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Transition of Newcomer Youth in Ontario Educational Policies: a Critical Discourse Analysis

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Transition of Newcomer Youth in Ontario Educational Policies: a Critical Discourse Analysis Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 11-27-2013 12:00 AM Transition of Newcomer Youth in Ontario Educational Policies: A Critical Discourse Analysis Cameron Scott The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Dr. Katina Pollock The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in Education A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Master of Education © Cameron Scott 2013 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, and the Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons Recommended Citation Scott, Cameron, "Transition of Newcomer Youth in Ontario Educational Policies: A Critical Discourse Analysis" (2013). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 1957. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/1957 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TRANSITION OF NEWCOMER YOUTH IN ONTARIO EDUCATIONAL POLICIES: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS (Spine title: TRANSITION OF NEWCOMER YOUTH) (Thesis format: Monograph) by Cameron J. Scott Faculty of Education Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies The University of Western Ontario London, Ontario November 2013 © Cameron J. Scott 2013 i Abstract Transition in school is an inherent function of each student’s educational experience. However, newcomer youth face unique transitional challenges. This qualitative study was conducted to answer how Ontario educational policies shape the transition of newcomer youth. A critical discourse analysis was used to analyze practical guides and policy texts, framed through critical policy sociology and critical pedagogy. Findings illustrated that a fractured policy landscape exists, where there is a heavy emphasis on literacy, language development, and language acquisition for newcomer youth, but there remains a lack of policies to support a more holistic transition. Dominant policy discourses serve to construct newcomer youth through policy definitions of newcomers and power structures. Suggestions have been made for policymakers, administration, schools, and teachers. This research contributes insight into how current policies reproduce socio-economic and cultural norms and illustrates the importance of moving beyond English language learner curriculum to targeted transition policy for newcomer youth. Keywords: Ontario, newcomer youth, immigration, transition, educational policy, acculturation, critical discourse analysis, critical policy sociology, critical pedagogy, qualitative. ii Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Katina Pollock for her time, support, and patience throughout this writing process. It has been a long "part-time" journey (longer than expected) that has woven its way through four years of full-time work and life. Thank you also to Marianne Larsen for providing feedback and guidance as part of my supervisory committee. Also, thank you to Dr. Pam Bishop, Dr. Jason Brown, and Dr. Michael Buzzelli for forming my thesis examination committee, and to Roz Stooke for Chairing the thesis defence. To the staff at the Graduate Office, particularly Linda Kulak (recently retired), thank you for your support and prompt responses in moments of need. To my classmates, thank you for helping me to develop a stronger critical perspective. Thank you to my friends and family for all your support, interest in my progress, and questions around "is it done yet?" And finally, as always, thank you Megan. Your critical eye, sharp editorial skills, support in every way possible, and continuous pushing forward has, undoubtedly, made this thesis a reality. iii Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iii LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... viii LIST OF TABLES ..............................................................................................................ix LIST OF APPENDICES ...................................................................................................... x CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. 1 Youth Immigration in Canada .......................................................................................... 2 Defining Terms: Understanding Youth, Newcomer Youth, and Transition .................... 3 Defining Youth ................................................................................................................. 3 Defining Newcomer Youth .............................................................................................. 3 Defining Transition .......................................................................................................... 4 Statement of the Problem ................................................................................................. 4 Background ...................................................................................................................... 5 Research Questions .......................................................................................................... 6 Significance of this Study ................................................................................................ 6 Organization of Thesis ..................................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................... 10 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 10 Power Structures in Policy Affecting the Transition of Newcomer Youth .................... 12 Settlement Issues Affecting the Transition of Newcomer Youth .................................. 14 Generational Status ........................................................................................................ 14 Language and Integration Patterns ................................................................................. 15 Importance of Schools as Multicultural Common Spaces ............................................. 16 Academic and Social Barriers ........................................................................................ 17 Identity Formation and Development ............................................................................ 20 Settlement and Acculturation ......................................................................................... 22 iv Gaps in the Literature ..................................................................................................... 26 Incoherent Definitions of Transition .............................................................................. 26 Over-representation of Newcomer Youth's Barriers to Acculturation ........................... 27 Emphasis on Acculturation, Identity, and Discrimination ............................................. 27 Deficiency in Research Related to the Transition of Newcomer Youth ........................ 28 Contribution to Field of Education Policy ..................................................................... 28 Summary ........................................................................................................................ 28 CHAPTER THREE: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ................................................... 30 Overview of Critical Policy Sociology .......................................................................... 30 Values (in Policies): Prunty’s Definition ....................................................................... 31 Power .............................................................................................................................. 33 Examining the Broader Context (Social, Political, Economic) of Policies .................... 33 Critiquing Oppressive Social Practices .......................................................................... 36 Proposing Alternatives ................................................................................................... 38 Critical Policy Sociology and Critical Pedagogy as it Relates to Newcomers and Transition ....................................................................................................................... 39 Summary ........................................................................................................................ 40 CHAPTER FOUR: METHODOLOGY ............................................................................ 41 Research Questions ........................................................................................................ 41 Research Methodology and Design................................................................................ 42 Defining Critical Discourse Analysis ............................................................................. 42 How This Research Employs Critical Discourse Analysis
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