Chapter 6: Research with Young Children and their Families in Indigenous, Immigrant and Refugee Communities

In this chapter, we raise critical issues and explore perspectives that pertain to research with young children and their families in Indigenous, immigrant and refugee communities and share our experiences and insights garnered from our work there. We first provide a description of the context of our work; then, explore the notions of epistemologies/worldviews; next, share the theoretical frames that influence our work; and conclude by sharing examples of research methods we have employed that pay attention to the socio-cultural contexts wherein we work with Indigenous, immigrant and refugee communities.

Recognizing that research is not a neutral activity, we believe it is important to share our backgrounds and experiences to reveal our perspectives and possible biases. And because we are writing about our work with nonmainstream, and often, marginalized communities and families, we believe it especially important to share briefly our social positions. Ann Anderson has been a mathematics educator and researcher at the University of British Columbia (UBC) for 23 years. Her research focuses on young children’s mathematical learning and the ways in which parents support their child’s mathematical engagement prior to school. A recent collaborative project with colleagues in early and family literacy involved a multilingual, mixed socio-economic group of parents and preschool children. Previously, she served as a classroom teacher in the public education system, in two rural communities. She was raised in a working class home in a small town, in a homogenous “White” culture. Jim Anderson has taught and conducted research in the Faculty of Education at UBC for the past 23 years. His research centers on early childhood literacy and family literacy, and he recently completed two projects working with immigrant and refugee families. He also worked for 15 years in the public education system as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, and school district administrator. He was raised in a working class home in an isolated fishing community. He self identifies as being of mixed Inuit, English and Norwegian ancestry, but was raised as a “White” person in a homogeneous “White” culture. Jan Hare is of Indigenous ancestry. She is an Anishinaabe educator and scholar with roots in Indigenous/ First Nations communities in northern Canada, but has also lived in urban communities. She has completed several research projects investigating the cultural and linguistic factors that play a role in young Indigenous children’s literacy learning. Marianne McTavish is a second generation Canadian; a descendent of Eastern European immigrant grandparents. Raised in a White middle class home, she taught in the public education system for 30 years in linguistically, culturally and economically diverse early childhood classrooms. She now teaches and conducts research at UBC in emergent and early literacy, working primarily with young immigrant and refugee children and their families in the areas of literacy and technology.