PhD Oral Exam - Natasha Doyon, Art Education

When studying for a doctoral degree (PhD), candidates submit a thesis that provides a critical review of the current state of knowledge of the thesis subject as well as the student’s own contributions to the subject. The distinguishing criterion of doctoral graduate research is a significant and original contribution to knowledge.

Once accepted, the candidate presents the thesis orally. This oral exam is open to the public.

Abstract

This ABAR (arts-based action-research) dissertation used the restorative aspects of collaboratively driven pedagogies to develop immigrant youth’s critical digital literacy skills around discrimination through creativity, and to develop reflexive teaching practices with the tutors who teach them French. The central research question, “what can we learn from listening to and collaborating with marginalized youth to combat online/offline discrimination?” was pursued through workshops, artistic response, interviews, and surveys with two pools of participants: immigrant youth and teachers. Through a partnership with community-based organization Say Ça, where youth participants shared their experiences of external pressures created by racist and sexist stereotypes and created a counter-narrative that situated themselves as protagonists with agency. Teacher participants increased their awareness of implicit bias, being in positions of power, and teacher identity and responded creatively as to how these factors influenced their teacher identity development and teaching practice. This research demonstrates the positive effect that creative critical pedagogies have in initiating and sustaining difficult, but necessary conversations with refugee youth who are often overlooked and spoken for, and underlines the importance of reflexive practices in community-based organizations.