Évolution de l’expression identitaire à travers les dessins d’élèves immigrants en classe d’accueil
Few studies have examined the phenomenon of identity construction among immigrant students in primary schools. Yet, immigration brings several changes affecting how children construct their identity and choose to express it at school. However, it is not easy to study a phenomenon as complex as identity with children who have not sufficiently developed their vocabulary to convey their perception of who they are, particularly when they do not master the language of schooling yet. In this context, the use of drawing appears as an interesting alternative. Indeed, drawings unveil the inner world of children who project their emotions and their way of seeing the world in the symbols comprising the images they create. This thesis has therefore attempted to explore how Art & Storytelling, an intervention program centered on drawing, promotes immigrant students’ identity expression and supports the development of a flexible and plural identity for these children. In a first phase, free drawings commented (n – 478) and realized by 29 primary school students (2nd and 3rd cycle) were analyzed as well as directed self-portraits (n = 116). In a second phase, interviews were conducted with four of these children and their parent(s), in order to collect the family history, among others, and to develop with the child the stories associated with his drawings. Both teachers were also interviewed to talk about their vision of teaching and their perception of how students interact in their class. These interviews were used to construct four case studies that illustrate the thesis according to which the modulation in the expression of children's identities would enable them to master and adapt to their different environments and would be influenced by the school environment in particular. The case studies also revealed the multiplicity of identity configurations that students used in their drawings in order to reconstruct a flexible and plural identity. Considering that an identity that adapts to several situations foster immigrant students’ psychosocial and school adjustment, it seems that drawing contributed to express and share these multiple identities.
Trauma Identity Children Drawing School Refugee Case studies