Well, Daw! That’S Why I Don’T Sound Like The Recording: Music Production In Elementary School Music Education, Johnny Touchette

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In this dissertation, I discuss how elementary students responded to a music curriculum that foregrounds music production practices. The following question guided this inquiry: How can music industry professionals, music teachers, and students collaborate, share ideas and their experiences to inform a curricular design for public elementary school music education? I theorized that music production practices should be introduced at an earlier stage of learning than discussed by other educators, i.e., at the secondary level. The study consisted of adapting, implementing, and reflecting on a music production curriculum in public elementary school music education through participatory action research, alongside three …

Teachers’ Work: Communicating On Difficult Knowledge In Ontario Schools, Zsofia Agoston Villalba

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis examines how K-12 teachers in Ontario navigate the complexities of teaching "difficult knowledge"—topics such as racial and ethnic injustices, Indigenous perspectives, immigration experiences, and gender issues—within the parameters of the school and the curriculum. Utilizing an institutional ethnography approach, the study examines the curriculum as an institutional text that coordinates and shapes teachers’ practices. Working with and against the curriculum, teachers find innovative ways to engage their students on difficult knowledge topics. Based on interviews with 12 K-12 teachers, this research explores teachers’ work and pedagogical approaches. They employ diverse teaching methods like storytelling, open dialogues, and collaborative …

Moments Of Meeting: 'Intersubjective Encounters' And ‘Emancipatory’ Experiences Of Individuals With (Intellectual) Disabilities In Inclusive Musical Contexts, Caroline Blumer

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this study was to explore an intersubjective framework to better understand the relational aspects of two inclusive musical programs in London, ON. I focused on mutual recognition moments, called moments of meeting (MoM), researching how they are formed and manifested while music is shared, created, or experienced within these two environments. Approaching such programs as potentially intersubjective spaces, this study investigated the impact of MoM and intersubjective experiences on the participation of individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) in music making as well as on their perceptions of themselves as subjects. Equally significant, this study looked at emerging …

Systemic Abuse Of Black Educational Leaders In K-12 Schools, Bianca Parris

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Anti-Black racism (ABR) is race-based discrimination experienced by Black educational leaders in the Ontario education system. Since the police officers murdered George Floyd, it has ignited the global Black Lives Matters movement. This has translated into K-12 Ontario schools with a more pronounced emphasis on addressing ABR and systemic racism to provide an environment that is rooted in equity. Despite this global action and ministry requirement, ABR continues to prevail and affects Black educational leaders’ ability to lead effectively. Black educational leaders are navigating a system that is unjust and rooted in colonialism which puts them at a disadvantage. Critical …

An Integrative Study Of The Effect Of Early Learning With Touchscreen Technologies Using Samr Framework: A Meta-Analysis And Systematic Review, Atefeh Taherian Kalati

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Digital technologies have brought about a remarkable shift in early childhood learning. Among different technological devices, touchscreens have attracted special interest among young children given their intuitiveness and interactive features. However, the existing empirical findings regarding the effect of this technology on young children’s learning are not consistent. Touchscreen technologies have been also postulated to have the potential for transforming learning experiences. However, there is a dearth of research explicating if the transformative potentials of touchscreens are benefited in early learning and examining the factors/conditions contributing to the improvement of young children's learning with touchscreens. To address these gaps in …

Identifying Instructional Design Strategies In Differentiated Instruction In China: A Systematic Review, Haizhi Fu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Differentiated instruction (DI) is defined as an approach that allows teachers to strategically and proactively plan and vary curriculum design and delivery to address students’ individual needs and to create meaningful student experiences. Since China’s New Curriculum Reform in 2001, DI has been extensively employed to motivate teachers to be curriculum developers and researcher practitioners. Teachers were encouraged to develop a diverse curriculum by connecting students’ and teachers’ life experiences and prior knowledge to the course content. Despite this popularity, the DI practice has been met with great difficulties and challenges in China, and few studies have identified instructional design …

Get The Arts Outdoors: Merging Arts And Nature In Outdoor Education At The Ymca, Puneet Dhaliwal

SASAH 4th Year Capstone and Other Projects: Publications

As part of my SASAH experiential learning requirement, I worked at the YMCA Cedar Glen Outdoor Centre during the Fall/Winter term of 2021/22. Although I had previously worked at the outdoor centre as an educator teaching groups, this year was a different experience due to the new responsibilities and unique learning opportunities presented by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the year, I was responsible for the creation of lesson plans merging the arts and sciences in an outdoor setting according to the curriculum requirements of Ontario’s Ministry of Education. Moreover, I implemented inclusive learning options for each unit …

Absent And Present: The Mental Health And Wellness Of Ontario Teacher Leaders Using A Catholic Social Justice Approach, Jennifer C. Wojcik

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Abstract

The purpose of this Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) is to present a Problem of Practice (PoP) at Trinity Forever Catholic School (pseudonym: TFCS). This is the limited focus on teacher-leader mental health and wellness (MhW) stemming from a lack of resource organization by school and board leadership levels. Current MhW resources are not focussed on the health and well-being of educators. It is necessary to navigate resources that minister to the common good and dignity of all teacher-leaders. This exercise is important to the work of a teacher-leader who is serving TFCS under long-standing conditions that impair MhW. Catholic …

Teachers’ And Students’ Experiences Using Social Media As A Pedagogical Tool Within Classrooms: A Systematic Literature Review, Rozan Trad

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study is a systematic literature review (SLR) that intended to understand the reported views and experiences of teachers and students about using social media in elementary and secondary classrooms in existent literature. This SLR also explored the pertaining challenges in using social media in classroom settings and implications of using social media in education. A total of 40 articles were included for the SLR and thematic data analysis was implemented. Reported findings show that using social media in classrooms was positively and negatively perceived by teachers and students, where positive perceptions overweighed negative ones. Social media was viewed as …

Mandated To Move: Teacher Identified Barriers, Facilitators, And Recommendations To Implementing Daily Physical Activity, Lauren Martyn

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Ontario elementary school teachers are mandated to implement 20 minutes of physical activity into classroom instruction each day under the Ontario Daily Physical Activity policy but are experiencing barriers. Effective implementation is essential to school-aged children's daily physical activity recommendation and, ultimately, the physical, cognitive and emotional benefits that coincide. The present study engaged 13 teachers across Ontario who teach in elementary schools through small virtual focus groups. Discussion on the facilitators, barriers, and recommendations to incorporating physical activity in the classroom was explored through the social-cognitive and social-ecological frameworks. A thematic analysis revealed teachers most frequently identified barriers related …

Learning From Experience: My Time With Swim And Read, Aleksandra Tosic

SASAH 4th Year Capstone and Other Projects: Publications

My experiences at SWIM and READ have led me through many challenges and earned me many successes and have helped me to gain a variety of hard skills and soft skills while letting me improve upon some that I already had. Here, I got the opportunities to work on a book project called “20 Stories of Hope” and to spend a year teaching a young child literacy skills, both of which have given me valuable chances to both find and pursue new passions and to develop my career pathway towards teaching.

Improving Physical Literacy In Middle School Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Students, Jarod-Lee P. Milko

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Physical activity levels in Canadian youth are decreasing. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) focuses on improving physical literacy in middle school Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in a Northern Ontario urban school. The Daily Physical Activity (DPA) policy in Ontario public elementary schools has achieved about 50% fidelity in classrooms since its inception in 2005 (Allison, et al., 2016; Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion, 2015, p. 60). Leading a physically active lifestyle is essential for education outcomes, public health, and general health and wellbeing. Improving physical literacy in youth increases their motivation to be physically active, and through a …

Formative Space: Literacy Practices In 21st Century Curriculum Making, Mary C. Ott

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Partnerships for 21st Century learning support curricular reforms for global, cross-disciplinary competencies that will leverage and benefit education technologies. However, this research partnership with a literacy program developer occasioned an opportunity to study curriculum making in the 21st century that did not make assumptions about technologies and competencies. The integrated thesis based on this project pushes boundaries on how assessment and curriculum making are conceptualized by exploring broader questions of inquiry and participation through literacy and assessment practices in six junior elementary classrooms in Ontario, Canada, over a two-year period. Chapter 1 provides the background and purpose of the study …

Peer To Peer Mentoring: A Multiple-Case Study Evaluating The Links Peer Support Program, Petra Owusu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This research assessed a pilot implementation of START’s (STatewide Autism Resources and Training) peer-to-peer support program (LINKS) that occurred in three elementary schools (N = 36 participants). The purpose of the study was to teach social skills to students who have difficulty with social interactions and to enhance their social participation in inclusive classrooms. Mentors involved in this study had problem behaviours, and mentees involved had experienced social exclusion. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews determined the progress of students and the effectiveness of the overall program. Results revealed that mentors and mentees across the three schools displayed positive changes in …

Investigating Elementary School Food Programs: Impacts On Child Knowledge And Dietary Behaviours, Paige Colley

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Good nutrition is an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A balanced diet can promote positive health outcomes, protecting against health problems caused by nutritional deficiencies. Canada has reported poor diet quality and high rates of overweight and obesity among children. Obesity has been linked to several non-communicable diseases including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some forms of cancer. Efforts to improve lifelong, healthy eating behaviours must be implemented.

This dissertation investigated the impacts of school food programming on child nutrition. A Centrally Procured School Food Program (CPSFP) was implemented at 30 elementary schools in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. …

Exploring The Role Of Collective Teacher Efficacy In Closing Achievement Gaps: A Review Of An Urban District Model School Program, Folusho B. Abayomi

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Abstract

Urban Academy is one of Urban Diverse School Board (UDSB)’s model schools situated in Ontario, Canada. A model school program was created to provide students with equitable access to resources and learning opportunities. Despite UDSB’s commitment to equity and inclusion, this urban school continues to experience persistent achievement gaps when aggregate data are analyzed. Based on student data, the achievement gap has been strongly connected to demographic factors such as low socioeconomic status (SES) of the parents. Educators’ beliefs and assumptions of low SES as an external factor posit achievement as a dilemma beyond teachers’ control. This Organizational Improvement …

Supporting International School Student Social-Emotional Well-Being, Matthew Boomhower

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

International school students face challenges to their well-being that are unique to their context. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) aims to support the social-emotional well-being of Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and English Language Learners (ELLs) at a private, for-profit, international school in South East Asia. It is framed around a Problem of Practice (PoP) based on the need to address the lack of strategically-aligned policies, programs, and systems to support the social-emotional well-being of a diverse and international student body. Foundational to this OIP are leadership approaches and lenses of servant leadership, shared leadership, and systems thinking. Bolman & Deal’s …

Teaching For Equity: A Case Study Of Teachers’, Vice Principals’, And Principals’ Perspectives In Three High-Poverty Elementary Schools In Ontario, Canada, Abhilasha Duggal

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Elementary students in high-poverty schools have diverse learning needs. Their academic and social learning, in particular, varies between students - especially so for those students from culturally non-dominant backgrounds. In 2009, the Ontario Ministry of Education mandated that all school boards in Ontario develop and implement equity education policies, as specified in Policy/Program Memorandum No. 119: Developing and Implementing Equity and Inclusive Education Policies in Ontario Schools (2009). This dissertation explored the implementation of Ontario’s Equity Strategy in three highpoverty elementary schools within one district school board in Ontario. This exploratory case study investigated the following research questions: 1. How …

Investigating The Design Of An Aesthetic Mathematical Experience, Maryam Koozehkanani

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In this thesis, I am going to share my analysis of an aesthetic mathematical experience which happened while I designed and created a pop-up math story. My aim in analyzing this experience is to better understand it and to make a model for other educators who are seeking to design aesthetic mathematical experiences. My research question is: What factors come into play when an educator immerses herself in the process of designing an aesthetic mathematical experience? My research uses qualitative analysis with a focus on narrative inquiry. My focus is on my personal experience designing a mathematics curriculum experience for …

Strengthening The School-Family Partnership: Parents' Experiences With The Parents In Partnership With Educators Program (Pipe), Courtney Cadieux

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Parents in Partnership with Educators (PIPE) program was developed as a brief intervention for families who are struggling to communicate with schools around the needs of their child. It includes instruction in communication and conflict resolution strategies. Parents are also provided with support at school meetings to help them implement these strategies. The goal of this thesis was to explore why parents enrol in the PIPE program and what they gain from their involvement. In Study 1, file reviews were conducted of ten families, eight of whom also participated in an interview about their experience. Interview transcripts were analysed …

A Critical Narrative Inquiry Of English Teachers’ Experiences Of Enacting A Pedagogy Of Multiliteracies In China, Lin Sun

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

When China’s Ministry of Education issued a series of curriculum change policies in 2011, major curriculum reform was initiated. Given the significant role that teachers play in curriculum reform, it is critically important to understand their experiences in their professional knowledge landscapes so that intentional and meaningful support for changes can be provided. This information will enrich the scholarly conversation on the theoretical and practical application of a pedagogy of multiliteracies in China and remind policy makers to consider the needs of teachers charged with implementing changes.

Situated in the global and local scholarship of multiliteracies, this empirical study explored …

Inclusion Of Muslim Students In Ontario Public Education: A Qualitative Inquiry Of Elementary School Principals, Farah Ghonaim

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In order to include Muslim students in Ontario schools, inclusive principals are expected work to understand the inclusion of Muslim students in order to grant them with equal recognition and opportunities as other students in schools. In Ontario, school principals can influence students’ learning and achievement through their leadership role and through their routine duties for leading schools, enacting policies, and ensuing quality of instruction at schools. As leaders, principals can enhance the inclusion of Muslim students through working with staff and teachers, and creating working conditions that support Muslim students learning. Ontario policies call for inclusion of all students …

Steam Education In Ontario, Canada: A Case Study On The Curriculum And Instructional Models Of Four K-8 Steam Programs, Marja G. Bertrand

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) learning and project-based learning are important educational initiatives in North America. However, it is important to consider whether current STEM educational practices are sufficient to prepare students for the world they are to live and work in. This prompts discussions about STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) which is shifting educational paradigms towards art integration in STEM subjects. This study investigates the STEAM education reform movement in Canada to better understand the STEAM curriculum and instructional programs offered by non-profit organizations and publicly funded schools. This research study addresses the following major questions: …

Growing Citizens: Students’ Social Emotional Learning Via School Gardens, Kathryn Markham-Petro

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The importance of social and emotional learning in the life of a student is now being recognized as a factor for academic and life success. How a garden can help in the promotion of skills related to social and emotional learning will provide further justification for the implementation of gardens in schools. The purpose of this exploratory, interpretivist qualitative study, with data collected from a purposive sample of educators involved in classroom-based education within schools, was to explore the social and emotional practices of primary grade students (kindergarten through grade five). The sample size consisted of 14 educators who were …

Constructing Opportunities: A Multiple Case Study Of The Semiotic Demands And Supports In Elementary Classroom Curricula, Emma Cooper

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Limited evidence supports how multimodal pedagogy considers how modes, as constructed by teachers and children, vary across disciplines. This literature gap is potentially problematic for connections arising between facilitation of modes by educators to semiotic demands placed on children. Literature identifies multimodal pedagogy as a way to expand on traditional notions of literacy to assist children in representing meaning through modal constructions. Research focusing on spaces across curriculum available for explicit teaching of semiotics through multimodal pedagogy, and consequences when these spaces are and are not capitalized upon, is needed; it is hoped the study makes its contributions here. The …

Building And Maintaining Lgbtq+ Picture Book Collections, Alissa Droog, Danielle Bettridge, Alyssa R. Martin, Ashleigh Yates-Mackay

FIMS Publications

The LGBTQ+ community has had to continuously fight for their rights, including their right to be represented in the library. This toolkit provides instruction on how to develop and manage a library collection of LGBTQ+ children’s picture books. It is split into four sections that include a guide to evaluating materials, recommended picture books, a guide to fighting censorship, and a list of recommended resources.

School Shouldn’T End When The Bell Rings: An Exploratory Homeschooling Study, Mackenzie Dukelow

MA Research Paper

Homeschooling has experienced significant growth over the last several decades, yet little to no research has explored the relationship between homeschoolers and the public education system. Being the first to explore this relationship, the current study collected and examined data from 3 semi-structured interviews and 15 online homeschooling blogs in order to understand the growth of homeschooling in Ontario and the relationship between homeschooling and the public education system. The results of this study reveal the relationship between homeschoolers and the public education system varies significantly over time and locale, the challenges within each system and the difficulty of transitioning …

Building A Framework To Address Barriers Impacting Implementation Of Student Well-Being Initiatives, L. Bailey Wallace

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

In 2012, The Government of Canada released a report titled Changing Directions, Changing Minds, with the goal of outlining a national strategy aimed at reducing the stigma around mental health. The document was also meant to serve as a tool in increasing awareness of and access to public services available to Canadians experiencing mental health issues. For their part, Canadian school districts are moving forward with their own strategic goals to promote understanding of mental health and to offer appropriate resources to all members of the school community.

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) will explore a problem of practice …

Ontario Teachers' Understanding And Practices Of Reform Instruction: A Case Study Of Constructivism, Nehal Aldamigh

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Since the development of the theory of constructivism from the work of educators Piaget, Brunner and Vygotsky, constructivism has also influenced pedagogical practice. Unlike the traditional approaches of teaching, constructivism encourages learners to construct their own knowledge and take control of their own learning. Although constructivism is widely accepted among teachers, teachers may have misunderstanding/misinterpretation of constructivism which leads to teaching practices that devalue students’ prior knowledge and experiences. This qualitative study examined elementary school teachers’ understanding and practice of constructivism. Data were collected from semi-structured interview, classroom observations, and analysis of teachers’ lesson plans. Findings from the interview showed …

Lgbtq+ Children’S Picture Books In Ontario Public Libraries, Ashleigh Yates-Mackay, Danielle Bettridge, Alissa Droog, Alyssa Martin

FIMULAW

Diverse representation in picture books is important for the wellbeing of children and families; this includes LGBTQ+ representation, a frequently contested area of literature. Our poster identifies 33 of the most frequently recommended picture books with LGBTQ+ representations and reports on their inclusion in 40 selected Ontario Public Libraries. We then compared these results with five socioeconomic factors for each library: size of population served, the size of the print collection, the size of the materials budget, the average total median household income and the last decade of provincial election results for the riding in which the main branch of …