Refugee Stereotypes in Teacher Education: Towards a Critical Migration Literacy (CML)

This chapter examines how teacher education programs can prepare future educators to critically examine and challenge stereotypes about refugees through a Critical Migration Literacy (CML) framework. Situated within the broader context of whiteness in teacher education, the study draws on critical pedagogy and service-learning theory to analyze the reflections of per-service teachers from an Ontario teacher-preparation course focused on teaching students from newcomer backgrounds. Discourse analysis of a classroom discussion on refugee stereotypes revealed three themes: the refugee as ‘other’, the ‘good refugee’ as ‘model minority’, and the privilege-disadvantage dichotomy. The findings highlight how dominant sociopolitical discourses and the racialized norms of a predominantly white teaching workforce shape perceptions of students with refugee status. The chapter argues that embedding CML in teacher education can foster critical consciousness and support more equitable engagement with refugee learners.