Investigating French immersion teacher needs and collegial support through online collaboration: a case study

This study documents the use of online collaboration as a support tool for ten French immersion teachers. Surveys completed by the participants provided comprehensive information on their backgrounds. Included in this were descriptions of some of the linguistic, pedagogic, social, and emotional challenges these teachers face in their everyday work settings, as well as ways in which they were receiving support. Participants then engaged in three months of online collaboration with each other using an online virtual community as a form of support. A post-collaborative survey was completed which provided feedback on the project. The benefits of online collaboration were clear, and many participants suggested it continue in an enlarged, more permanent form. While findings from this small sample cannot be generalized to the larger population, I would strongly recommend that school boards consider similar forms of online collaboration as an effective way to support French immersion teachers.