Naved Bakali, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education, is embarking on a project to challenge bias and fill gaps in pre-service teacher preparation.

Recently awarded close to $60,000 through the federal Insight Grant and Insight Development Grant programs, Dr. Bakali is exploring how teacher education programs prepare students regarding issues of race and racism, and more specifically what training is provided to understand the lived experiences of Muslim students.

“Muslims are one of the fastest growing religious minorities in Canada, and account for over 20 per cent of the total student body in some school boards,” Bakali said.

“The study will help inform curricular reform within teacher education programs in Ontario, and perhaps even other provinces if we are able to build on this study in the future.”

While numerous studies have examined the experiences of Muslim students and educators in public schools across Canada, there has been limited research on the preparedness of students enrolled in teacher education programs to enact culturally responsive and relevant pedagogies that effectively meet the needs of Muslim students in Ontario, Bakali said.

Bakali and his team — two doctoral students in the Faculty of Education along with faculty from Niagara University — plan to interview 50 pre-service teachers from across 10 southern Ontario universities.

“We want to understand how well prepared these teacher candidates feel their programs are in training them to work with and teach a substantial and growing minoritized demographic in Ontario schools,” he explained.

Doctoral students Rasha Qaisi and Fatima Fakih are excited to be part of the research team and hope to help make a meaningful impact on Ontario’s educational system.

“As an advocate for inclusive education, I am eager to contribute to research that provides insights into how current programs equip future teachers with the tools they need to support diverse learners,” Qaisi said.

Fakih echoed Qaisi’s comments, adding that she “is honoured to participate in research with such important implications for teacher education programming across Ontario” emphasizing the need to address critical issues surrounding the school experiences of minoritized students.

In addition to their research efforts, Bakali and his team plan to host two pre-service teacher development workshops at the University of Windsor and Niagara University. The workshops will focus on techniques and practices for educators to challenge racism and effectively teach Muslim students.

More information will be shared on the Faculty of Education website as it becomes available.