“If You Don’t Know Who They Are, You Don’t Know How to Support Them” - A Qualitative Study Exploring How Educators Perceive and Support Canadian Military-Connected Students

Oct 15, 2026

Qualitative phenomenological study examining how Canadian secondary-school educators perceive and support military-connected students whose families experience frequent relocation, parental absence, and risks related to service. Semi-structured interviews with six educators found general awareness of military life and student challenges, but many lacked knowledge of formal mechanisms for identifying these students, related professional-development opportunities, and collaborations between schools and the military. The study addresses a gap in Canadian research and builds local knowledge and capacity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

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Abstract

Résumé

Introduction

Literature Review

Schooling Experiences of Military-Connected Students

“If You Don’t Know Who They Are, You Don’t Know How to Support Them”: A Qualitative Study Exploring How Educators Perceive and Support Canadian Military-Connected Students Shannon Hill Queen’s University Elizabeth A. Lee Queen’s University Heidi Cramm Queen’s University Abstract To date, American research has provided the foundation for what is known about the educational experiences of students living in military families. Given contextual differences that exist between the United States and Canada, it is unclear how representative the American findings are of the Canadian experience. Using semi-structured interviews, this phenomenological study collected data from six educators to better understand how the needs of military-connected students are addressed within Canadian secondary schools. Participants generally had a good understanding of the military lifestyle and its associated challenges for students. However, many participants were unaware of any formal mecha- Canadian Journal of Education / Revue canadienne de l’éducation 45:3 (2022)©2022 Canadian Society for the Study of Education/ Société canadienne pour l’étude de l’éducation [www.cje-rce.ca](www.cje-rce.ca) nisms used to identify military-connected students, any professional development opportunities for educators, or any collaborations that exist between schools and the military to support such students. Given the current lack of Canadian research, this study will help contribute to the building of knowledge and capacity in the Canadian context. Keywords: military-connected students, secondary school educators, Canada Résumé À ce jour, les recherches américaines ont posé les bases de ce que l’on sait des expériences éducatives des étudiants vivant dans des familles de militaires. Étant donné les différences contextuelles qui existent entre les États-Unis et le Canada, une ambiguïté plane concernant la mesure dans laquelle les conclusions américaines sontreprésentatives de l’expérience canadienne. À l’aide d’entrevues semi-structurées, cette étude phénoménologique a recueilli des données auprès de six éducateurs afin de mieux comprendre comment les besoins des élèves provenant de familles de militaires sont prisen compte dans les écoles secondaires canadiennes. Les participants avaient généralementune bonne compréhension du mode de vie militaire et des défis que rencontrent ces étudiants. Cependant, de nombreux participants n’étaient au courant d’aucun mécanisme formel utilisé pour identifier les étudiants provenant de familles de militaires, des possibilités de développement professionnel pour les éducateurs ou d’une quelconque collaboration existant entre les écoles et l’armée pour soutenir ces étudiants. Étant donné le manque actuel de recherches canadiennes sur le sujet, cette étude contribuera audéveloppement des connaissances et des compétences dans le contexte canadien. Mots-clés : étudiants, familles de militaires, éducateurs du secondaire, Canada Introduction The military lifestyle can be defined by a unique triad of stressors that include frequent relocation, parental absence, and living with the understanding that serving members may sustain physical and/or psychological injuries or death due to their military service (Manser, 2018b) . The ongoing stressors associated with the military lifestyle can lead to continuous disruptions for families across various domains such as schooling (Wang & Canadian Journal of Education / Revue canadienne de l’éducation 45:3 (2022) [www.cje-rce.ca](www.cje-rce.ca) Aitken, 2016). To date, American research has provided the foundation for what is known about the educational experiences of military-connected students. Military-connected students can be defined as “students having at least one parent as active duty in the [Regular Force] or the reserves, or a parent who was honourably discharged with Veteran status”(Kranke, 2019, p. 189) . Challenges that can be experienced by military-

FAQs

What was the purpose of this qualitative study?

To explore how the needs of military-connected students are addressed within Canadian secondary schools.

How many educators participated in the study?

Six educators participated in semi-structured interviews.

What gaps did many participants report regarding educator support?

Many were unaware of formal mechanisms to identify military-connected students, professional development opportunities for educators, and collaborations between schools and the military.

Oct 15, 2026

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