How to Teach les Êtres Humains: An Investigation into Teachers’ Understandings of Learner Empowerment in Ontario Secondary School Core-French Classrooms

In keeping with the spirit of renewed efforts in French as a Second Language education in Ontario, it has become increasingly apparent of the need to expand upon traditional desired outcomes, namely in developing more confident, proficient and successful French learners. To better conceptualize these enhanced expectations, ideas of learner empowerment — a more expansive and inclusive form of motivation that comprises feelings of competency and self-efficacy — were applied to an investigation of reported classroom practices of French teachers. A qualitative research approach was used that combined a literature review with semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with two secondary-school Core French teachers. A theoretical framework — Ryan and Deci’s Self-Determination Theory — was applied to improve understanding of teachers’ reported learner empowerment practices. Drawing connections between the compiled data and the literature reviewed, analysis yieled four main themes: understandings of ‘empowerment’; reported efforts to empower learners; factors reportedly influencing learner empowerment; and encouragement of students’ continued interest in French. Ultimately, findings suggest that some teachers might lack the support, encouragement, or even accountability necessary in going beyond the traditional ‘disempowering’ norms of the Core French classroom, and that some teachers may not fully appreciate nor fulfill the important social role that they have on student empowerment in the Core French classroo