Education Commons^™

Understanding Instructional Leadership: Perceptions Of Elementary Principals, Georgia M. Powell

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

With a proverbial finger pointing to principals as the school leaders responsible for overall student success, there is some increase in the accountability measures leadership provides. There is then more emphasis placed on principals’ capacity to take charge of the teaching and learning processes at the school level. The practices associated with the planning and guiding of the learning within schools is classified as instructional leadership. As part of their work. Principals are expected to be instructional leaders. This study explores how elementary principals in Ontario schools approach instructional leadership work especially since there is much ambiguity that exists about …

Perspectives Of Organizational Change Initiatives And Culture In A University’S Department, Kristen K. Boujos

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The current state of contemporary higher education institutions reveals challenges such as changing enrolment patterns (Association of American Colleges and Universities [AACU], 2002; Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada [AUCC], 2007; Levac & Newman, 2009), greater calls for accountability (AACU, 2002; Usher, 2015) and decreased public funding (AACU, 2002; Charbonneau, 2013; Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations [OCUFA], 2016). In addition to the external challenges of the higher education landscape, institutions are confronted with intersecting organizational issues such as the need for increasing productivity, improving communication processes, and motivating workforces (Jackson, 2010). These challenges require action, which often make …

How Do Educational Leaders In Small, Fragile, And Developing Countries Translate Their Understandings Of Student Learning And Achievement Into Leadership Practices? A Case-Study About Leadership In Haïtian Urban Schools, Carolyne Pierre Marie Verret

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Haïti is unique in many respects; full of contradictions and paradoxes. While beautiful in many regards, it is fraught with issues: political, economic, societal, environmental, cultural, health-related, and educational. The latter stands out, however, as education affects the quality of the country’s human capital, determining the quality of life of its citizens. Therefore, having competent people in leadership positions is critical especially within schools where they can impact students’ learning, development, and achievement (SL/A).

Aiming to describe the state of educational leadership in Haïtian schools to inform policy-makers of the lived-experiences of educational leaders (ELs), the objectives of this study …

Testing Tensions: The Use Of English Language Proficiency Tests For The Admission Of Ontario High School Applicants To One Ontario University, Samia Lahib

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In today’s globalized world, students have the opportunity to apply to universities around the world. At most universities where the dominant language of instruction is English, applicants whose first language is not English have to prove their English language proficiency by submitting test scores such as the internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) as part of the application process. This study investigated the ability of TOEFL iBT and IELTS to identify applicants with sufficient English language proficiency to succeed academically during undergraduate study at one Ontario university between …

Perspectives On Teachers' Work In One Ontario Remote First Nation Community, Dawn V. Burleigh

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The nature of teachers’ work in one northern Ontario remote First Nation community is explored through three articles that address the following questions: Why do teachers work in the North? What contributes to teacher retention and attrition? And, how do teachers navigate the professional and personal boundaries of their lives as teachers in the North?

The articles are based on a case study of teachers’ work in one community and use data collected through interviews with 15 teachers, focus groups with sub-sets of those teachers, and observations collected as field notes. Article 1, Teacher attrition in a Northern Ontario remote …

Carrying On With Wayward Sons, Erika Simpson, Henrik Lagerlund

Political Science Publications

With their brains not maturing until their mid-20s, it's time to use a different approach to life and learning with our young men.

Educational Assistants Supporting Inclusive Education In Secondary Schools, Amy C. Kipfer

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

As school boards in Ontario move towards more inclusive models of learning, more students with disabilities are taught in regular classes instead of self-contained placements. This move results in a role change for the educational assistant (EA). Research is needed to determine the overall framework that will make the use of EAs a more effective practice for student and school. Fifteen EAs working in secondary schools within a school board in southwestern Ontario which was moving to a more inclusive model of education were individually interviewed. EAs chosen for the study had a background of supporting students with developmental disabilities …

Physical Culture As Citizenship Education At Pelican Lake Indian Residential School, 1926-1970, Braden Paora Te Hiwi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Pelican Lake Indian residential school, also known as Sioux Lookout Indian residential school, was an Anglican run institution that was a part of the Canadian residential school system; the school operated from 1926 to 1970. It is well established in the literature that the Department of Indian Affairs intended to evangelize, assimilate, and civilize its students, but the function of citizenship in the residential schools is less well known. The focus of this study was to examine physical culture activities, specifically sport, exercise, and recreation as a form of training for citizenship. In particular, I centered this research on the …

La Formation Initiale Des Enseignants Au Québec Et En Finlande : Une Étude Comparative, Adriana Morales Perlaza, Maurice Tardif

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Initiée dans les années 1980 aux États-Unis, la professionnalisation de l’enseignement constitue aujourd’hui un mouvement international (OCDE, 2005). Comment a-t-elle marqué les systèmes de formation initiale des enseignants finlandais et québécois? En Finlande, la formation initiale dure 5 ans, tandis qu’au Québec, elle est de 4 ans après deux années d’études postsecondaires au cégep. Dans les deux contextes, les enseignants ont donc 17 ans de scolarité totale. Mais au-delà de cette durée commune, qu’elles sont les similitudes et différences spécifiques entre les programmes de formation des enseignants en Finlande et au Québec? Afin de répondre à ces questions, cette recherche …

A Systematic Review Of The Critical Factors For Success Of Mobile Learning In Higher Education (University Students’ Perspective), Muasaad Alrasheedi, Luiz Fernando Capretz, Arif Raza

Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications

The phenomenon of the use of a mobile learning (m-Learning) platform in educational institutions is slowly gaining momentum. While this can be taken as an encouraging sign, the perplexing part is that the fervor with which mobile phones have been welcomed into every aspect of our lives does not seem to be evident in the educational sector. In order to understand the reason, it is important to understand user expectations of the system. This paper documents a systematic review of various research studies seeking to find the success factors for effective m-Learning. A total of 30 studies were included in …

Book Review: Service-Learning In Theory And Practice: The Future Of Community Engagement In Higher Education., Jennifer A. Kozak

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

No abstract provided.

South African Principalship, Agency & Intersectionality Theory, Michèle Schmidt, Raj Mestry

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Gender bias towards South African female principals remains a problem and compelling issue for research. The Constitution policy addresses gender equality, yet women still do not experience equal rights in practice. This study uses a theory of intersectionality to examine two Black South African women’s leadership experiences in their roles as principals in two South African schools. The goal of the paper is to examine how these women negotiate obstacles in their work that may constrain their agency as leaders in South African schools. The project involves semi-structured interviews and the results provide a significant contribution to the small body …

Book Review: School Leadership In The Context Of Standards-Based Reform: International Perspectives, David Cameron Hauseman

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

No abstract provided.

Indigenous Urban School Leadership: A Critical Cross-Cultural Comparative Analysis Of Educational Leaders In New Zealand And The United States, Lorri J. Santamaría, Andrés P. Santamaría, Melinda Webber, Hoana Pearson

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

This qualitative inquiry compares the practice of one Māori primary school leader of urban education for indigenous multicultural multilingual learners in New Zealand (NZ), to research on the practices of nine educational leaders of colour in the United States (US). This study identifies and compares leadership practices for leaders struggling with ways to positively impact learner outcomes in similar settings (e.g., UK, Canada). From a critical comparative perspective, this school principal shares her leadership practice and lessons learned to inform leadership practice in similarly multifaceted urban settings. This research is undertaken by a collaborative cross-cultural team of educational leaders and …

Educational Leadership In A Fragile State: Comparative Insights From Haiti, Gaetane Jean-Marie, Steve Sider

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Although there has been extensive examination of educational leadership in the developed world (e.g. Fullan, 2001; Leithwood & Sun, 2012), there has been much less research on school leadership in fragile states such as Haiti. This paper responds to Dimmock and Walker’s (2000) call for greater attention to comparative and international research on educational leadership specifically by examining school leadership in the Haitian context. The study on which this paper is based examines the experiences of eight school leaders in Haiti in response to the question: What types of leadership practices do school leaders in Haiti exhibit? Three themes are …

Generation X Global City Leaders: An Emerging Process For Examining Leadership Experience In Multi-National, Multi-Layer Comparative Perspective, Karen Edge, Paul Armstrong

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

No abstract provided.

Learning From School Leadership In Chile, Joseph Flessa

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Teacher Leadership In The Career Advancement Of Schoolteachers: A Case Study, Paul Newton, Gus Riveros, Jose Dacosta

Education Publications

In this paper, we explore the influence of a professional development initiative based on a model of teacher leadership development in the career advancement of a group of school leaders. We investigated the perceptions and understandings held by these school leaders regarding how their experiences as teacher leaders contributed to their career advancement and growth as educational leaders. The findings of this study augment existing scholarship on the nature of leadership development and career advancement in educational systems and educational jurisdictions. The study findings suggest that teacher leadership roles may have a significant effect in generating skills and interest in …

International Students As Lucrative Markets Or Vulnerable Populations: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of National And Institutional Events In Four Nations, Grace L. Karram

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

The migration of post-secondary students is an increasingly debated phenomenon as the number of students living outside of their home country has risen to more than three million in the past decade. Governments, regions and institutions have developed new structures and strategies to facilitate and benefit from this worldwide student movement. This research article uses Fairclough’s (1993) notion of critical discourse analysis to explore the relationship between two distinct discourses on foreign students: national-level economic competitiveness and institutional-level student success. A comparative approach examines these discursive events in the four leading, Anglophone destination countries: Australia, Britain, Canada and the United …

The D.B. Weldon Library's Instruction Portfolio: A Grassroots, Team-Based Approach, Kim Mcphee, Melanie Mills, Marg Sloan

Western Libraries Presentations

In an effort to address ever-shifting staffing levels and evolving service demands, staff in the Research & Instructional Services department of The D.B. Weldon Library at Western University developed and implemented a new and strategic approach to structuring their work. The ‘Portfolio Model’ provides a framework for organizing the primary functions of the department - collections, instruction and reference - while at the same time preserving liaison at its core. Through a close examination of this grassroots effort and in particular, the achievements realized and challenges faced by the team of librarians and library assistants who together comprise the ‘Instruction …

The Problem Of The Penumbra: Elementary School Principals' Exercise Of Discretion In Student Disciplinary Issues, Nora M. Findlay

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Maintaining order and discipline is one of the most challenging aspects of the school-based administrator’s role. School officials make disciplinary decisions within a context that is established, in part, by case law, legislation and regulations, school board policies and social, organizational and individual values. The exercise of administrative discretion is vital to the decision-making process. It offers school leaders creativity and flexibility. The interpretation and implementation of school discipline policies by in-school administrators can provide insight into their discretionary decision-making. The purpose of this study was to determine how principals in an urban school division in Western Canada negotiated within …

Chinese Immigrant Parents’ Communication With School Teachers, Fan Jiang, George Zhou, Zuochen Zhang, Clinton Beckford, Lan Zhong, Fan Jiang

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Parent-teacher communication has great influence on children’s school performance. Using Walker et al.’s model of parent involvement as a theoretical framework, this study investigated Chinese immigrant parents’ communication experience with teachers and the psychological factors that influenced such communication. The study collected data through survey and revealed that Chinese immigrant parents recognized their responsibility to maintain regular communication with school teachers and believed that such communication could bring beneficial outcomes to their children’s education. The study found that Chinese immigrant parents had more frequent communication with teachers than those recorded in previous literatures. Among the five psychological factors, communication self-efficacy …

Interdisciplinary Higher Education: Criticism, Challenges And Obstacles, Ali Khorsandi Taskoh

Research Day (Arts & Humanities, FIMS, and Education)

During the past two decades, extensive attentions have been paid to interdisciplinary activities by educational institutions and according to the corresponding needs, it has also been extended to ‘interdisciplinary higher education’.

Thomas Greenfield And The Quest For Meaning In Organizations: A Postponed Dialogue With Ludwig Wittgenstein, Gus Riveros

Education Publications

In this paper I highlight the role of the notion of meaning for educational administration. I want draw attention to Thomas Greenfield’s theses regarding the role of meanings in organization. I explore the relations between Greenfield’s thesis about meaning in organization and Ludwig Wittgenstein’s thoughts about language and meaning. I shed some light on the encounters and distances between these two thinkers. My account is both exploratory and critical. On the one hand, I point up the relationships between meaning, practices, and action in organization. On the other hand, I identify one aspect of Greenfield’s thought that can be further …