The Proof Is in the Program: Mental Health Literacy Policy Disjunctures in Ontario’s Teacher Education Programs

Abstract

In June 2013, the Ontario Ministry of Education announced the expansion of initial teacher education (ITE) programs, doubling the number of placement days while incorporating additional content within classrooms to address changing classroom dynamics. Among these additions was a reference to mental health and addictions, a pressing concern given that roughly 1 in 5 young people experience mental health problems during their formative educational years. In September 2015, these enhanced two-year programs came online and enrolled the first cohort of teacher candidates. In this thesis I argue that there has been a breakdown between the “context of policy” and “context of practice” as described by Bowe et al. (1992) within the development and implementation of the enhanced ITE programs offered by participating faculties of education in Ontario. Specifically, this study looked at the process through which the enhanced programs were initiated, the requirements inscribed in policy created by macro, intermediate, and micro level actors, and the challenges in ensuring that content is distributed and applied equally to all students. The study evaluated whether mental health and addictions content was incorporated within the enhanced program, and if it made a difference to the educational outcomes of graduates. Findings indicate that while the programs themselves were modified successfully to address the mental health requirements outlined in O. Reg 347/02, new teacher graduates continue to see the training they have received as inadequate, with significant room for improvement. To address these concerns this study provides solutions for both macro and intermediate level actors to incorporate either a proactive or reactive approach.