Engaging disenfranchised urban youth in humanities learning

• Main Authors: Diane Jean Wishart, Luis Alberto D'Elia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Alberta 2013-05-01
• Series: Journal of Contemporary Issues in Education
• Online Access: https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/jcie/index.php/JCIE/article/view/19617

Literature aimed at addressing ways to meet learning needs of disenfranchised students can be enhanced through the addition of case studies. International comparative approaches looking at the specifics of cases can also add to the literature on schooling for disenfranchised students. The purpose of our research was to elicit the perceptions of humanities educators in Spain and in Canada regarding enhancing opportunities to retain disenfranchised students in secondary schools. Our analysis was based on case studies and document analysis. For the purpose of this research, disenfranchised is defined as at-risk of leaving school prior to high school completion due to personal difficulties resulting from environmental conditions (such as poverty, family difficulties, drug addiction, and violent communities).