The Use of a Multidimensional Support Model to Examine Policies and Practices for Immigrant Students across Canada

Oct 15, 2026

In the broader context of migration, the education and integration of immigrant children within Canadian school systems has become a pressing concern for education policymakers. This study uses systematic content analysis to develop a Multidimensional Support Model assessing education policies and support measures issued by Canadian Ministries and Departments of Education. The discussion argues for timely, stand-alone policy documents addressing immigrant students’ unique needs and the socio-economic challenges they face, and considers the model’s value for future research.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages49

Reading Time2 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Acknowledgements

Introduction

The Use of a Multidimensional Support Model to Examine Policies and Practices for Immigrant Students across Canada Louis Volante Brock University Camila Lara Brock University DonA. Klinger University of Waikato Melissa Siegel Maastricht University / UNU-MERIT Canadian Journal of Education / Revue canadienne de l’éducation 43:1 (2020)©2020 Canadian Society for the Study of Education/ Société canadienne pour l’étude de l’éducation [www.cje-rce.ca](www.cje-rce.ca) Abstract In the larger context of migration, the education and integration of immigrant children within Canadian school systems has become a pressing concern for education policymakers. Through a systematic content analysis, this study developed a Multidimensional Support Model to examine education policies and support measures that have been articulated by Ministries and Departments of Education across Canada to facilitate the integration and success of immigrant students in K–12 public education systems. The discussion underscores the timeliness and rationale for Ministries and Departments of Education to develop a stand-alone policy document to address all of the unique needs of immigrant students comprehensively and devote greater attention to the socio-economic challenges immigrant students disproportionately face. Developing this document would also address the importance of greater policy coherence and collaboration among ministry sectors. The utility of the proposed support model, which drew on the existing literature, is also discussed in relation to future research studies. Keywords: immigrant children, integration policies, inclusive education Résumé Dans le large contexte de la migration, l’éducation et l’intégration des enfants immigrants dans les systèmes scolaires canadiens sont devenues une préoccupation urgente pour les décideurs de l’éducation. Grâce à une analyse de contenu systématique, cette étude a élaboré un modèle de soutien multidimensionnel pour examiner les politiques et les mesures de soutien en éducation développées par les ministères de l’Éducation du Canada pour faciliter l’intégration et la réussite des élèves immigrants de la maternelle à la 12e année dans le système d’éducation publique. La discussion fait ressortir l’argumentation et la nécessité, pour les ministères de l’Éducation, d’élaborer rapidement une politique indépendante pour examiner en profondeur tous les besoins uniques des étudiants immigrants et de consacrerune plus grande attention aux défis socio-économiques auxquels ils sont disproportionnellement confrontés; elle soulève également l’importance de politiques plus cohérentes etd’une meilleure collaboration entre les différents secteurs ministériels. L’utilité du modèle Canadian Journal of Education / Revue canadienne de l’éducation 43:1 (2020) [www.cje-rce.ca](www.cje-rce.ca) de soutien proposé, qui s’appuie sur la littérature existante, est également envisagée en lien avec les perspectives de recherches futures. Mots-clés : enfants immigrants, politiques d’intégration, éducation inclusive Acknowledgements This research is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) . Canadian Journal of Education / Revue canadienne de l’éducation 43:1 (2020) [www.cje-rce.ca](www.cje-rce.ca) Introduction The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has reported that Canada has the second largest share of the percentage of first-and second-generation immigrant students among all OECD countries at 29.6%(Huddleston et al., 2015) . Similarly, the most recent 2016 Canadian census indicated that almost 2.2 million children under the age of 15 are foreign-born (first-generation) or have at least one foreign-born parent (second-generation), representing 37.5% of all Canadian children (Statistics Canada, 2017a) . Collectively, these figures suggest that a sizeable share of children currently within Canadian elementary, middle, or secondary scho

FAQs

What is the main goal of the study?

To examine education policies and support measures that facilitate the integration and success of immigrant students in K–12 public education systems across Canada.

What method is used in the research?

A systematic content analysis of policy and support measures articulated by Ministries and Departments of Education.

Why do the authors emphasize policy coherence and collaboration?

Because developing a comprehensive stand-alone policy document depends on greater policy coherence and collaboration among ministry sectors.

Oct 15, 2026

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