Poverty and Education Research at BCTF
SCHOOL-AGED STUDENTS
Poverty and Education survey: A teacher’s
perspective
The BC Teachers’ Federation
conducted the Poverty and Education survey:
A teacher’s perspective with teachers across British Columbia,
building on focus group research with teachers in four school districts. The
objectives of the provincial survey were to document, from a teacher’s
perspective, the poverty-related needs of students, assess the adequacy of
resources to meet these needs, and identify what resources are most needed to
address poverty issues within BC public schools and the community.
Acknowledgments
Summary of the findings
Chapter reports
Chapter 1: Teachers who responded to
the survey and the students they teach
Chapter 2: Child poverty in BC
public schools and economic pressures on families
Chapter 3: Hungry students in BC
public schools and the adequacy of school meal programs to support them
Chapter 4: School fees and equal
access to participation in school activities
Chapter 5: Poverty and school attendance: Barriers and possible solutions
Chapter 6: Staff awareness and understanding about poverty issues
Chapter 7: Adequacy of resources to address learning gaps and poverty-related needs of students in BC public schools
Chapter 7 Supplement: Widening the socio-economic gap? Teachers' concerns about unequal student access to technology and the impact on learning
Chapter 7 Summary: Resources fall well short of the need: Summary of the findings in the context of the underfunding of BC public schools
Chapter 8: Students in need of vision, hearing, and speech/language support, and poverty-related barriers to accessing these services
Chapter 9: What is needed to support students and families experiencing poverty, and teachers' recommendations for what needs to change
One-page research vignettes on
each of the topic areas for use in workshops as a catalyst for discussion of
the research findings.
Focus-group research findings
Poverty and education: A teacher's perspective - Summary of the findings of the focus group research (BCTF research report 2012-EI-01)
The
focus-group and survey research were conducted by BCTF Research, in
collaboration with the BCTF Anti-poverty action group of the Committee for Action on
Social Justice.
ADULT EDUCATION STUDENTS
Views of adult educators on poverty-related barriers that make it difficult for adult students to complete adult education courses
(BCTF discussion paper)
Adult education: An essential element in a poverty reduction plan to improve economic opportunities for low-income individuals and families
(BCTF research report RR2013-02)
Chapter 6: Adult educators’ views on the impact of poverty on adult
learners and the adequacy of resources to support them (From the Adult Education study)
The discussion paper and survey
on poverty and education issues in adult education were conducted by BCTF
Research, in collaboration with the BCTF Adult Education Advisory Committee.