A Scoping Review of the Demographic and Contextual Factors in Canada’s Educational Opportunity Gaps

Authors

Abstract

Despite widespread discussion in the United States, up until now there has not been a review of the demographic and contextual factors associated with Canadian academic achievement. Using Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) framework, a scoping review was conducted to answer two questions: What demographic and contextual factors are most commonly used in K–12 academic achievement studies in Canada? What, if any,
research gaps exist? Fifty-four studies were identified for review. The results reveal 40 demographic or contextual factors, with socio-economic status (SES), gender, language factors, immigrant status, family structure, and Indigenous status being the most commonly studied. Race, religion, and LGBTQ+ identity were understudied factors. The authors recommend the adoption of “educational opportunity gap” as a consistent
research term, identify understudied factors, and outline several research design considerations.

Author Biographies

Christine Mayor, Wilfrid Laurier University

PhD Student, Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work

Eliana B Suarez, Wilfrid Laurier University

Associate Professor, Lyle S Hallman Faculty of Social Work

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Published

2019-03-29

How to Cite

Mayor, C., & Suarez, E. B. (2019). A Scoping Review of the Demographic and Contextual Factors in Canada’s Educational Opportunity Gaps. Canadian Journal of Education/Revue Canadienne De l’éducation, 42(1), 42–87. Retrieved from https://journals.sfu.ca/cje/index.php/cje-rce/article/view/3397