Canada is often positioned as a country of immigration (Triadofilopoulos, 2012). The acceptance of refugees is a planned element of immigration policy with permanent resident status that leads to citizenship. After initial political hesitation, in early 2016, the Canadian federal government committed to the acceptance of 25 000 Syrian refugees (Molnar, 2016). The selection was limited to women, complete families and single men from sexual minority groups, vetted prior to entry into Canada. At the provincial level, refugee children were enrolled in school upon arrival and provided with either sheltered instruction or full or partial integration into a mainstream classroom, depending on numbers and decisions made at the school board level. Decisions at the pre-service teacher education level are influenced both by provincial Ministry of Education mandates and institutional priorities and initiatives. At one large university in a province in western Canada, we investigated the preparation for pre-service teachers for the teaching of refugee children. For this individual country perspective, we used a qualitative case study design (Merriam, 2009). Data sources include interviews, analytic memos, and document collection. We interviewed 17 administrators, faculty, and staff spanning programs across the school. In addition, participants were asked to share course syllabi and other course material. Analytic memos were used to capture observational data from faculty meetings, symposia, conferences, and research presentations that were supplemented by publicly available materials included on the website or shared in public forums. We used a grounded theory approach to data analysis (Charmaz, 2006). Interviews were transcribed verbatim. We used a memoing process to identify emerging codes and patterns as well as additional questions to address in the next interview. Documents were analyzed using an open coding process. After the completion of data collection, we used a process of axial coding to begin to refine categories. Through a process of constant comparative analysis, codes were examined across all data sources, and broader themes emerged. The findings show that faculty strategically infuse competencies throughout courses and field components. These competencies include: 1) teaching English learners, 2) identity and belonging, 3) culturally responsive practices, 4) teaching students with limited and interrupted formal education, and 5) trauma-informed practices. Findings also demonstrated a widespread commitment to equity across the faculty and the recognition of the need to strengthen structural understanding of refugee systems and processes. This is important since successful refugee integration engenders reciprocal benefits for communities as well as refugees.

Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory: A practical guide through qualitative analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Molnar, P. (2016). The boy on the beach: The fragility of Canada’ s discourses on the Syrian refugee “crisis.” Contention: The Multidisciplinary Journal of Social Protest, 4(1–2). Triadofilopoulos, T. (2012). Becoming multicultural: Immigration and the politics of membership in Canada and Germany. Vancouver: UBC Press.