Environmental Changes Following The Implementation Of The Childcare Physical Activity (Play) Policy, Victoria Tran

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Environmental factors such as the infrastructure and equipment in childcare centres can influence the physical activity levels of young children. This study explored if implementing the Childcare PhysicaL ActivitY (PLAY) policy resulted in unintended environmental changes that were conducive to physical activity in childcare. Childcare centres were randomized to an experimental (n = 5) or control (n = 4) condition. Three Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation Self-Report (EPAO-SR) tools were used to measure 12 best practice items in relation to the childcare environment and early childhood educators’ (ECEs) practices. Descriptive statistics and mixed-effects logistics regression models were …

Inclusion And Policy Enactment In Teacher Education: A Focus On Pre-Service Teacher Preparation For The Inclusive Classroom, Ayman Massouti

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Preparing pre-service teachers to enact inclusive teaching practices in the inclusive classroom has become a concern for national and international educational organizations. Adding to these concerns, research on inclusive educati­on policy enactment in teacher education programs, particularly in a continuously growing and recognized diverse society such as Ontario, Canada, is scarce. In order to provide insight to address these issues, this study aimed to examine the enactment of the policy document titled Equity and Inclusive Education in Ontario Schools: Guidelines for Policy Development and Implementation (OME, 2014) in one Ontario teacher education program. In particular, the study focused on exploring …

Skills And Student Affairs: A Discourse Analysis, Shannon Mckechnie

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Media, industry, and other public actors have claimed that a ‘skills gap’ exists in students exiting post-secondary education and entering the workforce. The Ontario provincial government has developed policy, the Highly Skilled Workforce Strategy, to provide directives to universities in the province to provide skills development to students to aid in closing the gap and providing a workplace relevant education. In this study, I explore the experiences of student affairs and services (SAS) staff responsible for enacting provincial policy related to skills development at the university level by investigating the discourses that shape policy and practices of these staff …

Emerging Leadership Practices For The Implementation Of Professional Practice Standards, Georgia Lampracos-Gionnas

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Abstract

This qualitative exploratory case study, situated in a Canadian community college, was designed to characterize the leadership practices that have emerged during the implementation of national curriculum standards in a Denturism program. The program has recently adopted the curriculum standards outlined in the National Competency Profile for Denturists (NCPD). This research focused on the implementation of the NCPD standards in the program, with special emphasis on the field placement course. The purpose was to investigate the organizational structures that support the implementation of the NCPD standards, as well as the leadership practices that have emerged, as different stakeholders collaborate …

International Student Mobility In Higher Education In China: Tensions Between Policies And Practices, Kang Chen

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Under globalization, the Internationalization of Higher Education (IHE) has intensified. International Student Mobility (ISM) as a key part of IHE has attracted more attention as well. China, traditionally an exporter of students, is becoming a popular host country for international students as well. By examining relevant policies and international students’ experiences, this study constructs a comprehensive portrait of ISM in China. Analyzing the ISM policy and student perspectives with attention to underlying ideologies of IHE (Stier, 2004) illuminates the tensions between the policies and practices. At the policy level, instrumentalism is the primary ideology driving the Chinese government and the …

Defending Liberal Education: Implications For Educational Policy, Christopher W. Lyons

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This thesis advocates for the inclusion of liberal education in discussions of the college and university missions and mandates in North America. It is conceived with the purpose of influencing policy thinking and generating the theory and ideas required for sound education policy decision making. Research into liberal education is a special and atypical kind of inquiry and requires innovative theoretical approaches. Liberal education is foremost a philosophical problem and requires philosophical approaches. The method used is, therefore, conceptual in nature and drawn from analytical philosophy.

My research approaches liberal education conceptually in three ways: historically, philosophically, and politically. Historically, …