). object 3 is the central focus of inquiry in this generation of activity theory (engeström & sannino, 2021). figure 1 engeström’s third generation of activity theory featuring two interrelating activity systems using this third generation, engeström (2022) argued that, within school environments, learning can be conceived as an interaction between two associated activity systems, with one yu/ emerging perspectives (2024) 4 system relating to the teacher’s instruction and the other to the student’s “activity of studying, or school going” (p. 137). as subjects of these two activity systems, teachers and students likely have dissimilar objects when understanding their goal-directed behaviours and the meaning they ascribe to learning in the school environment (engeström, 2016). for example, some students may be motivated by grades and the practical utility of their learning, whereas some teachers may focus on students’ content mastery (engeström, 2016). as a result of this dissonance, these two systems must “construct common ground for their objects, that is, a partially shared object that allows them to collaborate effectively” (engeström, 2022, p. 137). the third activity system of online learning suppose traditional classroom learning can be understood as two interacting activity systems (engeström, 2022). in that case, an analysis of online learning environments should account for interactions with a third activity system, that of the homeschooling family. applying engeström’s second-generation framework (1987/2019), the family that chooses online schooling is an activity system bound by its own rules and expected distribution of responsibilities centred on the object of student learning. the in-person classroom is where the activity systems of traditional schooling intersect (engeström, 2022), but the home environment forms this space for the activity systems involved in online learning. unless synchronous classes are mandatory, a significant amount of online learning is asynchronous, providing students with considerable leniency; this amount of unstructured learning and its physical distance from teachers renders tracking and engaging students more time-consuming and challenging (stevens & borup, 2015). the crucial role of the parent or guardian in online learning has attracted researchers’ interest (e.g. borup et al., 2013; 2019; chen et al., 2019; liu et al., 2010; smith et al., 2016). multiple frameworks have identified the unique role of parents in supporting online yu/ emerging perspectives (2024) 5 learning, including organizational, supervisory, motivational, and academic capacities (stevens & borup, 2015). an at-home adult mentor may be so essential to supporting most k-12 online learners that this role has even been referred to as a “learning coach” (smith et al., 2016, p. 102). future directions for online student engagement engeström’s (1987/2019) cultural-historical activity theory (chat) provides a promising lens to study k-12 online learning environments in terms of three interacting activity systems. as defined by fredricks et al. (2004), engagement is a tripartite construct consisting of interconnected cognitive, affective, and behavioural dimensions, which can shift in duration and magnitude. engagement reflects an interaction between a person and their environment (fredricks et al., 2004; renninger & järvelä, 2022). relevant to online high schools, borup et al. (2014) proposed that parental engagement is of central significance to student engagement in their adolescent community of engagement (ace) framework. extending engeström’s (2022) analysis of student learning in traditional school settings, suboptimal learning or disengagement may be due to a lack of alignment between the school, studying, and homeschooling activity systems in terms of working together on their partnership with regard to the object of student learning. as argued by engeström (2022), it would be naive to study learning only within the context of teacher instruction: “the common failure to recognize and analyze studying as an activity system in its own right, not reducible to instruction or schooling, maybe a root cause behind various forms of student alienation” (p. 137). when striving to engage online learners effectively, this potential nativity may also include lapses in understanding the importance of the homeschooling family’s activity system in student learning. given that some research has shown the increased responsibilities of the parent in online learning settings (borup et al., 2013; liu et yu/ emerging perspectives (2024) 6 al., 2010; smith et al., 2016), effective communication and collaboration may be essential to student engagement. references alrashidi, o., phan, h. p., & ngu, b. h. 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(2021). from mediated actions to heterogenous coalitions: four generations of activity-theoretical studies of work and learning. mind, culture, and activity, 28(1), 4–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/10749039.2020.1806328 fredricks, j. a., blumenfeld, p. c., & paris, a. h. (2004). school engagement: potential of the concept, state of the evidence. review of educational research, 74(1), 59–109. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543074001059 friedhoff, j. r. (2022). michigan’s k-12 virtual learning effectiveness report 2020-21. michigan virtual. https://michiganvirtual.org/research/publications/michigans-k-12-virtual-learning-effect iveness-report-2020-21/ henrie, c. r., halverson, l. r., & graham, c. r. (2015). measuring student engagement in technology-mediated learning: a review. computers & education, 90, 36–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2015.09.005 leech, n. l., gullett, s., howland cummings, m., & haug, c. a. 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(2010). the validation of one parental involvement measurement in virtual schooling. journal of interactive online learning, 9(2), 105–132. https://www.ncolr.org/jiol/issues/pdf/9.2.2.pdf martin, f., bacak, j., polly, d., & dymes, l. (2021). a systematic review of research on k-12 online teaching and learning: comparison of research from two decades 2000 to 2019. journal of research on technology in education, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2021.1940396 martin, f., xie, k., & bolliger, d. u. (2022). engaging learners in the emergency transition to online learning during the covid-19 pandemic. journal of research on technology in education, 54(sup1), s1–s13. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2021.1991703 openo, j. (2020). education’s response to the covid-19 pandemic reveals online education’s three enduring challenges. canadian journal of learning and technology, 46(2). https://doi.org/10.21432/cjlt27981 renninger, k. a., & järvelä, s. (2022). designing for meaningful learning: interest, motivation, and engagement. in r. k. sawyer (ed.), the cambridge handbook of the learning sciences (3rd ed., pp. 603–618). cambridge university press. roblyer, m. d., davis, l., mills, s. c., marshall, j., & pape, l. (2008). toward practical procedures for predicting and promoting success in virtual school students. american journal of distance education, 22(2), 90–109. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923640802039040 smith, s. j., harvey, s. p., burdette, p. j., & cheatham, g. a. (2016). parental role and support for online learning of students with disabilities: a paradigm shift. journal of special education leadership, 29(2), 101–112. https://www.ncolr.org/jiol/issues/pdf/9.2.2.pdf https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2021.1940396 https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2021.1940396 https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2021.1991703 https://doi.org/10.21432/cjlt27981 https://doi.org/10.1080/08923640802039040 https://doi.org/10.1080/08923640802039040 yu/ emerging perspectives (2024) 10 stevens, m., & borup, j. (2015). parental engagement in online learning environments: a review of the literature. in m. f. rice (ed.), advances in research on teaching (vol. 25, pp. 99–119). emerald group publishing limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/s1479-368720150000027005 vaillancourt, t., brittain, h., krygsman, a., farrell, a. h., pepler, d., landon, s., saint-georges, z., & vitoroulis, i. (2022). in-person versus online learning in relation to students’ perceptions of mattering during covid-19: a brief report. journal of psychoeducational assessment, 40(1), 159–169. https://doi.org/10.1177/07342829211053668 figure 1 engeström’s third generation of activity theory featuring two interrelating activity systems https://doi.org/10.1108/s1479-368720150000027005 https://doi.org/10.1108/s1479-368720150000027005 https://doi.org/10.1177/07342829211053668 https://doi.org/10.1177/07342829211053668 yu/ emerging perspectives (2024) 11 note: reprinted from y. engeström, 2001, expansive learning at work: toward an activity theoretical reconceptualization. journal of education and work, 14 (1), p. 136. copyright 2001 by taylor & francis ltd. reprinted with permission. fawcett, 2024 (d).docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca a diet of daily bread, food for thought, and cofi (communities of faithful inquiry): key factors in lms decision-making for online catholic education brett fawcett* university of calgary as information and communication technology (ict) becomes more ubiquitous in postsecondary education, and pressures from learning management system (lms) manufacturers on universities become heavier, the leadership at catholic postsecondary schools must have a clear idea of how exactly technology and online learning can and should be used in a way that is consistent with catholic principles in order to guide their decision-making with regards to the school’s online platforms and resources. using ex corde ecclesiae as a guide, this paper takes the standard model of online learning as requiring a community of inquiry (coi) and suggests that a catholic university should be a community of faithful inquiry (cofi), which requires having pastoral presence in its online work. this takes the form of using technological aids to foster the spiritual lives of its students, ensure that a genuine community is being built, and find ways to equip online students to live out their faith outside of the digital realm. keywords: catholic online education, community of faithful inquiry, pastoral presence, technology in faith-based learning fawcett, b. (2024).a diet of daily bread, food for thought, and cofi (communities of faithful inquiry): key factors in lms decision-making for online catholic education. emerging perspectives special edition: designing for digital futures, 7(1), 1–33. introduction given the importance of information and communication technology (ict) in modern postsecondary education, seen particularly in the fact that a modern university is expected to have an online learning management system (lms), it is imperative that postsecondary education leaders (psels) are prepared to manage the unpredictable changes and complexities that technological developments will bring to their institutions (kowch, 2016). this is challenging for any institution but especially relevant to religious universities and colleges. *brett.fawcett@ucalgary.ca fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 2 a half-century ago, the canadian philosopher of politics and religion george parkin grant (1998) argued that a technological and instrumentalist way of thinking perpetually threatens the mandate of any learning community that derives its identity from religious commitment. grant (1998) adopted a platonic christian perspective on education: its goal was for students to exceed themselves and their desires in recognition of eternal and transcendent moral and metaphysical truth. technology, or, as he preferred to call it, technique was diametrically opposed to this, since its goal was to alter nature in accordance with our wills. using heideggerian terminology, he identified technique as not a tool but as an “ontology” (grant, 1998, p. 431). in this way of being, the individual’s desires, which the technique seeks to gratify, were of paramount importance, thus locking the individual within themselves and closing them off to self-denial and spiritual growth. moreover, grant (1998) recognized technology as a kind of imperialistic ontology which colonized any arena into which it was introduced. it was absurd, he stated, to claim that “the computer does not impose on us the ways it should be used” (grant, 1998, p. 418). introducing the computer meant redesigning the infrastructure of the entire institution, and, indeed, the entire world, to make room for it. thus, technology imposes social, political, and economic liberalism wherever it appears. grant (1998) saw this already taking place at the university, which was becoming, to use his word, a “multiversity” (p. 461), an industrial institution no longer dedicated to enlightenment but instead to equipping students to work for and fit into a technological society. in other words, to translate him into more contemporary vernacular, grant (1998) was predicting an inevitable union between technological progress and the advance of neoliberalism, which we can understand as a pervasive attitude which treats all assets as valuable to the extent fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 3 that they have competitive market value or are profitable from a capitalistic perspective (thorsen & lie, 2006). the relevant literature on ict in education reveals the merits of grant’s (1998) prediction. for example, policy documents on technology and education, such as the consultants’ report of bailey et al. (2018), betray an attitude which seems to view technological innovations as existing for their own sake rather than for the sake of educating students. using data from six different postsecondary institutions, the paper acknowledged the existence of “the digital learning paradox” (p. 22): students enrolled in online courses often receive lower grades but also exhibit higher retention and graduation rates. however, “[o]nline learning lowers instructional costs” (p. 26). the dilemma facing postsecondary education seems to be the tradeoff between the fact that students often do more poorly in online courses and that those courses save the institution money. after describing the various ways that online courses save a psel money, the authors wrote: in making these tradeoffs, most universities may be investing in instructional quality in other ways, such as by providing more and better professional development opportunities, enabling students to engage with course content more interactively, or providing tailored student support such as coaches who follow students throughout their enrollment, thus ensuring a high-quality overall learning experience. (p. 28) the cost-cutting advantages of online learning apparently outweigh the demerits of worsened student performance because universities may be using the funds they saved on enhancing student learning. the word “may” indicates that this is largely speculative, though houston community college is offered as an example of an institution that has “solv[ed] the digital learning paradox” (p. 42) by providing tutors to students in online courses. one wonders if these fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 4 tutors are paid similarly to adjunct faculty. if they are paid less, this may be another cost-cutting measure. the report ultimately recommended that psels invest in high-quality resources for online learning, assuring postsecondary institutions that the long-term benefits will outweigh the short-term costs by growing revenue from increased student enrollment while saving on costs in various other areas. the financial incentives and the fact that online learning corresponds to higher graduation rates outweigh the fact that students are getting less out of the experience from an educational perspective if grades are taken as an indication. grant’s (1998) ominous forecast about technology ushering in a blizzard of neoliberalism that would destroy the university’s purpose seems to have been largely confirmed, particularly given that the perceived necessity for this innovation derives in part from market competition with corporate non-university institutions such as google (hill, 2020). of course, there is no way to avoid using technology altogether or to deny the legitimate value it has added. since its presence is inevitable, universities should take care to ensure that technology in learning is only used to the extent that it serves pedagogical goals, adds value to the experience of teaching and learning, and is accessible to all students (contact north, 2020). as grant (1998) put it, using language which reflected the gendered economy of the time: it is obviously good that women should have automatic washing machines; it is almost as good that we men should have cars…there is nothing wrong with automobiles and washing machines, but they must be known as simply means – means of richness of life for individuals and society. (grant, 1998, p. 52-53) therefore, religious psels, which generally share grant’s (1998) ontological and moral perspective on education and truth (casamento & riondino, 2022; fisher, 1987; glanzer & fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 5 ream, 2013; holmes, 1987), need to understand the pedagogical commitments of their institutions in the light of the doctrines that they profess. this way, they can make wise ict-related decisions that are consistent with the school’s purpose of intellectually and spiritually forming their students rather than be caught up in the addiction to technology for technology’s sake fostered by modernity. currently, official church policies currently lack definite direction on the use of ict in their educational institutions. we can take catholicism as a case study here. the vatican’s congregation for catholic education (2021) recently issued instruction on the use of distance learning in ecclesiastical universities and faculties. however, although it referred to how catholic universities should “make ever more appropriate use of the new forms of technology” (p. 4), it went into no detail about what exactly constitutes appropriate or inappropriate use of technology in distance education from a catholic theological perspective. this paper will look at catholic postsecondary institutions specifically and will seek to guide psels for navigating decisions about ict. however, it will draw on research into religious education from other faith traditions. these studies are often descriptive rather than prescriptive, but we can seek to draw principles from them that are applicable to a catholic context. the research often focuses specifically on religious studies classes or formation for ministers in seminary1 (holdener, 2010; hung & lu, 2022; tran, 2010; wright, 2024). however, since every subject in a catholic educational institution is expected to be infused with catholicism, and the goal of a catholic psel includes the holistic spiritual development of its students, we can perhaps still glean valuable models for catholic education generally from these seminary-specific examples. 1 a seminary (from the latin for “seedbed,” or a place of growth and cultivation) is a postsecondary institution dedicated to the ministry training and theological education of individuals who are preparing to work in ministry or in religious academic institutions. fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 6 general principles of ict use in education distance education is not identical to online learning, and much confusion has resulted from using these two terms synonymously (nichols, 2011). distance education presupposes physical and geographical distance between the instructor and the student, while online learning refers exclusively to the medium through which instruction occurs; the online student could be thousands of miles from the university but could equally well be taking a course in the computer laboratory on campus. further, the term “online learning” does not in and of itself distinguish between synchronous and asynchronous lecturing, or between purely online and hybrid classes. in this paper, i will refer to “online learning” and to the lms with the recognition that this always involves some element of distance from the facilitator, at least relative to the familiar model of learning within a classroom setting. this last insight comes from the standard model of the university in the digital age as a community of inquiry, or coi (garrison et al., 2000), a model which came out of research done at the university of alberta. this two-decade-old framework proposes that a genuine postsecondary community can occur in the online space when social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence intersect. social presence refers to the extent to which learners project themselves as “real people” and build relationships in the cyber classroom; cognitive presence refers to the extent to which online communication leads to the participants constructing meaning, or, we could say more succinctly, learning; teaching presence identifies the degree to which teachers facilitate these other two presences. the model of coi is understood by many as being a way to analyze and provide guidance for designing individual courses (fiock, 2020; krzyszkowska & mavrommati, 2020). however, fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 7 the catholic theologian and university rector2 john henry cardinal newman (1992) argued that not only is the entire university fundamentally a single community, but also that, as the word “university” can be construed to imply, a locus for universal knowledge, meaning that every subject and class should be integrated with each other. we can thus push the idea of a coi to encompass the entire school, at least in the case of institutions which are organized around the central principle of catholicism. in a postsecondary context, these three presences take place primarily within the lms. in considering teaching presence in the lms setting, there are at least two major factors at play. one is that the effectiveness of an instructor’s use of an lms is closely correlated with their attitude toward it. teachers with negative attitudes toward their lms are less likely to fully utilize its potential than those with positive attitudes (bervell et al., 2020). a second, and likely closely related, mechanism is the teacher’s beliefs. instructors will design their online courses in different ways depending on their different ideas about pedagogy. those who see the teacher as having a pivotal role in education will use several real-world examples in their online materials and will structure online discussions in such a way that they provide constant feedback, assessment, and access to themselves for the students while instructors with a strong belief in different “learning styles” will design the online materials in a way that invites students to “explore” the content and choose topics of interest to themselves to study and be assessed about (steel, 2009). most learning theories were developed in the pre-digital era, though they may have taken on new forms as technology developed. for example, scholars like dewey and vygotsky proposed constructivism as a learning theory in which knowledge is constructed by the learning 2 in this context, “rector,” from the latin for “ruler,” refers to the head of a postsecondary institution. it is also commonly used in religious contexts to refer to a member of the clergy in charge of a parish or other institution, including an educational one. fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 8 subject. however, inspired by what he observed of children learning and using programming language, papert (1986) extended constructivism into a theory he called “constructionism,” which included the tenet that this construction of learning occurs best in interaction with manipulative materials. more recently, connectivism, which allows for machine as well as human learning, has been proposed as a learning theory for the modern world by thinkers like siemens (2005), who worked as a professor and strategist for alberta’s online distance learning psel, athabasca university. connectivism posits that, while learning does involve knowledge construction, learning is also not fully under the learner’s control but is, in some sense, the result of a confluence of forces and factors of an increasingly interconnected world; the learner’s job is to develop a multidisciplinary perspective towards the world and to learn to recognize which knowledge to assimilate and which to discard (ally, 2011). that insight is relevant to online learning, in which each student is seen as a ”node,” connected through various digital links to a wide array of technological links. the connectivist perspective is similar to the earlier observations of marshall mcluhan about how digital technology has turned the world into a global village (mcluhan & powers, 1989). connectivism’s resonances with mcluhan have been noted (salvatori, 2017); siemens’ observation on the non-human component of learning, “the pipe is more important than the content within the pipe,” is essentially a paraphrase of mcluhan’s famous aphorism that “the medium is the message” (mcluhan, 1964, p. 1). if mcluhan’s thought is an application of catholic philosophy to the digital world, then connectivism, if it is seen as an elaboration of mcluhan’s insights, can also be seen as consonant with a catholic worldview. fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 9 in summary, we can state that the psels in the digital era should aim to foster an online coi and should recognize that the attitudes and beliefs of instructors will influence the ways they create or fail to create that community. in turn, instructors should be sensitive to new theories of learning like connectivism, which incorporate elements of previous theories, such as constructivism, while taking into account the rapidly changing technological situation and the way it sheds light on how that learning takes place. these are all essential to keep in mind if technology is to be harnessed for pedagogical purposes rather than the other way around. we now turn to catholic institutions to see what their unique pedagogical purposes are. catholic postsecondary education not only is catholicism deeply tied up with postsecondary learning, but the very origins of the western university are inseparable from the institution of the church. the predecessors of the medieval university were the cathedral schools and the monastery schools, which developed a curriculum that sought to interpret all knowledge and wisdom, including the insights of pre-christian philosophers, through the light of christian doctrine. the development of the university was fueled by papal charters, including the papal blessing on some institutions to grant licences to teach (licentia docendi), which had to be universally respected. this was the origin of the doctorate institution (noone, 2018). the fact that the center of medieval education shifted from the monasteries to the new institution of the university under the aegis of the church shows that catholic higher education was always willing to adapt and accommodate its mission of teaching to a changing cultural situation, much like the one in confronts of the rapidly digitizing world of today. pope john paul ii (1990) issued an apostolic constitution about catholic colleges and universities titled ex corde ecclesiae (“from the heart of the church”), which explained: fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 10 a catholic [psel] pursues its objectives through its formation of an authentic human community animated by the spirit of christ…as a result of this inspiration, the community is animated by a spirit of freedom and charity; it is characterized by mutual respect, sincere dialogue, and protection of the rights of individuals. it assists each of its members to achieve wholeness as human persons; in turn, everyone in the community helps in promoting unity…and also towards maintaining and strengthening the distinctive catholic character of the [i]nstitution (paragraph 21). we can summarize this excerpt, and thereby the entire document, thusly: 1. the catholic psel ought to be a community. 2. this community ought to be characterized by authentic interrelationships of christian love. 3. the psel’s goal is the spiritual as well as the cognitive growth of its students. 4. everything about the psel ought to be distinctively catholic. point 4 touches on a theme which often recurs in papal documents: every aspect of a catholic school should be permeated with catholicism. this immediately indicates that ict at such an institution should also be “permeated.” determining what this means in practice requires us to review how the church understands the nature of education itself. the church designated thomism, the thought of the medieval scholastic philosopher st. thomas aquinas, as its official philosophy in 1879. aquinas explains his view of education in summa theologica i-i, q. 117, a. 1. he views the teacher’s role as being like that of a physician. like a medical doctor, a teacher does not directly cause the learning or healing, but rather assists the student or patient in achieving something they are already naturally capable of by introducing something supplemental, whether that be ideas or medicines. for aquinas, learning is ultimately fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 11 caused by the students themselves by means of a faculty called the active intellect, which generates concepts from the sense data it receives. mcluhan (1951), a thomist convert to catholicism, identified the active intellect with the “poetic process,” meaning there was something creative about the way the mind constructed knowledge. mcluhan is thus a bridge between thomism and constructionism. mcluhan also recognizes in his other work (1964, 1989) that this construction is mediated by the wider “global village” and by the various forms of media in a way that is consistent with connectivism. we can thus draw a further connection between mcluhan’s interpretation of thomism and connectivist learning theory. having established some general epistemological and pedagogical principles from the tradition, we now turn to what the content of catholic education is supposed to be. hanchin (2019), inspired by the actions and utterances of pope francis, suggested that the essence of catholic education is “encounter.” the primary encounter involved here is an encounter with god. the first paragraph of ex corde ecclesiae notes a kind of paradox about catholic universities: they seek truth even though they have already discovered truth in the person of god himself. encountering god, in turn, requires spirituality, which is understood in a catholic way. the catholic psel is thus committed not only to the intellectual development of its students but also to their spiritual development (john paul ii, 1990, para. 13). it should, in some ways, facilitate their encounter with god. this means providing spiritual nourishment as well as cognitive nourishment. roberts (2019) referred to this as “formational teaching,” an education driven by the holy spirit that focuses on the character development of the student, which helps them become more like jesus. that said, shimabukuro (2008) noted that an education rooted in fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 12 christian spirituality now faces the challenge of being accessible to “digital natives” who have grown up in the information age. we can, therefore, suggest that catholic schools are bound to have a fourth kind of online presence besides the three identified in the acronym coi: pastoral presence. while instructors can contribute to pastoral presence, it is neither synonymous with, nor limited to, the activity of teaching and must therefore be distinguished from it in a way that leaves open various other ways the entire psel, by way of the technology it uses, can provide this presence. following anselm’s definition of theology as “faith seeking understanding,” alluded to in paragraph 5 of ex corde (john paul ii, 1990), we could call these four presences the ingredients for a community of faithful inquiry (cofi).3 the question of what the “faithfulness” of cofi involves leads to point 3 and to the second form of encounter in catholic education: encounter with other human persons. in this context, the most immediate example of this is encounter with others in the psel community. ex corde cited newman (1992) as stating that community among students was more important at a university than instruction was. it should also mean an encounter with the poor and marginalized, as expressed by catholic social teaching in its concept of “the preferential option for the poor” (dorr, 2016). catholic education should also be oriented towards the christian praxis of the corporal works of mercy. additionally, catholic social teaching also stresses workplace democracy and workers’ rights, commending the work of unions and cooperatives. this is not necessarily related directly to pedagogy, but is worth remembering when considering the challenge catholic institutions face to be faithful to these economic principles in the face of neoliberalism (beyer, 2021). 3 remember that we are broadening this concept from referring only to the community of a particular course to that of the entire psel. fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 13 in summary: catholic universities are to be communities dedicated to fostering the spiritual growth of their students. this means supporting their devotional and contemplative life as well as their christian praxis. when it comes to learning content, they should invite the active learning of students; mcluhan recognized the implications of this for technology and media. they should be committed to supporting the most marginalized in their communities. catholic concerns with online learning it is worth noting the criticisms that have been made of online learning from a catholic perspective, both to acknowledge the useful cautions they offer and to recognize the ways in which online learning can avoid the problems they identify (barbour et al., 2019). one issue is the supposed lack of embodiedness. catholicism is based on the idea that god became a human being in the incarnation and that contact with his physical presence and that of fellow christians is thus key to the christian life (catholic church, 2000, para.s 115-116). this is why sacraments play such an important role in the life of the church and why they cannot be received “virtually.” for example, from the perspective of roman catholicism, one cannot validly confess to a priest over the telephone or over zoom, nor is watching a livestream of mass considered “going to church” (pontifical council for social communications, 2002). online learning is similarly accused of being disembodied and, therefore, could be deficient from a catholic perspective. similarly, not only is there a general tendency towards individualism in technology, already identified by grant (1998), but the internet itself, like the devices used to access it, is by design meant to be convenient and accommodating to the desires and comfort of the individual user (frehill, 2024). this reality tinges the experience of taking online courses, and nichols fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 14 (2011) cited skeptics who wonder if something like newman’s ideal of a university community, as mentioned in section ii, is possible in that setting. finally, the digital divide, in which marginalized groups have less access to the benefits of new technology than more privileged groups with better financial and technical resources, puts lower-income students at a disadvantage in the online classroom (abdrasheva et al., 2022). moreover, while some customization of the online learning environment to its students is possible, skeptics assert that this is different from personalization. critics like malesic (2013) claim that a teacher can more easily accommodate their teaching to a struggling student sitting right in front of them than they can for a struggling student in the comparatively impersonal lms. online learning is, therefore, alleged to be at odds with the christian mission to give special care to those who are, in jesus’ words, “the least among you” (matthew 25:40). there are a few points which can immediately be made in response to these charges. the first is that distance education has a precedent in the bible. much of christian scripture consists of epistles and letters written to give doctrinal and practical instruction to congregations in different parts of the empire. the new testament authors used contemporary technology to teach from a distance. it is, therefore, not surprising that recent popes have given a qualified endorsement to the use of electronic resources (ngumba et al., 2019). further, in dealing with the four presences of cofi, we should consider how mcluhan famously defined media and technology as “extensions of ourselves” (1964). the computer, for example, extends its user’s psyche and nervous system around the world. mcluhan’s definition of media has been compared to the catholic theological concept of a sacrament as being a symbol as a sign that makes present what it signifies (soukoup, 2011), which is not dissimilar to the orthodox understanding of religious icons as in some sense making present the figures and fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 15 scenes they depict (zelensky & gilbert, 2005). we should not be too quick to dismiss the possibility that our online selves are, in a genuine if limited way, quasi-sacramental extensions of our embodied selves. relevantly, to be embodied means being in a particular place. schade (2022) noted the increasing academic interest in “place-based” education in relation to online learning. the question then becomes whether physical places can play an important role in online theological education; if so, this counts against the idea that online learning and presence is something divorced from incarnate human existence. finally, multiple studies have indicated that online formation can be just as effective as in-person formation and, at times, be even more successful (nichols 2015, 2016). these findings are intriguing, but we cannot be content with them: we must understand why this is the case so that this success can be intentionally cultivated when online learning is necessary, as it often will be. recognizing all this, let us consider whether a catholic university can achieve cofi using its lms. the digital encounter with the divine and with humanity we have seen that the primary encounter of catholic education is with god, who is understood by catholics to have been revealed in the scriptures and understood through the official teachings of the church, as explained in the documents it produces. online learning provides direct access to these sources. arroyo (2010) explained how he strenuously avoids using secondary sources and textbooks when teaching religion online. whenever possible, he has students engage directly with primary sources like the hebrew and christian scriptures, the fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 16 noble qur’an, the bhagavad gita, and so on. this allows the student space to engage thoughtfully and immediately with them. there are also ways of engendering spirituality in students using digital resources. oliver (2019) described a class he teaches called dipping our toes into multimedia spirituality, in which students are divided into groups and asked to pray and meditate using digital resources, such as an app and podcast, pray as you go, dedicated to jesuit prayer. admittedly, oliver’s context is a seminary. the student body he describes would, therefore, consist of individuals who not only share the same faith and denomination but who are also all uniquely committed to spirituality. an instructor to a religiously and spiritually mixed student body, where not every student will be catholic and not every catholic will be equally spiritual, would have to approach this differently. that said, there are many digital prayer and meditation resources from many different spiritual and wisdom traditions available (such as buddhify for mindfulness and meditation or athan for islamic prayer). consistent with the principles of andragogy, students could be given the freedom to find apps suitable for their spiritual journeys. the use of these online tools can be included in assignments and can further serve to deepen all students’ interior lives and, hopefully, bring them closer to god. moreover, while the internet may have an “individualizing” effect, in this situation, the solitude of the student can actually be an advantage since it may be easier for them to enter into the intensely personal activity of thoughtful reading, meditation, and prayer in the quiet privacy of their home (ascough, 2002). in catholicism, encounter with god also occurs through exposure to iconography, religious statuary, sacred architecture, and other physical imagery. the campus and chapel of a catholic university ought to be designed to be filled with such devotional imagery and thus be a fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 17 place of encounter. but this place can itself be “extended” through online learning. just as many have taken to “visiting” religious pilgrimage sites through the internet in the phenomenon known as “cyberpilgrimage,” in which cyberspace becomes sacred space (hill-smith, 2011), the university’s physicality can be presented to online students for their reflection and meditation. oliver (2019) gave the example of how he posts photos of stained-glass windows at his church on social media to invite congregants’ observations on what they mean and calls this “digital geography.” something similar can be done in an lms context with the university’s campus, thus giving students a sense of connection to the location where their education comes from while simultaneously inviting them to divine encounters. having different members of the community posting and sharing their reactions to a religious text or image is, naturally, also a form of encounter: an encounter with other students and with their spiritualities. catholicism does not share protestantism’s4 emphasis on the reader’s idiosyncratic reading of the bible but holds that interpretation happens in the community. the online setting has the distinct advantage that each student, regardless of their language proficiency, physical condition, or any struggles with shyness they may possess in “the real world,” can contribute to the discussion. the marginalized are thus given a voice by the lms (lamb, 2019). there are other ways of deepening these encounters. gilliat-ray (2020) described designing a mooc (massive open online course) about islam in which muslim students were invited to post short videos of themselves describing their lives and their faith for their peers to watch. this not only heightened community and deepened the sense of mutual encounter but also 4 protestantism refers to the churches and theological traditions that arose out of the protestant reformation of the sixteenth century, including lutheranism, presbyterianism, pentecostalism, and the various baptist traditions. protestant theology can be very diverse, but it generally sees scripture alone (sola scriptura) as the source and standard of theology and does not regard tradition or church teaching as having the authority that catholicism does, and as a result tends towards a more individualistic than communal approach towards reading and interpreting the bible. fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 18 challenged preconceptions about the islamic world, which non-muslim students may have brought to the course. this situation has strong connectivist overtones. each student is a “node” of information feeding their experiences and ideas, including their experiences and ideas of god, into a conversation occurring throughout the global village in which that connectivity serves as a channel of content that goes deeper than mere information into the interpersonal encounter and even shared spiritual experience. knowledge is constructed out of this digitally mediated confluence of testimony (chetty, 2013). the pastoral presence of the instructor the internet’s democratization of information has had many positive effects but also some negative ones, including a kind of levelling effect when it comes to the way providers of information and misinformation are perceived. for many internet users, homemade websites have the same level of authority as university textbooks. the worldwide web may similarly confer the same level of credibility on a student’s peers as it does on that student’s professor (flanagin & metzger, 2013). let us first focus on the advantages here. the lms forum is a place of “decentered learning.” the instructor is no longer at the center of the learning environment, but this does not necessarily mean the individual student takes their place. instead, the center can and perhaps should move to “the wisdom of the learning community…of which the master is part” (troftgruben, 2018, 35). the complex network of intellectual connections within the learning community can generate new concepts, which have been shown not to be opposed to the catholic pedagogical tradition. to that extent, this is a highly desirable development from a catholic perspective. fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 19 on the other hand, catholicism does recognize such a thing as a wrong answer in religion; this is known as heresy (catholic church, 1983, canon 751). given that there are such things as heretical ideas, it follows that there are also sources that are more valuable than others and interpretations of human experience that are more helpful and enlightening than others. this is where the instructor plays a key role as a guide for the dialogue between students. even arroyo (2010), who took an openly postmodern and “liberating” view of pedagogy, recommended steering conversations on religion away from “fringe ideas” (p. 44). conversely, from a catholic perspective, everything can be connected back to god because “all truth is god’s truth” (holmes, 1977), and thus a skillful instructor can find ways to draw any discussion and any themes that emerge in it back to christianity. ngumba et al. (2019) called this a “rhizomatic” approach to teaching catholic theology, a reference to the post-structuralist concept of knowledge that spreads out like a network of roots rather than existing in a rigidly structured hierarchy. perhaps paradoxically, for this rhizomatic approach to learning to be possible, the teacher must be as present as they can be. this does not mean that they are speaking as often as possible; being present often means knowing when to be “absent” from the conversation so as not to stifle the process of discovery among students (arroyo, 2010). however, an essential component of a cofi is relationship-building between the instructor and their students, which occurs through regular, meaningful dialogue (roberts, 2019). this is not only to clarify intellectual difficulties or prepare students for assessments but also to provide spiritual support for them, such as helping them analyze how what they are learning can deepen their relationship with christ and pray with them (barbour et al., 2019). a cofi can come into existence when this occurs. online learning and christian praxis fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 20 given that christianity calls for contemplation as well as action, catholic postsecondary institutions should be equipping their students to live out the gospel in their non-academic lives, as referenced in paragraphs 41 and 42 of ex corde. this may be where distance and online learning are most obviously of service to catholic universities. catholic distance university, as its name implies, provides education entirely through this format. when it was originally founded, and before it could confer degrees, its name was the catholic home study institute (walter, 2013). this was significant. for catholics, the layperson’s home life and family life are of paramount importance, particularly for those in the sacrament of marriage who are raising children (catholic church, 2000, para.s 1655-1658). enabling them to study catholic theology from home was not about superficial comfort or convenience but about enabling the faithful to carry out their vocation in the world while still having an educational encounter with god. this also allowed the university to be evangelistic,5 since it could reach anywhere in the world. evangelization is another goal of the catholic university, per paragraphs 48 and 49 of ex corde. online learning’s ability to allow students to fulfill their vocation to their family and their profession gives an indication as to why formation among online students is often as strong, if not stronger than among in-person students. various studies indicate that off-campus students attend church more regularly than students on campus, which is largely because those who stay home already have congregations they belong to and are involved with, while those who moved to attend the university can have more difficulty finding and integrating into a new parish (palka, 2004; nichols, 2015). thus, distance learners receive their primary intellectual formation from university but their primary spiritual and pastoral formation from their local church community, meaning that their church life is enhanced by what they learn in postsecondary, and their 5 evangelization is the practice of proclaiming the gospel (evangel or “good news” in greek). fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 21 postsecondary learning finds application and meaning in the enacted practice of their church life (nichols 2015, 2016; roberts, 2019), leading to them receiving a better overall formation than those who are either only taking postsecondary education or only attending church. nichols (2011) suggested that there are two types of christian fellowship at play here: the akadameia (academy) and ekklesia (church). they are both communities, and are both important, but they serve and are meant to achieve different purposes. in this sense, the fact that one cannot receive a sacrament online (pontifical council for social communions, 2002) is, in some sense, irrelevant to the fact that one can still receive a catholic university education online. conceding this fact but remembering that the spiritual growth of the enrolled is still a priority for the catholic psel, its online education should seek to foment christian praxis among its students as much as possible. online students can thus participate in the ekklesia in person while also participating in the akadameia through digital media, and, indeed, the akadameia can find ways to foster this ecclesial engagement. for example, oliver (2019) has his students visit and provide feedback on church websites to assess how effectively they serve their communities and invite visitors. this trains students in thinking about how to work with their parish in an evangelistic way. when it comes to service within the world, schade (2022) described a pedagogical tool she uses called the “who is my neighbor?” mapping exercise. this activity involves immersing oneself in one’s environment, whether that means meeting with local politicians, talking with health care workers, connecting with local environmentally conscious businesses, attentively walking around town, or simply sitting still and observing your area. the student then creates a visual “map” of their findings, which can be a physical map or a collage, powerpoint, or other visual displays. this map should depict all the “neighbours” in one’s area whom this person is called to fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 22 love as a way of answering the biblical question, “who is my neighbour?” (luke 10:29). this digital lens is intended to enable the student to view their community through an ecohermeneutical lens and think more deeply about what “care for our common home” (francis, 2015) means concretely in their situation. once again, embodiedness means an awareness of place. online learning can not only extend the place where the university is located but also root the student more deeply in their own place for the purpose of love and service. indeed, digital learning opens up the entire landscape to be a place of reflection, learning, meditation, and prayer, which is perhaps why, in his final book, and his only book focused on education, mcluhan et al. (1977) stated how the digital age had turned the entire city into a classroom. conclusion: implications for educational leaders from a catholic perspective, technology reveals the image of god in the human ability to create incredible tools but also poses considerable risks. we have recognized the threat to a christian vision of university education posed by technology-driven capitalism and have also seen how an lms can be utilized at catholic postsecondary institutions in ways that are consistent with catholic educational theory and the vision of universities laid out in ex corde ecclesiae. we therefore return to our initial question of what this means for psels at these institutions. firstly, the importance of community for the catholic ideal of university has been demonstrated. however, kowch (2016) noted that, in practice, most postsecondary institutions are not genuine communities. how to effectively build an authentic community among staff is a challenge to leadership, which goes beyond the scope of this paper, but one key unifying feature of the faculty ought to be a shared vision of what is to be taught and how it should be taught. a fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 23 common pedagogical mission will have implications for ict since, as noted, instructors use lmss differently based on their personal beliefs about learning. it has also been shown that catholic social teaching promotes the rights of workers to have a measure of control in their workplace. this, too, has ramifications for ict. lawler (2011) reported on how the university of ballarat’s transition from the blackboard lms to the moodle lms was “surprising[ly] successful” because this change was effected in consultation with the faculty rather than imposed on them from above. these significant decisions about pedagogical tools should not be made without granting a degree of control over these decisions to the teachers who will actually be using this technology. this is not only because instructors will use lmss more effectively if they feel favourable toward them but also because workplace democracy is a principle of catholicism. community among students should also be promoted, and lmss should be designed with an eye toward encouraging the growth of relationships between learners-what form this may be an open question. some data suggests that facebook may be a more effective learning platform than a standard lms because students on social media experience more of a sense of companionship than in their university forums (meisher-tal et al., 2012; vázquez-cano & díez-arcón, 2021). barbour et al. (2019) recommended stack overflow as a platform for forum discussions but also noted how instructors use skype to build relationships and pray with their students. chetty (2013) even recommended the multiplayer virtual world second life for discussions in religion class since the different groups within a classroom can be depicted as separate locations where participants interact and communicate. the visual content of the lms is another issue. oliver (2019) suggested that visually attractive and easily digestible content is best for generating community-building engagement, fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 24 but arroyo (2010) warned that videos that require higher bandwidth6 to download will be more difficult for lower-income students with less updated devices to access (see also barbour et al., 2019) and that more visual content leaves students less mental room for building personal meanings and making creative contributions. oliver (2019), therefore, recommended using audio clips instead. in deciding what kind of platform the university will use and what media it will support, the catholic psel ought to remember the importance of iconography. the church understands icons to be images that make sacred events that depict contemporary events to the viewer, just as a user’s digital avatar symbolically presents them to their viewer (vasiljevic, 2018). the power of media is its ability to direct its users’ attention, and iconography can play a role in how a catholic psel directs the attention of its students toward the transcendence of god and the implications of this fact. consideration should be given to the question of whether, for example, a cross ought to appear at the top of every page of the lms, just as one often hangs on the wall of catholic classrooms. a psel seeking to become a cofi should weigh how best to be spiritually available to its online learners. young (2022) suggested that artificial intelligence could be programmed to provide pre-recorded videos from spiritual leaders dispensing wisdom for specific occasions, or “pastoral carebots,” to those experiencing distress. while this specific suggestion may be problematic given its faint implication that spiritual direction can be automated, catholic institutions should prioritize making the spiritual counsel of their chaplains as available as possible to their students in the cyber-classroom. perhaps short videos or podcasts of chaplains 6 in a computing context, bandwidth is the highest rate of data flow possible across a specific path.the maximum amount of data that can be transmitted via a network connection in a specific amount of time using a wired or wireless communications link is measured as network bandwidth. lower network bandwidth in an internet connection will result in a user’s internet working more slowly and sporadically. fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 25 giving pastoral advice on specific issues that students are likely to encounter could be available in the lms, or a chaplaincy chat service could be built into the university’s website. ensuring that cofi is achieved presents many challenges for psels, who must take the spiritual and economic health of all its students, especially the most marginalized, into account in the face of strong marketing pressures from technology companies. however, catholic education has taken advantage of technological developments in the past; witness the strides that reformers like st. joseph calasanz and st. jean baptiste de la salle took in their schools. these challenges also bring excitement about the great possibilities that lie waiting in the future. fawcett/ emerging perspectives (2024) 26 references abdrasheva, d., escribens, m., sabzalieva, e., nascimento, d.v., & yerovi, c. 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(2005). windows to heaven: introducing icons to protestants and catholics. brazos press. https://doi.org/10.1080/14746700.2021.2012915 microsoft word reaume, alie, thomassinepigrep(2021)layout.docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca creative approaches to mixed-methods data collection in the context of the covid-19 pandemic: investigating families, emotions, and collective coping in a prospective sample chelsea reaume1, madeleine alie, kristel thomassin university of guelph this research brief describes an ongoing, multi-timepoint investigation of parental emotion socialization and child functioning. we utilized a prospective design to explore the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on our research participants’ emotion functioning. this follow-up study included 102 parents who were initially interviewed and surveyed on psychological well-being, parenting behaviours, and child functioning. researchers incorporated parent and child report measures alongside recorded parent-child discussions to comprehensively capture how families have coped during pandemic. this brief provides descriptions of secure methods for remotely collecting observational data that can be implemented using qualtrics and microsoft onedrive. this method was generated by the researchers with both participant convenience and privacy in mind. this forthcoming study will further highlight the need to prospectively analyze the collective impact of covid19 within the family system. methods described herein may inform future qualitative virtual research through increasing naturalism and accessibility to remote areas and diverse populations. keywords: covid-19, parenting, family system, child functioning, naturalism parent emotion socialization reaume, c., alie, m., & thomassin, k. (2021). creative approaches to mixed methods data collection in the context of the covid-19 pandemic: investigating families, emotions, and collective coping in a prospective sample. emerging perspectives, 5(2). 6-12. 1 creaume@uoguelph.ca reaume, alie & thomassin emerging perspectives 7 (2021) the covid-19 pandemic has necessitated diligent shifts in the conduct of family science research (brock & laifer, 2020). while recent pandemic research has examined parenting and child well-being (e.g., brown et al., 2020; gadermann et al., 2021; tso et al., 2020), minimal literature has explored parent and child functioning longitudinally throughout the pandemic from an emotion socialization (i.e., the ways in which parents teach their children about emotions) lens (eisenberg et al., 1998). this is surprising given that the family environment plays such a considerable role in child emotion skill development, which in turn facilitates children’s psychosocial well-being (e.g., ellis et al., 2014; seddon et al., 2020). the role of parent emotion skills and socialization behaviours (i.e., parental reactions to child emotion expression; eisenberg et al., 1998) on child functioning is particularly relevant in the context of the covid-19 pandemic, which has placed unique challenges on the family system (e.g., caregiving burden and lack of social support, confinement-related stressors, financial instability; prime et al., 2020). given that parental stress plays a considerable role in the socialization of their children’s emotions (shaffer et al., 2011), these enduring stressors on the family unit resulting from the pandemic may have unique impacts on child emotion development and functioning that merit further investigation. our decision to extend a previously completed study emerged, in part, from standstills in data collection due to province-wide shutdowns. we saw emerging studies examining the impact of school closures and other public health measures on children; however, we observed minimal research considering prospective samples of parents and children. in addition, we saw little to no qualitative work on the topic, despite qualitative inquiry being a crucial component to studying new and understudied phenomena (braun & clarke, 2006). given the novelty of changes experienced as a function of non-pharmaceutical interventions implemented to slow the spread of covid-19 (e.g., social distancing, lockdowns, changes to work and school environments), we felt it crucial to provide parents and children with open-ended questions to gain a full picture of the challenges and triumphs they experienced as family units during the pandemic. finally, no research to date has examined the pandemic’s effects from an emotion socialization perspective. as a result, our research team believed we could devise a prospective study that contributed uniquely to the literature on covid-19 and family functioning. as such, the present brief describes our endeavors to address the limitations of the current literature on family functioning and covid-19 through an ongoing, multi-timepoint investigation of parental emotion socialization and child functioning. specific research questions include: 1. how do pre-covid parent characteristics (e.g., gender, emotion regulation, psychopathology) interact with the practical impacts of the pandemic (illness risk, potential financial and income insecurity, loss of social support) to predict parent functioning mid-pandemic? 2. what benefits and challenges are parents and children experiencing in the context of the pandemic? are these benefits and challenges shared family-wide? 3, how do pre-covid parent characteristics, child characteristics, and the endorsed positive and negative impacts of the pandemic within the family environment relate to reciprocal affect within parent-child discussions? reaume, alie & thomassin emerging perspectives 8 (2021) method participants and initial timepoint procedure our follow-up study included 102 parents of children ages 8-12 who had previously completed two data collection sessions. initially, parents participated in focus groups that examined parental beliefs about child emotion expression (see thomassin et al., 2019). at a twelve-month follow up, parents completed questionnaires examining their own emotion regulation (i.e., the ability to manage one’s emotional experiences) and psychopathological symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depressive symptoms), emotion socialization behaviours (i.e., responses to child expression of positive and negative emotions), and child emotion regulation and psychopathology. given the time elapsed between the original data collection timepoints and the present day, children in the current wave of data collection were between the ages of 12 and 16 (current n = 38). follow-up timepoint procedure once parents consented to participate in the follow-up study, they were asked to complete a number of questionnaires that had been grouped within a single qualtrics survey. this survey examined similar constructs to the first timepoint as well as additional measures exploring trauma symptomatology (i.e., agitation, avoidance, and hyperactivity) and practical impacts of the pandemic (i.e., illness, lost income, lost social support). they were also asked to report on their child’s emotion regulation, psychopathological symptoms, and overall functioning in the context of covid-19. children were also offered the opportunity to complete their own survey asking about their emotion regulation, psychological symptoms, and mental health in the context of covid-19. finally, parents and children recorded and uploaded a brief video discussion task, wherein dyads were asked to discuss their perceived positive and negative effects of covid-19 within their family, as well as any strategies or tactics that they had been using to cope. video discussion task we utilized a virtual format of assessment to capture nuances of family interaction as naturalistically as possible. we felt this was important when considering the variability amongst different families’ coping strategies and experience through covid-19 and its related changes. this method to integrate filmed conversations into the qualtrics-based component was developed with the following factors in mind: (a) accommodating dual-pair (i.e., parent and child) convenience to participate in research while navigating covid-19 related disruptions to their typical family routine, (b) upholding the rigorous standards associated with collecting child health information (i.e., children responding to questions regarding their mental health), and (c) maintaining feasibility for researchers and families. when collecting children’s health information for research, there are increased requirements for researchers to ensure there is no linkage between participant responses and identifying information (i.e., emails, ages, names) in accordance with the personal health information protection act (phipa). to accommodate families’ altered schedules and ensure maximal convenience for participants, individual surveys were available for several weeks once a participant first began reaume, alie & thomassin emerging perspectives 9 (2021) responding. within the laboratory’s qualtrics account, the survey was duplicated for each participant (i.e., each parent-child dyad) prior to distribution. an anonymized link to each individual survey was sent in a participation invitation email from our laboratory outlook account. to anonymize survey responses, individual participant ids were only recorded within the actual interface of each survey as a validation question, with the corresponding link to a given participant’s onedrive folder also directly embedded within the qualtrics interface. the sole documentation linking participants’ emails to their id, survey responses, and video recordings within the onedrive folders was stored as an encrypted file on the secure laboratory drive. in adherence to phipa’s requirement for an active, explicit method to provide participant consent and child assent, this study used a forced text entry of the word “yes” into a text field following the consent form. this provides a feasible method for gathering “active” study consent for related virtual research moving forward. following survey completion, participants were automatically redirected to a separate qualtrics form to enter their email to receive compensation. unlike other available marketed software that “pipes” video recording capabilities directly into the qualtrics interface, microsoft suite encrypts in-transit media files (i.e., videos filmed on individuals’ devices, such as a tablet or phone) and securely stores files. although a promising next step for virtual qualitative research, piping software does not relinquish video ownership and often stores saved recordings on international servers. in compliance with phipa’s requirement for data encryption, we securely stored all media files on the laboratory drive by downloading and subsequently deleting a given participant’s submitted video file from their corresponding onedrive folder. this method supports various media files (i.e., different operating systems), thereby providing enhanced feasibility for participant involvement in this research step. see figure 1 for full qualtrics and onedrive workflow. completion of data collection and ethical considerations after final follow-up, we received a response rate of 37% (n = 38), with 19% (n = 19) of the parent-child dyads completing the video. several parents within our prospective sample kindly declined recruitment emails, citing feelings of stress or being overwhelmed as their reason for not participating at the current juncture. this process raised considerations regarding the ethics of recruiting parent and child participants during stressful life circumstances such as a pandemic. the researchers believe that it is crucial to include the perspectives of relevant stakeholders in order to understand and address ongoing mental health concerns in children, and parents, many of which are likely to persist after the cessation of the pandemic (tambling et al., 2021). additionally, some parents may find it cathartic to share their experiences within the context of a research study. that said, it is critical to ensure parents, as a special population of study, are not inundated with requests that could increase their burden. this was addressed in the present study in part by allowing participants to record and upload their video discussion task at a convenient time, thus maximizing feasibility and accessibility. it is also critical to consider sample representativeness in the context of family stress. it may be that parents who are most likely to participate are those who are the least taxed by the pandemic and related changes, and/or whose families are coping relatively well during the pandemic. this may provide the false impression that families, on the whole, are coping more effectively than they actually are. given the unequally distributed harm of the covid-19 pandemic and related changes (statistics canada, 2021; van lancker & parolin, 2020), researchers should consider developing reaume, alie & thomassin emerging perspectives 10 (2021) effective methods to reach higher-risk populations in order to gain a sense of their functioning and needs, while simultaneously ensuring minimal response burden on participants. conclusions overall, the current brief provides insight into the methodology used to continue previous studies in a virtual format. the ongoing study described in the brief contributes to the literature by employing a multimodal approach to family-wide emotional and psychological functioning emphasizing the need for increased feasibility and accommodation when conducting virtually based qualitative studies within the covid-19 pandemic. furthermore, this is one of few studies to examine impacts of the pandemic longitudinally within a canadian sample of parents and children, and the first to do so from an emotion socialization perspective. insights from this research may go on to inform other family scientists on methods of collecting qualitative or mixedmethods data from children and families remotely in a way that is both accessible for families and provides meaningful output for researchers. references braun, v., & clarke, v. (2006). using thematic analysis in psychology. qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa brock, r. l., & laifer, l. m. (2020). family science in the context of the covid‐19 pandemic: solutions and new directions. family process. advance online publication. https://doiorg/10.1111/famp.12582 brown, s. m., doom, j. r., lechuga-peña, s., watamura, s. e., & koppels, t. (2020). stress and parenting during the global covid-19 pandemic. child abuse & neglect, 110(pt 2), 104699. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104699 eisenberg, n., cumberland, a., & spinrad, t. l. (1998). parental socialization of emotion. psychological inquiry, 9(4), 241–273. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327965pli0904_1 ellis, b. h., alisic, e., reiss, a., dishion, t., & fisher, p. a. (2014). emotion regulation among preschoolers on a continuum of risk: the role of maternal emotion coaching. journal of child and family studies, 23(6), 965–974. https://doi-org/10.1007/s10826-013-9752-z gadermann, a. c., thomson, k. c., richardson, c. g., gagné, m., mcauliffe, c., hirani, s., & jenkins, e. (2021). examining the impacts of the covid-19 pandemic on family mental health in canada: findings from a national cross-sectional study. bmj open, 11(1), e042871. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-042871 prime, h., wade, m., & browne, d. t. (2020). risk and resilience in family well-being during the covid-19 pandemic. american psychologist, 75(5), 631–643. https://doiorg/10.1037/amp0000660 seddon, j. a., abdel-baki, r., feige, s., & thomassin, k. (2020). the cascade effect of parent dysfunction: an emotion socialization transmission framework. frontiers in psychology, 11, 579519. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.579519 shaffer, a., suveg, c., thomassin, k., & bradbury, l. (2011). emotion socialization in the context of family risks: links to child emotion regulation. journal of child and family studies, 21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-011-9551-3 reaume, alie & thomassin emerging perspectives 11 (2021) statistics canada. (2021). covid-19 in canada: a one-year update on social and economic impacts. [report]. retrieved from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/pub/11-631x/11631-x2021001-eng.pdf?st=wmxncpjj tambling, r., russell, b., tomkunas, a., horton, a., & hutchison, m. (2021). factors contributing to parents' psychological and medical help seeking during the covid-19 global pandemic. family & community health, 44(2), 87–98. https://doi.org/10.1097/fch.0000000000000298 thomassin, k., bucsea, o., chan, k. j., & carter, e. (2019). a thematic analysis of parents’ gendered beliefs about emotion in middle childhood boys and girls. journal of family issues, 40(18), 2944–2973. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513x19868261 tso, w. w. y., wong, r. s., tung, k. t. s., rao, n., fu, k. w., yam, j. c. s., . . . lp, p. (2020). vulnerability and resilience in children during the covid-19 pandemic. european child & adolescent psychiatry. advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s0078702001680-8 van lancker, w. & parolin, z. (2020). covid-19, school closures, and child poverty: a social crisis in the making. the lancet public health. 5. https://doi.org/10.1016/s24682667(20)30084-0 figure 1. qualtrics and onedrive workflow for mixed-methods virtual data collection method video discussion task completion of data collection and ethical considerations conclusions references microsoft word intro.docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca introduction: graduate students navigating the covid-19 pandemic stephanie hladik,1 marcus gottlieb,2 lena barrantes,3 helen pethrick1 1 werklund school of education, university of calgary, canada 2 university of british columbia okanagan, canada 3 universidad nacional, sede regional brunca, costa rica the covid-19 pandemic and its accompanying restrictions and challenges impacted everyone differently. in addition to universal stressors like job security, childcare, and health worries, graduate students faced additional pandemic-related challenges related to our roles as student-researchers. the combination of these obstacles (e.g., a sudden shift to working from home, disconnecting from colleagues, limits on in-person data collection, reduced access to important research tools and spaces) led to notable disruptions in research for over 75% of canadian graduate students (suart et al., 2021; toronto science policy network, 2020). these circumstances can be devastating in graduate school, where conducting research and generating publications are often crucial to immediate and future success, such as financial security or obtaining a job after graduation. it is thus unsurprising that the vast majority of graduate students have experienced a decline in their mental health (chirikov et al., 2020; toronto science policy network, 2020) and a growing number are experiencing financial instability (zahneis, 2020), exacerbating their already precarious situations. however, in the face of what is clearly an incredibly challenging situation, graduate students have showcased their resourcefulness and resilience (brammer et al., 2020). students adapted to telecommunication to maintain their productivity, supported one another through engaging in virtual activities like online yoga, poetry and cooking, and strived to find the “silver linings” of the pandemic (brammer et al., 2020; cénat et al., 2020). ultimately, research persisted. we were privy to our fellow graduate students’ resilience. while challenges and struggles were common topics during zoom calls or emails with colleagues, so too were innovative approaches to data collection and strategies for mental health and wellness. these experiences are what have given rise to this special issue. while many studies have acknowledged the challenges that graduate students have faced during this difficult time, fewer have showcased the innovations in research and practice that have helped graduate students to overcome these new barriers in their professional and personal lives. for that reason, we invited the authors featured in this special issue to not only share how their research was affected by the covid-19 pandemic, but also to detail how they have adapted and thrived. in short, we wanted to highlight and celebrate the creativity and resiliency that we have witnessed from graduate students on a daily basis throughout the pandemic. hladik, gottlieb, barrantes, & pethrick – emerging perspectives (2021) ii this creativity and resiliency can take many forms, interconnected with the needs and goals of each individual graduate student. in terms of research, graduate students may have adapted research questions to the new pandemic context, brainstormed new ways to collect data when schools and workplaces were closed, or taken advantage of increasingly sophisticated online tools. beyond research practices, adapting personal practices could also lead to graduate students seeking out new self-care methods and dealing with the realities of being a graduate student during the covid-19 pandemic. new routines and habits for personal wellness and maintaining relationships with friends and colleagues were created. these adaptations and innovations were created in direct response to the pandemic, yet they may also be relevant long after the pandemic is over. this special issue, therefore, offers new suggestions and lessons for graduate students looking for ways to promote their own wellness in challenging circumstances, or wondering how to create blended online/in-person programs to reach participants in rural and/or international locations. the relevance and impact of the briefs included in this special issue extend beyond the pandemic and will have enduring lessons for graduate students. what is a research or practice brief? in the emerging perspectives: interdisciplinary graduate research in education and psychology (epigrep) journal, a research brief is an opportunity for authors to share an interesting aspect of a research project they have completed, or a brief summary of their completed/in-progress study, without reporting on the whole findings of the study. in this special issue, authors were invited to write a research brief detailing a summary of pandemic-related research, or a brief that focuses specifically on a particular aspect of their research that was impacted by the pandemic, such as data collection. a practice brief is an opportunity for authors to share an interesting aspect of teaching or psychology clinical practice that they have encountered in the field. for the purposes of this special issue, with its focus on graduate student adaptations and resiliency, practice briefs may also highlight personal practices of students as researchers during the pandemic. additionally, we would like to note that in some of this issue’s briefs, research and practice are so closely intertwined that clear categorization as a research or practice brief is not feasible. the editors would like to acknowledge and celebrate these tensions as they emerge on our journeys as graduate students. overview of the papers this special issue includes research and practice briefs that span across the disciplines of education and psychology. the authors draw from published literature as well as their own personal experiences to bring to light both the challenges and the innovations of graduate research during the pandemic. in each brief, the authors offer lessons learned and suggestions for graduate students and post-secondary institutions who may find themselves in similar situations or dealing with comparable challenges. jhonattan bello, cong luo, suyeon cho, and siyin liang draw upon their own experiences in their brief, living through covid-19 pandemic as international students in canada: hladik, gottlieb, barrantes, & pethrick – emerging perspectives (2021) iii collaborative autoethnography of struggles and resilience. they explore how their intersecting identities as international students affected their experience of the pandemic, how systemic barriers made it difficult to conduct research, and the ways in which systemic inequities became even more pronounced during the pandemic. they also suggest some strategies for building resiliency, including building relationships with mentors, colleagues, and friends. next, michelle bence mathezer and miriam ramzy take us into the online kindergarten classroom in their brief titled pivoting from in-class to online early literacy instruction and contributing critical insights. rather than cancelling their planned kindergarten literacy program when the pandemic made in-classroom research impossible, they shifted the program online. this required them to brainstorm new ways to support embodied cognition and engagement with physical materials, virtually. despite limits of the online environment, the authors were successful in creating online engagement and opportunities for the students to engage with hands-on manipulatives though pre-packaged material kits. online program delivery took place not only in formal k-12 education settings, but also in informal learning contexts including summer programs, as sukyoung lee, didem erman and tanvir chowdhury turin detail in their brief, adapting to the new normal during a pandemic: innovative approaches in virtual teaching and research for youth engagement. in order to engage immigrant and refugee youth in an online health education summer program, the authors designed innovative online activities including a virtual human library, simulations, and gamebased learning, which were supported by video conferencing and other virtual tools. these virtual activities allowed for deeper engagement and access for the program’s youth participants. helen pethrick explores stories of university student resiliency during the pandemic in her brief titled mirrored resiliency: exploring university student narratives of the covid-19 pandemic. reflecting before her first online participant interview, she wondered “what will this be like? and what could it have been?” as she continued to conduct her research, she found her own experiences and resiliency as a graduate student mirrored in the narratives of her participants. in this way, she argues for the power of narrative learning and mirrored resiliency to imagine new possibilities for well-being and hope, even in such challenging times. the reality of collecting data during a pandemic is front and centre in chelsea reaume, madeleine alie, and kristel thomassin’s brief, creative approaches to mixed-methods data collection in the context of covid-19: investigating families, emotions, and collective coping in a prospective sample. interested in understanding how the pandemic affected families’ emotional socialization processes, these researchers reached out to participants from a previous study and adapted their assessment methods to include virtual surveys and video recordings from parents. they did so while maintaining an emphasis on participants’ security and privacy. the authors also noted possible inequitable impacts of recruitment during difficult times. lisa taylor writes about the intertwinement of identity, pedagogy, and practice in her brief, supporting student wellness to enable resiliency during the covid-19 pandemic. in order to balance her needs and responsibilities as a mother, instructor and doctoral student, she draws upon her understanding of wellness from her years of experience as a physical health and education hladik, gottlieb, barrantes, & pethrick – emerging perspectives (2021) iv teacher. her strategies of listening to course content rather than reading it, dedicating specific time to physical activity, and spending time outdoors helped her to remain resilient and manage the stress created by the pandemic. finally, rae ann van beers discusses letting go of previous research plans and adapting to the “new normal” in her brief titled pan(dem)ic at the (middle school) disco: navigating data collection during quarantine. her plan to have middle school youth engage in duo-ethnographic explorations of fair trade within their schools was challenged when schools shut down and she lost contact with her original participants. however, strong connections with teachers and the clever use of online video tools allowed her to reunite with her students and accept her research for what it had become in the face of the pandemic. conclusion there are several experiences, adaptations, and lessons learned highlighted in this special issue. this speaks to the wealth of experience and reflection drawn upon by each author. we hope that in sharing these briefs, graduate students may feel connected in their struggles, celebrate the work of their peers, and learn about creative solutions to problems they may be experiencing as the (post-)pandemic context evolves. the editorial team from this special issue would like to thank each of the authors for their incredible work on these briefs, as well as the reviewers who volunteered their time and expertise to develop the authors’ ideas. we hope you enjoy this special issue presented by epigrep. references chirikov, i., soria, k. m., horgos, b., & jones-white, d. (2020). undergraduate and graduate students’ mental health during the covid-19 pandemic. uc berkeley: center for studies in higher education. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/80k5d5hw brammer, mitzi s. (2020). student resilience and covid-19. social sciences & humanities open. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3637824 cénat, j. m., noorishad, p. g., blais-rochette, c., mcintee, s. e., mukunzi, j. n., darius, w. p., broussard, c., morse, c., ukwu, g., auguste, e., & menelas, k. (2020). together for hope and resilience: a humanistic experience by the vulnerability, trauma, resilience and culture lab members during the covid-19 pandemic. journal of loss and trauma, 25(8), 643–648. https://doi.org/10.1080/15325024.2020.1774704 ho, c. (2020). pandemic harms canadian grad students’ research and mental health. nature career news. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02441-y suart, c., nowlan suart, t., graham, k., & truant, r. (2021). when the labs closed: graduate students’ and postdoctoral fellows’ experiences of disrupted research during the covid19 pandemic. facets, 6(1), 966–997. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/facets-2020-0077 toronto science policy network. (2020). the early impacts of covid-19 on graduate students across canada. https://tspn.ca/covid19-report/ hladik, gottlieb, barrantes, & pethrick – emerging perspectives (2021) v zahneis, m. (2020). for many graduate students, covid-19 pandemic highlights inequities. the chronicle of higher education. https://www.chronicle.com/article/for-many-graduatestudents-covid-19-pandemic-highlights-inequities/ alba 2024 (b).docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca decolonization and indigenous perspectives in educational technology razieh alba* university of calgary the rise of online learning has transformed higher education, offering new opportunities for accessibility and diversity. however, the virtual classroom must evolve to integrate indigenous ways of knowing and being, often overlooked in western-centered pedagogies. land-based learning, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of people and the land, offers a pathway to honour indigenous perspectives even in digital spaces. while online platforms may seem disconnected from the land, they can facilitate indigenous voices and knowledge sharing through multimedia tools, social media, and virtual communities. challenges persist, including misconceptions about cultural neutrality and discomfort among educators unfamiliar with indigenous pedagogies. by fostering collaboration with indigenous knowledge holders and centring on land-based approaches, online learning can become a tool for equity, diversity, and digital inclusion, ensuring indigenous worldviews are respected alongside western paradigms. keywords: indigenous pedagogies, land-based, learning, online education alba, r. (2024). decolonization and indigenous perspectives in educational technology. emerging perspectives special edition: designing for digital futures, 7(1), 1–9. introduction the introduction and accelerated adoption of online learning has profoundly affected the accessibility of higher education among learners. from erasing geographical constraints to providing more opportunities for adults to pursue additional schooling later in life and the ability to engage with a diverse range of peers, online classrooms have led to significant changes in the education system. while virtual spaces are vehicles for education, we also need to remember that these environments are still in their infancy and that the changes occurring in physical classroom spaces need to be extended to the online space. the inclusion of indigenous ways of knowing and being is one of the many considerations that we need to make. in recent years, the canadian *razieh.hekmat@ucalgary.ca alba/ emerging perspectives (2024) 2 education system has increasingly looked toward integrating indigenous knowledges within curriculums (pratt et al., 2018). there has been some concern, however, on how to bring indigenous ways of knowing and being to virtual learning spaces (bujold et al., 2021).. the inclusion of indigenous voices and perspectives in the classroom is critical to diversity and inclusion practices and needs to be integrated throughout all layers of the education system, and one potential path forward is through the adoption of land-based learning. land-based learning and opportunities in online education creating space for indigenous ways of knowing and being in the classroom is a complex practice, and one that requires a significant reframing of the dominant settler-colonial ideology. for indigenous voices and perspectives to be brought alongside western ways of knowing, non-indigenous educators must set aside the idea that western knowledges are superior to all others (sam et al., 2022). there must also be widespread recognition of indigenous histories, specifically as it relates to the systematic erasure of indigenous ways of knowing and being as a method of solidifying dominant colonial mindsets while simultaneously disrupting indigenous knowledges, cultures, and communities (pratt et al., 2018). a key colonial worldview that has continued to be perpetuated is “the perception that the land and people are separate instead of understanding people as an extension of the land on which they live” (bowra et al., 2021 p. 133). as we continue to move further into online spaces, particularly in the classroom, the separation of people from the land becomes even more pronounced. when imagining the future of education, there is a world in which land-based learning and online learning can come together. land-based learning centers indigeneity, while honoring the relationships between the land and indigenous peoples; it “acknowledges and appreciates the land as its own fundamental, sentient being that has spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and alba/ emerging perspectives (2024) 3 physical aspects” (bowra et al., 2021 p. 134). land-based learning also centres indigenous peoples and centering indigenous ways of knowing and being (bowra et al., 2021). while online learning appears to be the antithesis of land-based learning, there are specific aspects of the online environment that are conducive to supporting land-based pedagogies. as bujold et al. (2021) explain, using online technologies can provide a wealth of resources that allow students to engage with multiple worldviews and perspectives. the inclusion of different mediums as a learning tool, “including audio, video, text, graphics, virtual and interactive programs, and even live chats,” can support educators in bringing diverse voices into the classroom while centring indigenous ways of knowing and being (bujold et al., 2021). we have seen through the rise of social media, particularly during the covid-19 pandemic, that online platforms can be leveraged to create communities, centre land-based learning and indigenous ways of knowing and being, and support students’ connection to nature (bujold et al., 2021). however, how these technologies are leveraged does pose a concern. using online education and technology tools as a platform to support western worldviews that do not “inherently value the natural world could further remove us from it, whereas using technology with [indigenous perspectives]… encourages us to seek information relating to the land and our relationship to it” (bujold et al., 2021 p. 58). land-based learning is distinctly different from place-based learning, as place-based education approaches are inherently focused on western worldviews, and through this teach “about and within the local community and is rooted in connecting people with the outdoors… it does not connect to indigenous history, knowledges, or stories… [and it] fails to acknowledge that all places were once and continue to be indigenous lands” (bowra et al., 2021 p. 134). indigenous perspectives and challenges in online education alba/ emerging perspectives (2024) 4 there are very notable concerns among indigenous communities, particularly since online technologies are often framed as western technologies (bujold et al., 2021). given the historical patterns of claiming, erasing, and/or appropriating indigenous lands, knowledges, and cultures, it is crucial that indigenous ways of knowing, being, and thinking be centred within online education designs and curricula (bujold et al., 2021). today, there are a wide range of challenges in the physical classroom, particularly among non-indigenous educators who feel anxiety or discomfort over the unfamiliarity they have with indigenous ways of knowing and being, and these challenges easily translate to the online classroom (carroll et al., 2020; mckinley, 2020). educators must also acknowledge a crucial misconception associated with online learning in the context of indigenous knowledges, in which it is mistakenly believed that online environments are culturally neutral spaces (tessaro & restoule, 2022; university of saskatchewan, 2021). the pervasiveness of settler-colonial narratives embedded within the education system is present in any western educational context, regardless of the medium used to transmit knowledge (tessaro & restoule, 2022; university of saskatchewan, 2021). moving forward with online learning will require considerable work to create online spaces where indigenous ways of knowing and being are integrated into course curriculums using land-based pedagogies (bowra et al., 2021; tessaro & restoule, 2022). as we continue to explore the opportunities and benefits of online learning, educators need to confront their own assumptions of what online learning is and what it could be. the virtual classroom is not limited to a series of modules and short discussion posts each week. still, it can instead include spaces where students come together to create community, explore different worldviews, and to engage directly with indigenous perspectives, experiences, and alba/ emerging perspectives (2024) 5 histories (bujold et al., 2021). by applying land-based learning in the online classroom, students learn to see themselves in relation to the land and to better understand indigenous ways of knowing and being (bowra et al., 2021; bujold et al., 2021). there will be challenges to promoting inclusion and diversity in online spaces and combating the dominant western worldviews, which require out-of-the-box thinking and experiments in online learning, but the first step is recognizing that online spaces are not culturally neutral (blaskovits et al., 2023; tate & warschauer, 2022; tessaro & restoule, 2022). how indigenous voices and experiences in the classroom are addressed is a critical consideration that educators need to make to promote equity, diversity and inclusion within online environments (fuentes et al., 2021; sam et al., 2022). a significant part of this process is the individual and collective reflection on the colonial-settler perspective and the inherent inabilities of colonial mindsets to consider different worldviews as being equally valid as the western worldview (st. denis, 2011). indigenous ways of knowing and being must be granted the same respect, depth of study, and importance as western ways of knowing (st. denis, 2011). opportunities and challenges for online educators providing students with indigenous literatures alongside western literatures. inviting indigenous voices to speak to students, asking students to reflect on knowledges they are unfamiliar with. indigenous students can benefit from engaging with indigenous ways of knowing and being, and seeing those worldviews represented in the classroom (bujold et al., 2021). giving non-indigenous students the opportunity to identify similarities and differences between their experiences and the experiences of indigenous peoples, all while linking back to the core coursework within the curriculum. including indigenous perspectives in the classroom—physical or virtual—is challenging. the sociocultural issues surrounding the alba/ emerging perspectives (2024) 6 promotion of non-dominant worldviews often can create tension within the education system, as it pushes away from established single-worldview, western curricula and challenges the dominant colonial narrative (carrol et al., 2020; mckinley et al., 2020). non-indigenous educators may not feel qualified to speak to indigenous ways of knowing, knowledges, and cultures, due to their lack of knowledge and experience with indigenous knowledge systems (mckinley, 2020). one way to address this is to invite indigenous voices to the classroom through guest speakers or include first-person accounts of indigenous writers, storytellers, and artists. in online spaces, the opportunity to bring indigenous ways of knowing and being into the classroom is limitless, thanks to a rise in indigenous engagement online and in social media spaces (bujold et al., 2021). by sharing from online sources or inviting indigenous voices into the classroom more directly, non-indigenous educators reduce the risk of misrepresenting or unintentionally teaching through a eurocentric lens while also centring a land-based learning approach (bowra et al., 2021; mckinley, 2020). educators seeking to teach indigenous ways of knowing in the classroom must recognize that they are learning alongside students, and that course designs require collaboration with indigenous communities (online and offline) and indigenous knowledge holders (mckinley, 2020). with the rise of indigenous-led and indigenous-created content online, a new generation of knowledge keepers has begun to share information publicly that can be brought into online education. the more that educators become comfortable seeking out, building relationships, and promoting indigenous voices in the classroom, the more commonplace the practice will be in the future. conclusion alba/ emerging perspectives (2024) 7 the virtual classroom has become a permanent fixture in higher education, but it is still undergoing research and development to identify its areas of weaknesses. by designing curriculums focused on land-based learning and the inclusion of indigenous voices, educators and researchers can use the digital space to continue to push for the inclusion of indigenous experiences and perspectives. a land-based approach, one that centres indigeneity, honouring the relationships between the land and indigenous peoples, and centring indigenous ways of knowing and being, can provide a means of showing students that reimagining their relationship and responsibilities to the land is possible (bowra et al., 2021). by considering the online classroom as a playground for learning and experimenting with new ideas, we can be excited about virtual spaces' opportunities. rather than relegating land-based learning and indigenous perspectives to the physical classroom, we should consider online education as a new avenue for digital equity to benefit all students and the communities the education system seeks to serve. alba/ emerging perspectives (2024) 8 references blaskovits, f., bayoumi, i., davison, c. m., watson, a., & purkey, e. (2023). impacts of covid-19 pandemic on life and learning experiences of indigenous and non-indigenous university and college students in ontario, canada: a qualitative study. bmc public health, 23(96), 1-11. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-15010-5 bowra, a., mashford-pringle, a., poland, b. (2021). indigenous learning on turtle island: a review of the literature on land-based learning. 65(2), 132-140. doi:10.1111/cag.12659. bujold, r., fox, a., prosper, k., pictou, k., & martin, d. (2021). etuaptmumk-two eyed seeing: bringing together land-based learning and online technology to teach indigenous youth about food. canadian food studies, 8(4), 49-63. doi:10.15353/cfs-rcea.v8i4.466 carroll, s. m., bascuñán, d., sinke, m., & restoule, j. p. (2020). how discomfort reproduces settler structures: “moving beyond fear and becoming imperfect accomplices.” journal of curriculum and teaching, 9(2), 9–19. doi: 10.5430/jct.v9n2p9 fuentes, m. a., zelaya, d. g., & madsen, j. w. (2020). rethinking the course syllabus: considerations for promoting equity, diversity and inclusion. the science of teaching and learning corner, 48(1), 69-79. doi: 10.1177/0098628320959979 mckinley, e. (2020). the cultural interface tension: doing indigenous work in the academy. cultural studies of science education, 15, 615-621. doi: 10.1007/s11422-019-09963-6 pratt, y. p., louie, d. w., hanson, a. j., & ottmann, j. (2018). indigenous education and decolonization. oxford research encyclopedia of education, 1-32. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.240 http://dx.doi.org/10.5430/jct.v9n2p9 https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628320959979 alba/ emerging perspectives (2024) 9 sam, j., hare, j., nicol, c., & petherick, l. (2022). indigenizing design for online learning in indigenous teacher education. in quinn, j., burtis, m. f., jhangiani, s., & derosa, r. (eds.) towards a critical instructional design. hybrid pedagogy inc. st. denis, v. (2011). silencing aboriginal curricular content and perspectives through multiculturalism: “there are other children here.” review of education, pedagogy, and cultural studies, 33(4), 306-317. https://bit.ly/3mzlek2 tate, t. & warschauer, m. (2022). equity in online learning. educational psychologist, 57(3), 192-206. doi: 10.1080/00461520.2022.2062597 tessaro, d. & restoule, j. p. (2022). indigenous pedagogies and online learning environments: a massive open online course case study. alternative: an international journal of indigenous peoples, 18(1), 182-191. doi: 10.1177/11771801221089685 university of saskatchewan (2021, may). indigenous land-based education and the covid-19 pandemic. aboriginal education research centre: university of saskatchewan. https://aerc.usask.ca/documents/indigenous-land-based-education-and-the-covid-19-pand emic.pdf https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2022.2062597 poppendorf_revised_tapestries.docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca reshaping educational spaces: an emerging framework for place-making and belonging in higher education with practical considerations for the classroom alexandria poppendorf* university of calgary this paper explores place-making and belonging in higher education through a framework rooted in indigenous relational ethics, posthuman philosophy, and autobiographical narrative. it examines how settler colonial legacies shape educational spaces and proposes strategies for fostering inclusive, ethical, and communal learning environments. emphasizing epistemology, methodology, axiology, and ontology, the framework encourages critical reflection, experiential learning, reciprocity, and collaborative knowledge webs. it invites educators to reimagine classrooms as living, relational spaces where all beings can feel valued, connected, and empowered. key words: place studies, place-making, settler colonialism, relational ethics, posthumanism poppendorf, a. (2025). reshaping educational spaces: an emerging framework for place-making and belonging in higher education with practical considerations for the classroom. emerging perspectives, *alexandria.poppendorf@ucalgary.ca poppendorf/ emerging perspectives (2025) 2 introduction to place place is an amorphous concept. places are simultaneously physical locations and socio-cultural constructs co-created and continuously shaped by human beings and our histories (seamon & sowers, 2008). place is a construct of our minds (nguyen, 2018). place has epistemological, or knowledge, dimensions that define and shape it (kincheloe & pinar, 1991). place is phenomenological, defined by how we feel and sense it (abram, 1997, 2010; toadvine, 2005), and in indigenous knowledge systems, place is spun from a web of relational entanglements each loaded with their own ethical imperatives (gordon, 2023). impetus for research: questioning belonging as a white appalachian woman, i find myself deeply connected to the land, cultures, and traditions of my home place where i feel belonging. i come from a family of mountain coal miners hillbillies. my ancestors moved to the region from scotland in the 1600s. they stayed in central appalachia for centuries, eking out impoverished existences on soil stolen from indigenous people and owned by absentee companies that benefited from resource extraction. yet, my own family’s story of movement and colonization, of residing and making a living however meagre on stolen land, is a colonial legacy that i embody. when i moved from my appalachian home to calgary and began my doctoral program, i came to understand that my existence is a continuation of colonial and oppressive harm. i traded the lands my ancestors stole for more stolen lands. i was in crisis questioning not only what my relationship with this new place and the indigenous inhabitants of it should be, but i also wondered, did i even have a right to feel belonging here or back home in appalachia? legacy of harm in education educational institutions, while often viewed as spaces of growth and development, have historically also been sites of harm and tools for systemic oppression (patel, 2021; schleck, 2022; snaza, 2017). this duality is evident in the legacies of residential schools and school segregation, where education is used not to empower, but to marginalize, control, and suppress. as a military historian, i recognize these histories and see their shadows in the higher education place i now reside. leigh patel and the settler colonial engine: core tenants patel (2021) argues the settler colonial engine continues to underpin the operations of higher education through core tenants. (1) this system begins with the seizure of lands, cultures, and resources from indigenous communities. (2) the engine then perpetuates the systematic erasure of indigeneity and other racialized and/or marginalized identities through promises of upward mobility that call on other to minimize parts of themselves which do not adhere to dominant narratives (i.e., structural racism and white supremacy). (3) the settler colonial engine exploits physical and intellectual labor, reducing those involved to chattel and perpetuating the violent legacies of slavery and exploitation upon which our institutions were built. my ethical struggles with this legacy of harm in education as a white cis scholar, i acknowledge the privilege i hold within higher education places. however, as a poor neurodivergent woman from a family of hillbillies with limited formal education and histories of violent exploitation, i also recognize that higher education operates poppendorf/ emerging perspectives (2025) 3 within a racist settler colonial framework that harms all of us in different ways. this harm is evident in how scholars bully one another (buitenhuis, 2016), use exclusionary language (rose, 1985), are forced to compete for funding and recognition (patel, 2021), and must participate in the production and sale of knowledge (schleck, 2022). these practices perpetuate colonial harms and reinforce the exclusionary nature of the academy. as an educator, these reflections have led me to question what i do with these understandings in light of my existential belonging crisis. what is the point? how can i encourage both myself and others to foster belonging within systems deliberately designed to perpetuate exclusion, systems where in my case my very presence is a driver of the settler colonial engine? how can i empower my students to explore their own intersectionality, identities, and experiences in ways that cultivate critical understanding, self-awareness, and relationship with community, especially in times when authentic discourse about these ideas is under attack? how can i ensure my student can feel belonging in my classroom even if the system is designed to erase individual identity and uphold hegemony? this unease has inspired me to articulate a framework influenced by the people of the land on which i now reside as well as my own experiences. this framework is intentionally fluid and adaptable, rather than fixed or rigid, and it is not intended to serve as a universal solution for addressing settler colonial harms and structural racism in higher education. indeed, for many indigenous scholars and learners from other historically marginalized and/or racialized groups, these ideas may not be new or groundbreaking. rather, this framework aims to shift perspectives and foster meaningful dialogue on belonging and place-making within the academy. methodology i encourage the use of autobiographical narrative methodology (caine et al., 2018; clandinin et al., 2007, 2018) to explore and ground work into place studies and belonging. narrative methodology distinguishes itself from self-study and autoethnography through its reliance on story and story-sharing as part of the meaning-making process (hamilton et al., 2008). stories are powerful tools which help us to make sense of our experiences. posthumanism in exploring concepts of place and belonging, i also find it meaningful to adopt a posthuman perspective. posthumanism is a branch of continental philosophy that emerged as a response to anthropocentric, or human-centered, thinking (snaza, 2017). this philosophy encourages us to move away from prioritizing human minds and existences in our research. instead, it recognizes that all beings have their own experiences, existences, and ways of knowing and being (doing, 2022). nancy hales, an important figure in posthuman research, provides a valuable analogy for conceptualizing posthumanism (hales in doing, 2022). in this analogy, she asks listeners to think of “cognition.” if we define cognition as experiencing a set of stimuli then responding to those stimuli, then let us consider deciduous trees. these plants experience stimuli and respond to those stimuli by dropping their leaves in preparation for winter. they are engaging in cognition, in thinking, just not in a way that humans think. ethical relationality and belonging with this philosophical positioning in mind, i asked myself what does it mean to belong as a human in higher education spaces? to belong in a place is to feel accepted, valued, and poppendorf/ emerging perspectives (2025) 4 connected (fong et al., 2024; gopalan & brady, 2020; korandei, 2023). understanding this, i find myself experiencing belonging when i can simply be myself, and that is what i hope to cultivate for my students. shawn wilson’s indigenous research paradigm at the beginning of my doctoral program, i was introduced to the concept of ethical relationality in shawn wilson’s (2008) research is ceremony. in this piece, wilson, who is opaskwayak cree, describes an indigenous research paradigm which eschews dogmatic definition and highlights relational research as a circular interplay of philosophical grounding in epistemology, methodology, axiology, and ontology (wilson, 2008). see figure 1 for wilson’s wheel of relational ethics. though wilson acknowledges he writes from a cree perspective, he also highlights the commonalities between cree epistemology and other indigenous philosophies. figure 1. shawn wilson’s wheel of relational ethics where “the entire circle is an indigenous research paradigm” (wilson, 2008, p. 70). my storied experience and beginning to understand wilson’s words since first reading wilson, i have had the honor of becoming part of a ceremonial family guided by two northern cree métis elders who work for a calgary-based not-for-profit organization connecting indigenous families and youth with culture. my involvement in this community was not driven by research or doctoral work but stemmed from a personal invitation to ceremony extended by my partner, an oskâpêwis a cree term for elder’s helper. oskâpêwis learn ceremonies and teachings orally from elders and play a vital role in preserving and upholding tradition. as a white colonial woman grappling with my own legacy as both a product and perpetuator of colonialism, i deeply wrestled with the decision to attend my first sweat lodge. for nearly six months, i deliberated, struggling with the implications of participating. even after attending, it took considerable time for me to fully engage in the ceremonies. yet, through this journey, i discovered a profound sense of love, community, and belonging that exceeded anything i could have anticipated. for the past two and a half years, i have spent most fridays and saturdays supporting sweat lodge ceremonies, my partner in his role as oskâpêwis, and the elders. at the lodge, i take on various ceremonial roles, ensure protocol is followed, and welcome newcomers into the place, stepping up or back as the situation calls for, slowly growing to recognize the power and limits of my understanding as a settler woman. although these experiences are not the focus of this poppendorf/ emerging perspectives (2025) 5 publication, partly because i lack the rights or authority to share them in detail, they remain significant to me. it is through attending the lodge that i began to truly understand the depth of wilson’s words and see resonance with my passion for posthuman philosophy.1 using the gift of wilson’s model to create a framework for shaping places in higher education inspired by posthuman thought, indigenous relational ethics, and my own lived experiences, i consider what principles should lie at the heart of higher education places which foster belonging despite their oppressive legacies.2 below i outline my observations and practical strategies which can be implemented in our classrooms to attend these principled imperatives. you will notice these ideas overlap and intersect because they exist in a circle, flowing in and out from each other. (1) epistemology (knowledge) regarding epistemology, i want to learn in places where knowledge is recognized as a gift carried by all beings, with one being’s knowing not dictating or dominating the knowing of others (abram, 1997, 2010; kimmerer, 2013, 2024). these places should be sites where a love for learning is fostered, and the entire learning process is understood as experiential and embodied because our bodies are always actively engaging in the learning, like in ceremony. some relevant learning theories which align with this epistemological outlook are experiential learning theory (kolb, 2015) and embodied cognition (coello & fischer, 2016). epistemological considerations for the classroom: critical reflection assignments to actualize disrupting colonial knowledge frameworks in the classroom, educators can incorporate critical narrative reflection assignments (freire, 1970/2017; freire, 1992/2021; gavidia & adu, 2022) which invite students to articulate and frame their relationship with knowledge. in my global history i courses for undergraduates, for example, my first assignment is a writing assignment that asks students to explore their relationships with history by answering questions like “do you know your family’s history? tell me their story. if you don’t know, why might that be?” and “do you like studying history? why or why not?” in a follow-up assignment, i then invite students to expand on their earlier writing by discussing the word “power” and explore how power manifested itself in the stories about their family that they shared. this framing assignment at the beginning of the term attuned students to the fluidity and diversity of experiences, and several students highlighted how this assignment led them to look at not only historical figures but also the curriculum itself in more empathetic, less rigidly linear ways. throughout the course, i reinforce this relational and reflective approach by incorporating readings from scholars of diverse backgrounds, including indigenous, global south, feminist, 2 indigenous research paradigms are not posthuman because they are born out of different histories and ideological foundations, but i do see resonance between posthuman philosophy and indigenous philosophy which inspired me. 1 i am not indigenous. i am a white hillbilly from the mountains of tennessee and virginia in the united states. because i am a settler raised in western tradition, i recognize there are limits to my understanding with and through indigenous ceremony and community. i ask for forgiveness and correction as i do my best to parallel my understandings. poppendorf/ emerging perspectives (2025) 6 and anti-colonial perspectives. this multiplicity of voices invites students to recognize themselves within the material and to critically examine how historical narratives are constructed. it also challenged the idea of a single, fixed interpretation of history, encouraging students to see the past and the discipline itself as dynamic, contested, and shaped by positionality. in doing so, the course models a disruption of colonial knowledge frameworks, making space for more relational, empathetic, and pluralistic ways of understanding the world. (2) methodology: how research and learning are conducted research and learning should be regarded as sacred practices, not extractive transactions. knowledge and the process of acquiring it are not commodities to be bought, sold, and controlled but gifts to be shared with care and reverence. reframing learning in this way directly challenges the settler colonial model, which treats knowledge as a product manufactured for profit through publications, grants, and market-driven accolades (patel, 2021; schleck, 2022). in contrast, i advocate for places of learning that honor knowledge as relational and living, despite the structural challenges of current higher education funding systems. indigenous methodologies model this reverence by following relational protocols and oral traditions, offering a powerful reminder that learning is first and foremost a gifted relationship, not a business deal. methodological considerations for classrooms: mastery learning one practical way to disrupt colonial frameworks within the classroom is through mastery learning. rather than treating knowledge as a fixed outcome or standardized achievement, mastery learning views understanding as a dynamic, personal process, shaped by students’ lived experiences (bloom, 1968; feldman, 2024; guskey, 2007), much like individual experiences of sacredness and relationality. this approach fosters deeper relationships with knowledge by prioritizing comprehension over speed or competition. techniques such as flexible timelines, one-on-one mentorship, and opportunities for revision support the idea that learning, like relationship-building, is ongoing, patient, and human. (3) axiology (ethics) our relationships – with each other, with knowledge, with university leadership, donors, and even the physical spaces we inhabit – are intricately woven into the fabric of our lived realities. these relationships extend to the buildings we occupy with walls that hold the weight of institutional histories and the stolen land on which our institutions stand carrying the legacies of colonization and dispossession. each interaction and connection, whether with people, places, or systems, shapes the way we understand and experience higher education. though it is not often acknowledged under colonial frameworks, these relationships give to us, and we give to them. a lesson in reciprocity in indigenous methodologies, to live in a good way means to acknowledge this interplay of relationships, honor it, and give back to it (kimmerer, 2013, 2024; kovach, 2021; wilson, 2008). a good place for learning is one where people do their best to understand and attend to their poppendorf/ emerging perspectives (2025) 7 relations and give back to their communities. in indigenous research, this is called reciprocity (kovach, 2021). axiological considerations for classrooms: universal design for learning a practical method for honoring our ethical obligations to our relationships with our students is incorporating universal design for learning (udl). udl is when we strive to care for all types of learners by ensuring there are multiple means of expression, representation, and engagement in our educational contexts (roski et al., 2021). udl can be implemented by offering students multiple assessment options, such as written essays, visual presentations, podcasts, or creative projects, enabling them to demonstrate their understanding in ways that align with their strengths and learning preferences. for example, a student passionate about storytelling might create a podcast to analyze course material, while another might prefer a research paper for detailed exploration. for me as a neurodivergent learner, a place where i feel belonging includes design elements like dimmable lighting and sensory-friendly accommodations. these considerations allow me to fully embody my intellectual and spiritual self, enabling me to better engage with learning and support my relationships in the educational process. while it may not always be possible to meet every individual preference, the act of asking students about their needs and responding thoughtfully acknowledges our relational ethics in the classroom. in this way, udl is not simply a technical strategy, but an axiological (ethical) commitment to creating spaces where multiple forms of existence are seen, respected, and empowered. (4) ontology (being) finally, learning is communal. it does not happen in a vacuum. even individualized work happens in places shaped by communities of human and non-human actors, and the learning we do in places shapes the learning of others. therefore, a framework for good higher education places where people feel belonging honors the communal nature of learning and encourages learners to not only learn the knowledge we present but also to identify and attend to the communal relationships that make up our being. ontological considerations for classrooms: collaborative knowledge webs inspired by connectivism (kathleen dunaway, 2011; siemens, 2004), a practical consideration for the promotion of collaborative learning in our classrooms is consciously creating collaborative knowledge webs. this means structuring learning environments where knowledge is not siloed within individuals but shared, extended, and co-created across learners. one way to implement collaborative knowledge webs is through sustained group projects where each student’s contributions are interconnected. unlike traditional group work where work is artificially divided, collaborative web-building encourages students to see how their thinking impacts others' learning processes and vice versa. techniques such as dynamic peer feedback loops, open-ended collaborative documents (e.g., collective concept maps, living bibliographies, class-constructed glossaries), and group reflection journals can foster this communal becoming. additionally, instructors can model participation in the knowledge web by sharing their own learning processes, acknowledging when student insights shift or reshape their own thinking. this relational pedagogy reflects an ontology of interconnectedness where being is understood poppendorf/ emerging perspectives (2025) 8 not as isolated individual existence but as relational co-creation. in doing so, we affirm that learning is not just about acquiring information but about entering into, nurturing, and sustaining webs of living knowledge that transform everyone involved. visualizing this framework recognizing that this framework is still emerging, i have created a visual representation (see figure 2) to illustrate my key strategies for place-making to support belonging in higher education. this visual aims to guide me in fostering inclusive, ethical, and supportive learning environments, and i encourage educators to create their own model which adheres to their guiding education principles. figure 2. alex’s emerging framework with guiding principles for place-making in higher education inspired by wilson where the whole circle is the teaching paradigm (2008). conclusion creating places of belonging in higher education can feel overwhelming, especially amidst funding cuts, ideological pressures, and the structural racism embedded in our places. some of the strategies i have described may not be easily attainable in your education context. yet change begins with small, deliberate actions. simply reading and teaching diverse works can expand our frameworks of thought. assignments grounded in ethical and relational learning, such as personal narrative sharing, cultivate sensitivity to interconnectedness and representation across differences. as educators, embracing vulnerability by positioning ourselves as co-learners fosters more inclusive, dynamic spaces. asking students what they need from their learning environments and honoring their agency can transform classrooms into sites of belonging. intentionally and thoughtfully integrating methods like mastery learning, universal design for learning (udl), and connectivity web practices further ensures all students can engage as whole beings intellectually, spiritually, and physically. remember that while change-making is slow and complex, small, consistent steps toward ethical, relational, and inclusive education will ripple outward, creating the more connected futures we urgently need. poppendorf/ emerging perspectives (2025) 9 references abram, d. 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(2008). research is ceremony: indigenous research methods. fernwood publishing. https://doi.org/10.5840/enviroethics200527228 chen & delanoy, 2024.docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca complexities of digital learning for higher education: reflections about planning and applying digital assessment and feedback design danni chen*, nadia delanoy university of calgary the accelerated move to online learning at the onset of the covid-19 pandemic undoubtedly brought many creative opportunities for innovation and rethinking learning; it also presented concerns in online academic integrity and ethical engagement in and with virtual spaces. this practice brief explores the practical teaching and learning design experience of an instructor and a teaching assistant in a hybrid post-secondary classroom in canada. in this setting, learning occurs synchronously (in person) and asynchronously (in digital spaces). we highlight the risks of content sharing in digital learning and teaching environments and discuss the complexities of using open class-based digital tools discussion boards as formative assessments to facilitate students’ learning. from our unique perspectives, the conditions of digital learning, including the idea of “group think” and independent and creative thoughts, are discussed. this practice brief shares how we addressed the concern through evidence-based formative assessment instruction that promoted student digital learning and citizenship. we explore the importance of a shared set of norms or expectations in hybrid learning spaces, using digital formative assessment and being flexible in pedagogical approaches to embrace novice and experienced learners. we hope this brief can offer a critical perspective as we continue to shape the future of digital learning and teaching in higher education assessment literature. keywords: digital learning, hybrid classrooms, formative assessment, academic integrity chen, d., & delanoy, n. (2024). complexities of digital learning for higher education: reflections about planning and applying digital assessment and feedback design. emerging perspectives special edition: designing for digital futures, 7(1), 1–13. online discussion boards have long been used as an important pedagogical tool in post-secondary classrooms (carr, 2020; douglas et al., 2020). compared to traditional face-to-face discussions, online discussion boards provide students with sustained opportunities to reflect on their lived experiences and discuss their thoughts with peers (alebaikan & troudi, 2010; chen & looi, 2007; hrastinski, 2008; hussein, 2016; ishtaiwa, 2010). the pandemic *danni.chen@ucalgary.ca chen & delanoy/ emerging perspectives (2024) 2 prompted a rapid transition from in-person to online education (casalino et al., 2022), impacting the frequency and purpose of online discussion boards in learning contexts. with the pandemic making online teaching and learning more mainstream (husain, 2021), online discussion boards may become another source of assessment data for educators, providing opportunities to evaluate students' written communication skills, collaboration, teamwork, and engagement in reflective thinking (ningsih & mulyono, 2019). in this practice brief, we aim to share our experiences of using online discussion boards as formative assessments in a hybrid learning context. working through the pandemic, online discussion boards served as a formative assessment tool in our classes and provided opportunities for creative and critical thinking in a virtual space, allowing for continued classroom dialogue and the generation of new ideas and reflections. however, this learning design also exposed students to “borrowed ideas” that result from either, where students think similarly due to standard content and information, or academic misconduct, where students use others’ ideas as their own to convey their own learning outcomes. for instance, in classrooms with a pre-set syllabus and reading list, students may engage with their peers' writing in academically unethical ways, whether knowingly or unknowingly. this is distinct from classroom discussions facilitated by the instructor, as this online discussion served as a formative assessment. in this case, it is critical to reconsider assessment and feedback design in this hybrid learning context.we reflect on our experiences with online discussion boards with the goal of assisting in the facilitation of intentional, well-designed, and valuable digital assessment tools to enhance learning experiences for students in hybrid learning spaces. chen & delanoy/ emerging perspectives (2024) 3 teaching practice description our teaching context is a hybrid, undergraduate-level education course designed to provide students with a foundation in learning and teaching theories. a hybrid mode of learning of this course design combined in-person interaction (inclusive of lectures and group discussions) with digital components (online discussion boards, polls, and responses). integrating the online discussion boards as formative assessments in this class provided a space for students to reflect on and apply course content while communicating their thoughts with instructors and tas (lai, 2015; rennie & smyth, 2019). a weekly prompt was shared in online discussion boards to facilitate this process, encouraging students to curate relevant content and reflect on their experiences. reflective online discussion as formative assessment provides a unique opportunity to bring readings, theories, and concepts to life by inviting students to share their thoughts, ideas, and questions. by participating in this exercise, students can engage with the course content on a deeper level, which in turn allows them to articulate their developing understanding of themselves as learners and pre-service teachers. by incorporating online discussion boards as formative assessments and promoting active participation, our goal was to align the course with assessment and feedback practices that facilitate student learning and foster engagement by synthesizing their learning while considering their own identity and relationship to the field of study as they engaged in group activities (rennie & smyth, 2019). the prompts given to students were based on a series of prompts related to authentic or real-world educational experiences and their relationship to course outcomes. additionally, this means of formative assessment provides an avenue for students to consider the needs of their future students as the course progresses, ultimately helping them become more effective educators in the long run. chen & delanoy/ emerging perspectives (2024) 4 moreover, during the sharing process, multiple levels of feedback from the instructor and ta were provided in the form of constructive feedback to foster positive opportunities for exploratory and participatory learning among students; there was a formal cycle of inquiry (thoms & eryilmaz, 2015). as the course unfolded, the prompts for online discussion boards evolved to foster higher-level cognitive thinking in students’ responses (i.e., blooms taxonomy). such formative assessment in hybrid learning design enabled students to share and deliberate on content in greater detail, thus promoting active engagement and personal meaning-making (calderon, & sood, 2020). as a formative assessment, the online discussion board also promotes student engagement and collaboration. students reviewed the prompts at the beginning of each week, and by the end of the week, they were expected to post their responses. this assessment procedure allows their peers to engage in meaningful discussions by reading and responding to each other’s posts based on their specific knowledge-building groups. online discussion board activities in hybrid learning allowed the students to share their ongoing thoughts related to weekly content prompts while engaging with their peers. the use of knowledge-building groups enhances collaboration and fosters a deeper learning environment. online discussion boards served as a means of formative assessment, where the criteria (see appendix a) elicited students’ understanding of the content, the connections drawn to their own lives, and how students used visuals and imagery to support their thoughts and application of ideas.  challenges while online discussion boards as digital assessments in our hybrid learning design have affordances for student learning, they also present challenges. during our teaching, we observed chen & delanoy/ emerging perspectives (2024) 5 that knowledge sharing via discussion boards runs the risk of generating shallow responses (lane, 2014). the course online discussion board approach allowed students to post at varying times, which provided the opportunity for individuals to read their peer's posts in their knowledge-sharing group prior to or after their own submission. inadvertently, the content they read could influence their perspective as they absorbed the course information and crafted their own response as they communicated the articulation of the learning. for example, given the bounded scope of the topics and available learning resources,, there was a tendency for students to repeat some of the main themes discussed on the discussion boards in their initial responses. in other words, students sometimes used similar content in their discussion posts to express their understanding of the subject matter. in these learning instances, how to avoid "group think" is an important consideration for instructors and students alike. “group think,” as part of academic integrity, can manifest as students borrowing each other's ideas due to the relatively static nature of the curriculum. during our adaptive teaching practices in using online discussion boards as formative assessments in a hybrid learning context, we observed that instructors and tas play essential roles in portraying the right model for academic integrity (alias et al., 2019). ensuring there were weekly discussions with the class on how to prevent academic integrity issues and relay their own learning in an authentic way helped to support students’ constructivist learning in an introductory course setting. according to the constructivist learning theory, individuals actively create knowledge through their own experiences and reflections rather than simply receiving information passively (garmston & wellman, 1994). to address this challenge, in this course, students were given timely feedback on their posts related to the criterion for success. each chen & delanoy/ emerging perspectives (2024) 6 student was also provided with detailed comments and suggestions to explore their own understanding of the content and apply course materials to their lived experience (lane, 2014). moreover, as discussed earlier in this paper, prompts and how students could access the weekly responses to ensure they were meaningful and relevant to the students were prioritized in the first class of the week and then subsequently reviewed the day prior to their deadline (lane, 2014). this process helped mitigate "group think" and some of the implications to academic integrity because it provided opportunities for students to personalize their weekly posts and connect more with class content (cho & tobias, 2016; murphy & fortner, 2014). even though measures such as carefully designed prompts and feedback from the instructor and ta were taken, as lane (2014) asserted, there were still incidences of academic integrity lapses. although few in frequency, this served as an opportunity to further inform our formative feedback approaches from week to week. there certainly exist tensions in going from theory to practice, particularly in an introductory level course; however, as reiterated in the literature, integrating concrete strategies for students and facilitating conversations about academic integrity as a learning opportunity is essential (golden & kohlbeck, 2020). although students might unintentionally copy and paste others' ideas into an online discussion board, it is problematic. this behaviour not only constitutes plagiarism, which is unethical and considered academic misconduct, but it also indicates a lack of critical thinking process. by failing to engage in thoughtful analysis of weekly prompts and interpreting them within their own context, students miss out on valuable learning opportunities and fail to develop their understanding. consequently, they are unable to contribute meaningfully to the intellectual discourse. recognizing the harm caused by these incidents in assessments, we gave feedback to the students when we encountered them. through the individual feedback, students wholeheartedly chen & delanoy/ emerging perspectives (2024) 7 acknowledged the misstep, and they were provided with the opportunity to resubmit their work to make the most of the learning opportunities. with constructivist learning theory as an underpinning, engaging in dialogue with students related to the prevention of academic misconduct and providing resubmission opportunities can build a culture of high morale (gamage et al., 2020). through a continuous commitment to assessment and feedback design, instructors can create a learning environment that encourages students to avoid academic misconduct during digital assessment, ultimately leading to the development of a strong culture of ethical conduct (ayoub/al-salim & aladwan, 2021; garg & goel, 2022). conclusion although using online discussion boards as formative assessment in hybrid learning and a pre-set course resource list can result in limited innovation for responses linked to the content, rich feedback based on students' lived experiences can be presented to enrich discussions. providing opportunities for students to receive feedback and utilizing probing questions in online discussion boards as formative assessments in a hybrid learning context can create a natural scaffold for students to communicate their learning effectively.moreover, the integration of digital assessments and platforms in in-person learning provides students with the opportunity to advance their understanding of the course content on a weekly basis and incorporate their own lived experiences in a visually representative way. online discussion boards can undoubtedly provide a platform for critical and creative thinking (wang & li, 2022), as well as for the building of a community of learners that supports like-minded (lane, 2014) and divergent thinking.moreover, the benefits of collaborative learning, such as enhancing learning experiences in higher education (dahal, 2022) and the advancement of critical and creative thinking, cannot be emphasized enough in the application of an online discussion board. chen & delanoy/ emerging perspectives (2024) 8 once the parameters are set, considerations should be given to instructions and the identification of a progression of learning prompts for students to respond to each week. this should include where students are at in their own cognitive processing abilities and how to support those with limited lived experiences or content depth to apply learning at higher levels to avoid possible academic misconduct. chen & delanoy/ emerging perspectives (2024) 9 references alebaikan, r. & troudi, s. (2010). online discussion in blended courses at saudi universities, procedia social and behavioral sciences, 2(2), 507-514. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.03.054 ayoub/al-salim, m. j. & aladwan, k. (2021). the relationship between academic integrity of online university students and its effects on academic performance and learning quality. journal of ethics in entrepreneurship and technology, 1(1), 43–60. https://doi.org/10.1108/jeet-02-2021-0009 calderon, o. & sood, c. (2020). evaluating learning outcomes of an asynchronous online discussion assignment: a post-priori content analysis. interactive learning environments, 28(1), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2018.1510421 carr, j. (2020). teacher candidate perceptions on alternative asynchronous online discussion boards. journal of educational technology and online learning, 3(3), 288–310. https://doi.org/10.31681/jetol.752283 casalino, j., cimitile, m., ducange, p., padilla zea, n., pecori, r., picerno, p., & raviolo, p. (2022). planning the “new normality” to address the pandemic in higher education: blended scenarios at the catholic university of the sacred heart. in higher education learning methodologies and technologies online (vol. 1542, pp. 248–263). springer international publishing ag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-96060-5_18 chen, w. & looi, c.-k. (2007). incorporating online discussion in face to face classroom learning : a new blended learning approach. australasian journal of educational technology, 23(3), 307–326. https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.1255 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.03.054 https://doi.org/10.1108/jeet-02-2021-0009 https://doi.org/10.31681/jetol.752283 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-96060-5_18 https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.1255 chen & delanoy/ emerging perspectives (2024) 10 cho, moon-heum & tobias, s. (2016). should instructors require discussion in online courses? effects of online discussion on community of inquiry, learner time, satisfaction, and achievement. international review of research in open and distance learning, 17(2), 123–140. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v17i2.2342 dahal, n. (2022). understanding and uses of collaborative tools for online courses in higher education. advances in mobile learning educational research, 2(2), 435-442. https://doi.org/10.25082/amler.2022.02.012 douglas, t., james, a., earwaker, l., mather, c., & murray, s. (2020). online discussion boards : improving practice and student engagement by harnessing facilitator perceptions. journal of university teaching & learning practice, 17(3), 86–100. https://doi.org/10.53761/1.17.3.7 gamage, k. a. a., silva, e. k. de, & gunawardhana, n. (2020). online delivery and assessment during covid-19: safeguarding academic integrity. education sciences, 10(11), 301. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10110301 garg, m. & goel, a. (2022). a systematic literature review on online assessment security: current challenges and integrity strategies. computers & security, 113, 102544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cose.2021.102544 golden, j. & kohlbeck, m. (2020). addressing cheating when using test bank questions in online classes. journal of accounting education, 52, 100671. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccedu.2020.100671 husain. (2021). use of digital assessments: how to utilize digital bloom to accommodate online learning and assessments? asian journal of education and training, 7(1), 30–35. https://doi.org/10.20448/journal.522.2021.71.30.35 https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v17i2.2342 https://doi.org/10.53761/1.17.3.7 https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10110301 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cose.2021.102544 https://doi.org/10.20448/journal.522.2021.71.30.35 chen & delanoy/ emerging perspectives (2024) 11 hussein, e.t. (2016). the effectiveness of using blackboard in improving the english listening and speaking skills of the female students at the university of hail. advances in social sciences research journal, 3(12), 81–93. ishtaiwa, f. (2010). asynchronous discussion board in the program of professional diploma in teaching: perceptions of pre-service information technology teachers. international journal of arts and sciences, 3(17), 200-219 lai, k. w. (2015). knowledge construction in online learning communities: a case study of a doctoral course. studies in higher education, 40, 561–579. lane. l. m. (2014). constructing the past online: discussion board as history lab. the history teacher (long beach, calif.), 47(2), 197–207. murphy, c. a. & fortner, r. a. (2014). impact of instructor intervention on the quality and frequency of student discussion posts in a blended classroom. journal of online learning and teaching, 10(3), 337–351. ningsih, s. k. & mulyono, h. (2019). digital assessment resources in primary and secondary school classrooms: teachers’ use and perceptions. international journal of interactive mobile technologies, 13(8), 167–173. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v13i08.10730 rennie, f. & smyth, k. (2019). digital learning: the key concepts. taylor and francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429425240 thoms, b. & eryilmaz, e. (2015). introducing a twitter discussion board to support learning in online and blended learning environments. education and information technologies, 20(2), 265–283. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-013-9279-3 https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v13i08.10730 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-013-9279-3 chen & delanoy/ emerging perspectives (2024) 12 vonderwell, s.; liang, x., & alderman, k. (2007). asynchronous discussions and assessment in online learning. journal of research on technology in education, 39(3), 309–328. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2007.10782485 chen & delanoy/ emerging perspectives (2024) 13 appendix a. criteria for assessment of learning task 1: discussion participation due to the personal articulation of your learning journey for this exercise, your participation will be marked based on completion. you will receive one mark for each completed and required engagement, as such: d2l reflection post: mark out of 1 (10 reflective posts over the term week 1-13) total: 10 marks note: for your own practice, a completion mark means it is still evaluated based on criteria but not in relation to comparative content. the criteria are as follows: ● reflective post connects and aligns with the question or reflective prompts. ● reflective post shows an integration of lecture, textbook, class discussion, and video content. ● reflective post uses text as well as a variety of visual representations to show personal contemplation and learning ● reflective post embeds elements of the content and citations are used where necessary microsoft word 72495-article text-222633-1-11-20211109 (1).docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca supporting student wellness to enable resiliency during the covid-19 pandemic lisa marie taylor 1 university of calgary the covid-19 pandemic has created a unique time, requiring flexibility to adapt to evolving circumstances. the shift from being fully immersed as a doctoral student on campus, to being a full-time mother and online student at home and largely isolated, was a significant and challenging change. paradoxically, i was filled with gratitude for additional immediate family time while i also felt incredible stress due to a lack of dedicated professional time. determined to persevere, i embraced three strategies that fostered my resilience during the covid-19 pandemic: (1) listening to course content; (2) dedicating time to daily physical activity; and (3) spending time outdoors. moving forward, i will continue to prioritize my wellness by embracing the strategies identified here, and i encourage universities to explore how student wellness can be more comprehensively and proactively supported. keywords: graduate student, resilience, covid-19, wellness, physical activity, outdoors, text-to-speech. taylor, l. m. (2021). supporting student wellness to enable resiliency during the covid-19 pandemic. emerging perspectives, 5(2), 1-5. when covid-19 hit alberta, i was in my first year of doctoral studies in the werklund school of education at the university of calgary. at the time, i was a research assistant, a teaching assistant, instructing two kinesiology courses, taking two campus-based courses, and volunteering as a health promotion coordinator in a calgary school. my partner was working in a downtown office and our three-year-old daughter attended daycare fulltime. in the year that followed, my everyday bore no resemblance to the graduate student life i once knew. due to intermittent lockdowns and concern for contracting and spreading covid-19 to vulnerable family members, my immediate family isolated; my husband and i worked from home and my daughter was taken out of daycare. paradoxically, i felt so grateful for the time with my daughter as her primary caregiver, while i also felt profound stress from the piling up of professional to-do items. i would multitask zoom meetings with my daughter beside me, occupying her attention with screens and toys. i felt pulled in two directions: saddened and guilty for not investing in quality time with my daughter and stressed for not devoting time to my professional demands. additionally, i felt as though i lacked time to myself time to invest in my own wellness. despite my flexible and accommodating supervisor and course instructors, my 1 lisamarie.taylor@ucalgary.ca taylor – emerging perspectives (2021) 2 partner, who worked diligently to support me when not obligated by his own professional schedule, and the generous intermittent support of my daughter’s grandparents, i felt a high degree of stress. however, with long-term goals set on a tenure track position, i was determined to persevere. the purpose of this article is to introduce three strategies that i have used, and continue to use, to support my wellness during the pandemic and that have allowed me to be productive as a graduate student. i believe that by sharing these strategies, other graduate students might feel encouraged to adopt or adapt these strategies to support their own wellness, specific to their context. the three strategies i have used to facilitate my resilience during the pandemic include listening to course readings, dedicating time to daily physical activity, and spending time outdoors. strategy one listening to course content in the past, i have enjoyed listening to audiobooks in my car on the way to work. one day it dawned on me that perhaps audiobook-like technology, where my mobile device reads desired text aloud, might be available to listen to pdfs in a similar fashion. after some googling, i found several text-to-speech applications available for iphone (e.g., naturalreader) and android (e.g., @voice aloud reader). using bluetooth technology to connect my phone and vehicle speakers, i became more time efficient by listening to course content while driving. listening to course content also enables me to move my body and complete house chores while learning; i often plug in one headphone while walking my dog, tending to the lawn, shoveling snow, or doing laundry. listening to literature enables active time which directly works against the negative effects of sedentary behavior and physical inactivity on physical health (warburton et al., 2006a), while also allowing me to be more efficient. i use other applications on my phone to record voice memos (ex. easy voice recorder or otter) when i want to build on or highlight the content i listen to. recording voice memos replaces the side column notes and highlighting i typically do when reading articles on my computer or on printed paper. later, when i return to my computer, i listen to and type out the recorded notes, or copy and paste a transcription of the recording (app dependent) into a google doc. worthy of mentioning, headphones with microphone and start/stop button features make listening and recording voice memos quite seamless. strategy two dedicating time to daily physical activity physical activity is an investment in myself; it allows me to be my best me and benefits my physical and mental well-being (mandolesi et al., 2018). when i have been active, i feel good, which is no surprise given physical exercise can improve mood, reduce anxiety, and foster general well-being (mandolesi et al., 2018). i enjoy walking, running, and biking indoors and outdoors year-round, rowing indoors, ice skating, resistance training, and cross-country skiing. according to the world health organization (2020), optimal health benefits for adults can be realized with approximately 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week, where moderate physical activity (55% to 69% of hrmax), and vigorous physical activity (70% to 89% of hrmax), are calculated in relation to maximum heart rate (hrmax) which is roughly determined by subtracting age in years from 226, or 220 for men (warburton et al., 2006b). while my heart rate is tracked by a strap around my chest that is connected to my phone, i prefer to listen to the needs of my body and invest the effort necessary to relieve perceived stress. during the pandemic, i have found that vigorous physical activity best supports my wellness, which is consistent with findings that post-secondary students who are vigorously active are less likely to report perceived stress (vankim & nelson, 2013). however, as a graduate student with a family, it can be challenging to find time to dedicate to physical activity; what works for me is committing taylor – emerging perspectives (2021) 3 to being physically active every day and engaging in that physical activity first thing in the morning while the rest of the house is still sleeping. strategy three spending time outdoors i have also increased the time i spend outdoors as a strategy to manage stress and support my wellness. individuals only need 20 to 30 minutes in nature to benefit from a significant reduction in stress (hunter et al., 2019). living in an inner-city community, i primarily utilize geographically accessible pathways and nearby parks and water bodies to find my connection to the great outdoors. i am often in awe of the vastness of the water reservoir or the sparkle of the stars when i go for a walk or a run in the dark. these opportunities and feelings of awe foster a connectedness to nature and a sense of eudaimonia (capaldi et al., 2015). my daughter and i also enjoy venturing outdoors together daily, making the most of the full-time hours we enjoy together at home due to the pandemic; we often stop to marvel at the complex network of branches by looking straight up a spruce tree trunk, or we follow the bright glow of the moon at dusk. i spend time outdoors by converting regular indoor activities to regular outdoor activities as well, offering more spontaneous moments of awe and positively effecting well-being (anderson et al., 2018). i enjoy drinking my coffee in the warmth of the morning sun. i also enjoy working on my laptop outdoors in temperature above 10°c, on a plywood desktop propped up by two barstools. my daughter and i read books, play games, and solve puzzles all outdoors. we embrace the norwegian proverb, “det finnes ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlig klær,” meaning there is no bad weather, just inappropriate gear (nikel, 2017). whether in t-shirts and shorts or in snowsuits and toques, there are few days of the year we do not venture outdoors. the trifecta i am most productive and efficient with my time when i combine the three strategies discussed above. i find that being active outdoors is freeing, allows me to continue to challenge and develop my physical literacy, and is more enjoyable in comparison to exercising indoors. while being physically active, i also enjoy the silence that follows a completed reading/listening, which is a time when i often conceive new ideas and connections between topics; a notion that is supported by the positive effect of physical exercise on cognitive and executive functioning (mandolesi et al., 2018). embracing physical activity outdoors while listening to readings has allowed me to continue to be productive as a professional, while prioritizing my wellness. final thoughts: technology, privilege, and student-defined support the technology and tools identified in this article are available to me due to my family’s position of privilege; i am fortunate to be able to afford the materials and services that support my learning and well-being. i encourage post-secondary institutions to continue to explore an openminded and multidimensional approach to supporting student wellness. in addition to important supports that help manage illness such as covering costs of medication and counselling, are there opportunities to support a more salutogenic and proactive approach to wellness and student health care coverage? especially for full-time graduate students, who depend on highly competitive scholarships and have limited incomes, one might inquire as to how a university might monetarily support a proactive approach to student wellness. i envision subsidization for students to purchase tools and services that can enable wellness activities, such as a bike, headphones, or snow apparel that i have mentioned in this article. however, the strategies mentioned in this brief are specific to what taylor – emerging perspectives (2021) 4 benefits my individual feelings of wellness. wellness is multidimensional and nuanced (eberst, 1984); students should define for themselves what they require to support their wellness, honouring their varying cultural definitions and perspectives regarding wellness. perhaps, instead of specifically defining what can and cannot be covered through a student health care plan, ask why and listen. yarning materials (towney, 2005), colouring materials (dresler & perera, 2019), or claiming mileage to volunteer at an animal shelter (friedmann et al., 2015), could all be included in a list of what is considered for subsidization to support student wellness. i encourage universities to re-evaluate how they can proactively support multidimensional wellness so students can be resilient, persevere, and achieve their academic potential. references anderson, c. l., monroy, m., & keltner, d. (2018). awe in nature heals: evidence from military veterans, at-risk youth, and college students. emotion, 18(8), 1195–1202. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000442 capaldi, c., passmore, h.-a., nisbet, e., zelenski, j., & dopko, r. (2015). flourishing in nature: a review of the benefits of connecting with nature and its application as a wellbeing intervention. international journal of wellbeing, 5(4), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v5i4.449 dresler, e., & perera, p. (2019). ‘doing mindful colouring’: just a leisure activity or something more? leisure studies, 38(6), 862–874. https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2019.1583765 eberst, r. m. (1984). defining health: a multidimensional model. journal of school health, 54(3), 99–104. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.1984.tb08780.x friedmann, e., son, h., & saleem, m. (2015). the animal-human bond: health and wellness. in a. h. fine (ed.), handbook on animal-assisted therapy: foundations and guidelines for animal-assisted interventions (4th ed., pp. 73–88). academic press. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-801292-5.00007-9 hunter, m. r., gillespie, b. w., & chen, s. y.-p. (2019). urban nature experiences reduce stress in the context of daily life based on salivary biomarkers. frontiers in psychology, 10, 722. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00722 mandolesi, l., polverino, a., montuori, s., foti, f., ferraioli, g., sorrentino, p., & sorrentino, g. (2018). effects of physical exercise on cognitive functioning and wellbeing: biological and psychological benefits. frontiers in psychology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00509 nikel, d. (2017). moon oslo. avalon publishing. towney, l. m. (2005). the power of healing in the yarn: working with aboriginal men. the international journal of narrative therapy and community work, 2005(1), 39–44. vankim, n. a., & nelson, t. f. (2013). vigorous physical activity, mental health, perceived stress, and socializing among college students. american journal of health promotion, 28(1), 7–15. https://doi.org/10.4278/ajhp.111101-quan-395 warburton, d. e. r., nicol, c. w., & bredin, s. s. d. (2006a). health benefits of physical activity: the evidence. cmaj: canadian medical association journal, 174(6), 801–809. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.051351 taylor – emerging perspectives (2021) 5 warburton, d. e. r., nicol, c. w., & bredin, s. s. d. (2006b). prescribing exercise as preventive therapy. cmaj: canadian medical association journal, 174(7), 961–974. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.1040750 world health organization. (2020). physical activity. https://www.who.int/news-room/factsheets/detail/physical-activity microsoft word 68142-article text-218384-1-10-20210629.docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca corresponding author: andria.slipp1@ucalgary.ca linking reading comprehension and executive function: a pathway to improved instruction andria lee slipp university of calgary students with comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd) and specific learning disorder in reading (sld-r) require reading comprehension instruction that is mindful of executive function deficit. grounded in the notion that remediation is most successful when it is based on an understanding of the possible sources of failure, this literature review presents the interplay between executive function and reading comprehension and explores how reading comprehension instruction might integrate executive function support for students with adhd and sld-r. this proposed instructional framework integrates verbal and visual working memory, planning and goal setting, monitoring and inference making into the reading comprehension process. a lack of consensus with regards to how executive functions are identified, defined, and measured indicates avenues for future research. this literature review includes 38 peer-reviewed journal articles, five books, and one website, ranging from 1996-2019. findings from this literature review may provide insight to teachers, administrators, curriculum developers, and those who plan and provide professional development within the field of education. keywords: executive function, adhd, specific learning disorder, reading slipp, a. l. (2021). linking reading comprehension and executive function: a pathway to improved instruction. emerging perspectives, 5(1), 16-30. designing reading comprehension instruction that is mindful of executive function deficit is paramount for students with specific learning disorder in reading (sld-r) and comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd). factors associated with both these of neurological disorders require that reading instruction for students is thoughtfully considered in light of their specific learning needs. sld-r impacts word reading accuracy, fluency, and/or reading comprehension (american psychological association [apa], 2010). adhd is characterized by developmentally disproportionate levels of inattention, impulsivity and/or hyperactivity interfering with development (apa, 2010), and is associated with deficits in executive function (barkley, 2015; willcutt et al., 2005). left untreated, both sld-r and adhd are associated with low academic achievement (barkley, 2015; national reading panel [nrp], 2000), high rates of unemployment and underemployment (apa, 2010; biederman, et al., 2010; russell et al., 2014) and increased psychological distress (apa, 2010; barkley, 1997). rates of comorbidity indicate that 33% of children with adhd are also diagnosed with sld-r (mayes & calhoun, 2006). because sld-r and adhd share genetic risk factors and frequently co-occur, it is important to slipp emerging perspectives (2021) 17 identify effective treatments to address the common and unique neuropsychological deficits of both disorders (sexton et al., 2011). the process of comprehending written text is intertwined with complexities, even for those individuals who manage to do it effectively. beyond phonological processing and decoding, successful readers coordinate vocabulary, background information, grammatical structures, metaphorical language, and inferential reasoning in order to comprehend written text successfully (sesma et al., 2009). when the necessary processes do not combine as required, gaps in understanding occur, and in an educational setting this can be particularly detrimental. attempts to remediate such gaps among those who struggle with reading comprehension are found to be most effective if they are based on a solid understanding of the possible sources of failure (kendeou et al., 2014). executive function, the mechanisms which regulate the processes of human cognition (miyake et al., 2000), includes the abilities to shift flexibly between tasks, to suppress an automatic response in favor of a subdominant response, and to manipulate information stored in memory for a short time. these mechanisms are integral to the reading process (follmer, 2018; georgiou & das, 2018; miller et al., 2013). for students with comorbid sld-r and adhd, deficits in these executive functions, the multi-purpose control mechanisms that regulate the process of human cognition (miyake et al., 2000), may be at the root of this failure. further compounding this concern and despite an understanding of the critical role of executive function in reading comprehension, models of reading comprehension have, for the most part, not explicitly incorporated executive functions (butterfuss & kendeou, 2018). the literature indicates a clear need to first understand the role of executive function in reading comprehension and then to develop an instructional framework that integrates executive function into reading comprehension instruction for the benefit of students with comorbid sld-r and adhd. the purpose of this literature review is to use current research to explain how executive function relates to reading comprehension instruction for students with adhd and sld-r. this review aims to examine how decreased executive function ability in students with adhd and sld-r impacts reading comprehension. additionally, it seeks to contribute to the development of a framework for reading comprehension instruction for students with executive function deficits. three separate inquiries will be addressed in this research. the first asks how the theoretical foundations of reading comprehension and executive function integrate. the second examines what the existing research says about how executive function difficulties generally impact reading comprehension for students with comorbid sld-r and adhd. the third inquiry explores how reading comprehension instruction might integrate executive function support for students with sld-r and adhd. while these findings can provide insight to teachers of reading as well as to literacy leaders within the school setting, they may also be of value to curriculum developers, learning strategists, and those who plan and provide professional development opportunities within the field of education. slipp emerging perspectives (2021) 18 methodology in order to investigate the interplay between executive function and reading comprehension, as well as how reading comprehension instruction might integrate executive function support for students with adhd and sld-r, consideration was given to how literature was identified, analyzed, and reported within this integrated literature review inquiry. articles were gathered from the following databases: academic search complete, eric, education research complete, and teacher reference center. the key search terms initially used included: reading comprehension, learning disabilities, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and executive function(s). subsequent searches included terms specific to sld-r: simple view of reading, reading comprehension strategies, and inference making. owing to the significant amount of research related to adhd and sld-r, selection criteria mainly included articles published between 2008 and 2019. this range was determined to be large enough to include a worthwhile scope of literature while still allowing for a thorough examination of the included literature. five foundational contributions to the literature made prior to 2008 (between 1996 and 2006) were included as well. these articles served to establish the foundations of current understanding of executive function, adhd, and reading comprehension, and are reflective of torraco’s (2005) suggestion that both recent and older literature should be considered in a well-constructed literature review. in addition, concern for initial bias within the research process was identified prior to delving into the literature (hendricks, 2017), in that the researcher’s background in executive function was centered around the work of barkley (2015). it became clear that in order to consider the research on a broader scale, alternatives to barkley’s (2015) work were included (baddeley, 1996; miyake et al., 2000; miyake & friedman, 2012, for example). secondary research and nonpeer reviewed journal articles were excluded from this review. this approach yielded 40 articles in total. literature was analyzed using a staged review process (torraco, 2005) whereby there was an initial review of abstracts to determine suitability followed by an in-depth review of the entire article. literature was selected based on its credibility, similarity, and relevance to this research (hendricks, 2017). this staged review included an inspection of the references included in the literature, which provided an opportunity to uncover additional research related to the analysis. in order to provide a foundation for analysis, the literature was initially divided into categories that included reading comprehension theory and executive function theory. subsequently, literature was categorized based on the connections the authors of these articles established between reading comprehension and executive functions. this approach allowed for a clear comparison of the literature findings, unveiled opportunities to reconceptualize the existing literature, and revealed directions for future research. in order to ensure the literature review was conducted in a responsible and accountable manner (hendricks, 2017), ethical issues were considered through the identification of researcher bias, the creation of an audit trail, and debriefing with noncollaborating peers. slipp emerging perspectives (2021) 19 literature review this literature review aims to synthesize the research related to executive function and its connection to adhd, sld-r, and reading comprehension. after first establishing the theoretical context within the domains of executive function, adhd, reading comprehension, and sld-r, this literature review presents a critical examination of how executive function impacts reading comprehension in students with comorbid adhd and sld-r. finally, it examines the integration of executive function and reading comprehension. executive function and adhd for the purposes of this literature review, executive function is defined as general-purpose control mechanisms that regulate the processes of human cognition (miyake et al., 2000). it is a hierarchical construct encompassing several distinct but interrelated components including the ability to sustain attention, shift attention, think flexibly, inhibit responses, and hold and update goal-directed information in working memory (white et al., 2017). early reference to executive function can be found in the work of vygotsky (1896-1934). while vygotsky did not label it as executive function, he suggested that self-directed speech permits the organization and personal planning of children’s behaviour (vygotsky et al., 1994). this reference to self-directed speech was revisited by barkley (1997) in his work on executive function, decades later. a subsequent model of executive function was suggested by baddeley (1996), who theorized that the central executive drives working memory and allocates data to the visuospatial sketchpad, or the inner eye, and to the phonological loop, the part of working memory that manages language. this model suggests that the components of executive function operate relatively independently of each other. in 1997, russell barkley began to make strong associations between executive function and adhd. he eloquently labeled executive function as being “essential for the contemplation of the future juxtaposed against the here and now” (barkley, 2015, p. 429). at its foundation, barkley (1997) considered self-awareness to be the hub of the central executive, while inhibition was seen as the next most critical executive function, followed by nonverbal and verbal working memory. while our collective understanding of executive function may indicate an association to adhd, the literature reflects a variety of approaches in terms of how that association is made. barkley’s (1997) model, for example, began to establish adhd as a disorder of executive function. in contrast to barkley’s model, brown (2006) established that some, but not all, of those who meet the criteria for adhd diagnosis are impacted by an executive function deficit. willcutt et al., (2005) and pennington and ozonoff (1996) agreed that there is a strong association between executive function and adhd however they concluded that the lack of universality of executive function deficits among individuals with adhd suggests that difficulty with executive function is likely one component of adhd neuropsychology but not sufficient enough to be the basis of the diagnosis. while the literature has not conclusively determined that executive function deficit is invariably interconnected with adhd, there is a clear indication that a strong association between the two is often present. approaches to reading comprehension an examination of reading comprehension presents opportunities to combine aspects of the reading process with executive function and reveals how executive function deficit impacts one’s ability to understand written text. in general, reading comprehension refers to the construction of a mental representation of written text (butterfuss & kendeou, 2018). in much the slipp emerging perspectives (2021) 20 same way that the understanding of executive function has matured, perspectives related to reading comprehension have also progressed over time. however, since most reading comprehension models were proposed in the 1980s, before the link between executive function and reading had been established, and despite advances in comprehension literature, reading comprehension models have not been further developed (butterfuss & kendeou, 2018). this presents an opportunity for the refinement of our understanding of reading comprehension, especially given the critical importance of executive function. a suitable entry point into understanding the process of reading comprehension is through the simple view of reading (gough & tumner, 1986). the simple view consists of two components: decoding and linguistic comprehension. it establishes that skill in reading can simply be characterized as the product of skill in these two domains. several relevant implications surface with this model. one implication is that reading difficulties encountered by individuals who adequately comprehend language must stem from a deficiency in decoding skill. similarly, for an individual with adequate decoding skills, the limit on reading is a deficiency with linguistic comprehension (gough & tumner, 1986). the simple view of reading establishes that the overall education of individuals must be considered while working to enhance reading ability among students because as understanding develops, linguistic comprehension also likely expands, regardless of whether one is involved in reading or listening. while the simple view of reading has had significant impact on the pedagogy of reading comprehension, it is not without its controversy. concannon-gibney and murphy (2010) identified the need for a less simple view of reading in order to recognize the importance of cognitive flexibility, metacognition, and explicit comprehension strategy instruction. catts (2018) noted that although it was not the intent of its original authors, the simple view can easily be seen as a onedimensional construct, while in reality it is a complex, multidimensional cognitive activity. despite the simplicity of its name, the simple view of reading presents an opportunity to synthesize the reading process with the complexities of executive function. taking further steps toward the integration of reading comprehension and executive function, duke and carlisle (2010) considered reading comprehension to be a process requiring the reader to analyze information in a number of different ways. they identified that as the reader constructs meaning from the text, it is not the memory of the specific clauses or sentences within the text that holds value, but rather the overall meaning made of the text. duke and carlisle’s (2010) model of reading comprehension, focused on making meaning, logically involves the flexibility of thought, strategic response, and manipulation of information involved in executive function. while it is not explicitly identified, their model presents opportunities to superimpose executive function onto the reading comprehension process. kendeou et al. (2014) proposed the cognitive view of reading which makes direct connections to executive function. they found that the process of comprehending written text requires the reader to execute a new and correct combination of cognitive processes with each new piece of information that is encountered. understanding where the cognitive processes may fail is integral to the work of supporting those who struggle with these comprehension processes (kendeou et al., 2014). this understanding is critical to the problem of practice identified in this literature review because it gives educators the opportunity to be reflective about what their students are missing from the cognitive process. higher-level processes, such as inference making and executive function, are integral in reading comprehension. individuals who struggle with these processes have difficulty identifying semantic connections within the text, identifying the important or main ideas in text, and monitoring their comprehension (kendeou et al., 2014). slipp emerging perspectives (2021) 21 the strong association between reading comprehension and executive function among students with sld-r was established in research by cutting et al. (2009). they found that students who struggle with reading comprehension deficits showed prominent weaknesses in executive function. while the literature supports the association between a variety of reading comprehension models and executive function, the picture becomes more complex when we ask how executive function impacts reading comprehension. the impact of executive function on reading comprehension complex processes involved in successful reading comprehension demand effective use of executive function skills. this section includes a summary of how the interconnected relationship between executive function and reading comprehension is presented in extant literature. the degree to which executive function ability is predictive of reading comprehension ability is not clearly identified in the research. while an assessment of executive function may have limited value in predicting which individual students will respond to intensive reading interventions (miciak et al., 2019), there are clear associations to be made between both constructs. for example, relative to those with adhd and without sld-r, teachers report that those with adhd and sld-r exhibit more executive function difficulties (martinussen & mackenzie, 2015). despite the lack of clarity regarding predictability of reading comprehension difficulty based on executive function deficit, the literature indicates that there are several executive functions that impact reading comprehension. for example, shifting, which is defined as the ability to switch flexibly between tasks (follmer, 2018), was found to directly predict reading comprehension among university students (georgiou & das, 2018). further, among fourth grade students, both inhibitory control, the ability to suppress an automatic response in favor of a subdominant response (follmer, 2018), and shifting were directly associated with reading comprehension (kieffer et al., 2013). alternatively, working memory, the ability to manipulate information stored in memory for a short time (follmer, 2018), is seen to play an important role in building a coherent representation of what students with adhd have read (miller et al., 2013). in addition to shifting, inhibitory control, and working memory, the literature also indicates the importance of planning, the ability to sequence multistep tasks, prioritize information, and execute an organized response (follmer, 2018), within the reading comprehension process. among children aged 10-14, reading comprehension difficulties were linked to poor strategic planning and organization (locascio et al., 2010), and university students with specific deficits in reading comprehension performed significantly poorer than controls only with regards to planning (georgiou & das, 2016). while the literature supports the notion that reading comprehension models must consider the role of executive function, there appears to be a lack of consensus as to which functions are most impactful in the reading comprehension process. this lack of consensus is due, in part, to the fact that research studies tend to examine different combinations of executive functions, often leading to a comparison of dissimilar concepts. for example, one meta-analytic review of executive function and reading comprehension included inhibition, shifting, working memory, planning, and sustained attention (follmer, 2018). in contrast, georgiou and das (2018) assessed only inhibition, shifting, and working memory in their study, which examined if components of executive function predict reading comprehension in young adults. they determined that only shifting exerted a significant effect on reading comprehension. research by cartwright et al. (2017) aligned closely with that of georgiou and das (2018) as they also assessed inhibition, shifting, and working memory in their study, which slipp emerging perspectives (2021) 22 identified that teacher-delivered shifting intervention produced significant improvements in reading comprehension for students with difficulty in this area. even among studies by the same researchers, there is discrepancy about which executive functions are being investigated. in a study by georgiou and das (2018), planning and working memory were included in an examination of what components of executive function predict reading comprehension in young adults, while in their study two years earlier, only planning was seen to be a significant predictor of reading comprehension in students (georgiou & das, 2016). other research relating executive function to reading comprehension goes as far as to simply measure executive function generally, without specifying which component of executive function is relevant. for example, corso et al. (2016) discussed the value of general executive function as it relates to reading comprehension skills among students with low socioeconomic status. miyake and friedman (2012) entered into the discussion on the interplay among executive functions, concluding that executive function involves both the correlation of a unified underlying ability, as well as the separability or individualization of executive functions. miyake and friedman (2012) found that inhibition correlated nearly perfectly with the common executive function. this is important because until the literature shows alignment in terms of how executive functions are identified, it will be difficult, if not impossible, for researchers to form robust conclusions on the importance of individual executive functions. however, the findings of a study by altemeier et al. (2008) may help to identify such conclusions about individual executive functions. these authors have suggested that just as there are lower and higher level literacy skills, there are lower and higher level executive functions. this is supported by their conclusion that inhibition, shifting, and updating ability do not predict the higher-level skill of reading comprehension. rather they were more predictive of decoding ability, a lower-level literacy skill. verbal and visual working memory, planning and goal setting, monitoring, and inference making were considered to be higher-level executive function processes involved in reading comprehension (cutting et al., 2009; martinussen & mackenzie, 2015). further research into the higher order executive function skills and their relationship to higher order reading comprehension processes would help to focus the literature and provide more clarity on how best to support students. integration of executive function and reading comprehension current models of reading comprehension suggest that executive function plays an important role in the reading comprehension process. while processes related to decoding and understanding syntax are necessary in order for a reader to comprehend written text, these both involve lower level cognitive processes and are not as dependent on executive function (butterfuss & kendeou, 2018; potocki et al., 2017; spencer et al., 2014). with that in mind, it becomes clear that linguistic comprehension, a component within the simple view of reading which includes background knowledge, vocabulary knowledge, language structures, verbal reasoning, and literacy knowledge (gough & tumner, 1986), is driven by higher order executive function skills. the literature has confirmed that higher order executive function skills including verbal and visual working memory (kofler et al., 2018; miller et al., 2013; sesma et al., 2009), planning and goal setting (georgiou & das, 2016; locascio et al., 2010), and monitoring (dabarera et al., 2014) most significantly impact the higher order demands of the reading comprehension process (altemeier et al., 2008). for example, use of strategies, such as chunking a large, cognitively demanding text into smaller, more manageable sections and underlining the key details, may allow readers to reduce the load on their working memory and facilitate self-monitoring of comprehension while slipp emerging perspectives (2021) 23 working through the text. through instruction of strategies to facilitate reading comprehension based on differential executive function demands, students with sld-r and adhd may benefit. findings within the context of this literature review, these findings aim to suggest a new approach for reading comprehension instruction in light of the integration of reading comprehension and executive function. a new approach to reading comprehension instruction understanding where cognitive processes may fail is integral to the work of supporting those who struggle with reading comprehension (kendeou et al., 2014). this presents an excellent opportunity to revisit how reading comprehension is taught and how students are supported in developing their ability to comprehend written text. an extensive investigation into the most impactful executive functions provides the opportunity to elaborate on strategies and instructional approaches that could benefit students with sld-r and adhd and for whom executive function deficit is a concern. the following framework for reading comprehension instruction is suggested for use by teachers and those who are closely connected to literacy instruction. the framework is broken down by subheading as it relates to individual executive functions. the literature has indicated that students with adhd are generally inefficient strategy users and that they have difficulty identifying the correct strategies to use in specific situations (kofman et al., 2008). therefore, it is important to teach strategies systematically and explicitly, and support their use through scaffolding and collaborative practice (johnson & reid, 2011). another point of consideration is the purpose for reading. for example, in situations that require the reader to search for specific information in an expository text or in a web-based environment, executive functions are more heavily called upon (in particular, working memory, planning, and inhibition skills). in circumstances where students are required to read a narrative and answer questions about it, the demand on executive functions is less (potocki et al., 2017). this should be taken into consideration by teachers as they support their students in engaging in the appropriate strategies to build reading comprehension. further, being aware of the purpose of reading will provide students with guidance in terms of the types of strategies they might employ. potocki et al. (2017) found that working memory, planning, and inhibition are significantly predictive of performance on inferential questions of comprehension, but that these executive functions did not predict scores on the literal tasks of comprehension. verbal and visual working memory supporting working memory may be one of the most significant strategies in developing reading comprehension skills for students with adhd and sld-r. rather than taxing a weak working memory, students may annotate as they read. this annotation becomes a record of a student’s thoughts, what they are reminded of, what they agree and disagree with, what they find surprising, what they are curious about, and what they do not understand. this strategy is best used when the formatting of the text is adjusted so that it includes adequate space in the margins for students to record their thinking. recording keywords or drawing small sketches in the margins can be equally powerful. providing students with instruction around how to properly annotate as they read may be helpful in allowing them to visualize the information they are storing in mind slipp emerging perspectives (2021) 24 and then updating with new information. the strength in this approach is that it allows students to make their thinking visible. it helps them to clearly see the progression of the text and reveals a road map of sorts, indicating where they were and where they are going within the text. such visual and textual annotations serve as a reminder and reference for students as they reflect on what they have read and allows students to participate in planning and goal setting. planning and goal setting both butterfuss and kendeou (2018) and georgiou and das (2018) identified planning as being necessary for coordinating higher-level processes during reading. this would suggest that explicit instruction related to planning should be included in reading comprehension instruction, especially for students who are involved in understanding expository text. engaging in strategies to support students with planning and goal setting involves reflecting on, discussing, and recording how a text fits into the bigger context. this could be framed by asking what the text adds to the conversation, the class or the larger society, how the text might impact the reader, and how we might benefit from the text. guiding students to understand and consider the author’s purpose helps students to see the progression and development of the text and leads to better comprehension. introducing strategies that help support planning might also involve the mapping of main ideas within an expository text. understanding the big picture within a complicated set of details requires that the reader has a good sense of how the text is planned and organized (georgiou & das, 2018; locascio et al., 2010). graphic organizers or colour coded annotative notes could be considered as such strategies. explicit instruction related to story mapping of narrative text may also reinforce higher-order planning functions for students. monitoring providing students with opportunities to reflect on how well they have engaged their executive function skills during the reading process allows them to identify their areas of growth and strength. this strategy assumes that students are aware of the executive functions they should be using during reading, which reflects the importance of providing explicit instruction in this regard. engaging students in understanding what executive functions are and how they serve reading comprehension gives students agency in their learning. providing opportunities for them to reflect on their abilities to use or support their executive function skills is critical to the development of their independence. opportunities for future research related to this framework include a quantitative study assessing the effectiveness of the strategies highlighted here. additionally, it would be beneficial to differentiate this framework to better support executive function skills for students in the primary years. the strength in this framework is that it highlights the executive functions that are considered most fundamental to the reading comprehension process. it invites educators to engage in discussions with their students about what executive functions are and their role in the reading process, provides students with an opportunity to engage in reflective thinking on their personal use of executive functions during reading, and supports the use of valuable strategies to support reading comprehension across a variety of texts. slipp emerging perspectives (2021) 25 discussion several conclusions can be formed based on the synthesis of literature relating to executive function and reading comprehension ability among students with adhd and comorbid sld-r. it was evident from this review of studies that there is a strong association between executive function ability and reading comprehension and that this association is particularly relevant for students with adhd and comorbid sld-r for whom executive function is impacted. this section will identify gaps in the current literature related to executive function and reading comprehension by first investigating the misalignment in terms of which executive functions are assessed within the literature. it will then consider the accuracy and lack of consistency in executive function measurement. reading comprehension models such as the simple view of reading (gough & tumner, 1986) and the cognitive view of reading (kendeou et al., 2014) both recognize the role of executive function in skilled reading. in addition to complexities with task-impurity and the measurement of executive function, which executive functions are assessed in reading comprehension and how functions of the executive are defined can also be inconsistent. research showing a strong correlation between adhd and difficulties with executive function, coupled with the high rates of adhd and sld-r, makes it clear that reading comprehension instruction that is not rooted in executive function support fails to address the learning needs of these students. given that students with adhd and sld-r are more likely to be faced with low academic achievement, low selfesteem, and are less likely to complete high-school than typical learners (apa, 2010), it is important that teachers have a strong understanding of where the disconnect lies for their students, especially in terms of helping them to understand written text. targeting executive function development and support within reading comprehension instruction is critical to addressing that disconnect. there exists a lack of agreement among researchers regarding the skills that are referred to when considering executive function. this may explain the variation in executive functions chosen by researchers for assessment. for example, generally speaking, there is agreement that working memory is a critical executive function, but deeper examination into whether verbal or non-verbal working memory is being evaluated may change the dynamics of the research. this could be a critical distinction to make because the cognitive demands involved in each are profoundly different (barkley, 2015). while our understanding of executive functions and their role in the learning process is relatively well developed, consensus in this regard does not exist. altemeier et al.’s (2008) findings that inhibition, shifting, and updating ability do not predict reading comprehension ability, but rather were more predictive of decoding ability, was pivotal in this review. higher level executive functions such as verbal and visual working memory, planning and goal setting, monitoring, and inference making were considered to be most influential to reading comprehension, itself a higher order process (cutting et al., 2009; martinussen & mackenzie, 2015). therefore, these executive functions formed the foundation of a proposed pedagogical framework for reading comprehension. additionally, it is important to consider the controversy surrounding how executive functions are best measured. miyake et al. (2000) described the task-impurity problem associated with the measurement of executive functions. they found that in order to assess a target executive function, that function must be embedded within a specific task. this means that other nonexecutive function processes associated with that specific task would also be assessed and the results would not be purely reflective of the targeted executive function (miyake et al., 2000). slipp emerging perspectives (2021) 26 barkley (2015) shared similar concerns, stating that rating scales in executive function are superior to this type of neuropsychological testing because it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to truly isolate executive functions. despite this, ratings scales are seldom used in evaluating executive functions (barkley, 2015). cirino et al. (2017) agreed, in part, with this lack of consensus. their research sought to evaluate the extent to which instruction that emphasized executive function would result in increased reading comprehension ability among students. results of this research found that the correlations between executive function centered instruction and reading comprehension ability were weak, but their conclusion echoed the thought that more sensitive measurement of executive function would allow for more in-depth examination of the topic. thus, the literature shows that clearly understanding the importance of executive function within the context of reading comprehension will be controversial as long as executive function measurement lacks consistency. the findings of this literature review are intended to serve teachers as they design reading comprehension instruction for students with adhd and sld-r. acknowledging the critical role of executive functions in the reading comprehension process and designing instruction to highlight those functions and their purpose allows teachers to engage with their students in the most meaningful of ways. the framework provided within this literature review is proposed to achieve this outcome. further, recognizing why this work is important is the critical first step to supporting students with comorbid adhd and sld-r. however, beyond that, consistently identifying and defining executive functions within the literature and resolving concern surrounding how executive functions are assessed will be important as we move forward. when considering limitations to the literature review process, one might recognize that from a pedagogical standpoint, reading comprehension has long been a topic that garners significant attention and therefore there exists a wealth of research on the topic. while a large volume of academic resources could be viewed as an asset within a literature review, it does present a limitation to the research. the wealth of literature related to reading comprehension demanded that the methodology for this literature review include specific and fixed data bases and search terms. however, there is an acknowledgement that the literature included within this review represents a cross section of what exists in the broader context. conclusion the literature indicates a clear need for executive function support to be integrated into reading comprehension instruction for students with comorbid adhd and sld-r. providing educators with a framework for reading comprehension instruction which includes mindful and targeted support for higher level executive function processes like verbal and visual working memory, planning and goal setting, and monitoring addresses remediation needs for students with adhd. this approach is reflective of kendeou et al.’s (2014) observation that reading comprehension remediation is most effective when it is designed with a solid understanding of the possible sources of failure. while the literature clearly indicates a strong association between executive function skill and reading comprehension (follmer, 2018; kieffer et al., 2013; locascio et al., 2010), a lack of common definitions, effective measurement tools, and alignment in terms of which executive functions are most critical to the reading comprehension process, indicate clear avenues for future research. currently, it seems that this area of study is lacking common parameters. once those parameters are in place, it may be possible to add to the research from a neurobiological slipp emerging perspectives (2021) 27 perspective. this may be powerful as we look to build stronger foundations in the exploration of executive functions especially as they pertain to reading comprehension. references altemeier, l. e., abbott, r. d., & berninger, v. w. 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(2005). validity of the executive function theory of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a meta analytic review. biological psychiatry, 57(11), 1336-1346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.02.006 insider-outsider adult learners: culture and the meaning-making of belonging in graduate education​.docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca insider-outsider adult learners: culture and the meaning-making of belonging in graduate education caitlin mcclurg1,2* 1. libraries and cultural resources, university of calgary, canada 2. doctor of education student (adult learning), werklund school of education, faculty of graduate studies, university of calgary, canada with competing interests on time and resources, adult learners in formal education often hold “both-and” identity constructs when describing themselves as students, especially considering the multiplicity of their lives in the workplace, and at home. drawing on concepts and discourses related to bourdieu’s habitus, field, and culture, this presentation will engage in a reflexive discussion that considers positionality and belonging. belonging is a personal journey of feeling like an outsider, insider, both-and simultaneously. this paper invites readers to consider their positionality as both insiders and outsiders, as well as their sense of belonging in academia. this conference paper reflects the content of the july 2024 tapestries of learning oral conference presentation and is part of the tapestries of learning conference proceedings. key words: adult learning, graduate education, bourdieu, belonging mcclurg, c. (2025). insider-outsider adult learners: culture and the meaning-making of belonging in graduate education . epigrep. *csmcclur@ucalgary.ca http://ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca mailto:csmcclur@ucalgary.ca mcclurg / emerging perspectives (2025) 2 introduction this presentation explores graduate education through the lens of french sociologist pierre bourdieu’s notions of habitus and field, which lead to an examination of positionality, cultural norms, and belonging, as well as the scholarly habitus and scholarly capital of graduate students in higher education. bourdieu’s habitus & field graduate school has a particular sociocultural history. the notion of belonging as a graduate student can be considered through the frame of sociologist pierre bourdieu’s (2020) concepts of habitus, field, and capital. the field “designates the rules that govern the working of a social space, the rules of the game” (bourdieu, 2020, p. 26) whereas habitus, a product of history (experiences, dispositions, learning etc.), holds the structures of socialization and thus agents (players of the game) will know the doxa (rules) of a particular game having been part of that game (wien & dorch, 2018). as such, graduate students engage in a field of study with distinct cultural norms and scholarly traditions. positionality becoming curious about yourself as a graduate student helps identify relational opportunities with the people, places, and expectations in a graduate program of study. most people do not have a singular life focus, having a multitude of hobbies, responsibilities and experiences. for students in graduate school, deadlines for school may coincide with deadlines and deliverables at work. time spent reading articles for a literature review competes with time spent reading for pleasure or reading to children in the family. each of these aspects ebbs and flows, taking precedence at any given time in my day, week, or month. as such, positionality in educational praxis allows for the deconstruction of a singular truth (de los rios & patel, 2023). life experience is also shaped by race, gender, class, ability and other identities like sexuality and profession. many students are the first in their family to pursue doctoral education and the first in their family to work in academia. positionality can help create a frame of reference informing barriers and facilitators to feeling part of the graduate school community. scholarly habitus per bourdesian theory, the habitus defines relational conditions, which includes how identity is “defined and affirmed through difference” (flecha, gómez & puigvert, 2001). graduate education is distinct from undergraduate education, and there are many forms that it can take, such as master's programs, doctor of philosophy mcclurg / emerging perspectives (2025) 3 programs, and professional doctorate programs like the doctor of education, or doctor of business administration. while many programs begin with a brief orientation to the program, including deadlines and deliverables, becoming a graduate student at a higher educational institution is a process. authors mccoy and winkle-wagner (2015) wrote about the concept of early and intensive socialization for incoming graduate students to develop scholarly habitus, or the perspectives, dispositions, and identities as emerging scholars. in their work, they highlight racial disparities, noting that black students earned only 4.1% of the doctoral degrees in humanities awarded by american universities in 2010 (mccoy & winkle-wagner, 2015). in the studies’ summer bridge program, rather than pushing scholarship onto participants, incoming students were encouraged to take an active role in identifying and embodying their positionality (experience with research, cultural background, and scholarly interests) while also inviting them into the rigorous world of academic by fostering skill building with research, reading and writing skills. in the werklund school of education (university of calgary) master's and doctoral programs, many specialization streams include summer intensives, where coursework is presented in-person in an accelerated, intensive way. summer intensives are immersive experiences, with graduate students engaging in core program courses, with typical assessment involving student attendance, participation (discussion, posting, readings), presentations and writing that you would expect in a typical semester-long class. cultural norms of graduate education in graduate school, students enter fields of study and learn about the cultural norms unique to the scholarly traditions, methods and approaches to teaching, learning, and engagement with the graduate school process. gelfand and jackson (2016) identify that in the field of cross-cultural psychology, there are injunctive norms (what people are expected to do in their society) and descriptive norms (what people actually do in their society). take, for example, the potential similarities and differences in experiences and expectations for a doctoral student in geology and a doctoral student in curriculum studies in k-12 education. what does field work look like? what does the program structure look like? are doctoral studies in these respective fields highly collaborative? or highly independent? what are the cultural norms and scholarly traditions of your field? belonging in learning the behaviours, rules, culture and guidelines of a social group, individuals can feel integrated or remain on the periphery. without this socialized understanding, individuals do not fit (gardner, 2008). by situating oneself in the mcclurg / emerging perspectives (2025) 4 scholarly conversation of the field, the social networking of the cohort, and the culture of academia, graduate students engage in processes of both isolation and belonging. thus, socialization is essential for learning cultural norms in a society that one participates in. the scholarly literature identifies groups of graduate students who relate to feelings of belonging, such as women, first-generation students, international students, underrepresented students in their field, and distance students (carvalho et al., 2018; fisher et al., 2019; zhang et al., 2022). this is aptly described in o’shea’s 2021 article, in which she explains how bourdieu describes the social sorting that occurs in higher education, where students are selected and, importantly, reproduced according to academic classification. when students do not feel they belong in their university or graduate program, habitus dislocation, or the abrupt fissure between the old and newly developing habitus, may occur (o’shea, 2021). social capital many of werklund’s graduate programs are remotely delivered and “community social capital is defined as the quality and quantity of the social relations embedded within the community norms of interaction” (sheingold et al., 2013, p. 265) . bridging and bonding activities occur on official and non-official forms of virtual interactions (heidari et al., 2023). bridging connections are interactions amongst peers that make one feel like part of the university (discussion posts, zoom calls, student leadership, sharing resources, group chats) , whereas bonding activities facilitate trust amongst a peer group. who can you trust with your setbacks and successes? who can you ask for help? sheingold et al. (2013) suggest that staff and faculty dedicate international strategies to facilitate connectedness, cooperation, mutual understanding, trust, and the networking necessary to building community in distance education graduate student. for students attending university, whether undergraduate or graduate, who are the first in their family, there can be an overall sense of social awkwardness, as unfamiliarity with the structure and traditions of higher education can be isolating (lehmann, 2007). thus, relationality is essential for belonging, including forming friendships, maintaining a productive relationship with one’s advisor or supervisor, and engaging in professional development networking. conclusions bourdieu’s habitus and field theory provides a sociological perspective for framing the conversation around belonging in graduate education. fields have disciplinary norms, as does graduate education processes , and students engage in scholarly habitus and social capital to either distance or bridge and bond with their university program. mcclurg / emerging perspectives (2025) 5 faculty and staff are encouraged to make active and sustained efforts to foster positive relationships within graduate program cohorts, both in-person and for distance education (virtual) experiences. students are encouraged to articulate their positionality to learn where they can contribute and where there are opportunities to network and learn. mcclurg / emerging perspectives (2025) 6 references bourdieu, p. (2020). habitus and field: general sociology, volume 2: lectures at the collège de france (1982-1983) (p. champagne, j. duval, f. poupeau, & m.-c. rivière, eds.; p. collier, trans.). polity. carvalho, l., freeman, c. g., kearney, a., mentis, m., & martinez-maldonado, r. (2018). spaces of inclusion and belonging: the learning imaginaries of doctoral students in a multi-campus and distance university. australasian journal of educational technology, 34(6), 41-52. de los rios, c., & patel, l. (2023). positions, positionality, and relationality in educational research. international journal of qualitative studies in education, 1–12. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/10.1080/09518398.2023.2268036 fisher, a. j., mendoza-denton, r., patt, c., young, i., eppig, a., garrell, r. l., ... & richards, m. a. (2019). structure and belonging: pathways to success for underrepresented minority and women phd students in stem fields. plos one, 14(1), e0209279. flecha, r., gómez, j., puigveret, l. (2001). chater 5: constructivist structuralism; habitus. counterpoints, 250, 36-39. gardner, s. k. (2008). fitting the mold of graduate school: a qualitative study of socialization in doctoral education. innovative higher education, 33, 125–138. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-008-9068-x gelfand, m. j., & jackson, j. c. (2016). from one mind to many: the emerging science of cultural norms. current opinion in psychology, 8, 175–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.11.002 heidari, e., salhimi, g., & mehrvarz, m. (2023). the influence of online social networks and online social capital on constructing a new graduate students’ professional identity. interactive learning environments, 31(1), 214–231. lehmann, w (2007). "i just didn't feel like i fit in": the role of habitus in university dropout decisions. canadian journal of higher education, 37(2), 89-110. mccoy, d. l., & winkler-wagner, r. (2015). bridging the divide: developing a scholarly habitus for aspiring graduate students through summer bridge programs participation. journal of college student development, 56(5), 423–439. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2015.0054 mcclurg / emerging perspectives (2025) 7 o’shea, s. (2021). "kids from here don't go to uni": considering first in family students' belonging and entitlement within the field of higher education in australia. european journal of education. 56, 65-77. 10.1111/ejed.12434. sheingold, b. h., hahn, j. a., & hofmeyer, a. (2013). hiding in plain sight: building community social capital in distance education graduate programs. contemporary issues in education research, 6(2), 265–272. wien, c. n., & dorch, b. f. (2018). applying bourdieu’s field theory to analyze the changing status of the research librarian. liber quarterly, 28(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.18352/lq.10236 zhang, s., li, c., & unger, d. (2022). international doctoral students’ sense of belonging, mental toughness, and psychological well-being. journal of comparative & international higher education, 14(2), 138-151. revised version, sajedeh.docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca systemic ecologies of heritage language maintenance in immigrant families sajedeh sadat hosseini* university of calgary this paper explores how immigrant families use digital technologies to support heritage language (hl) maintenance within an ecological systems perspective. guided by bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and the family language policy (flp) model, it examines how families engage with and navigate affordances for hl practices across different layers of their lives, from home routines and community interactions to digital networks and broader sociopolitical structures. immigrant families show remarkable resilience and creativity in adapting and mobilizing these tools, but sustainable hl maintenance requires more than individual family effort; it requires systemic change through inclusive policies, equitable access, and culturally responsive digital resources. key words: heritage language maintenance, ecological systems theory, digital technology, family language policy hosseini, s. s. (2025). systemic ecologies of heritage language maintenance in immigrant families. emerging perspectives. *sajedehsadat.hossein@ucalgary.ca hosseini/ emerging perspectives (2025) 2 introduction language acquisition and maintenance are not isolated or purely cognitive processes; rather, they unfold within dynamic, interdependent ecological systems encompassing physical, social, cultural, political, and increasingly, technological dimensions (bronfenbrenner, 1979; van lier, 2004). for immigrant families raising children in host societies where heritage languages (hls) often occupy a marginalized position, these interrelated systems shape the everyday realities of language development, maintenance, and intergenerational transmission (curdt-christiansen, 2016). in the frequent absence of strong and formal institutional support for hls, immigrant families show remarkable resilience as they create their own pathways to sustain their children’s linguistic and cultural continuity (king et al., 2008; curdt-christiansen & la morgia, 2018). one of the most transformative developments in recent years is the growing use of digital technologies. these spaces are not just tools for communication; they are translocal social and cultural spaces where family ties, cultural values, language practices, and even beliefs about language are shaped, challenged, and reimagined (kelly-holmes, 2024; hatoss et al., 2024). within the ecological perspective, the concept of affordances helps explain how families engage with these technologies. affordances refer to the opportunities for learning and interaction that emerge through the relationship between individuals and their environments (van lier, 2004). they are not fixed features of digital tools or inherent capabilities of users; rather, they arise from how families interpret and use what digital tools offer (van lier, 2004). in the context of hl maintenance, digital affordances become visible when immigrant families creatively and meaningfully draw on technology to support their children’s hl use and cultural identity (liu, 2021). to better understand how digital tools mediate hl development within immigrant families, this review draws on two complementary perspectives: bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory (1979), which conceptualizes human development as unfolding across nested, interacting systems, from immediate home environments to broader societal structures, and the family language policy (flp) framework (spolsky, 2004; curdt-christiansen, 2016), which highlights how language ideologies, management strategies, and daily practices operate within families under both internal and external dynamics. together, these perspectives provide a way to explore how immigrant families, through agency, resilience, and a sense of ownership (mora, 2014), engage with the digital world to support their hl continuity. more specifically, this review draws on current research to examine how digital technologies function across four ecological levels—microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem—highlighting the layered challenges and opportunities immigrant families face in nurturing their children’s hl development (piller, 2016; curdt-christiansen, 2016). 1. microsystem in bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory, the microsystem represents the closest layer to an individual, encompassing the immediate environments where daily interactions occur, most notably the home, and increasingly, the digital space embedded within it. in immigrant families, these settings are where hl practices are lived and experienced more often through everyday routines rather than formal instruction (spolsky, 2004; curdt-christiansen, 2016). these daily moments are where families put their language beliefs and goals into practice in subtle, meaningful ways. hosseini/ emerging perspectives (2025) 3 within this context, digital affordances emerge from families’ active engagement with technology (van lier, 2004; little, 2019). communication tools such as whatsapp, facetime, and telegram enable both synchronous and asynchronous interactions with extended family members abroad, embedding hl use into daily routines such as greetings, storytelling, and advice-seeking. asynchronous features, such as voice notes, allow for repeated exposure to hl input, offering additional opportunities for exposure and meaningful use beyond immediate conversational contexts (curdt-christiansen, 2013). these exchanges are often pragmatic and emotionally charged, contributing to both the child’s linguistic development and emotional well-being. entertainment also plays an important role. hl cartoons, family shows, and music videos accessed through streaming platforms normalize hl use while making it enjoyable. these moments are not only fun but can also be linguistically rich, offering vocabulary, rhythm, and expressions in context (little, 2019; makarova & xiang, 2024). reading apps and audio stories can become part of routines like bedtime, offering repeated exposure to hl (pagé & noels, 2024). even video games, if available in hls, can open space for cousins and friends abroad to play and speak the language naturally (gee, 2004). altogether, these daily digital engagements make the hl more visible and usable in ways that are sustainable and grounded in real life. they reflect the practice dimension of flp (spolsky, 2004; curdt-christiansen, 2016), where language development is embedded in the flow of everyday life. such family-initiated moments transform digital technologies into relational and affective learning spaces (hatoss et al., 2024) which strengthen the child’s connection to their hl and identity. still, these practices do not happen in a vacuum. families’ ability to draw on digital tools for hl support depends on broader factors, such as access to hl resources, community networks, and how society views minority languages (curdt-christiansen, 2018). the microsystem is where hl maintenance begins, but it is shaped by, and connected to, wider layers of the ecological system. 2. mesosystem the mesosystem refers to the interconnections between individuals’ immediate environments, such as home, community, school, and digital spaces. for immigrant families, this layer plays a key role in shaping how hl exposure is managed and how hl practices extend beyond the household (curdt-christiansen, 2016). it is within these intersecting spaces that parents often take on the role of gatekeepers, making intentional choices to guide their children’s language use across different contexts to maximize hl affordances. one way families support hl maintenance is by curating or creating digital content that reflects their language and culture. whether it’s sharing community news, posting storytelling videos, or circulating announcements for cultural or religious events, these practices help bridge home language use with broader ethnolinguistic networks (liu, 2021). in doing so, families expand the reach of hl beyond the private space of the home, creating a sense of belonging and continuity in digital communities. parents also play a hands-on role in guiding and regulating their children’s digital engagement. many seek out apps, websites, or media that support hl learning, whether explicitly educational or more informal, like music or cartoons (little, 2019; liu, 2021). these curated affordances (georgakopoulou, 2021) are not accidental; they are deliberate efforts to make hl exposure both accessible and desirable. hatoss et al. (2024) describe these efforts as hosseini/ emerging perspectives (2025) 4 part of family digital ecologies, where home values, media choices, and learning come together to create rich spaces for hl use and development. importantly, these affordances are not neutral and are often filtered through the family’s ideologies. families are often negotiating against a backdrop of dominant-language content, especially english, that is constantly reinforced by biased platform algorithms and broader ideologies (kelly-holmes, 2024). in doing so, they assert control over their child’s digital environment by making decisions that reflect their beliefs about language, culture, and identity (curdt-christiansen, 2016). affordances in the mesosystem are fluid and subject to change. as children grow, gain digital autonomy, and expand their online engagement, parents find themselves re-evaluating and renegotiating these affordances. this requires flexibility, digital literacy, and ongoing reflection about what hl exposure looks like in a changing world (king et al., 2008; curdt-christiansen, 2018). in this way, the management dimension of flp (spolsky, 2004) emerges as a dynamic and relational process that positions families not merely as consumers of hl digital content, but as planners and educators who co-construct linguistic spaces through affective, agentive, and multimodal practices (hatoss et al., 2024). they are not just reacting to external forces, but actively creating the conditions in which hl can be nurtured. 3. exosystem in bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological model, the exosystem includes settings that individuals, in this case immigrant children, do not directly participate in but still influence their everyday experiences in meaningful ways. in the context of hl maintenance, exosystems can include digital spaces like diaspora networks, parenting forums, and multilingual family groups. although parents may not control these spaces, they engage with them regularly, which offers powerful affordances for ideological support, resource sharing, and community building (curdt-christiansen, 2016; king et al., 2008). participation in these digital communities gives families access to collective knowledge about hl maintenance strategies, culturally sustaining practices, and educational resources. through dialogue and shared stories, parents negotiate or affirm their language ideologies and management strategies, and deal with the deficit-based narratives often reinforced by dominant discourses (curdt-christiansen, 2016; piller, 2016). these digital spaces help families co-construct shared narratives about language, identity, and belonging, therefore, hl maintenance becomes a collective effort tied to collective resilience, cultural pride, and even resistance to assimilation (may, 2012). here, the ideology dimension of flp (spolsky, 2004) takes shape not just within individual households but through broader networks of social support and shared understanding. at the same time, these affordances are not equally available to everyone. families with stronger digital skills, more linguistic capital, or socioeconomic resources are often better positioned to benefit from these communities (piller, 2016). therefore, while digital communities offer significant potential for ideological support, practical resources, and a sense of empowerment, they can also reflect and reproduce the same social inequalities that exist offline. 4. macrosystem hosseini/ emerging perspectives (2025) 5 the outermost layer in bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological model, the macrosystem, encompasses broad ideologies, socioeconomic structures, and policy frameworks that shape all other layers of development. in the context of hl maintenance in immigrant families, the macrosystem sets the overarching conditions under which digital affordances are accessed and experienced. in today’s digital world, these macrosystemic forces manifest through platform algorithms, advertising models, and global media flows that consistently prioritize dominant languages while marginalizing minority ones (makarova & xiang, 2024; piller, 2016). even as they are praised for linguistic diversity, digital technologies often operate within commercial ecosystems that privilege dominant-language content (may, 2012). as a result, immigrant families often struggle to find meaningful and accessible hl content or see their language practices authentically represented in digital spaces. these patterns are reinforced by national education and media discourses that often frame hls as private or cultural extras rather than public resources, leaving families who prioritize them feeling marginalized or questioned about the practicality of their efforts (piller, 2016; may, 2012). such framings can shape how families perceive their language goals; whether they feel empowered, discouraged, or somewhere in between (curdt-christiansen, 2016). from an flp perspective, the macrosystem reveals that hl maintenance is not merely a matter of personal choice or access to tools but is shaped by broader forces (spolsky, 2004; curdt-christiansen, 2018) that influence which languages are seen as legitimate, valuable, or worth maintaining. families may be doing creative and meaningful work across the micro-, meso-, and exosystems, but without changes at the macrosystemic level, like inclusive language policies, equitable platform design, and more supportive public narratives, those efforts can remain fragmented and unequal. as hatoss et al. (2024) point out, supporting hls in digital, translocal contexts requires a shift in how we think about language planning. it’s not just about preserving hls, it’s about creating inclusive and flexible spaces where youth, families, and communities can engage with language in ways that reflect their needs and identities. conclusion hl maintenance in immigrant populations is not merely a private or individual task; it is an ecological process shaped by daily routines, community dynamics, digital participation, and broader sociopolitical forces (van lier, 2004; piller, 2016; curdt-christiansen, 2016; hatoss et al., 2024). immigrant families are not passive recipients of external pressures; they are active agents who thoughtfully and resourcefully shape their children’s linguistic environments. these efforts deserve recognition not only within families and communities but also in wider conversations on language policy, educational practice, and digital innovation. while much attention has been paid to how macrosystemic forces influence flps, the flow in the other direction is equally critical. everyday hl practices, often overlooked, can offer valuable insights that should inform the development of more inclusive and responsive resources, technologies, and policies. macrosystems must not only shape family practices but also learn from them. recognizing this reciprocal, non-hierarchical relationship is essential for building systems that genuinely support and empower immigrant populations. hosseini/ emerging perspectives (2025) 6 references bronfenbrenner, u. 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(2024). family language policy retention across generations: childhood language policies, multilingualism experiences, and future language policies in multilingual emerging canadian adults. frontiers in psychology, 15, article 1394027. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1394027 piller, i. (2016). linguistic diversity and social justice: an introduction to applied sociolinguistics. oxford university press. spolsky, b. (2004). language policy. cambridge university press. van lier, l. (2004). the ecology and semiotics of language learning: a sociocultural perspective. springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-7912-5 https://doi.org/10.19053/2011835x.3695 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1394027 https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-7912-5 microsoft word sleilaty (2022) vol. 6(1) epigrep layout.docx 1juliette.sleilaty@ucalgary.ca emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca the impacts of a regular mindfulness practice on teachers: a critical review julie sleilaty1 1 werklund school of education, university of calgary, canada teaching can be a highly stressful profession and educators have become increasingly concerned about their mental health and well-being since the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic. recently, mindfulness has emerged in the literature as an effective intervention to alleviate educators’ stress levels and improve psychological difficulties. the purpose of this literature review was to examine the impacts of a regular mindfulness practice on educators. i synthesized 40 peer-reviewed studies that were published between 2010 and 2021 and included a sample of working k-12 educators. the most significant and consistent effects of a regular mindfulness practice were reported on educators’ overall well-being on psychological measures of stress, anxiety, and depression, and on physical health outcomes. findings also indicated strong effects on educators’ emotion-regulation and levels of self-compassion. this review concludes by offering specific recommendations for teachers and other school-based personnel who are interested in cultivating a personal mindfulness practice. keywords: mindfulness, well-being, social and emotional competencies, emotion-regulation, prosocial values sleilaty, j. (2022). the impacts of a regular mindfulness practice on teachers: a critical review. emerging perspectives, 6(1). 32-49. within education, an emphasis on promoting the emotional and mental well-being of students has become an issue at the forefront for policy makers, school administrators, educators, and parents. while schools are an ideal setting for supporting the mental health of children and adolescents, on the frontline of the education system are teachers, whose wellness is often overlooked as a critical contributor to the mental, social, emotional, and academic well-being of the students in their classroom (beshai et al., 2016). teaching has long been considered one of the most demanding of the helping professions (lomas et al., 2017), and perhaps, more so than ever before, educators and other school personnel are faced with unprecedented occupational sleilaty – emerging perspectives (2022) 34 challenges and demands resulting from the current covid-19 pandemic. in a recent teacher mental health check-in survey conducted by the canadian teachers’ federation (ctf/fce, 2020), 69% of respondents indicated that they are increasingly worried about their personal mental health, well-being, and ability to cope with heavy workloads. additionally, teachers reported increased levels of unhappiness and frustration with their work conditions and environment. although these findings are not surprising given the present circumstances, there remains a lack of policies, supports, funds, and resources in place to adequately meet the emotional and mental health needs of teachers. to address this problem, mindfulness has emerged within educational settings as an effective tool for promoting social and emotional well-being, reducing psychological distress, and improving self-regulation skills among students and educators (renshaw & cook, 2017). the most cited definition of mindfulness in the literature is by kabat-zinn (2003), who describes it as “the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment” (p. 145). an alternative, more operational definition was proposed by bishop et al. (2004) who outlined a two-component mindfulness framework that includes “the self-regulation of attention so that it is maintained on immediate experience … [and] adopting a particular orientation towards one’s experiences in the present moment … characterized by curiosity, openness, and acceptance” (p. 232). both definitions, with their focus on present moment awareness, acceptance of experiences, and attention regulation, set the foundation for this review. drawing on the key principles of the interpretivist research paradigm, with its emphasis on knowledge as a social construct and understood in the context within which it occurs (kivunja & kuyini, 2017), the purpose of this traditional literature review is to examine the impact of mindfulness on outcomes related to educators, to extend and interpret the existing body of research, and to make recommendations for future practice. this review was guided by the following question: what are the effects of a regular mindfulness practice on teachers? given the ongoing need for readily accessible mental health supports for educators and the growing literature on mindfulness in education, i felt that this was a timely issue that warranted further exploration. i approached this research through the lens of both an educator and a mindfulness practitioner. i began practicing mindfulness regularly to cope with symptoms related to panic and anxiety and i have since implemented mindfulness techniques with my second-grade students. my personal context has certainly influenced my research choice; however, i took a critical approach to examining the literature selected for this paper. this review begins by acknowledging the origin of the term mindfulness, outlines a theoretical framework, and provides a brief commentary on mindfulness-based interventions in current educational settings. this is followed by an examination of the effects of a regular mindfulness practice on teachers. i further aim to address a gap in the literature by providing recommendations for educators who are interested in cultivating a personal mindfulness practice. theoretical framework rooted in early buddhist traditions, mindfulness originated from the pali language word “sati,” translating literally as “to remember”, although it more commonly signifies a state of conscious awareness and attention (brown et al., 2007). mindfulness is inherently a way of being that encompasses the following three elements: intention, understanding the goal for engaging in the practice; attention, focusing fully on the present moment; and attitude, the quality of one’s sleilaty – emerging perspectives (2022) 35 attention during practice (shapiro et al., 2016). contrary to common assumption, the goal of engaging in a mindful practice is not to empty the mind of thoughts, but to learn to observe our thoughts as they arise. mindfulness practices can be categorized as either formal or informal, and both practices are essential for supporting the other (shapiro et al., 2016). formal practices, such as focused breathing, body scan exercises, mindful meditation, yoga, and gratitude practices are intentional and involve the deliberate training of attention, while purposefully noticing and accepting thoughts, feelings, and emotions as they occur. informal practices involve integrating mindful awareness into everyday life activities and routines. regularly engaging in both formal and informal practices enhances the mindfulness capacities of practitioners. levels of individual mindfulness tend to vary and can be considered both a state and a trait (kiken et al., 2015). state mindfulness refers to the state of awareness that occurs during formal practice, while trait mindfulness describes the relatively stable and intrinsic dispositional changes that occur with consistent practice (kiken et al., 2015; wheeler et al., 2017). those who exhibit trait, or dispositional mindfulness, inhabit mindful characteristics beyond the scope of formal practice and can skillfully weave mindfulness into daily routines. the cultivation of a regular mindfulness practice contributes to increased state mindfulness, subsequently leading to the development of dispositional mindfulness over time (kiken et al., 2015). interest in mindfulness as a secular practice has grown exponentially within western society over the last few decades, with the development of two empirically supported clinical interventions: mindfulness-based stress reduction (mbsr) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (mbct) (brown et al., 2007). perhaps the most widely studied mindfulness intervention presented in the literature, mbsr was developed in 1979 by jon kabat-zinn, as a group-based treatment for adults dealing with chronic pain. its demonstrated clinical efficacy has been influential in the development of recent mindfulness interventions for adults (cullen, 2011). one such program, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (mbct), created by segal and colleagues in 2002, was originally designed to alleviate depressive symptoms and rate of depressive relapse in patients, but is currently used with a broad range of participants in various contexts (alsubaie et al., 2017). this approach combines the elements of mbsr with those of cognitive behavioural therapy, a common psychological intervention that focuses on replacing pervasive negative thought patterns with more constructive ones (lomas et al., 2017). both mbsr and mbct are eight weeks in duration and include various formal, informal, and daily at-home mindfulness practices. empirical evidence supports the effectiveness of both interventions in reducing participants’ chronic pain levels and somatic symptoms, decreasing stress, and improving psychological outcomes (e.g., alsubaie et al., 2017; cullen, 2011). the promising findings established in the psychological literature has sparked an interest in the field of neuroscience to gain further insight into the effects of mindfulness training on the brain. in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fmri) brain scan studies, experienced mindfulness practitioners showed greater cortical thickness and increased activation in the frontal lobe areas of the brain responsible for emotional and behavioural regulation, attention, memory, and executive functioning (ef) skills such as planning, problem solving, impulse control and cognitive flexibility (meiklejohn et al., 2012). additionally, the amygdala, the brain region responsible for signalling the presence of threat and responding to emotion-triggering stimuli, along with the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body’s fight or flight physiological stress response, were both less activated among regular mindfulness practitioners (meiklejohn et al., 2012; tang et al., 2015). interestingly, neural changes in the brain occurred almost immediately following the introduction of various mindfulness techniques sleilaty – emerging perspectives (2022) 36 to beginning practitioners, suggesting that even minimal exposure to mindfulness can be effective in improving brain functioning (wheeler et al., 2017). these changes can be attributed to the concept of neuroplasticity, a construct within neuroscience whereby the brain’s structure and function can be altered and strengthened in response to repeated experiences, practice, and knowledge, leading to beneficial cognitive outcomes (meiklejohn et al., 2012). thus, as a mental skill, mindfulness can be developed, trained, and strengthened with consistent practice over time. given the growing body of empirical evidence supporting its positive effects on adult practitioners, there has been increased enthusiasm in applying mindfulness with children in educational settings, leading to the introduction of mindfulness-based interventions (mbis) in schools (renshaw & cook, 2017). defined as “any technique that activates mindfulness processes for the purposes of improving some targeted outcome” (renshaw & cook, 2017, p. 5), mbis often vary in format but most include elements designed to strengthen self-regulation and the awareness of thoughts and feelings (lomas et al., 2017). various mindfulness curricula have been developed for use across k-12 classrooms, and several mindfulness-based organizations have been established to train teachers and other school-based personnel in implementing these techniques with students (renshaw & cook, 2017). recently, mbis created specifically for teachers, such as care (cultivating awareness and resilience in education) and smart (stress managements and relaxation techniques) have been developed, yielding positive results on measures related to teacher stress and well-being (meiklejohn et al., 2012). although the research on mindfulness in education is quickly advancing, more work is required to examine the direct impacts of mindfulness practices on educator-related outcomes. method a comprehensive literature search was conducted using four electronic databases: eric, google scholar, psycinfo, and the university of calgary online library. key search terms included: (a) mindfulness and related terms: meditation, mindfulness intervention, mindfulness training, regulation, and (b) teachers and related terms: teaching, educator, instructor. inclusion criteria included peer-reviewed, full text articles that were published in english between 2010 and 2021 and included a sample of working educators in kindergarten through grade 12. participants varied in age, gender, and years of teaching experience. due to the limited research available on mbis for teachers, i chose to keep the intervention criteria broad, but most included components or adaptations of mbsr or mbct. i determined a regular practice to include the completion of a secular mindfulness training program or intervention at least eight weeks or 25 hours in duration, or the demonstration of strong dispositional mindfulness, as determined by a mindfulness measurement scale. all chosen articles met the criterion for a regular practice. literature that exclusively included samples of preschool educators, university instructors, or pre-service teachers, and articles published prior to 2010 were excluded from this review. articles were chosen after a preliminary reading of the abstract, method, and discussion sections and were then stored and organized in subfolders using the electronic reference manager, zotero. forty articles fit all inclusion criteria and are included in this critical review. while most of the studies are quantitative, three are qualitative, and six included a mixed methods design. self-report measures, questionnaires, and surveys were used as the primary tool for data collection, and several studies collected physiological data from participants. the selected articles included empirical reviews, meta-analysis, randomized controlled and non sleilaty – emerging perspectives (2022) 37 controlled designs, pilot studies, and a case study. seventeen of the articles included research conducted outside of north america. a hard copy of selected articles was printed and organized in a research binder according to emerging themes. notes were taken for each paper summarizing the main findings, sample size and demographic, design and methods used, intervention details, and strengths and weaknesses of the study. emerging themes and patterns were highlighted using a color-coded system and organized in an excel document. i initially extracted several themes from the literature which, after consultation with my academic instructor, were later modified to be more cohesive. in the end, three main themes and eight related subthemes emerged in the literature regarding the effects of a regular mindfulness practice on teachers (as shown in figure 1). figure 1 emerging themes from the literature on mindfulness for teachers note: this figure outlines the three key themes and eight related sub-themes that emerged from the literature on the impacts of mindfulness on teachers. number of articles used per theme is also outlined. sleilaty – emerging perspectives (2022) 38 findings improves overall well-being psychological outcomes (stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression) well-being encompasses three main components: an absence of emotional distress, the presence of positive emotions, and high levels of subjective well-being—the emotional and cognitive evaluation of one’s life (lee duckworth et al., 2005). recent reviews examining the impact of mbis have consistently demonstrated positive effects on teachers’ overall well-being, and mental health related outcomes (e.g., lomas et al., 2017; klingbeil & renshaw, 2018). specifically, mindfulness has been shown to significantly reduce teachers’ psychological distress and burnout rate (flook et al., 2013), improve symptoms of depression and anxiety (gold et al., 2010; todd et al., 2018), and decrease perceived stress levels (hwang et al., 2019a). in a study examining the impact of a mindfulness training program with secondary teachers, franco et al. (2010) reported reduced levels of psychological distress, with the most dramatic improvements demonstrated on measures of somatization (the physical expression of emotion), hostility, depression, and anxiety. furthermore, these results remained stable at a four-month follow-up, indicating that the mindfulness training produced sustained benefits well after the completion of the initial intervention. in contrast, frank et al. (2015) found no significant intervention effects on measures of somatization, anxiety, or depression, although it remains unclear if this was the result of participants’ higher levels of functioning at pre-intervention, or whether other factors were at play. chronic, unmanaged stress and psychological distress can lead to increasing rates of educator burnout. burnout is the inability to cope with stressors over time and involves emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and feelings of inadequacy (jennings & greenberg, 2009). studies have found that higher dispositional mindfulness—cultivated through a regular practice—protected against emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and the sense of low personal accomplishment, thereby reducing educators’ burnout levels (abenavoli et al., 2013; ma et al., 2021). however, in an investigation on the effects of a mindfulness intervention with teachers from two middle class schools in israel, tarrasch et al. (2020) reported no significant differences in burnout rates. the researchers suggested that this finding may have occurred because most of the participants in their study were young teachers working in newer, middleclass schools, potentially contributing to lower levels of self-reported burnout symptoms at baseline. future mindfulness studies should aim to provide more insight into how teachers’ educational context and demographics impact their likelihood of experiencing burnout. described as the presence of positive and absence of negative emotional experiences in the work environment (braun et al., 2020b), occupational well-being is another crucial contributor to teachers’ mental health. in an investigation of the effects of mindfulness on teachers’ stress and burnout in a work-related context, braun et al. (2020b) reported improvements in primary teachers’ personal and professional outcomes, including overall wellbeing (e.g., mental health and life satisfaction) and occupational health (e.g., professional accomplishment and work fulfillment). interestingly, although mindfulness was associated with decreasing educators’ occupational stress and burnout, it was not shown in roeser et al. (2013) to significantly improve the number of stress-related work absences. future studies aimed at sleilaty – emerging perspectives (2022) 39 determining how mindfulness mitigates occupational stress levels could provide valuable information for school leaders who hope to reduce the rate of absences among teachers. educators who demonstrate resilience are also shown to be better protected against negative psychological and emotional health outcomes (roeser et al., 2013). in short, the term resilience refers to an individual’s ability to recover after a challenging situation (southwick & charney, 2012). regular mindfulness practices strengthen educators’ adaptive and resilient stress responses by improving affect, cognitive reappraisal, and psychological functioning (beshai et al., 2016). in the first known investigation of the effects of an mbi for teachers impacted by the covid-19 pandemic, matiz et al. (2020) conducted a quantitative analysis with a sample of female educators following the lockdown in italy. participants were divided into a low or high resilience group based on responses to pre-intervention questionnaires, and engaged in an 8week intervention, conducted primarily online. at post-intervention, teachers reported significant improvements in anxiety and depression symptomology, and a reduction in emotional exhaustion, with those in the low-resilience group experiencing the greatest benefits. this study highlights some of the current challenges associated with teaching in a global pandemic and suggests that mbis administered online have the potential to be as effective for strengthening resilience as those delivered in-person, an important consideration in our increasingly digital world. physical health outcomes ongoing stress and psychological difficulties can lead to negative long-term physical health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease and impaired immune system functioning (katz et al., 2016). recent research supports mindfulness as an efficacious practice for improving teachers’ physiological regulation of blood pressure and cortisol levels (harris et al., 2016) and in significantly reducing the number and intensity of adverse daily physical symptoms (jennings et al., 2013). in their study examining the physiological impacts of a meditation and emotion regulation intervention for teachers, kemeny et al. (2012) reported improved cognitive processes and affect among program participants at post-intervention, with the most significant impacts on physiological indicators of well-being. following an emotion-triggering experiential event manufactured by the researchers, teachers in the intervention group demonstrated faster nervous system responses and lower blood pressure levels, with positive effects maintained at 5-month follow-up. these results indicate that a regular mindfulness practice can improve physical health outcomes and prevent stress-related illnesses among educators. in addition, participation in mbis has also been implicated in regulating sleep patterns by enhancing both sleep quality and duration, and reducing levels of daytime sleepiness (crain et al., 2017; frank et al., 2015). in a quantitative study examining the impacts of a mbsr intervention with a sample of high school teachers, frank et al. (2015) found significant benefits on measures of sleep quality. additionally, the researchers reported that all teachers who were taking medication to help them fall asleep prior to the intervention no longer relied on this measure after program completion. although encouraging, this finding represented a small number of participants and is inconsistent with results from another study that reported no significant effects of mindfulness on educators’ sleep outcomes (harris et al., 2016). given that sleep plays an important role in supporting overall physical and emotional health (southwick & charney, 2012), it would behoove educational researchers to further investigate whether poor sleep and the use of sleep medication is common among teachers, while exploring the role that sleilaty – emerging perspectives (2022) 40 mindfulness plays in improving sleep quality and, subsequently, reducing the need for medicinal sleeping aids. enhances social and emotional competencies self-awareness, emotional regulation, and relationship skills teachers who demonstrate strong social and emotional competence (sec) are better able to cope with the challenges that inevitably arise in a busy classroom environment (emerson et al., 2017). social emotional competence falls under the umbrella of social and emotional learning and involves the ability to recognize and regulate emotions, demonstrate self-awareness, and to appreciate the perspective of others (collaborative for academic, social, and emotional learning, 2020). mindfulness participation allows teachers to slow down and cultivate presentmoment awareness and acceptance, thereby strengthening their capacity for emotion regulation and non-reactivity (berkovich-ohana et al., 2020; mackenzie et al., 2020; reiser & mccarthy, 2018). emotion regulation is the ability to observe, evaluate, and manage one’s emotional reactions to experiences (emerson et al., 2017). teachers who struggle in this area are more likely to experience stress and burnout, while those who demonstrate high emotional regulation are better able to recognize their thoughts, behaviours, and emotions and can skillfully regulate them in different contexts and situations (jennings & greenberg, 2009). in a mixed-methods study examining the impact of an mbsr training on teachers’ selfregulation, rupprecht et al. (2017) found significant improvements on educators’ stress management, emotion regulation, and self-efficacy. surprisingly, levels of work-related engagement decreased after the intervention. the researchers speculated that participating in a regular mindfulness practice may have increased teachers’ self-regulation to the extent that they became more selective of the work demands on which they chose to expend their energy. however, given that teacher engagement is crucial for effective instruction, job satisfaction, and enhancing the classroom environment (zarate et al., 2019), more research is needed to determine how mindfulness directly impacts educators’ level of work engagement and if this finding can be replicated in future studies. although the relationship between educators’ levels of mindfulness and emotional regulation has been established in the literature, there remains little information about how this practice impacts teachers who experience chronic and extreme life stress in addition to the daily demands of the occupation. in a qualitative study examining the impact of a two-year mindfulness training program with teachers living in a high conflict zone in israel, litvak-hirsch & lazar (2020) reported increased regulation of fear responses, improved application of effective coping skills, and enhanced classroom environments among participants. although it is unclear how much time participants devoted to practicing mindfulness outside of the formal sessions, this study indicates that engaging in a long-term mindfulness practice not only enhances educators’ ability to regulate strong emotions such as fear, but also provides the skills needed to successfully cope in high-stress environments. developing positive and supportive relationships through effective communication, boundary-setting, acceptance, and perspective-taking is an essential competency for successful teaching and was shown to be strengthened through a regular mindfulness practice (gouda et al., 2016; schnaider-levi et al., 2017). in a large randomized controlled trial of kindergarten to fifth grade teachers working in low socio-economic schools, jennings et al. (2017) found that, sleilaty – emerging perspectives (2022) 41 although no noticeable differences were reported on measures of teacher self-efficacy, those in the mindfulness intervention group demonstrated higher levels of emotional supportiveness, awareness, and responsiveness to their students’ needs as measured through classroom observations. similarly, hwang et al. (2019b) reported improved person-centered teaching, enhanced student-teacher relationships, and improved student outcomes among educators following mindfulness training. positive effects have also been found on teachers’ relationships with colleagues (matsuba & williams, 2020). in the first known publication examining the impact of an mbi on teachers in a developing country, matsuba & williams reported improvements in relationship skills, greater levels of emotional supportiveness, and increased friendship among a sample of northern ugandan middle school educators. the authors hypothesized that these findings may be due to the group-setting nature of the intervention which allowed teachers to speak freely and openly with like-minded peers about their emotions and challenges. because teaching can be an isolating profession, with much of the day spent within the confines of the classroom, implementing mbis with groups of educators, rather than individually, may contribute to the overall success of the intervention. fosters prosocial values self-compassion, empathy, and forgiveness mindfulness practices have been shown to foster educators’ prosocial values, including self-compassion, empathy, and forgiveness. jennings (2015) describes prosocial as the ability to promote positive social and emotional experiences within ourselves and among others. empirical studies have established the relationship between mindfulness and educators’ levels of selfcompassion (emerson et al., 2017; beshai et al., 2016; flook et al., 2013). conceptualized as the ability to empathize with one’s suffering with an attitude of warmth, acceptance, and understanding (shapiro et al., 2016), self-compassion can be strengthened by engaging in selfcare. mindfulness has been shown to strengthen educators’ awareness of their physical and emotional needs, allowing them to recognize and give themselves permission to practice selfcare when needed (schussler et al., 2016; taylor et al., 2016). the enhanced sense of self-compassion following mindfulness participation has also been associated with improving teachers’ perceived personal and professional accomplishments (yuan et al., 2020), enhancing work-related conscientiousness (fabbro et al., 2020), strengthening occupational self-compassion within the workplace (roeser et al., 2013), and increasing positive emotions and supportiveness towards others (de carvalho et al, 2017). however, notable inconsistencies on outcomes related to compassion for others were reported in the literature. although high levels of self-compassion and a decreased tendency for over-identification with feelings of inadequacy were reported by mihić et al. (2020), participants’ level of compassion for others remained the same at post-test but improved at 6-month follow up. furthermore, sharp & jennings (2016) found that teachers demonstrated greater perspective-taking abilities and compassion towards their students after completing an mbi, whereas taylor et al. (2016) reported no significant effects on teachers’ compassionate attitudes towards others. a possible explanation for these inconsistencies posited in the literature is that developing compassion for oneself may be a precursor for expressing authentic compassion towards others (mihić et al., sleilaty – emerging perspectives (2022) 42 2020). however, more insight is needed to determine how mindfulness directly influences teachers’ compassionate mind-sets towards themselves and, in turn, towards others. a more consistent finding reported in the literature is that a regular mindfulness practice increases teachers’ ability to express feelings of empathy towards students, parents, and colleagues (benn et al., 2012; mackenzie et al., 2020). an investigation of the impacts of a mindfulness training program for teachers of students with special needs found that those in the intervention group experienced greater levels of mindfulness, self-compassion, and empathy, leading to a reduction in stress, increased sense of self-efficacy, and an improved classroom climate (benn et al., 2012). these findings position mindfulness as a particularly beneficial practice for special education teachers, allowing them to skillfully address the diverse cognitive and behavioural needs of the students in their classroom. in addition to empathy, an educator’s ability to cultivate the capacity for forgiveness is essential for establishing a healthy and supportive classroom environment. an emotionally complex, multi-faceted process, forgiveness can be strengthened through a regular mindfulness practice (braun et al., 2020a). in an exploration of the effects of a mindfulness-based emotional balance (mbeb) intervention on teachers’ forgiveness, braun et al. (2020a) found significant increases on all measures of forgiveness, including the ability to forgive colleagues and students, tendency to forgive, and context-specific forgiveness. moreover, all effects were maintained at follow-up, except for teachers’ tendency to forgive students. the researchers suggested that this points to the lack of long-term transferability of forgiveness skills within the classroom context. recognizing that forgiveness is important for establishing positive teacher-student connections, this finding warrants further investigation in future studies. research implications and future directions the research in this review overwhelmingly supports mindfulness as a beneficial practice for improving educator-related outcomes, with the strongest effects on measures of stress, anxiety, depression, physical health outcomes, emotion regulation and self-compassion. however, there are several limitations and gaps in the literature that are worth noting. primarily, most studies used in this review included small, homogenous, and predominantly or exclusively female participants. only one reported on implications of mindfulness for teachers in a developing country (matsuba & williams, 2020) and one included a sample of teachers working with children with special needs (benn et al., 2012). to increase the generalizability of results, future studies should aim to be more inclusive of teachers from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds and who come from various personal and professional contexts. additionally, more randomized controlled trials and longitudinal studies are necessary to determine whether mbis are effective in the long-term and if participants continue a personal mindfulness practice after completion of the intervention. future research should also attempt to determine what specific mindfulness techniques are most effective and whether mbis designed specifically for teachers yield stronger outcomes. it could also examine how mindfulness skills transfer from the intervention into educators’ personal and professional lives and if this transferability is a natural result of a regular practice. furthermore, determining the appropriate mindfulness dosage necessary for optimal results warrants further exploration. although studies included in this review incorporated interventions of at least eight hours long, recent research suggests that even a brief six-hour intervention produced positive effects on teachers’ stress and burnout levels (taylor et al., 2021). this may be particularly sleilaty – emerging perspectives (2022) 43 encouraging for educators who are interested in cultivating a mindfulness practice but are concerned about the time required to do so. given the increasing occupational challenges caused by the covid-19 pandemic and the fact that attrition rates among canadian educators have been steadily rising over the last several years (clandinin et al., 2015), more insight is needed into how mindfulness impacts educators’ level of engagement, job satisfaction, instructional practices, and work-related self-efficacy. finally, further research should seek to deepen understanding of the relationship between levels of educator mindfulness and its subsequent impact on student outcomes. enhanced teacher wellbeing is crucial for student achievement and educators who are better able to manage their stress and regulate their emotions are more likely to establish positive classrooms and, in turn, increase the potential for student success (zarate et al., 2019). this is a potentially significant implication for school districts and educational leaders who see the value in supporting teachers’ well-being as a means of advocating for the well-being of students. recommendations for practice the choice to cultivate mindfulness should be made willingly and involves a personal commitment to ongoing practice. based on the predominately positive findings on the effects of mindfulness on improving educators’ overall well-being, enhancing social emotional competencies, and strengthening prosocial values, i propose the following five key recommendations for teachers who are interested in cultivating a regular personal mindfulness practice: 1. begin by learning more about mindfulness by accessing online resources, websites, podcasts, and books written by experts in the field. the following resources may offer a good starting point: • wherever you go there you are: mindfulness meditation in everyday life (kabatzinn, 1994) • mindfulness for teachers: simple skills for peace and productivity in the classroom (jennings, 2015) • mindful: healthy mind, healthy life (www.mindful.org) is an online resource that offers mindfulness advice, practices, and videos tailored to those of all experiences and is especially useful for new practitioners. 2. engage in a daily formal practice. a general recommendation is to begin with just five minutes a day and increase this time to 20 minutes over several weeks; however, consistency and frequency are more important than the length of time spent in formal practice (eva & thayer, 2017). the following strategies can help support consistency: • set aside a specific time during the day and create an inviting space dedicated to formal practice. • access various guided meditations or mindfulness practices online or through readily available free apps such as insight timer (http://insighttimer.com) and headspace (www.headspace.com) 3. cultivate an attitude of self-compassion and self-care. four personal development domains that are enhanced through self-care include: physical, emotional, spiritual, and cognitive (jennings, 2015). these areas can be supported by making time for physical activity, getting out into nature, eating well, reading a book, interacting with friends and family, and sleilaty – emerging perspectives (2022) 44 allowing for rest when needed. simply being aware of what the body needs and responding to this need is a meaningful way of practicing self-care. 4. intentionally weave mindful moments into the day: • set an intention in the morning, envisioning the feelings, attitudes, and behaviours that will set the tone for the day. • practice self-awareness and reflection: pay attention to the thoughts, feelings and physical sensations that arise during routine activities (e.g., eating breakfast, taking a walk, driving to work). • use cues in the environment as a reminder to pause and take a few deep breaths (e.g., every time the school bell rings). 5. enroll in an evidence-based mindfulness intervention or training program to further strengthen skills. in-person training can help foster a sense of community and offer valuable support from mindfulness facilitators. however, online mindfulness training programs, either with or without facilitator involvement have also been shown to produce positive effects (fish et al., 2016; matiz et al., 2020). two resources that offer evidencebased mindfulness training and intervention programs through an exclusively online format are mindful schools (www.mindfulschools.org) and the centre for mindfulness studies (www.mindfulnessstudies.com). conclusion the purpose of this study was to examine the current research on the impacts of a regular mindfulness practice on teacher-related outcomes. after critically synthesizing 40 peer-reviewed studies, the most significant impacts were found on measures of educators’ overall well-being, social and emotional competencies, and prosocial values. the research strongly indicated that developing a regular mindfulness practice can provide educators with the tools needed to skillfully navigate the challenges related to the ever-evolving and complex nature of the covid-19 pandemic and the increasing occupational demands associated with the profession. this review extends the current literature by providing a contextual overview of mindfulness, describing the main effects of a regular practice, and recommending strategies for establishing a personal mindfulness practice. by doing so, i hope that educators and other school-based personnel will see the value in incorporating mindfulness in both their personal and professional lives and that the recommendations provided will allow them to feel confident in beginning this practice whenever they are ready. the many benefits that result from a regular mindfulness practice have a strong potential to extend far beyond just improving educator-related outcomes. teachers who attend to their own mental and emotional needs, are better able to address the needs of their students which, in turn, creates sustainable impacts on the entire school system. it would, therefore, benefit district leaders to consider incorporating mindfulness training within the school setting as an easily accessible, low-stigma, and cost-effective prevention and intervention tool to support the mental and emotional health needs of educators and other school-based workers. sleilaty – emerging perspectives (2022) 45 references abenavoli, r. m., jennings, p. a., greenberg, m. t., harris, a. r., & katz, d. a. 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(2019). meta‐analysis of mindfulness training on teacher well‐being. psychology in the schools, 56(10), 1700–1715. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22308 * indicates articles included in the literature review. market-capital beneath the skin of “fear factories”: the autobiography of an english-speaker-of-other-languages educator.docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca market-capital beneath the skin of “fear factories”: the autobiography of an english-speaker-of-other-languages educator shuvo saha* university of alberta curricular theorist kent den heyer’s (2018) conceptualization of schools as “fear factories” has led me to contemplate whether and how the curriculum i experienced as a student might have cultivated fear in me. i have also wondered if and how the fear might have translated into my role as an english-speaking of other languages (esol) educator from the global south. these wonderings led me to conceive this autobiographical study, wherein i reflexively examined my experiences of and with the curriculum as both a learner and a post-secondary educator from the global south. i drew on my diary entries (arndt & rose, 2022; bailey, 1990; jarvis, 1992) to craft an autobiographical narrative (pavlenko, 2007). i also made a collage (davis & butler-kisber, 1999; rijke, 2023) by gluing photos from the intersection of my personal and professional lives around a three-dimensional model of my head. once the collage and the autobiographical narrative were complete, i interpreted them through the lenses of the critical theory of educational development (rist, 2014; walker, 2012). reflecting on my own educational upbringing and professional experiences as an esol educator, i have found that apprehension has been developing within me since childhood. also, a residue of apprehension remains in my adult educator life even today. the analysis suggests that the disability discourse and the developmental urge engineered a market-capitalist-oriented curriculum that has been the root of my educational apprehension. key words: curriculum studies, educational apprehension, critical theory of education saha, s. (2025). market-capital beneath the skin of “fear factories”: the autobiography of an english-speaker-of-other-languages educator. emerging perspectives. *shuvo2@ualberta.ca saha/ emerging perspectives (2025) 2 prologue during a 2023 winter term graduate course at the university of alberta, i stumbled upon a reading about a contemporary educational impasse, in which the curricular theorist kent den heyer observed that “[s]chools, reflecting their surrounding communities, are to some extent fear factories, where the young learn to fear to fit in appropriately; we get socialized and we get appropriated” (den heyer, 2018, p. 19, emphasis added through italics). this revelation about curriculum was all-consuming for me– i could barely stop thinking about how schools inflict fear and the educational impact this has on students. i placed myself in a learner’s shoes and asked how the school curriculum i experienced since childhood might have, if at all, cultivated fear in me. i also wondered if and how the fear might have translated into my becoming an esol educator from the global south. since i did not have a ready answer, i found it meaningful to adopt a semi-guided explorative path to examine my own lived experiences by following previous researchers’ footsteps in educational fear research. the scholarship on educational fear schools foster fear in students mostly by foregrounding academic failure. the fear of being unsuccessful and the pressure to conform to the societal value of success drive students in the uk schools to embrace academic challenges (harber, 2004; jackson, 2006; putwain, 2009). students’ fear mostly concerns exams and evaluations (mcdonald, 2001). for example, 68% of the interviewees in jackson’s (2010) study expressed anxiety of failure and performance-related anxiety over sat tests. another source of students’ apprehension stems from their middle class parents’ fear that their children will slide into the working class if they do not do well in school (see power et al., 2003; reay, 2001; walkerdine, 2001). additionally, cultural foreignness saha/ emerging perspectives (2025) 3 (steed, 2011) of north american classrooms and foreignness originating from the complexities of the classrooms’ english-only policy (bledsoe and baskin, 2014), and the concern of being bullied (bledsoe and baskin, 2014) contribute to students’ fear. students’ curricular anxieties boil down to a single, overarching concern of missing out on economic growth due to not staying educationally competitive, which would lead to them failing academically. neoliberal educational culture posits that failure stems from a lack of investment in “one’s own human capital through education” and overlooks the impact of any structural injustice, such as the capitalist exclusionary practices based on class hierarchy (harvey, 2005, p. 65). as a remedy, neoliberal education prescribes lifelong learning with the promise of assured competitiveness and financial prosperity through organizational documents such as lifelong learning for all (1997), published by the organization for economic co-operation and development (oecd). according to the model of lifelong learning, active educational pursuit from early childhood to retirement is the key to enhanced job opportunities and thus economic possibilities (oecd, 1997). walker (2012) associates the economic model of education with that of the human capital model which prioritizes individuals’ skill sets to be transacted in the labor market for profit, placing consumption at the core of economic activity (chiappero-martinetti and sabadash, 2010). this model treats education as a means to economic growth and reinforces the economization of education by making correlations between “better educated” countries and their higher standards of life (keeley, 2007). the economic model of education is politically compatible with market-oriented education (lanzi, 2007) and market society (polanyi, 1944). this makes it successful at strengthening its stranglehold on public education. saha/ emerging perspectives (2025) 4 hypnotized by market-education discourse, students embrace the cosmetically noble spirit of lifelong learning and overlook its exclusive focus on “economic rationale and the development of human capital” (biesta, 2013, p. 65). by enrolling into an endless number of professional degree and certification programs, the lifelong learners dive into the whirlwind of a version of education that promises economic growth. the growth rhetoric of education characterizes growth as an innocent but necessary outcome of market-oriented learning that continues throughout one’s life. education that tags with the lifelong aspect and turns into the compound of “lifelong education” (field, 2006) becomes the only valid form of education. the “silent explosion” of lifelong education into individualized lifelong learning that is devoid of any form of relationality (p. 45) eventually places the students in a lonesome and apprehension-provoking course of formal education. the development discourse plagues educational institutions and their policies as well, which, in turn, cultivates fear. teacher education programs are under the threat of being moved from universities to training schools in accordance with the popular theory that teaching is a vocational skill (biesta, 2013). policymakers’ and politicians’ increased attention to teacher education across the world signals the governments’ controlling mindset over educational institutions “through a combination of curriculum prescription, testing, inspection, measurement, and league tables” (p. 121). according to biesta, to avoid falling behind and achieving low rankings, schools are inclined to follow the oecd’s methods for comparing educational performance. this leads the schools to adopt standardized systems such as the programme for international student assessment (pisa). the schools’ tendency to have uniformity, biesta argues, is “driven by fear, that is, driven by a lack of courage to think and act differently and independently” (2013, p. 123, emphasis added). saha/ emerging perspectives (2025) 5 what made me a reflexive autobiographer although i felt drawn to scrutinize my own life stories to understand how schools instigate fear, i was hesitant to study my autobiography, questioning its onto-epistemological and axiological relevance. fortunately, i came across educational researcher robin usher’s text in a winter term doctoral seminar which resolved my doubt about the reflexive practice. usher (1996) informed me, “...research is not simply a matter of representing, reflecting or reporting the world but of ‘creating’ it through a representation” (p. 34). in this non-procedural and relational practice of making knowledge claims, the researcher’s actions shape the research result(s) (1996). i found evidence of the relationship between the researcher and the research process in steier’s rhetorical question, “why do research if you cannot say anything about what is out there and all research is self-reflexive? why do research for which you must deny responsibility for what you have ‘found’” (1991, p. 10, italics in the original). these ideas built up the premise for me that researchers themselves are integral to the knowledge derived from research (usher, 1996) and that it is crucial to “reveal, understand and analyse not only the product of knowledge but its production and therefore, its producer” (aldridge, 1993, pp. 53–54, italics in the original). as i dived deeper, i learned that personal reflexivity helps surface the value-informed subjectivities underlying the researcher’s process (usher, 1996). every research project is “often an expression of personal interests and values. thus the topics one chooses to study are likely to derive from personal concerns” (wilkinson, 1988, p. 494). usher (1996) observes the researchers’ omnipresence in the research methods they employ, the way they gather data, and the procedure by which they assess the research significance. therefore, prioritizing data and aiming to achieve neutrality by excluding subjective elements from research means holding a saha/ emerging perspectives (2025) 6 subjective stance based on certain beliefs (1996). this being said, personal reflexivity does not exclusively involve only the “personal”. reflexivity rather unveils the tacit “assumptions, values and biases” (wilkinson, 1988, p. 495) attached to the research practice by making the researcher find answers regarding “[w]hat kind of world or ‘reality’ and what kind of knowledge is being constructed by the questions i am asking and the methods i am using?” (usher, 1996, p. 37). toward methodologizing the autobiographical inquiry reflexively examining whether and how my school curriculum cultivated fear in me as a learner and translated into me as an educator took me to my distant past as a child and student and the relatively recent past as an educator until 2022, when i left bangladesh to pursue doctoral studies in canada. i have consulted two types of data to study my lived experiences of schooling as a learner and an esol educator in relation to the notion of fear. the dataset consists of autobiographical narrative data (pavlenko, 2007) documented in my personal diary (arndt & rose, 2022; bailey, 1990; jarvis, 1992), and a collage (davis & butler-kisber, 1999) curated from photos from the intersection of my professional and personal life, glued around a three-dimensional model of my head (see appendix a). the objective of examining my personal narrative is to delve into the “subject reality”, which sets out to explore “how ‘things’ or events were experienced by the respondents” (pavlenko, 2007, p. 165). concerning the subject reality for this study, i aim to interpret my own lived experiences of educational events both as a student and an educator and understand the relationship between fear and educational events. to me, anything in and beyond school that fosters “free intellectual pursuit, spiritual growth, or even critical consciousness” (baszile, 2017, p. vii) is educational. on the other hand, collage values multiple, distinctive understandings beyond a singular ‘truth’ in unimagined ways (rijke, 2023). saha/ emerging perspectives (2025) 7 collage also helps “suspend linear thinking and allow elusive qualities of feelings and experiences to be addressed tangibly” (davis & butler-kisber, 1999, p. 1). the way my schools became fear factories my apprehension as a student the stepping stone to understanding how my schools (including post-secondary institutions) turned into fear factories is the type of curriculum offered at the institutions. my father largely influenced my academic learning principles. he was born in the countryside but moved to the capital city, dhaka, with my grandparents to build a fortune. my father pursued post-secondary education, secured a job, married my mother (who was born and raised in the countryside), and settled down in the city. with the passage of time, my parents found confidence in the version of education that had “its roots in nineteenth-century industrialism and was conceptualized…under the general purview of market capitalism” (donald, 2019, p. 5). my parents also grew apathetic about rural life, as they came to see it as “backward”. accordingly, they inculcated me with the predominant idea that rural education lacks the necessary curriculum foundations that would ideally enhance “the freedoms that people actually enjoy to lead the kind of lives they have reason to value” (dreze & sen, 1995, p. 13). thus, as a young learner, i was oriented to a primarily market-economy-focused education. the market-capital-centric education propagates that “liberal market ideology is the key to human freedom and happiness” (donald, 2019, p. 5). according to this education philosophy, the value of formal learning is primarily limited to developing necessary skills to secure “good jobs”. therefore, i learned that without a good job i would be doomed to poverty. i also learned that economic freedom was the end goal of being educated, although my formal schooling saha/ emerging perspectives (2025) 8 neither did explicitly define a good job, nor taught what would change one’s status from “poor” to “rich”. i grew up perceiving the neoliberal model of education and reduced interaction with natural life as the panacea for impoverished agrarian life. cultivation of the idea that rural life is an impediment to economic growth leads to seeing problems and their solutions through the lens of market calculus, according to morarji (2010). the market economy establishes agriculture and rural life as residual, unfeasible, and compulsion-driven against realistic and profitable urban life. this engineers the destabilization of rural communities and allows neoliberal education’s exclusionary and alienating aspects to inflict anxiety on rural schooling (morarji, 2010). thus, as a child i received schooling under a type of curriculum that spread the fear that my fellow students and i would miss out on access to economic privileges if we failed to pursue a mercantile form of urban education. at the root of my apprehension were also “root metaphors” of individualism and progress (bowers, 2010). the root metaphors provoked me to see the interdependent fountain of knowledge as a barrier and irrelevant to becoming an autonomous individual who aspires to economic growth. as a learner, i was concerned with missing out on becoming a self-sufficient individual who fits into the “new class” (gouldner, 1979). gouldner informs that the new class is a dominant one made up of intellectuals. this is a “third class” that emerged out of the class struggle (szelenyi, 1982) between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat (gouldner, 1979). in such a “capitalocentric” (haraway, 2014) context, the root metaphors put me into “double bind thinking” in which “assumptions from the past continue to frame current thinking” (bowers, 2010, p. 4). to secure membership in the new class, i kept aloof from any intergenerational knowledge and skills. this, in turn, made me an alienated, “anomic individual who lacks the saha/ emerging perspectives (2025) 9 community’s fund of knowledge of how to live in ways that are less dependent upon consumerism” (p. 4). this explains why i did not master any of the intergenerational knowledge, such as basic carpentry, growing gardens, and needlework, which my parents and grandparents possessed. curricular theorist den heyer (2023e) argues that today’s guiding root metaphors inherently reflect a positivist pattern of thinking. the root metaphors consider hierarchical scientific models, stripped of subjectivity, as the only way to make sense of the natural world, in which modalities such as play, drama, and arts are redundant. in contrast, the “beaver bundle” knowledge system (mandel & tearney, 2015) recognizes that humans are constantly in the process of evolving with living and non-living beings in the natural world wherein the onto-epistemic knowledge relationship between humans and the environment is one of admiration and reciprocity (haraway, 2014). knowledge is likewise a relationship for den heyer (2023a). in reference to donna haraway’s “methodological individualism”, den heyer portrays the relationship as evolutionary, one that can be reconfigured into an infinite number of relationships. with the proliferation of market-capital-centric curricular frameworks, the relational character of knowledge is waning (donald, 2011) and making way for “historical materialism” (den heyer, 2023d). the market-economy-oriented curriculum further circulates the fear of economic regression by constructing a “developed” vs “underdeveloped” binary with the help of a development measurement tool called gross domestic product (gdp). i was inculcated with the idea that education leads to development. in other words, the transitive idea of development, which indicates action performed by one dominant actor over the dominated, correlates with the concept of “underdeveloped/ underdevelopment” (rist, 2014). in hegemonic discourse, the idea of development appears as a byproduct of the “developed” vs “underdeveloped” dichotomy, in saha/ emerging perspectives (2025) 10 which the “underdeveloped” is merely an incomplete or embryonic form of the concept “developed” (rist, 2014). rist (2014) analyzes that neocolonial development discourse calculates underdevelopment using gdp as the standardizing tool. failure to meet the economic standard leads to denigrating labels such as “poor” or “underdeveloped”, the fear of which pushes an individual to pursue the developmental model of education (walker, 2012). feminist economist marilyn waring (2017) critiques this type of unidimensional economic fabrication through gdp on the grounds that it portrays an inaccurate image of development. gdp also fails to address the crises related to primary healthcare, environmental cleanliness, and so forth, and flattens the extremities of capitalocentric practices (haraway, 2014). however, while pursuing post-secondary education back home in bangladesh, i experienced intergenerational fear. at east west university, a professor in the graduate course teaching practicum preached that a teacher should always respond with the phrase, “i am doing well” or something similar when students ask, “how are you doing?” this professor made it clear that “i am doing well” is the appropriate response even when a teacher does not feel good physically or emotionally. almost 10 years later, when i look at the teacher’s statement through ranciere’s (2000/ 2004) notion of “distributions of the sensible”, i can sense his fear. social order, which ranciere metaphorized as police order, determines what sensible is and what is not by approving particular kinds of bodies and disapproving others. den heyer (2023b) exemplifies that the euro neoliberal model of family defines family as a combination of man, woman, and child(ren). exceptions to this norm, e.g., gay or lesbian parents and child(ren), are rejected as family. likewise, police order patronizes a particular version of sensible and sensibility, and dismisses anything deviant as nonsense. therefore, my professor’s sanctioning of what feelings saha/ emerging perspectives (2025) 11 and how these feelings a teacher should share in the classroom are a manifestation of fear of the police order prevalent within the educational institution. traditional curriculum, which marginalizes learners’ subjective experiences and presets educational goals in a one-size-fits-all manner (pinar, 2020), creates a similar hierarchical binary between “able” and “disabled” learners (erevelles, 2005) and engenders apprehension in the latter, treating them as inferior. this is exactly how the slow pace of my handwriting got me categorized as a “slow” learner in the school. being singled out as a slow learner haunted me for years, even during my post-secondary education. goffman (1963) analyzes this act of identity creation as society’s manipulative effort. the deficit characterization is done so gently and subtly that the learners with “disability” begin to believe that they are incapable of attaining so-called success. erevelles (2005) argues that the capitalist system categorizes a segment of the population as psycho-somatically, socially, and technically unfit for economic gains: exclusion of the unfit body of people as surplus helps reduce operational cost and thus maximize profit. educational practices imbued with euro-american male chauvinist attitudes (bowles & gintis, 1976) aid the capitalist form of structural marginalization. the goal of such marginalization is to legitimize the social privileging of certain races, classes, and gender in the workforce (erevelles, 2005) and ultimately to favor the corporatocracy (baszile, 2017; elfreich, 2019; pinar, 2012). for example, liberal multicultural education in canada erases indigenous and non-anglo saxon perspectives in promoting whiteness (abawi & brady, 2017), while a neo-liberal form of education promotes an anti-blackness principle (giroux, 2003). history further suggests that education has had links to oppression, for instance, in actualizing cultural assimilation through residential schools in canada (bombay et al., 2014; wilk et al., 2017). in disability discourse the privileged-class-designed education system, actually an “instrument of saha/ emerging perspectives (2025) 12 oppression” (freire, 1968), commits “abjection” of the vulnerable– a process by which the disable “body becomes separated from another [able] body” (kristeva, 1982, p. 10). den heyer opines that this has to do with privileging the capitalist system rather than the intrinsic aspect of disability (2023c). hence, responses such as “not so good” or “i am not doing well” from a teacher might be categorized as signs of disability or vulnerability, which could threaten that teacher’s position, including possibly being excluded from the profession, leading to economic suffering. my teacher feared economic loss from showing signs of “disability”. he did not want his students to risk such a loss, and thus, in his efforts to offer me help, my teacher passed on to me his own intergenerational fear. my apprehension as an educator the curricular fear induced by the development and disability discourse has had implications for my curricular practices as an educator, as demonstrated in this anecdote about an experience from my professional life. it was fall 2019, a cool weekday morning in my former university office in bangladesh, and still, i was sweating. this was unusual, as were my previous semester’s faculty evaluation reports. an hour earlier those had been handed to me in a brown envelope with the word “confidential” typed on it. as i broke the seal, removed the reports, and glanced at them, i could not believe my eyes. they locked on to the percentage— 67 — my poorest-ever evaluation performance, nowhere close to the average score of 87% for all of the teachers in the institution. my appalled eyes took in that my students, whom i had supported in the classroom and during office hours, accused me of failing to cover all the content in the syllabus. for the first time in my teaching career i came to know that i was not available for consultation outside the class, and added to that, i did not use technology while teaching. i realized my senses were slowly being numbed by the feelings of shame and mistrust on the saha/ emerging perspectives (2025) 13 students. by no means could i accept that my efforts to help the students even when i was extremely sick were taken for granted. those days when i had high fever, but still showed up in early morning classes and met students in the office in the afternoon went into oblivion. i placed the evaluation reports inside the envelope, cast the packet in the dark locker, and got busy with the official work i needed to complete. this particular event captures my education anxiety in two ways. first, the economized model of education that had shaped me since childhood instilled in me a score fetish and the tendency to synonymize it with achievement. to me, the accumulation of material goods became the primary measure of success which i believed could only be achieved, as williams (1999) puts it, by adhering to the tenets and principles of market capitalism. accordingly, i developed the belief that if scores, irrespective of whether they were of educational assessments or of faculty evaluation, were not “high” enough, opportunities to grow economically would be halted, and i would lose opportunities, including the opportunity for promotion in job. second, the growth-oriented education, actually the fear of falling behind, constantly pushed me to keep working for progress. the idea of advancement was so strongly entangled with productivity that any essential break, e.g., sick leaves, stimulated the feeling of missing out. the fear of missing out was so intense that i would show up even if i was running a fever of 40. this feeling was aggravated by the annual performance appraisal that counted the number of classes missed/not conducted: more misses meant more negative scores. i feared that the appraisal would negatively impact annual increments, pay raises, or even job security during periods of faculty retrenchment. thus, the market-capital-shadowed education shaped my ontological understanding of what it means to be a human being (donald, 2019) in market economic terms. saha/ emerging perspectives (2025) 14 implications and conclusion although apprehension was at the core of my score fetish and money-economy-driven ontology, it remained opaque in all the curricula i came across as a child, a student, and an educator. this implies that the traditional curriculum nurtures fear as an abject, which is analogous to psychoanalyst david lewkowich’s analysis of teacher’s sweat being considered an abject in teaching (2015). abject as a “sensation and attitude” (gross, 1990, p. 87) bears a repulsive and thus expulsive image (kristeva, 1982). therefore, the abjected fear remains covert in the curriculum. for educators, the curricular practice of masking fear as an abject turns out to be “disguised love, and…defense against an unwanted, unconscious desire to appear as distant, overly intellectual, conventionally professorial…” (lewkowich, 2015, p. 43). suppressing fear through abjection cuts out the relational and experiential properties it carries, paving the way for an anthropocentric curriculum. this dominant and reductionist curriculum is responsible for giving birth to what donald (2019) identified as homo economicus—the “rational, individualistic, utilitarian, calculative and instrumental” human species (houston, 2010, p. 842) that reinforces market capitalism. being intergenerational in nature, fear not only affects the curricular experiences of students but also the curricular practices of educators. the market-capital operates fear opaquely in the curriculum in a way that the fear helps money economy keep circulating. instead of producing creative minds, the resultant growth-oriented education moulds learners into uniform beings who can be governed by the principle of production and prepared to serve the capitalist industries in a money-economy-driven consumer culture (harouni, 2015). i do not intend to reject education outright, but i want my readers to see through schooling’s market-capital aspect with a view to inspiring curricular activism. active involvement in personal, professional, and saha/ emerging perspectives (2025) 15 community spheres as a mode of resistance requires various intangible skills and resources that inclusive education can provide (walker, 2012). to achieve this inclusivity it is crucial that we raise critical questions about the version of 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(2017). residential schools and the effects on indigenous health and well-being in canada—a scoping review. public health reviews, 38(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40985-017-0055-6 saha/ emerging perspectives (2025) 21 appendix a the collage note. the collage represents the inside part of my head containing the imprints of my fear defining inclusion: what it is, what it is not, and why it matters_steven sheppard.docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca defining inclusion: what it is, what it is not, and why it matters steven sheppard* university of calgary inclusion in education is often championed in policy but remains misunderstood and inconsistently applied in practice. this paper examines how inclusion is defined, implemented, and experienced, particularly for students with disabilities in canadian schools. drawing on critical disability studies (cds), legal policy analysis, and lived experience, this critique examines how segregation and deficit-based language continue to reinforce ableist structures despite claims of equity. through personal narrative and a case study involving a student excluded from an art class, this paper illustrates how systemic design—not individual impairment—often disables. key frameworks, including kearney’s concept of hospitality and krischler’s work on educator beliefs, are used to reframe inclusion not as mere placement but as a political and ethical commitment to transformation. this paper advocates for a paradigm shift—from integration into existing systems to the co-creation of inclusive spaces where all students are valued and feel a sense of belonging. key words: inclusion, education, equity, disability, policy sheppard, s. (2025). defining inclusion: what it is, what it is not, and why it matters. emerging perspectives. *sjsheppa@ucalgary.ca http://ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca mailto:sjsheppa@ucalgary.ca sheppard / emerging perspectives (2025) 2 introduction inclusion in education remains one of the most debated and misunderstood concepts in contemporary educational discourse (armstrong et al., 2011; graham & slee, 2006; slee, 2010). globally, educators and policymakers continue to grapple with how to build systems where all students are valued and supported (haug, 2017). over the past three decades, international efforts—such as sustainable development goal 4 (sdg4)—have aimed to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” (united nations educational, scientific and cultural organization [unesco], n.d., para. 2). ainscow (2020) emphasizes the importance of shared understandings of inclusion and equity within policy. yet despite formal commitments, a significant gap remains between inclusive policy and everyday practice (unesco, 2024). this gap is especially stark between the global north and global south (kamenopoulou & karisa, 2023), where structural barriers such as limited resources and technology continue to hinder progress (sharma, 2020). these disparities raise questions not just about implementation, but about what inclusion really means—and for whom. canadian context in canada, the policy-practice gap also persists. inclusive education implementation varies across provinces and territories (towle, 2015), ranging from full inclusion to segregated models that are still labeled “inclusive.” in many classrooms, inclusion exists in rhetoric but not in design (slee, 2010). haug (2017) states, “no country has yet succeeded in constructing a school system that lives up to the ideals and intentions of inclusion, as defined by different international organizations.” (p. 206). some scholars argue that canada has failed to do so. lord (2020) argues canada has failed to meet its obligations under article 24 of the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities (crpd; 2007), which guarantees the right to inclusive education. despite being a signatory, canadian practices often fall short of ensuring equitable access to education. in some cases, students are placed in self-contained classrooms, provided with limited academic pathways, and excluded from meaningful peer interaction—all while systems claim to uphold inclusion. this disconnect calls for more than improved implementation; it demands a re-examination of what inclusion actually requires. as an educator and researcher, i have had to ask: what does inclusion genuinely mean in practice? this paper draws on personal experience, policy critique, and critical disability studies (cds) to reflect on that question and explore more equitable educational possibilities that move beyond compliance toward transformation. positionality and lived experience i did not grow up identifying as disabled, nor did i come from a family with lived disability experience. i entered education believing i was an ally—committed to inclusion, yet outside the margins. that changed when i began to understand my own non-apparent disability. living with an invisible disability made me aware of how schools reward conformity and penalize difference. navigating educational spaces while masking parts of myself deepened my understanding of the subtle forces that shape who is seen, supported, or excluded. this experience now grounds sheppard / emerging perspectives (2025) 3 my approach to inclusive education. i intentionally use the term “disabled students” rather than “students with disabilities.” while person-first language reflects the medical model—implying that disability is a condition separate from the individual—identity-first language aligns with cds. it emphasizes that systems, not bodies, create disabling experiences (goodley, 2014; retief & letšosa, 2018). this is a political and theoretical stance that signals a belief in systemic, rather than individual, reform. identity-first language affirms disability as a valued part of identity, rather than something to be minimized or erased. for me, it is an act of solidarity and clarity: if schools are to become inclusive, we must name the ways they currently disable students. my introduction to inclusive education was unplanned. i was hired to teach a class of 14 disabled students—without a curriculum, expectations, or resources. these students had been grouped based on diagnostic labels rather than learning needs or strengths. they represented a wide range of experiences, strengths, and goals, but the system treated them as one homogenous group to be managed rather than supported. that experience revealed how exclusion is built into the structure of schooling, even when inclusion is the stated goal. the classroom was physically separate, pedagogically undefined, and administratively invisible. it was clear to me then that inclusion was not about adding students into existing systems—it was about reimagining those systems from the ground up. kearney’s (2003) strangers, gods and monsters helped me articulate what i had felt but couldn’t explain. he describes how societies construct “others” to reinforce dominant norms. disabled students, positioned as “monstrous” disruptions to order, are often managed rather than welcomed (kearney, 2003). kearney’s analysis of the stranger as a threat to identity, safety, and order mirrors the way many schools treat disabled students—as potential disruptions rather than valued participants (kearney, 2003). kearney’s concept of hospitality reframes inclusion as an ethical imperative: not to assimilate the stranger, but to transform the system in response to those who unsettle it (kearney, 2003). systemic barriers: language and segregation deficit-based language and segregated programs sustain ableist structures by normalizing separation and lowering expectations (titchkosky, 2011; ainscow, 2020). these practices frame difference as a problem to manage, not an opportunity to reimagine education. when systems pathologize variance, they not only exclude—they make inclusion seem impossible. this is particularly true when students are evaluated solely through narrow academic lenses, with limited recognition of diverse ways of knowing, expressing, or contributing. emily—a disabled, indigenous, transitioning student—makes this issue painfully concrete. exceptionally gifted in art, she was denied access to a high school course due to staffing and scheduling. her exclusion wasn’t about ability; it reflected a system unprepared to include her, despite its stated values. her story illustrates the compounding effects of intersectionality, where multiple layers of identity—disability, indigeneity, gender, sheppard / emerging perspectives (2025) 4 poverty—interact with systemic barriers. emily’s absence from the art class was not an isolated oversight. it was a failure of the system to respond flexibly, creatively, and equitably. this echoed other forms of exclusion. canada’s last racially segregated school closed in 1983 (walker, 1997). while racial segregation is now rejected, segregation by disability remains normalized—often reframed as support. these parallels are not metaphorical; they are structural. just as racially segregated schools were justified under the guise of “separate but equal,” special education spaces are often described as necessary for “meeting needs.” yet they often operate as containers that isolate, restrict, and diminish students’ access to broader educational opportunities. theoretical foundations of inclusion a law and ethics course pushed me to analyze key policies: the canadian charter of rights and freedoms (1982), the education act (2023a), the teaching quality standard (alberta education, 2018), and the alberta human rights act (2023b). together, these documents affirm that inclusive education is both a legal right and ethical responsibility. section 15 of the charter guarantees equal protection and benefit under the law, including on the basis of disability (canadian charter, 1982, s 6(2)(b)). the education act mandates inclusive environments, while the teaching quality standard requires that teachers foster them. the alberta human rights act prohibits discrimination in public services—including education. yet despite these legal frameworks, daily practices still reflect entrenched ableism, especially when policies are implemented inconsistently or interpreted through a deficit lens. unesco (2020) defines exclusion as the denial of “life prospects needed for learning” (p. 26). in schools, this occurs through inaccessible curricula, streaming, and segregated programming. segregation, often framed as support, is the deliberate separation of groups, limiting access and opportunity (cambridge dictionary, n.d.; dixon, 2005). it creates parallel systems in which students are provided with “different” rather than equal experiences. by contrast, differentiation can promote equity when used to adapt instruction in shared spaces (tomlinson, 2014). but when differentiation justifies separation, it risks reproducing the very inequities it seeks to challenge. it becomes a tool of exclusion dressed in the language of accommodation. cds helps reframe disability as a product of exclusionary systems rather than individual deficits. paterson and hughes (1999, as cited in lebenhagen, 2024) argue that even integration can enforce assimilation. from a cds perspective, inclusion requires transforming the system—not merely adjusting it to accommodate some. it involves unsettling foundational assumptions about ability, intelligence, and success. this lens also clarifies the difference between inclusion and belonging. inclusion ensures presence; belonging ensures recognition, value, and connection (schuelka et al., 2019). a student can be in the room and still feel profoundly excluded—physically present, but socially and emotionally absent. krischler et al. (2019) emphasize the importance of active participation. inclusion isn’t just about placement; it’s about engagement. students must have agency in shaping their sheppard / emerging perspectives (2025) 5 learning experiences. dixon (2005) supports this, describing inclusive classrooms as places where diversity is embraced through thoughtful design. participation is not an add-on; it is the foundation of meaningful learning. while strategies like co-teaching and trauma-informed practice are valuable, they’re not enough. inclusion is not a checklist—it is a political project. as krischler et al. (2019) argue, teacher beliefs shape classroom realities. embracing cds means shifting from the question “how can this student fit in?” to “how can we build a system where they already belong?” conclusion inclusion in education must move beyond rhetoric and tokenistic practices. it must be rooted in systemic change, informed by critical theory, and grounded in the lived experiences of those most affected by exclusion. as educators, researchers, and policymakers, we must ask not how to fit disabled students into existing structures, but how to reconstruct those structures altogether. genuine inclusion requires rethinking norms, redistributing power, and recognizing diversity as a strength rather than a disruption. this paper offers both a personal and critical reflection on what inclusion is, what it is not, and why getting it right—ethically, legally, and practically—matters more than ever. sheppard / emerging perspectives (2025) 6 references ainscow, m. 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(1997). “race,” rights and the law in the supreme court of canada: a historical case study. wilfrid laurier university press. https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities-2.html microsoft word siegle (2022) vol. 6(1) epigrep layout.docx 1christopher.siegle@ucalgary.ca emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca equitable social-emotional learning and mindfulness: countering systemic oppression in secondary classrooms with personal practices and an empowering approach christopher siegle1 1 university of calgary, canada the black lives matter movement’s revelations and canada’s truth and reconciliation commission’s calls to action both challenge educators to critically examine the underpinnings of our classroom practices, including frameworks for social-emotional learning (sel) and associated mindfulness practices. the claim is that these strategies positively influence student behaviour and readiness for learning. proponents argue they advance equity, while critics contend that positivist perspectives instill dominant cultural values within both mindfulness practices and sel frameworks. using a research lens informed by hermeneutics, i analyzed interview discourse from five teachers in an urban, western canadian school board. integrating perceptions of equitable sel frameworks with current research literature, i found teachers approach sel focusing on student deficits, maintaining implicit biases, and perpetuating systemic oppression. notwithstanding, sel frameworks, with mindfulness practices, have been positioned to promote equity. articulating possibilities for an equitable sel framework, this study advocates educators first practice mindfulness for their awareness, examine their motives for their approach to sel, and incorporate sel into a larger social justice framework. keywords: social-emotional learning, mindfulness, equity, systemic oppression, hermeneutic siegle, c. (2022). equitable social-emotional learning and mindfulness: countering systemic oppression in secondary classrooms with personal practices and an empowering approach. emerging perspectives, 6(1). 6-21. in response to progressive calls to action, educators are now compelled to critically examine implicit biases hidden within classroom practices. equity issues surfacing during the covid-19 pandemic, calls to action by canada’s truth and reconciliation commission⁠— especially after the discovery of unmarked graves at indian residential schools across the country⁠, siegle – emerging perspectives (2022) 7 and revelations of systemic racism resulting from the black lives matter movement, each demand scrutiny of our participation with systemic oppression. as a white, male, cis-gender educator, i am complicit in perpetuating oppression via my perceived positionality, social identity, and unearned privilege. adopted early in my career, mindfulness practices and, later, the overarching socialemotional learning (sel) framework, each require critical analysis. relying on positivist evidence, i had brought mindfulness, and then sel, into the classroom without previous critical examination of the practices and framework. what had been my intention for my classroom? what mindfulness practices did i select and why? what did i mean by sel? seeking strategies to support student well-being while also managing the classroom, i incorporated an approach built upon psychological and neuroscientific evidence. i introduced mindfulness techniques into the classroom by teaching meditation, boosting selfawareness through intentional reflection moments, sharing skills with students while working alongside yoga practitioners, and, in a special education setting, collaborating with counselling professionals providing group sessions teaching deeper self-reflection. in the research literature, mindfulness incorporates diverse techniques, like those carried out in my classroom, that build “awareness that emerges through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally, to the unfolding experience moment by moment” (kabat-zinn, 2003, p. 145). mindfulness, developed into therapeutic interventions free from the buddhist elements that originally informed the practice, was a way to reduce stress’s detrimental impacts. in my classroom, mindfulness calmed and benefited students. this, in turn, inspired an expansive search for practices, beyond typical academic work, to increase student engagement. i incorporated trauma-informed practice inspired by professional learning provided by school authority. i perceived that mindfulness and trauma-informed practice shared similar aims, seeking ways to calm a stressed nervous system. trauma-informed practice, however, highlighted additional deficits that students experiencing adversity might face, leading to a wider exploration of approaches supporting social-emotional development. moving beyond mindfulness, i incorporated other elements of sel such as utilizing self-advocacy and problem-solving curriculum. i also provided relationship skills training and encouraged perspective-taking for empathy. sometimes explicit teaching moments but, more often, sel informally responded to classroom issues alongside other, more academic learning. other times, sel addressed key skills supporting specific tasks, like group work. this discussion implies that mindfulness and sel are discrete entities and, while they are treated separately in some research, mindfulness addresses self-awareness and self-regulation, two areas social-emotional skills within a well-respected model of sel (jagers et al., 2019). in this way, sel existed as a framework for learning a set of relationship and emotional skills valued in the classroom. mindfulness, on the other hand, was a set of practices explicitly taught to support two aspects within this larger framework of sel. in this way, for my study, sel is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. (jagers, 2016, p. 162). conversely, sel includes a diversity of approaches and unfortunately, lack of consistency often confounds its definition (aldenmyr, 2016; ergas, 2019; humphrey, 2013; hyland, 2016; mccaw, 2020). accordingly, i brought sel and mindfulness into the classroom to support the development of deficient skills, supporting students' success. siegle – emerging perspectives (2022) 8 after scrutinizing diverse sources, to my distress, i uncovered evidence that both sel frameworks and mindfulness practices can perpetuate oppression, inequitably impact racialized students, promote compliance with dominant cultural norms, and that commercial interests commodify resources for educators, compromising the integrity of the approach sel and the mindfulness practices. the current study, a deeper inquiry into the research, emerged from my personal review to answer the question: can educators equitably engage sel or does sel cause too much damage in the classroom? uniquely, applying a hermeneutic analysis to sel, i uncovered motivations, goals, and biases of educators bringing sel into the classroom. below, i show, despite potential for perpetuating systemic oppression, sel, along with specific skills of awareness developed by mindfulness practices, can advance equity, primarily, when teachers, not students, practice skills for self-awareness. sel also advances equity when educators use the tools within a larger social justice framework creating spaces that empower students. exploring when sel perpetuates systemic oppression, i summarize literature-informed benefits and criticisms, i then weave together existing literature with a hermeneutic analysis. after analyzing and interpreting discourse, i address the study’s limitations, and provide guidance for educators and researchers to move toward equitable sel. background information what are the benefits of sel that proponents articulate? as a specific strategy for awareness and regulation aspects of sel, what do supporters of mindfulness practices articulate as positive outcomes? vocal proponents tout several benefits. first, proponents specifically of sel state framework contributes to the establishment of classroom norms, helping educators manage classroom behaviour and build safe, respectful learning environments (american psychological association, 2015). casel, an advocacy group for sel, notes that sel decreases both distress and behaviour problems (jagers et al., 2019). sel also develops social skills, improves attitudes, increases academic performance, and enhances skills that support learning. as a specific approach to the process of sel, a growing number of mindfulness proponents espouse benefits including increased academic success, enhanced social skills, reduction of externalizing behaviour, and improvement of relationships in school communities (mccaw, 2020). lastly, proponents for both sel and mindfulness cite outcomes like reducing stress, increasing self-management, improving attentional skills, and diminishing behaviour issues (doikou-avlidou & dadatsi, 2013; ergas, 2019; hoffman, 2009; humphrey, 2013; hyland, 2017; reveley, 2015; sellman & buttarazzi, 2020). sel and mindfulness draw educators hoping to create safe, supportive learning environments. according to proponents, both sel and mindfulness hold promise for academic success and student well-being. sel also offers benefits for advancing equity. by integrating sel with other transformative approaches, some scholars envision a counter to hegemonic structures, those structures of social control perpetuating dominant group ideology (sensoy & diangelo, 2017). for example, sel increases compassion, enhances empathy, facilitates student empowerment, and encourages a strength-based lens within schools (andolina & conklin, 2020; mccaw, 2020). further, weaving both sel and mindfulness practices with social justice creates a framework promoting equity within school systems and can lead to systemic change by heightening awareness (andolina & conklin, 2020; gregory & fergus, 2017; hyland, 2016, 2017; jagers et al., 2019; mccaw, 2020; schlund et al., 2020; sellman & buttarazzi, 2020). proponents of both sel and mindfulness, alongside academic and wellness benefits, see benefits for equitable practice. siegle – emerging perspectives (2022) 9 in light of so many potential benefits, what then are the concerns that have been raised about sel and mindfulness? detractors, particularly those from critical epistemologies— “perspectives that recognize that society is stratified in significant and far-reaching ways along social group lines that include race, class, gender, sexuality, and ability” (sensoy & diangelo, 2017, p. xviii)⁠—question the influence of a sel framework. firstly, a sel framework, including mindfulness practices, often views students with a deficit-based lens, focusing on knowledge gaps, performance deficits, or underdeveloped skills (emery, 2016; hoffman, 2009; humphrey, 2013; hyland, 2017; schlund et al., 2020). secondly, a sel framework pushes overburdened educators outside the bounds of the discipline into a therapeutic role—more like counsellors than educators (aldenmyr, 2016). thirdly, critics note that both sel and mindfulness fail to bring systemic and environmental change for students facing adversity (ergas, 2019; gregory & fergus, 2017; mccaw, 2020; reveley, 2015; schlund et al., 2020; sellman & buttarazzi, 2020). in addition, commercial interests commodifying mindfulness practices suppress bipoc perspectives; advance hidden, exploitive aims; and perpetuate western, individualist ideologies (hyland, 2016, 2017; reveley, 2015). individualist, western ideologies centre around the idea that people are “free to make independent rational decisions that determine their own fate” (sensoy & diangelo, 2017, p. 5); that “group memberships such as our race, class, or gender are not important or relevant to our opportunities” (sensoy & diangelo, 2017, p. 103). using a veneer of universal humanity consistent with western ideology and practices that produce calm individuals, mindfulness practices undermine diverse voices and silence opposition. critics have contradicted benefits of both a sel framework and mindfulness practices, raising significant concerns that both sel and mindfulness practices work against equity promises. methodology in this study, using a hermeneutic thematic approach, i analyzed interviews with educators implementing sel and mindfulness practices. hermeneutics is an interpretive approach that explores nuances of human experience (gadamer, 1960/1989), uncovering hidden elements and interpreting teacher’s interpretations about sel (jardine, 1992; moules et al., 2015; shapiro, 1994). i began by selecting participants, interviewed participants, then carefully conducted analysis of the interviews. participants randomly selecting and sending emails to 36 principals in an urban, western canadian school division, i sought participants already engaging an approach to their classrooms that included sel. i interviewed all willing participants who contacted me in response to information shared by supportive school principals. i conducted five, online, hour-long, and semi-structured interviews based on predetermined interview questions (see table 1). while all five participants identify as white, two participants identify as she/her, and three identified as he/him. by coincidence, all participants worked in secondary classrooms. one participant had taught for over fifteen years, another for over ten. the remaining teachers had taught for under ten years. three of the five participants had taught in different settings within special education, each supporting students struggling with mental illness. preparing for the study, i collaborated with the research siegle – emerging perspectives (2022) 10 ethics board to mitigate ethical issues through careful processes for recruitment, obtaining informed consent, protecting participant well-being, respecting participant privacy, and addressing my role as an educator within the school board where i was conducting the research. table 1 interview questions for equitable social-emotional learning and mindfulness research question interview questions how might we understand what draws teachers to sel in the classroom? what is your experience with sel? how did you first learn about teaching social and emotional skills? how did you decide to teach social and emotional skills in your classroom? how do you talk with colleagues about sel? how might we understand the benefits that teachers perceive when sel is used in the classroom? how does your teaching of social and emotional skills impact students and teachers in the classroom? what benefits do you see? for which students? when do you utilize sel? what does it look like in your classroom (small groups, individual, whole class)? how does the classroom feel during and after teaching social and emotional skills? how might we understand the impact of power, privilege, and systemic or implicit bias on the practice of sel? what role does sel play in your classroom management? how does your practice of sel change the way you interact with your students? in what way? can you give me an example? what kind of preparation have you undertaken to engage these practices? was there training? did you read a book, articles, or other literature? what did the preparation address? what was your role? where did the preparation originate? siegle – emerging perspectives (2022) 11 how did you feel about the preparation? are your sel interventions targeted to specific behaviors, such as anger management, or do they reflect a general approach to teaching sel skills? how do we know sel is working and what role does assessment play in the process? i situated my analysis within existing literature on sel, equity, and mindfulness. searching the eric database, i obtained literature using the search terms: “interpret*,” “mindfulness,” “hermeneutics,” “constructivist,” “constructivism,” “critical theory,” “self-regulation,” “emotion regulation,” “social-emotional learning,” and “critical discourse analysis.” to ensure consistency with participants’ experiences, i excluded studies older than ten years, studies from religious studies classrooms, and studies focusing on elementary classrooms. eighteen of the remaining sources included peer-reviewed literature focusing on classroom practice. following the practice of scholars before me (moules et al., 2015), i wove research literature into my analysis. conducting analysis i carefully approached the rigorous process of conducting this thematic analysis. after conducting interviews, i transcribed interview discourse by hand and then manually analyzed transcripts to form reasoned judgements, attending to elements that caught my attention and revealed meaning, speculating diverse interpretations (moules et al., 2015). as a researcher, i listened for truth in participant words, ensuring i listened to the other, rather than my own perspective; i was a seeker of knowledge and understanding, not only empathy (moules et al., 2015). grouping participant dialogue by themes, with my hermeneutic lens, i resisted producing themes as an analytic goal. i discerned meaning through conjectures of interpretations and reasoned judgements, choosing one interpretation over another to articulate a new understanding of equity implications of a sel framework and mindfulness practices (moules et al., 2015). my study explored implicit bias, systemic racism, and my positionality as a white male educator and their influence on approaches, like sel, and practices, like mindfulness, in my classroom. the study examined participant dialogue for similar revelations. by nature, these hidden elements remain imperceptible in discourse but persist within a western worldview. habermas illuminated hidden elements within discourse as he blended hermeneutic analysis with critical theory (moules et al., 2015; shapiro, 1994). critical theory refers to “a body of scholarship that examines how society works…offer[ing] an examination and critique of society…guided by the belief that society should work toward the ideals of equality and social betterment” (sensoy & diangelo, 2017, p. 4). in honouring habermas’s infusion of critical theory, i incorporated self-reflection into my analysis. through the distance self-reflection creates, i examined the sociocultural context siegle – emerging perspectives (2022) 12 underlying expressed language (kennedy schmidt, 2014). finally, establishing the findings’ validity and reliability, i compared my analysis with insights gleaned from existing sel, equity, and mindfulness research literature, (moules et al., 2015). analyzing interview transcripts and research literature, i became intimately familiar with discourse, critically reflecting upon background knowledge underlying dialogue. although critical analysis has a diverse history across academic disciplines, applying hermeneutic analysis to both a sel framework and mindfulness practices uniquely generates understanding of educator perspectives. addressing a topic often explored from a positivist perspective, i did not seek to undermine “scientific knowledge in itself, nor relativiz[e] it, but [establish] a context of human understanding in which science occupies a significant space but not the whole space” (moules et al., 2015, p. 37). drawing on teacher perceptions of power and privilege, i interpreted participant perceptions of the sel frameworks and mindfulness practices to uncover perspectives, expose cultural meaning, and explore hidden discourse elements (jardine, 1992; moules et al., 2015). consequently, analyzing teacher perspectives on sel and equity, i observed “beings who are speaking out of traditions that precede them, using words that are already saturated in cultural meanings” (moules et al., 2015, p. 41). examining educator discourse, hidden or explicit, habermas’s expansion of gadamer’s theoretical frameworks, structured my analysis of the interplay between sel, mindfulness, and equity. interpretive analysis conducting my hermeneutic analysis, i found that, although teacher perspectives revealed problematic patterns perpetuating systemic oppression, an equitable sel approach, with supportive mindfulness practices, is possible when we focus on educators first and when we situate the approaches and practices in a larger empowering framework. sel perpetuates oppression how and when do sel or mindfulness perpetuate systemic oppression? interview discourse and research literature indicate the potential for perpetuating oppression when educators incorporate a sel framework or mindfulness practices too informally, focus on classroom management, and when they focus on “helping” students. sel as “social capital” problems with a sel framework emerged when educators applied an unplanned, informal fashion. all participants sought guidance for a sel framework through personal experience, scrolling through websites, addressing personal well-being, or from attending teachers’ convention sessions. there were some differences in the approach that participants took for sel in their classrooms. participants speaking from special education experience articulated more structured approaches to sel than those speaking from experience in a traditional classroom. firstly, participants with special education experience cited small group conversations, structured lessons, or specific interventions targeting student needs. similarly, participants from a special education siegle – emerging perspectives (2022) 13 background learned about sel and mindfulness from system supports or school administrators. despite differences, there was consistency in the framework participants used to guide their approach to sel. a clear finding was that positivist literature guided the sel framework participants embraced. professional development on sel relied heavily upon neuroscience, with four of the five participants acknowledging neuroscientists informing their approach to sel taken in the classroom. participants identified: dr. bruce perry’s (2006), neuro-sequential model of therapeutics; blaustein and kinniburgh’s (2010) attachment, regulation, competency model; the adverse childhood experiences research outlined by a cdc-kaiser permanente (1998) study popularized in dr. nadine burke harris’s ted talk (2015); and a brain architecture game (2009), informed by dr. judy cameron. correspondingly, hoffman (2009) acknowledges emerging neuroscience proliferating within sel curriculum. alongside neuroscience, psychological research drove the participant’s approach to sel, with one participant highlighting howard gardner’s multiple intelligences (1983) theory, another identifying daniel goleman’s emotional intelligence (1995), a third ross green’s collaborative problem-solving (2010) approach. while diverse sources informed approaches to sel, positivist perspectives influenced all participants. citing either neuroscience or psychology, participants mentioned diverse practices focused on building growth, coping, empathy, awareness, problem-solving, and social skills. accordingly, participants also spoke to specific mindfulness techniques within a broader sel framework. positivist perspectives infused both sel and mindfulness with individualist references: “selfesteem,” “self-advocacy,” “self-regulation,” “self-awareness,” “self-reflection,” self-preservation,” “self-determination,” “self-management,” and “self-understanding.” participants each embraced mindfulness and, more broadly, sel to support students coping with adversity from complex life circumstances. unfortunately, both sel and mindfulness miss the mark as focusing on developing an individual’s skills fails to shift ecological and oppressive forces (gregory & fergus, 2017; hoffman, 2009; mccaw, 2020). congruent with participant experience, researchers’ critique both sel frameworks and mindfulness practices for perpetuating hegemonic, positivist, middle-class values (gregory & fergus, 2017; humphrey, 2013; hyland, 2016; schlund et al., 2020; sellman & buttarazzi, 2020). additionally, despite broader efforts decolonizing psychological interventions, participants seeking resources outside a western worldview, such as indigenous perspectives contained within bendtro, brokenleg, and van beckern’s (1990) circle of courage, counteracted their own efforts by amending resources using an “individualized” approach, applying a colonial lens to non-colonial ways of knowing. participant discourse, combined with research literature, revealed foundational positivist perspectives emphasizing self. discourse of educators about their sel framework or mindfulness practices revealed additional impacts on classroom culture. participants used consumerist words like “buy-in” and “social capital,” although these terms one participant labelled “icky” and said made them feel uncomfortable. emphasis on economic terms corresponded with troubling aspects of both sel and mindfulness in research literature. firstly, commercial interests commodifying curriculum infuse mindfulness with capitalist bias (hyland, 2017; reveley, 2015; sellman & buttarazzi, 2020). furthermore, a sel framework or mindfulness practices, by reducing negative impacts, complicitly exploit young people, normalize oppressive capitalist systems, and disguise damaging consequences of students’ prolific social media consumption (ergas, 2019; hyland, 2017; mccaw, 2020; reveley, 2015; sellman & buttarazzi, 2020). participant perspectives and research literature highlighted how, left to their own devices, educators rely on hegemonic, readily available resources that perpetuate oppression. siegle – emerging perspectives (2022) 14 sel as a disguise the reasons educators employ sel also led to an inequitable framework. ambivalent about their roles, participants sought student compliance with system expectations while also facilitating classroom community. sel becomes a way to bridge ambivalence; participants framed compliance around enhancing student progress. strikingly, one participant placed high value on “expectations”, referencing the word thirty times. conversely, another participant altered phrasing to suggest students entering the “learning and growth zone” still insinuating classroom expectations. participants judged an approach sel beneficial when it enabled student compliance by increasing attendance, decreasing swearing, reducing classroom incidents, increasing school engagement, and facilitating greater student work completion. similarly, scholars note that sel becomes a tool for measuring conformity, hiding this desire in positive, strength-based language (humphrey, 2013). participant discourse and research literature both exposed sel employing positive language to couch educators’ desire for compliance. interview discourse and research literature highlighted how educators came to view student experiences. conveying an emotionality while discussing unpleasant experiences, participants’ awkward constructions highlighted unease with strength-based phrasing. firstly, participants paired “behaviour” with emotionally charged words like: “bad,” “other,” “trouble,” “problem,” and “challenging.” secondly, echoing emotionally charged sentiments, participants spoke to students with “issues,” and “difficulties.” more subtly participants referred to students as “lively,” “boisterous,” and “struggling with social cues.” notably, scholars recognized similar language patterns when educators targeted student skill deficits with sel (emery, 2016; hoffman, 2009). language patterns exposed a deficit model focusing on challenges emerging from the child (emery, 2016) or societal failure to develop emotional literacy, particularly among boys (hoffman, 2009; schlund et al., 2020). nevertheless, participants spoke hopefully that sel would increase student regulation, leading students to overcome challenges by engaging problem-solving skills. accordingly, sel appears as a positive spin upon older, deficit-based interventions (humphrey, 2013). some language patterns included more troubling phrases. participants used phrases, such as “off-the-wall,” “a pain in the ass,” “giving [teachers] a hard time,” “acting out, or lashing out, or… reacting to situations,” and moments when “all hell was breaking loose” or students exhibited “fight or flight responses.” inherited from dominant cultural values within neuroscientific perspectives, discourse connotated a wild, animal, and uncontrolled nature of students consistent with research literature (emery, 2016; gregory & fergus, 2017; hoffman, 2009; humphrey, 2013). conversely, when educators modeled skills, a sel framework reduced punitive interactions; thoughtful sel approaches paired with careful mindfulness practice offered a counter to deficitbased mindsets through alternate narratives (ergas, 2019; gregory & fergus, 2017; jagers et al., 2019; reveley, 2015; sellman & buttarazzi, 2020). although, language indicated problematic perspectives, scholars noted opportunities for sel that benefit school communities. unfortunately, both research literature and participant discourse underscored that sel perpetuates oppression when focusing on student deficits or classroom management. siegle – emerging perspectives (2022) 15 sel as “a path and a solution” a sel framework paired with mindfulness practices, emphasized providing “help” to students and espoused cultural universality that perpetuated a colonial, eurocentric mindset. a eurocentric mindset views the world as “linear and singular, static, and objective” (little bear, 2014, p. 82). participant comments indicated a model of “helping.” firstly, recognizing fragility in students, participants spoke compassionately about students’ home and social environments. a sel framework aided educators responding to student experiences with trauma, mental illness, gang violence, sexual violence, marginalized social identity, a disadvantageous home life, or being part of an “at-risk population.” “at-risk” connotated student fragility. participants also spoke frequently about anxiety and stress as prominent student concerns. moreover, a sel framework became a solution holding classrooms together, helping “these kids.” phrases like “baggage,” “invisible backpack,” or “carrying way more than i can” revealed a heaviness encumbering students facing issues beyond an educator’s purview. participants hoped sel would develop problem-solving skills, helping students escape repeating behavioural patterns. pairing sel with mindfulness, participants confidently responded to students with an evidence-based “path and solution.” unfortunately, solutions highlighted white paternalism underlying responses aiming to fix students (foucault, 2003). likewise, packaging mindfulness too neatly and emphasizing core principles, like non-judgemental awareness, discourages critical thinking, limiting exposure to important ethical elements within authentic mindfulness practice (gregory & fergus, 2017; hyland, 2017; jagers et al., 2019; schlund et al., 2020). problematic attitudes emerged when approaching sel as an antidote for students’ social and emotional challenges. sel and mindfulness also obscured diverse cultural experiences through an emphasis on universal approaches. while participants spoke about student needs drawing them to sel, participants viewed sel as a foundational framework: “things that every classroom should have;” and “less of an add-on and more of… an integral part of everything that they do.” research literature suggested caution when emphasizing universal approaches; a universal emphasis sacrifices diverse perspectives to dominant, white cultural values (gregory & fergus, 2017). as you can see, when educators approach sel as a universal framework with simplistic interventions, educators impose dominant cultural values that perpetuate oppression. changing educators a sel framework and mindfulness practices both perpetuated oppression when unguided educators used products packaged for widespread commercial distribution, when thinking about students paternalistically, and when applying adopting a sel framework for classroom management. so, why bother with sel approach or mindfulness practices if they potentially perpetuate oppression? both sel and mindfulness, while problematic, also increased equity by increasing empathy and increasing educator awareness of their own biases. sel and mindfulness for “blm and all that” a sel framework increased educator self-awareness. all participants addressed their social identity, expressing a duty to use their position to highlight systemic racism. conveying an urgency to begin conversations about systemic racism, participants observed how sel framed sensitive discussions. concurrently, they also intimated ongoing discomfort with conversations siegle – emerging perspectives (2022) 16 about race and privilege, acknowledging peers struggling, even resisting, creating space for uncomfortable conversations. indicating discomfort, participants used generic phrases like “subtle things,” “blm and all that,” and “things related to… past history.” as scholars noted, a sel framework addresses discomfort while aiding educators critically examining factors driving inequity (gregory & fergus, 2017; jagers et al., 2019; schlund et al., 2020). similarly, mindfulness practices played a role in shifting adult perceptions; mindfulness practices illuminated educator biases (ergas, 2019; gregory & fergus, 2017; schlund et al., 2020; sellman & buttarazzi, 2020). going further, some advocated integrating sel, including mindfulness practices, with social justice to create new, equity-promoting, transformative frameworks (hyland, 2017; jagers et al., 2019; schlund et al., 2020). conversely, educators should proceed cautiously, noting that existing approaches to sel inadequately examine power, privilege, and cultural differences (gregory & fergus, 2017). similarly, mindfulness dangerously reduced critical thinking, perpetuated systemic oppression, and increased an output submissive to growing system demands (mccaw, 2020; sellman & buttarazzi, 2020). both a sel framework and mindfulness practices, through examining bias, equipped educators to equitably engage students, but both also require a cautious approach to sustain benefits. sel for “curiosity and gentleness” sel frameworks changed educators by increasing openness to students. participants spoke about how sel increased empathy in school communities. one participant noted that sel produced empathy for “complex and honest things” that students experience; instilling “curiosity and gentleness.” other participants noted sel helped them approach students differently. participants described how sel provides a framework for understanding “where a student is coming from,” while increasing “self-awareness and being aware of others.” participants talked frequently about sel encouraging empathy by improving participants’ “ability to identify and understand other people’s emotions” (greater good, n.d., para. 1). in this way, sel supported participants in developing empathy. identifying themselves within student experiences, participants highlighted another aspect of empathy as an outcome of their approach to sel, especially when incorporating mindfulness practices. alluding to “perspective taking” (greater good, n.d., para 2) participants addressed struggles with sexism, poverty, anti-semitism, and mental illness. participants examined social identity, gaining perspective into student experiences, while sharing the impacts of systemic racism with students. identifying barriers to appreciating student perspectives, participants mentioned the unfairness of privilege and the danger of unconsciously using power. similarly, scholars noted approaches to sel, including mindfulness practices, promoted perspective-taking behaviour by establishing warm, empathetic environments that foster greater collaboration (andolina & conklin, 2020; doikou-avlidou & dadatsi, 2013; ergas, 2019; hyland, 2017; sellman & buttarazzi, 2020). mindfulness practices specifically shifted participant practice, altering roles within the classroom, by increasing effective listening, empowering students, and reducing educator attempts at control. practicing mindfulness calmed participants, aided emotional regulation, increased participant confidence, provided participants an internal locus of control, and helped participants become aware of their responses to students. similarly, literature identifies that mindfulness increased educator self-awareness, leading to less punitive classrooms (doikouavlidou & dadatsi, 2013; ergas, 2019; gregory & fergus, 2017; hecht & shin, 2015; jagers et al., 2019; reveley, 2015; sellman & buttarazzi, 2020). by increasing educator self-awareness, siegle – emerging perspectives (2022) 17 including highlighting social identity, mindfulness increased empathy; when educators engaged mindfulness for themselves first, the habit helped advance equity in the classroom. student empowerment beyond benefiting school communities when educators practiced sel and mindfulness for themselves, these approaches changed school cultures by facilitating belonging, empowering students, and changing interactions between people in school communities. sel to help students “feel part of things” the approach to sel has potential to transform classroom culture. participants observed sel empowering students, increasing student autonomy, and facilitating student self-advocacy. empowering students fosters “the self-actualization or influence of” students (merriam-webster, n.d., para 3). insinuating self-actualization in the educational idiom, “you’ve got to maslow before they bloom,” educators understand maslow’s hierarchical zenith (maslow, 1948) emerges in approaches, like sel, supporting students so they can reach their full potential. sel developed student self-advocacy, self-determination, and ownership over their circumstances. participants described their approach to sel as helping students influence their circumstances, see themselves in learning, and take responsibility for their education. participants saw sel increasing student voice by ensuring students “come to the table and, at least, have a seat at it.” again, these comments echo frameworks that empower communities that “promote the…influence of” students (merriam-webster, n.d., para 3). participants observed their approach to sel serving students, making them “feel part of things rather than just drones that are being dictated to.” correspondingly, feeling a sense of autonomy intrinsically motivated students (andolina & conklin, 2020). likewise, power-sharing facilitated a transformative, social-justice informed slant to sel (jagers et al., 2019; schlund et al., 2020). scholars extended potential for empowering students beyond school, recognizing ethical principles central to practices, like mindfulness, that challenge oppressive pressures (hyland, 2016). a beneficial sel framework included powerful values that dramatically shift roles within school communities to build equitable power dynamics empowering students. sel for “being attuned” participants each spoke about mindfulness practices within a larger sel framework. for participants, mindfulness practices facilitated stronger relationships. mindfulness created calm, safe, and comfortable student spaces. when mindfulness worked well, participants encountered organic interactions where participants understood students, while students met classroom challenges. acknowledging interwoven interactions, participants described relational responsiveness in musical terms like “flow,” “rhythm,” “attuned,” and “in tune.” others described “give and take” interactions between people in a school community. indeed, mindfulness, sometimes within a larger sel framework, produced positive benefits for trust, relationship skills, and democratic milieu in the classroom (andolina & conklin, 2020; jagers et al., 2019; mccaw, 2020). producing positive benefits, however, required creating a culture of belonging instead of siegle – emerging perspectives (2022) 18 managing behaviour (hoffman, 2009; schlund et al., 2020). participant discourse and research literature revealed both a sel framework and mindfulness practices shift power relationships, promoting an equitable space of belonging, and facilitating an equitable school climate where students see their role as change-makers. implications and limitations a poorly conceived approach to sel, or misguided mindfulness practices, can perpetuate systemic oppression. although problematic, educators can equitably apply sel and mindfulness. an equitable sel framework requires that we first practice self-reflection, then create empowering environments for students. below, readers will find classroom implications and opportunities for further research. what do my findings mean for classroom practice? firstly, educators must examine our motives for our approach to sel, including any mindfulness practices we may incorporate. responding to discomfort and inexperience, challenging classroom experiences lead many educators to pursue sel. viewing a sel framework as tools to support students, while also managing classrooms, we approach sel, and any mindfulness practices we incorporate, from a positivist-influenced, deficit framework (doikou-avlidou & dadatsi, 2013; emery, 2016; ergas, 2019; gregory & fergus, 2017; hecht & shin, 2015; hoffman, 2009; humphrey, 2013; hyland, 2017; mccaw, 2020; schlund et al., 2020). unfortunately, within a deficit perspective, sel frameworks fail to address ecological contexts underlying challenges we identify and, when offered alone, perpetuate white, middle-class value systems (doikou-avlidou & dadatsi, 2013; emery, 2016; ergas, 2019; hecht & shin, 2015; hoffman, 2009; humphrey, 2013; jagers et al., 2019; reveley, 2015; sellman & buttarazzi, 2020). considering factors that perpetuate systemic oppression, educators must examine our motives behind our approach to sel. despite potential challenges rising from our motives, sel frameworks can advance equity. my study finds that combining sel frameworks with social justice pedagogies can transform how educators approach students, this is further enhanced when mindfulness practices include ethical aspects of the practices (hyland, 2016, 2017; jagers et al., 2019; mccaw, 2020; schlund et al., 2020; sellman & buttarazzi, 2020). a sel framework that includes mindfulness practices, while calming students in classrooms, also empowers them, creating space to examine implicit bias and enhancing social skills, like empathy. in this way, although potentially problematic, sel combined with mindfulness is a powerful approach to promoting equity when first engaged for personal reflection and shared within an empowering context. unexpectedly, my research revealed an informal approach to sel. while more typical outside the united states, an informal approach runs contrary to research literature focusing upon manualized approaches to sel (emery, 2016; gregory & fergus, 2017; humphrey, 2013; hyland, 2016, 2017; schlund et al., 2020; sellman & buttarazzi, 2020). policy counters an informal approach; however, policy requires caution, effective policy should guide us to resources that advance equity. conversely, policy may also become restrictive, leaning upon the same commodified interventions discovered informally (gregory & fergus, 2017; hyland, 2017; jagers et al., 2019; schlund et al., 2020). what might an effective policy look like? effective policy informs the nature of interventions, outlines professional learning, and ensures an equitable focus. schlund et al. (2020) identify situating sel within equity policies rather than special education policies. furthermore, strong policy ensures educators use sel, and mindfulness practices, for creating empowering student spaces (andolina & conklin, 2020; doikou-avlidou & dadatsi, siegle – emerging perspectives (2022) 19 2013; hyland, 2016, 2017; jagers et al., 2019; schlund et al., 2020); ensures educators, firstly, employ practices themselves to realize mindfulness’s ethical benefits (ergas, 2019; hyland, 2016, 2017; jagers et al., 2019; reveley, 2015; schlund et al., 2020; sellman & buttarazzi, 2020); and facilitates an equitable sel framework under effective leadership (schlund et al., 2020). advancing an equitable sel framework requires we examine our motives, and, within thoughtful policy structure, practice mindfulness for self-reflection. while my research highlights next steps for classroom practice, factors limit the influence of the study. for instance, the small sample size makes generalizing findings difficult. similarly, the secondary focus excludes existing elementary research, making generalizing to younger grades challenging. additionally, three of the five participants, plus myself, have a special education background; the unclear impact of this commonality may limit the findings’ generalizability. the findings, though insightful, may not apply consistently across these disparate settings. the study also points to next steps for research. for instance, the impacts of special education experience upon sel could drive further research. researchers may consider the impacts on sel outcomes of informal approaches to sel, including the unstructured nature of professional learning. lastly, researchers may explore an understanding of specific sel and mindfulness techniques that advance equity. for instance, when teaching includes students interacting in small-groups, scholars note that sel builds trust or facilitates belonging (doikouavlidou & dadatsi, 2013; hoffman, 2009). what aspects of sel or mindfulness bring forward positive outcomes that educators desire from these approaches? conclusion uniquely, a hermeneutic analysis of teacher perspectives examined aims, goals, and reflections of educators engaging sel and mindfulness. these approaches espouse a colonial, deficit-based ideology limiting equity gains when approaching positivist-informed sel and when utilizing commercialized sel approaches. these risks require me, as a white, male, educator typically blinded to my privilege and ignorant of systemic oppression embedded in our institutions, to take a cautious approach to sel lest my approach negate my equitable aims by perpetuating hegemony. conversely, results guide us toward sel that advances equity. achieving positive outcomes requires engaging mindfulness for our awareness. lastly, situating in a framework that creates spaces where students feel empowered enhances equity benefits. equitable sel requires caution, awareness, and intentionality; we must strive for constructive outcomes countering hegemony and creating equitable spaces, for, as stated by archbishop desmond tutu (1986, as cited in ratcliffe, 2017), “if you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” references aldenmyr, s. i. 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(n.d.). merriam-webster.com dictionary. retrieved 23 march 2021, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empower moules, n. j., mccaffrey, g., field, j. c., & laing, c. m. (2015). conducting hermeneutic research: from philosophy to practice. peter lang publishing. ratcliffe, s. (ed.), oxford essential quotations. oxford university press. retrieved 22 june 2021, from https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/ 9780191843730.001. 0001/q-oro-ed5-00016497 reveley, j. (2015). school-based mindfulness training and the economisation of attention: a stieglerian view. educational philosophy and theory, 47(8), 804–821. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2014.914880 schlund, j., jagers, r. j., & schlinger, m. (2020). emerging insights on advancing social and emotional learning (sel) as a lever for equity and excellence. casel. https://casel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/casel-equity-insights-report.pdf shapiro, s. e. 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(1986). desmond tutu. in. turner & adams, 2024 (d).docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca online learning as a safe space: the experience of racialized students in postsecondary classrooms kristal turner*, jennifer adams university of calgary the accelerated shift to online learning during the covid-19 pandemic revealed unexpected benefits for racialized students in postsecondary education. this research examines the experiences of racialized students in online learning environments, focusing on feelings of safety, authenticity, and belonging. a mixed-methods approach, incorporating surveys (n=132) and interviews (n=10) with undergraduate and graduate science students at a western canadian university, identified key themes, including the creation of "safe spaces" in online learning. participants noted that reduced visibility of their racial identities—achieved through features such as camera-off functionality and name changes—minimized exposure to microaggressions and biases. while some students found online learning isolating, they valued its anonymity and freedom from discrimination. however, the data also highlight broader systemic issues, such as institutional racism, profiling, and the emotional labour required to navigate academic spaces. the findings underscore the need for inclusive and equitable online and in-person learning practices. keywords: online learning, racialized students, safe spaces, equity turner, k., & adams, j. (2024). online learning as a safe space: the experience of racialized students in postsecondary classrooms. emerging perspectives special edition: designing for digital futures, 7(1), 1–9. introduction during the pandemic, there was an accelerated shift to online learning. while this was a difficult shift for most students, the pivot to online learning revealed some unexpected positive attributes for racialized students. in my research, racialized refers to all people who identify as non-white or not part of canada's dominant culture or group (adams, 2020; ngo, 2006). from the survey responses in my master of arts (n=132), some students (n=5) noted that online learning made their racial identities less visible; for example, they were able to turn off their *kllumsde@ucalgary.ca turner & adams/ emerging perspectives (2024) 2 cameras and/or change their names, which meant they were less subjected to microaggressions from classmates and instructors. the guiding research question that informs this paper is: what are the experiences of racialized students regarding online learning? in this research brief, i will explore the topic of online learning environments for racialized students, noting mainly how safe racialized students report feeling in online learning spaces and to what degree they feel that they can show up as their authentic and whole selves (jongman-sereno & leary, 2019; sublett, 2020; turner, 2022). education that is inauthentic or transactional depersonalizes the learning experience of many students and perpetuates the dominant power structures of white institutions and executives in postsecondary learning, leaving racialized students unsupported and their experience undervalued in their education journey (gomez et al., 2011; paredes-collins, 2012; sublett, 2020). authenticity in learning is present when students believe they are behaving congruently with who they “really” are or what they are “really like.” however, there is some contention about whether authenticity can be quantified or measured (jongman-sereno & leary, 2019, pp. 133-134). in my research, i define safe spaces as a place where racialized students feel secure, supported, and able to be themselves. these safe spaces could be physical, visual, or conceptual (turner, 2022). without authenticity and safety, racialized students are unable to bring their whole beings into the classroom and contribute to a robust learning environment (deol, 2013). race impacts feelings of belonging and can negatively impact student learning (sublett, 2020). creating an online and in-person environment that is inclusive and supportive of racialized students is necessary to increase students’ sense of belonging. students who feel like they belong to the learning culture are more likely to complete their post-secondary education (turner, 2022). the importance of safe online turner & adams/ emerging perspectives (2024) 3 spaces becomes more critical as many learning institutions embrace online learning (sublett, 2020). this research brief should be of interest to those involved in equity, diversity, and integrity (edi), and equity and social justice work, and those working to move the conversation beyond compositional diversity (increasing diversity through visual or numeric components) in postsecondary research (paredes-collins, 2012). background of the problem a current review of students’ postsecondary online learning experiences highlights the need to build virtual learning spaces that allow students to share their authentic selves, regardless of race, gender, or sexuality (turner, 2022). while racialized students may report feeling safer in online settings; some studies suggest that this sense of safety is often achieved through an inauthentic or partial sharing of students’ whole selves (avraamidou, 2020). researchers have shown some online environments to be heteronormative and sexist (white, male, and neurotypical) as the norm of a successful student, which further perpetuates inequalities (eaton & turner, 2020; swauger, 2020). sublett (2020) and deol (2013) note that racialized students must hide who they are to have a good experience, also known as ‘code-shifting’. one student noted the difficulty they found in participating in their in-person courses: “it's certainly easier to speak out in the online setting as chat functions can be used at any time, whereas in-person classes can be difficult to contribute” (survey participant #1). racialized students in stem must navigate others’ perceptions of their value and ability in their chosen fields. to deal with this, students protect or hide their authentic selves by learning the ‘right’ ways of being in an academic space in ways misaligned with their authentic selves (habig et al., 2020). turner & adams/ emerging perspectives (2024) 4 methodology my research is qualitative ethnography with a critical theory focus. critical theory allows power structures to be problematized and challenged, while qualitative ethnography grants the researcher a narrative format in sharing students’ experiences (creswell & creswell, 2018). there were 132 survey respondents, and ten interviews were conducted with undergraduate and graduate science students at a western canadian university who identified as racialized. five themes were noted during the data analysis: representation/recognition, emotional labour and emotionality in science, safe spaces, geographical and historical identity, and navigating university norms. for this paper, only safe spaces will be reviewed, as they fit the theme of the special issue (turner, 2022). how racialized students navigate online spaces as previously noted, safe spaces are places where racialized students feel secure to be themselves, and the space can encompass multiple modalities (turner, 2022). a safe space allows students to feel comfortable exploring who they are in all aspects of their lives, in and outside their role as students (avraamidou, 2020). it may provide access to others with similar interests (deo, 2013). sublett, 2020 notes that valuable energy is wasted dealing with microaggressions and impacts a student’s degree progression. racialized students benefit from and thrive in environments that allow them to share their culture and experience (sublett, 2020). the students interviewed expressed that they often felt unsupported and targeted during their studies, and some even felt that safe spaces did not exist on the postsecondary campus: “i do not look west asian physically and have had students make insensitive/ racist comments about afghan people in front of me. i feel that my voice is not heard because turner & adams/ emerging perspectives (2024) 5 my peers view me as undeserving of my place as a student. i am not assuming this opinion, i have had 2/30 students in my cohort say this to me directly” (survey participant #2). “main thing that comes to mind is that for years (i did my undergrad here as well), i would get stopped by security on a fairly regular basis. i once had them block in my car and call the cops because they accused me of driving away from security on a day i wasn't even on campus -they thought i was homeless. security would follow me off campus to my car. they would stop in and ask me questions if i was there late at night. it didn't stop until a white friend who worked for another security company confronted them about it. things have been fine since then but none of that should've happened” (survey participant #3). these two excerpts reveal experiences of isolation, helplessness, and demoralization by peers and leaders alike. safe spaces on campus can help reduce violence against racialized students (deo, 2013). profiling and bullying by security are concerns that give some context as to why racialized students may feel safer online and were noted as concerns by other students when sharing their experiences in the survey and interviews (turner, 2022). other students noted how turning off their cameras gave them distance from any biases their instructor might have: “now that classes are online there is no way for profs to know what i look like. that takes away any personal bias that may exist. the only thing that could affect it is if they made accusations based on your name” (survey participant #4). “yes. it's far more isolating but has been helpful in reducing the amount of hostility i am encountered with. i find it more peaceful to be able to focus on my studies online, and turner & adams/ emerging perspectives (2024) 6 become a good scientist, free from criticism based on my experiences as a person of colour or appearance” (survey participant #2). the above examples show how some racialized students find online spaces isolated but will embrace the isolation to experience safety because their identities can remain anonymous, and they remain free of discrimination (turner, 2022). conclusion in considering racialized student experience, it is important not to essentialize (or assume) that their experiences are all the same. however, similarities did show up when reviewing interviews and survey data from my research (adams, 2020; ngo, 2006; turner, 2022). had it not been for the pandemic, this facet of racialized student experience might not have been readily visualized or observed at this particular institution. institutional leaders need to work harder to shift the culture to include student voice in decision-making so that racialized student experience is valued and included in the work being done. while these students may find places to feel safer, they still lose out on positive student experiences within the larger campus community (deo, 2013). this relates to why some students from my research study saw online learning as a safe space in their education journey. instead, as educators within an institutional setting, we need to create spaces for students to feel free to share their true selves. when universities listen to the experiences of racialized students and use this to enact meaningful policies and practices, the culture can shift towards spaces of belonging, including online environments. institutions that do not value their students' voices and experiences leave them powerless and disengaged from their education journey (turner et al., 2022). thus continuing the cycle of harmful or damaging experiences on campuses for racialized students. turner & adams/ emerging perspectives (2024) 7 references adams, j.d. (2020). designing frameworks for authentic equity in science teaching and learning: informal learning environments and teacher education for stem. asia-pacific science education, 6(2), 456–479. https://doi.org/10.1163/23641177-bja10016 ahmed, s. (2007). ‘you end up doing the document rather than doing the doing’: diversity, race equality and the politics of documentation. ethnic and racial studies, 30(4), 590–609. doi: 10.1080/01419870701356015 avraamidou, l. (2020). science identity as a landscape of becoming: rethinking recognition and emotions through an intersectionality lens. cultural studies in science education, 15, 323–345. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-019-09954-7 creswell, j., & creswell, j. (2018). research design (5th ed.). sage. deo, m.e. (2013). two sides of coin: safe space & segregation in race/ethnic-specific law student organizations. washington university journal of law & policy, pp. 42, 83–130. eaton, s. e. (2020). race-based data in student conduct: a call to action. werklund school of education, university of calgary, calgary, ab. 1–11. http://hdl.handle.net/1880/112157 eaton, s. e., & turner, k. l. (2020). exploring academic integrity and mental health during covid-19: rapid review. journal of contemporary education theory & research, 4(1), 35–41. gomez, m.l., khurshid, a., freitag, m.b., & lachuk, a.j. (2011). microaggressions in graduate students’ lives: how they are encountered and their consequences. teaching and teacher education, 27(8), 1189-1199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2011.06.003 https://doi.org/10.1163/23641177-bja10016 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-019-09954-7 http://hdl.handle.net/1880/112157 turner & adams/ emerging perspectives (2024) 8 habig, b., gupta, p., & adams, j.d. (2021). disrupting deficit narratives in informal science education: applying community cultural wealth theory to youth learning and engagement. cultural studies in science education, pp. 16, 509–548. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-020-10014-8 ngo, b. (2006). learning from the margins: the education of southeast and south asian americans in context. race ethnicity and education, 9(1), 51–65. doi: 10.1080/13613320500490721 jongman-sereno, k.p., & leary, m.r. (2019). the enigma of being yourself: a critical examination of the concept of authenticity. review of general psychology, 23(1), 133–142. https://doi.org/10.1037/gpr0000157 paredes-collins, k. (2012). transitions: a research-based approach to college student success. in l.a. schreiner, m.c. louis, & d.d. nelson (eds.), thriving in transitions: a research-based approach to college student success (pp. 65-86). national resource center for the first year experience & students in transition. https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/lib/ucalgary-ebooks/detail.acti on?pq-origsite=primo&docid=5359160 turner, k.l. (2022). stories in relation to power and privilege: the experiences of racialized students in stem education at a western canadian university (master's thesis). https://prism.ucalgary.ca turner, k.l., adams, j.d. & eaton, s.e. academic integrity, stem education, and covid-19: a call to action. csse, 17, 331–339. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-021-10090-4 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-020-10014-8 https://doi.org/10.1037/gpr0000157 https://prism.ucalgary.ca turner & adams/ emerging perspectives (2024) 9 sublett, c. (2020). distant equity: the promise and pitfalls of online learning for students of color in higher education. ace. https://www.equityinhighered.org/resources/ideas-and-insights/distant-equity-the-promise -and-pitfalls-of-online-learning-for-students-of-color-in-higher-education/ swauger, s. (2020, august 7). software that monitors students during tests perpetuates inequality and violates their privacy. mit technology review. https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/08/07/1006132/software-algorithms-proctoringonline-tests-ai-ethics/ https://www.equityinhighered.org/resources/ideas-and-insights/distant-equity-the-promise-and-pitfalls-of-online-learning-for-students-of-color-in-higher-education/ https://www.equityinhighered.org/resources/ideas-and-insights/distant-equity-the-promise-and-pitfalls-of-online-learning-for-students-of-color-in-higher-education/ https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/08/07/1006132/software-algorithms-proctoring-online-tests-ai-ethics/ https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/08/07/1006132/software-algorithms-proctoring-online-tests-ai-ethics/ davis & gierus, 2024 (d).docx emerging perspectives ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca the hyperlinked visual-spatial map as a novel way to explore an academic discipline bogumila gierus*, brent davis university of calgary becoming familiar with the overabundance of learning theories is daunting for most graduate students pursuing phds in education. this think-piece explores three strategies to support graduate students in familiarizing themselves with learning theories in education, emphasizing the third strategy of using visual-spatial digital maps. as a first strategy, a graduate student might conduct searches in the hope of finding theories that fit with one’s interests. this scattershot approach involves randomness, as the relative novice is compelled to navigate and make sense of diverse ideas from a vast field of knowledge. a second, more systematic strategy is to read a textbook written or assembled by highly regarded authorities in the field. this approach affords a much more coherent way of reviewing relevant theories in a field of study, but the biases of authors and editors can skew it. a third strategy involves using emergent, hyperlinked, visual-spatial digital maps. two such maps are presented and used to illustrate current and emerging possibilities for exploring and locating oneself in a vibrant research domain. keywords: learning theories, graduate education, visual-spatial digital maps, research strategies gierus, b., & davis, b. (2020). the hyperlinked visual-spatial map as a novel way to explore an academic discipline. emerging perspectives special edition: designing for digital futures, 7(1), 1–14. introduction when i started my ph.d. program in educational research last year, i was overwhelmed. having taught for many years, i was confident in my teaching practice, and i thought i was a knowledgeable person overall. however, the imposter syndrome hit in my first graduate class while listening to other students and the professor using terminology entirely new to me to discuss theories i had never heard of. the reading journey to become part of such conversations *bogumila.gierus@ucalgary.ca gierus & davis/ emerging perspectives (2024) 2 seemed daunting. exploring and making sense of the abundance of learning theories felt overwhelming, especially with the thousands of theoretical ideas at play in the field (davis & francis, 2021). in this article, i discuss different approaches to getting to know a discipline, ranging from the highly structured (e.g., reading a textbook or taking a course) to the more random (e.g., searching on the internet or chasing specific keywords). then, i present a third way involving the hyperlinked visual-spatial digital map of a domain. focusing on two such maps as exemplars, i explore how this type of medium can enable a deep and interconnected understanding of the field as compared to a textbook or article reading. with this think-piece, i hope to share valuable information with incoming graduate students in education so that they may make sense of a dynamic field. ways of learning the theoretical framework of a new discipline. there are several ways of learning the theoretical underpinnings of a discipline: reading a textbook or reference book, reading relevant peer-reviewed articles from journals in the field, or using a hyperlinked visual-spatial digital map of a domain, to name a few. these tools have different purposes, are useful at different stages of research, and can be used in unison to achieve a richer understanding of the field. i review these three distinct ways in this section. reading a textbook of the discipline textbooks are typically used as a foundation for a course and are selected based on the instructor’s ideas of what the discipline looks like. in lower-level introductory courses, textbooks typically present generalized overviews of a field. with higher-level specialized courses, gierus & davis/ emerging perspectives (2024) 3 textbooks become more specialized as well. however, for work at the master’s and ph.d. level, which is considered on the cutting edge of knowledge, appropriate and up-to-date textbooks on specific topics are not always available. even when they are, the reader is subject to an author's or editor's choices and interpretations; books are not bias-free artifacts. examples abound. in my recent experience, in an “introduction to learning sciences” course, the primary reading assignments came from the cambridge handbook of the learning sciences, edited by sawyer (2022). this text served as a foundation for the course and the discipline—or so i thought. my passion for the learning sciences discipline resided in visual representations, and i was surprised there was no chapter about how students learn from representations, visual or otherwise. although quite specific, this topic is a robust part of the field. when i commented on the matter, my instructor recommended checking the international handbook of learning sciences (fischer et al., 2018), which included a chapter on multiple representations (ainsworth, 2018). “handbooks” are intended to portray entire domains, so editors’ decisions on what to include or omit are consequential. i admit to being unsettled that my field of study, multiple representations, did not meet the bar for this particular version of the learning sciences handbook. scattershot approach (reading random articles from a discipline) another way of exploring a discipline is the scattershot approach, where a graduate student hunts for peer-reviewed literature based on keywords that might interest them. using combinations of keywords, synonyms, phrases, and logical operators (and or or), one can gierus & davis/ emerging perspectives (2024) 4 scour library catalogues, institutional repositories, or even google scholar. one relevant article can lead to another, enabling more and deeper searches. typically, this approach also produces an overabundance of literature, presenting the need to limit searches by adding keywords or using more restrictive logic. there is a certain art to such searches, though, as the results should not eliminate articles that are relevant, even if they are peripheral. for effective searches, the student must already have a well-developed sense of both the broad contours and the specific terminology of the discipline. lacking these, there are risks of getting sidetracked and going down rabbit holes. further, the student needs to find out whether the articles chosen are the ones that are the most influential or relevant. with this approach, the guidance of a supervisor, teacher, or other mentor is essential. this type of research approach led me to my topic for my master’s thesis. i remember reading article after article on visual representations, noting the other articles listed in the literature review sections. then, i would read those articles and try my hardest to figure out which authors and papers were the most widely cited in the visual representations field and which i thought would be most renowned. i felt like a cave diver with just a tiny flashlight, seeing bits and pieces of a large cave that would never be available. hyperlinked visual-spatial digital map of a domain (hypermedia) a third approach to probing a discipline involves using a visual-spatial digital map. although such tools have not yet been developed for many disciplines, a map of this kind affords a spatial orientation to the field by showing relationships between different topics and theories in the field that may otherwise be available only to experts. for instance, within education, spatial gierus & davis/ emerging perspectives (2024) 5 reasoning is closely related to embodied cognition (see figure 1). however, there is no reason that detail would be apparent or intuitive to the novice graduate student. figure 1. discourses on learning in education map with this type of visual-spatial representation, one can quickly see how the various discourses are related. since it is hyperlinked, instant descriptions of the various notions can be accessed along with links to further related ideas. gierus & davis/ emerging perspectives (2024) 6 a graphic organizer to systematize thoughts is a concept that has been introduced previously. for instance, in school, students are exposed to mind maps, thought maps, thinking maps, and other spatial ways of collecting and organizing ideas (budd, 2004; hyerle, 1996; peer et al., 2021). even venn diagrams—so well-liked by math, science, and social studies teachers—are a form of graphical representation of ideas (gunstone & white, 1986; otto & everett, 2013). across these strategies, non-spatial ideas are arranged two-dimensionally, aiming to highlight relationships through links, shared regions, or proximity. citizens of the information age have grown increasingly familiar with such devices (newcombe & huttenlocher, 2003). as access to information has exploded in recent decades, interfaces with that information have become more and more spatial (burbules et al., 2020). as a result, visual-spatial organizations of knowledge can be quite intuitive. arguably, by graduate school, visual-spatial maps of disciplines are appropriate ways of representing relationships and interconnections. contrasted with the scattershot approach, exploring a discipline in this way enables one’s agency. the learner decides which path to take through the map but does not leave the experience to chance. compared to the textbook approach, a spatialized introduction offers comparable structure. however, its contents are less subject to editor opinion and bias, as there is no pretense that the signposts on a map are actual destinations. i turn to two exemplars of hyperlinked visual-spatial digital maps to develop these points. two exemplars math ed atlas gierus & davis/ emerging perspectives (2024) 7 when writing an article for publication, i situate my ideas in an established but evolving network. for example, in this article, i cite articles that were, in turn, cited by other articles. looking into the future, my writing will hopefully be cited by others, who will be cited by others, and so on. the article i am writing will be a node in an interconnected web of articles comprising the discipline. that discipline constantly changes as new articles are published and connections are formed. the more an article is cited, the greater its influence—signified in greater numbers of links to wider distributions of nodes. in a sense, the discipline emerges in the collection of articles, like connections between neurons in the brain. however, that is not a sufficient picture: the connections among articles are also essential to define a domain. a discipline’s coherence resides among interconnections of citations. in other words, a discipline might be understood as a complex, dynamic system of nodes and connections constantly changing and updating itself. this level of interconnectedness has led some researchers to use social network analysis to model disciplines (dubbs, 2021; kong et al., 2019). social network analysis is the process of investigating social structures using networks and graph theory (scott, 2012). it characterizes networked structures in terms of nodes and the ties, edges, or links that connect them. dubbs (2021) offers one example in his network analysis maps (visual-spatial hyperlinked maps) of journal of research in mathematics education (jrme) articles from 1970 to 2020. the map is presented in figure 2, and interpreting it can be confusing if not properly understood. for instance, the proximity and location of nodes mean something, colour means something else, and the size of the node means something completely different. figure 2. interactive network map of articles published in jrme from 1970 to 2020. gierus & davis/ emerging perspectives (2024) 8 information on the structuring and how to read these maps are presented in figure 3. once appreciated, examining the clusters of research topics in these visual-spatial maps can provide extraordinary and rapid insights into the discipline of mathematics education research. for instance, one can select “bubbles” and find publications that are within these research topic bubbles. or, one can search for a specific article to find others within the same research bubble. dubbs (2021) also suggests looking at the “foam” (the collection of bubbles; see figure 4) to see the overall interests of the discipline. for emerging scholars, there is an obvious benefit to being able to zoom out from an article to see how it connects to the entire discipline or, conversely, to zoom from the big picture of mathematics education research to a specific topic or article. figure 3. an explanation of how jrme maps are laid out gierus & davis/ emerging perspectives (2024) 9 figure 4. the foam (collection of topic bubbles) of a map discourses on learning in education gierus & davis/ emerging perspectives (2024) 10 another visual-spatial hyperlinked discipline map is offered on the discourses on learning in education website (davis & francis, 2021). specifically for the field of education, its developers took a slightly different approach: instead of linking and grouping entries, they relied on overlapping clusters to show relationality. similar to dubbs’ jrme maps, clustering was used for similar topics. however, as illustrated in figure 5, other choices were implemented to foreground different categories of information. for example, bands of key metaphors and defining themes were placed around the map to signal broad themes. figure 5. discourses on learning in education: reading the map another strategy involves using colour to differentiate between scientific, quasi-scientific, and unscientific discourses. the working definition of “scientific” on this site is based on four criteria that are commonly associated with robust inquiry—namely: being explicit about assumptions (including metaphors and imagery used to describe learning), being associated with a body of replicable evidence, none of which flatly contradicts the discourse; gierus & davis/ emerging perspectives (2024) 11 being open to revision (or rejection) in the face of new evidence or interpretation; and preferably, but not necessarily, meshing with other theories that address related matters. two more strategies are introduced through the use of axes. the horizontal axis spans “correspondence discourses” and “coherence discourses.” a correspondence discourse assumes a separation of the physical and the mental. it thus describes learning in terms of a correspondence between what happens in physical reality and what is happening in one’s mental world. in contrast, a coherent discourse approaches learning in more integrated and systemic terms, in which the learner is understood as an agent that is part of a grander dynamic system, and learning is seen as a continuous process of co-evolution. “cognitive load theory” would be considered a correspondence discourse, while “social constructivism” is a coherent discourse. the vertical axis is a continuum that is used to organize discourses according to their relative emphases on “interpreting learning” and “influencing learning”—that is, the extent to which they are concerned with making sense of the nature, aspects, and dynamics of the phenomenon as contrasted with the extent to which they are concerned with prompting learning and characterizing learners. for instance, “cultural-historical activity theory,” a theory that supports interpretations of learning, describes how human activity is shaped by the complex web of participants and their systemic constraints, while “design-based learning,” a discourse that attempts to influence learning, is structured around the making of artifacts through iterative processes of design, build, test, and revise. discussion and conclusions both exemplars take advantage of dynamic and user-friendly technologies, offering each user a unique experience oriented by personal interest and open to serendipitous possibilities. gierus & davis/ emerging perspectives (2024) 12 moreover, in the case of the discourses on learning in education map, the experiences of someone interested in, say, spatial reasoning will be very different from those of someone interested in “wild pedagogies”—a fact that is signalled immediately by different locations, different clusters, and different colour-coding. like a piece of artwork or a detailed geographical map—or, indeed, like disciplines themselves—the entire map cannot be analyzed in one sitting, and every viewer will see it differently. it is not a resource to memorize but a reference to visit and revisit, partly because the contexts are extensive and partly because the map is dynamic. it changes with new research in the discipline. much in contrast to the print limitations of even the best textbook, a visual-spatial, hyperlinked map invites the user into the ever-evolving realities of a discipline. visual-spatial hyperlinked maps have much to offer the academic world. in my case, they turned on the light in the dark cave, and i could see the enormous cavern and chose my path with more confidence. in addition to supporting students as they explore and locate themselves in a discipline, hyperlink technologies can potentially be used to “level up,” enabling the mapping of disciplinary structures by presenting evidence of connections among disciplines (harries et al., 2004)—as might be inferred from the successes of wikipedia and online newspaper articles in infiltrating our everyday lives. it is not a great leap to envision academic articles hyperlinked and then visually mapped to show inand inter-system networks. as they reveal hidden patterns and unnoticed relations, these ever-changing maps could give access to domains in ways that have never been available to researchers. gierus & davis/ emerging perspectives (2024) 13 references ainsworth, s. 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