Browsing by Author "Kristmanson, Paula Lee"

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    Literacy instruction in Nunavut
    (University of New Brunswick, 2024-12) Bartlett, A. Katharine; Kristmanson, Paula Lee; Flaherty, Louise
    Concern has been raised about the quality of education Nunavut students receive, particularly in the area of literacy instruction (T. R. Berger, 2006; National Committee on Inuit Education, 2011; Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, 2021; Skutnabb-Kangas et al., 2019). Perhaps in acknowledgement of this issue, in the spring of 2014 the Nunavut Department of Education announced the adoption of a new literacy framework intended “to improve the current education system” (Department of Education, 2014e, p. 1). The aim of this research study was to collect the experiences of Nunavut educators about literacy instruction and bilingualism to provide insights into the implementation of this literacy framework. A methodology of constructivist grounded theory combined with Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (Inuit traditional knowledge and worldview) was employed because it provided space for Inuit societal values to be used as sensitizing concepts alongside a lens of appreciation. Data were collected through interviews as well as a questionnaire that was distributed to all Nunavut educators. The stories they related were combined with an exploration of grey literature to understand how the literacy framework evolved—helping to provide context to their experiences. The collected data revealed that the problem Nunavut educators grapple with is how to effectively provide literacy instruction. A theory emerged to explain how they resolve to provide literacy instruction. This theory reveals issues that educators encounter that impede the efforts of some educators, as well as covariance variables which may be able to be leveraged to influence the actions educators take. From this theory a series of twenty-three promising suggestions in seven areas and five overarching recommendations provide ideas that could allow educational leaders to strengthen the ongoing implementation of the literacy framework. The results of this study will also help to inform the implementation of future educational initiatives in Nunavut.
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    Teacher Candidates of French as a Second Language and the Construction of a Professional Identity
    (Bright Ideas Consulting, 2023) Le Bouthillier, Josée; Kristmanson, Paula Lee
    This article focuses on a qualitative case study of linguistic support sessions for French second language teacher candidates in an initial teacher education programme in Eastern Canada. The overall purpose of the study was to explore the impact of these sessions on the participants’ linguistic competence and confidence. In particular, this article examines one such impact: the construction of a linguistic and professional identity. Through the analysis of focus group transcriptions, findings related to the concept of identity are shared in order to shed light on the potential of these sessions beyond simply language improvement. The article concludes with a discussion of the possible implications of this study for FSL teacher recruitment and retention.