A Narrative Inquiry Into Thai Families’ Lived Experiences in Canadian Early Childhood Settings

Abstract

This narrative inquiry explores the educational experiences of two immigrated Thai families in Alberta. For these families, their children’s early childhood classrooms are their first encounter with schooling in Canada. My teaching position at a multicultural school led to wonderings surrounding immigrant families’ experiences, which shaped my research puzzle: What are Thai immigrant parents’ lived experiences with their children’s early childhood educational programs in Alberta? How do these experiences bump up against their stories of school? Dewey’s (1981) notion of experience informed my understanding of how early school experiences impact current expectations for children’s schooling. This inquiry included the use of participants’ photographs, school artifacts, annals (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000), and field notes based on conversations as field texts. As my participants and I co-composed their narrative accounts, we became aware of tensions between lived experiences and their expectations. This study highlights the necessity of viewing children in the context of their familial stories.