The Inclusion of Refugee Students in Canadian Classrooms: Teachers’ Experiences

This qualitative study explored how Ontario Grades 4–6 teachers supported refugee students through culturally responsive pedagogy within an inclusive education framework. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory, the study examined how teacher practices functioned as mechanisms of inclusion across ecological systems. Eight teachers from publicly funded schools participated in semi-structured interviews, and data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Three themes emerged: culturally responsive pedagogy, safety as pedagogical infrastructure, and relationship-building as relational bridging. Findings suggest that inclusion was supported through recognition, regulation, and relational mediation, while also being shaped and constrained by broader institutional, structural, and temporal conditions.