Research Library

Community organizations:

• Calgary Board of Education (CBE)
• Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth (CBFY)

Future research / gaps identified:

Implement and expand the research findings from this study into participatory-action research to examine lived experiences; and policy recommendations and changes.

Integration timeline: not defined

Key populations: Arabic-speaking (mainly Syrian and Iraqi) refugee families in Calgary, AB with children in Grades 4-12

Key recommendations:

• Relationship building between families and the school is crucial and can be accomplished through repeated outreach gestures and using multiple channels to promote effective communication. A pedagogical love approach fortifies all relationships, a critical factor in determining successful transition.
• Develop a culture of empathy and sensitivity, provide interpreters as applicable, and establish strategies to optimize trust and build communication can help families as the school considers the impact past experiences and present social circumstances have on them.

Key findings:

A positive correlation existed between incorporating pedagogical love into the classroom and refugee families’ educational experience by promoting pedagogical love through:

• Empathetic outreach
• Increased societal exposure
• Flexibility, trust, and confidence
• Individualized care.

Location: Calgary, AB

Open access: No