Academic rigour, journalistic flair Search analysis, research, academics… COVID-19 Arts + Culture Business + Economy Cities Education Environment + Energy Health + Medicine Politics + Society Science + Technology None of the students in this study talked about classrooms as a place to deconstruct or challenge stereotypes and misinformed views they face about Arabs and Islam. loubna benamer/unsplash, CC BY-SA May 8, 2019 12.21am BST I was a full-time high school teacher in an Ontario Islamic school in 2008 when I noticed that my Arab Muslim students led lives of religious conformity at school that reflected their Islamic values at home but did not necessarily define their full selves. For example, many students who wore the hijab or who prayed at the required times were skeptical of beliefs parents and teachers expected them to take for granted, like creationism. At the same time, they studied the Ontario provincial curriculum and they were equally unsure if this curriculum resonated with how they see themselves in the world. I was aware of my existence as both an authority figure and a lifelong learner in a system that approached religious teaching with rote learning. I did not feel the curriculum reflected traditional Islamic ways of knowing which are related to infinite Author Wisam Kh. Abdul-Jabbar Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Education, University of Alberta Disclosure statement Wisam Kh. Abdul-Jabbar received funding from a SSHRC Doctoral Award. He is affiliated with the University of Alberta. Partners University of Alberta provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation CA. University of Alberta provides funding as a member of The Conversation CA-FR. Email  Twitter  6 Facebook  164 LinkedIn  Print   Arab Muslim Canadian high school students call for globalized curriculum to change stereotypes Edition: Donate Get newsletter  United Kingdom  Become an author Sign up as a reader Sign in