We explore in this qualitative research the challenges faced by bilingual health and social services professionals in a Canadian bilingual setting, as well as the strategies used to overcome them. Eight focus groups were conducted with a total of 43 bilingual Francophone professionals who offered services in French in 21 health and social service organizations in eastern Ontario, Canada. We highlight linguistic issues affecting a minority Francophone clientele, the shortage of services in French, and organizational issues within these agencies. The solutions that the professionals adopt for better serving the clients and overcoming these challenges focus on adapting services from linguistic angles. In the long term, such an enhanced approach can affect staff well-being. Ensuring access to services for linguistic minority populations and the active offer of same should not rest solely on the shoulders of such professionals, but rather on organizational strategies.

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Trusting relationships at school and within other social networks emerge as protective factors that are crucial to the positive development of early adolescents. School is one of the critical environments where they can develop a sense of belonging.  This study involved 20 qualitative interviews with school staff and youth workers recruited from social services and high schools in Eastern Ontario and 12 qualitative interviews with adolescents 12-13 years of age attending some of these same schools. Deductive and inductive analysis of the transcripts clearly underscored the importance of the supportive roles played by peers, teachers and non-family adults in the lives of early teens. The proximity that results from listening to and accompanying early adolescents in day-to-day activities, and comprehending their issues, presents an opportunity for youth workers and school staff to better grasp how to become credible, trusted and legitimate in the eyes of young teens

The purpose of this qualitative study is to pave the way for the establishment of healthy interpersonal relations by facilitating an understanding of the impacts of Lions Quest Skills for Adolescence as perceived by adolescents and teachers who took part in it. Lions Quest has become recognized as an evidence-based program for preventing alcohol and drug use through the development of social skills and the promotion of meaningful engagement in the school community (Lions Clubs International, Overview of Skills for Adolescence 2013). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 7th and 8th grade Francophone and Anglophone adolescents from three schools in Eastern Ontario who had participated in Lions Quest. Deductive and inductive analysis of interview transcripts clearly underscored that the positive perceptions of those early adolescents on the quality of their relationships with friends outweigh the negative impression that can be created by peer pressures at this age. It is through such a filter that these adolescents came to appreciate the impact of Lions Quest. Their need to be part of a circle of friends also comes to the fore as a crucial component of a sense of school belonging (Faircloth and Hamm (2005) J Youth Adolesc 34:293–309), highlighting the need to incorporate more of this form of positive social norm into interventions and prevention geared toward early adolescents. The data also underline the complementary importance attributed to having positive relationships with supportive adults.

Agir pour avoir accès à des services sociaux et de santé en français : Des Francophones en situation minoritaire nous enseignent quoi faire!

Résumé de l'article Cet article présente les résultats d'une recherche qualitative sur la collaboration et le partenariat entre les professionnels des services sociaux et de la santé qui interviennent auprès de francophones vivant en situation minoritaire en Ontario. L'étude met en lumière, à partir de l'information recueillie auprès de 43 professionnels rencontrés dans huit groupes de discussion, le contexte qui caractérise leur pratique, les défis qu'ils rencontrent dans leur tentative de créer des liens de collaboration avec d'autres professionnels qui oeuvrent auprès des communautés francophones minoritaires ainsi que les facteurs qui facilitent l'établissement de partenariats entre les différents intervenants qui répondent aux besoins de cette population. Les résultats font ressortir que le sentiment d'appartenance, la confiance et l'engagement des professionnels envers la communauté francophone, de même que les valeurs de réciprocité et de solidarité qui les habitent sont des éléments qui favorisent le développement du capital social de la communauté des intervenants. Cependant, le manque de mécanismes permettant la consolidation et la pérennisation des relations de collaboration constitue un facteur qui limite la capacité de bonifier le capital social des professionnels de la santé et des services sociaux francophones et bilingues.Ce document est protégé par la loi sur le droit d'auteur. L'utilisation des services d'Érudit (y compris la reproduction) est assujettie à sa politique d'utilisation que vous pouvez consulter en ligne. [https://apropos.erudit.org/fr/usagers/politiquedutilisation/]

Many studies have investigated why learning to read is so problematic for deaf individuals. However, we still know very little about how to teach reading to signing students. In this article, we report on an exploratory qualitative study of deaf LSQ (Langue des signes québécoise) signers learning to read with two teachers, in an effort to better understand what strategies might be most useful in constructing the meaning of a text. By videotaping reading sessions between each teacher and student, then conducting recall interviews, we found that both students and teachers used a number of strategies to construct meaning. The list of strategies observed was categorized as word attack or global meaning types. Developing readers showed different patterns of strategy use, with more global meaning strategies being used by the more independent reader. We also found that the deaf teacher and hearing teacher had different patterns of strategy use, although both favored global meaning types. Finally, our findings indicate that both teachers adapted their strategy use to the needs of the students, but with a different focus. Namely, the deaf teacher used more global meaning strategies with the weaker reader and less with the more independent reader, whereas the hearing teacher showed the opposite pattern.

The primary goal of this investigation was to document, using the participatory paradigm, a female university student's experience with a feel-based intervention intended to enhance the quality of her academic experiences including her self-confidence and self-talk. In this unique qualitative case study, the student participated in a 15-week intervention that included multiple in-depth interviews and regular journaling, both of which prompted regular self-monitoring and self-reflection. A narrative account illustrates how the student learned to regulate the way she felt through the intervention, leading to increased self-awareness and self-control, as well as enhanced self-talk and self-confidence.