Education Commons^™

Remembrance As Presence: Promoting Learning From Difficult Knowledge At The Canadian Museum For Human Rights, Kelsey Perreault

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis explores the relationship between memorial museums and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR), Winnipeg. Although the CMHR self-defines as an idea museum, using theories of remembrance, commemorative museum pedagogy, memory, and difficult knowledge, the CMHR is also easily situated in the growing global network of memorial museums. Angela Failler's theory of consolatory hope and my own theory of past-future dissonance suggest that there are several reasons the CMHR has not fulfilled its intended mandate of advocating for human rights in the present. Through a compare and contrast approach, this paper argues that the CMHR should look to …

The Effects Of Reading Bilingual Books On Vocabulary Learning, Zhiying Zhang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This paper focuses on the effects of reading bilingual books on vocabulary learning. Eighty-three English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners in China read different versions of the same text: English-only text, English text with target words glossed, English version text followed by the Chinese version, and Chinese version text followed by the English version. A pretest, immediate posttest, and delayed posttest were created to measure the incidental learning of unknown vocabulary. The findings show: (a) All four groups made significant gains in lexical knowledge through completing the treatments, (b) Those who read glossed text and bilingual text had significantly durable …

How Does Mode Of Input Affect Incidental Vocabulary Learning, Yanxue Feng

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study investigated the extent to which different modes of L2 input contributed to vocabulary learning. One hundred and seventy-three EFL university students in China were randomly assigned to six groups, each of which was presented with the same full-length documentary in different modes: reading the transcript, listening, viewing with captions (VC), viewing without captions (VNC); silent viewing with captions (SVC), and a non-treatment control mode. A checklist-test and a multiple-choice test were designed to measure knowledge of the target words. Participants also completed the Vocabulary Levels Test (Webb, Sasao, & Ballance, 2017). The results showed that L2 incidental vocabulary …

A Case Study Of Literacy Curricula In A Canadian Offshore School In China, Wanjing Li

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This single case study is embedded in a multiple case study conducted in Canadian offshore schools in China. In response to the scant literature on literacy curriculum in transnational education contexts, particularly in secondary schools, this study reports findings regarding literacy curricula implementation in a secondary Sino-Canadian school.

The theoretical tools of the study include theories on curriculum, multiliteracies, and multimodality. Data presented in this paper emerges from observations of 46 periods of Mandarin and English literacy classes, interviews with two Chinese and two foreign literacy teachers regarding curricula actualization, and related curriculum documents.

Findings relate how Chinese and Canadian …

Incidental Vocabulary Learning Through Listening To Songs, Niousha Maneshi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Use of songs as the vehicle for language teaching/learning has become common practice (Medina, 1993). Nevertheless, there are no experimental studies examining the potential learning gains from songs. The present study investigates incidental learning of three vocabulary knowledge dimensions (spoken-form recognition, form-meaning connection, and collocation recognition) through listening to two songs. The effects of repeated listening to a single song (1,3, or 5 times) and the relationship between frequency of exposure to the targeted vocabulary items and learning gains were also explored. Two multiple choice tests (one for each song) that each measured the different dimensions of vocabulary knowledge were …

Through A Prism: A Reflection Of The Culture Of Leadership, Catherine A. Beaton Ms

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Leadership in education presents from both an informal and formal change agent perspective. An exploration of how an informal leader from a constructivist leadership stance could effect change through Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in a hierarchical organization was undertaken. Using Bolman and Deal’s (2013) theoretical frames to develop an understanding of the lens through which people view the workings within an educational institute, I chose to use Cawsey, Deszca, and Ingles’ (2016) Change Path Model to develop an organizational change plan. The plan is to attempt to effect change through Professional Learning Communities. Using the Provincial Education Program of Studies, …

The Technical Vocabulary Of Newspapers, Jiahui Zhu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A seven-million-word newspaper corpus that was made up of approximately 7,600 newspaper articles posted to The New York Times website between June, 2015 and October, 2016 was created and analyzed to identify the technical vocabulary of a newspaper and determine its lexical coverage. The results showed that there were 405 technical words of the newspaper as a whole that accounted for 9.76% of the running words in the NYT corpus, and an average of 748 technical words of each newspaper section with an average lexical coverage of 23.82%. Identifying the technical vocabulary of a newspaper is valuable for language learners, …

How Do Teachers Challenge Neoliberalism Through Critical Pedagogy Within And Outside Of The Classroom?, Rezvan Shahsavari-Googhari

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis uses the qualitative case study approach to investigate current strategies and skills four Ontario public secondary school teachers apply both within and outside of the classroom to enhance students’ critical consciousness. The focus is on teachers’ pedagogical work in the era of neoliberal restructuring in order to provide a rich account of how neoliberalism challenges and affects their teaching. Existing literature shows a crisis of identity and political agency among youth in many Western societies, characterized by individuals’ inability to think critically about social, political and economic issues, which is rooted in neoliberal education reforms. Adopting a critical …

Re-Conceptualizing The Nature Of Resources In Multimodal Literacy: The Case Of Young Children’S Meaning Making In An Intergenerational Art Class, Zhen Lin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This case study was embedded in a SSHRC project called: Learning together: A multiple case study of intergenerational multimodal curricula, led by Dr. Rachel Heydon. The study specifically focused on resources employed by young children in their processes of meaning making within intergenerational art classes. Research questions concerned: 1) what resources were available for young children’s meaning making within the intergenerational art classes? 2) what resources were chosen and used by young children in their processes of meaning making and how? and 3) how did different resources interact with each other in multimodal ensembles? The theoretical tool of the …

A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Benefits For Youth Mentors In An Indigenous High School Peer Mentoring Program, Melissa Coyne-Foresi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This mixed methods case study investigated the benefits of serving as a youth mentor to younger peers as part of the Fourth R: Uniting Our Nations Peer Mentoring Program. Data were collected from 11 youth mentors via interviews and returned to them for interpretation and meaning-making through a statement sorting activity as part of a larger concept mapping procedure. The concept mapping was created through Concept Systems, and traditional thematic analysis of the data were conducted with Dedoose. The concept mapping revealed three themes: 1) Cultural Connections, 2) Benefits to Self, and 3) Relationships with Family and Friends. As part …

A Case Study Of Chinese Teachers’ Experiences Of Multiliteracies And Multimodality In Teaching Young Students Chinese Literacy In Canada, Xiaotong Xing

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Existing literature regarding teachers’ practices of multiliteracies has proven that multiliteracies enables teachers to deal with diversity and build creative teaching practices in classrooms. However, few studies have shed light on Chinese teachers’ understanding and practices of multiliteracies. This qualitative case study investigated and displayed two Chinese teachers’ diverse perceptions and practices of implementing multiliteracies in teaching young children Chinese literacy in Canada. A constant comparison approach was adopted to analyze the data collected from interviews, curriculum materials and reflective writings from two Chinese teachers. The findings show that these Chinese teachers have different perceptions regarding multiliteracies, and create innovative …

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 …

Knowledge Production In International Research Collaboration: A Comparative Study Of Canadian And Colombian Research Networks, Clara I. Tascon

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Given the increasing interconnectivity in today’s globalized world, academics from different disciplines, countries, generations, and cultural backgrounds are urged to work together on common research projects that cross national boundaries. Producing knowledge in collaboration with other scholars internationally has the potential to create rich and groundbreaking research practices to understand complex phenomena. Thus, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of international research collaboration (IRC) among scholars and how this transnational initiative contributes to knowledge production. The theoretical framework of this study draws upon ‘post-foundational’ spatial approaches to inform the analysis of my findings. Post-foundational approaches engage with epistemological …

Spaces Of Rupture: Wondering, Wandering, Remixing, Cathy Benedict

Music Education Publications

This response is based on my presentation at Teachers College, Columbia University celebrating the launch of Allsup’s (2016) book, Remixing the Classroom: Toward an Open Philosophy of Music Education. I enter the text with openness, and with a willingness to ponder and consider. As such I offer the following considerations for further “thinking through.” These are considerations, given the context of the book, I feel are necessary to address: independent musician, child centered / learner centered, or constructivism writ large, learning outcomes, and finally the space in the elementary setting for the kinds of pedagogical engagements and purpose Allsup outlines …

On The Benefits Of Multimodal Annotations For Vocabulary Uptake From Reading, Frank Boers, Paul Warren, Gina Grimshaw, Anna Siyanova-Chanturia

Education Publications

Several research articles published in the realm of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) have reported evidence of the benefits of multimodal annotations, i.e., the provision of pictorial as well as verbal clarifications, for vocabulary uptake from reading. Almost invariably, these publications account for the observed benefits with reference to Paivio’s Dual Coding Theory, suggesting it is the visual illustration of word meaning that enhances the quality of processing and hence makes new words more memorable. In this discussion article, we explore the possibility that it is not necessarily the multimodality per se that accounts for the reported benefits. Instead, …

A Double Degree Program In International Communication: An Exemplary Case Of Global Citizenship, Zhe Wang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study applies David Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning theory and Lynette Schultz’s critical global citizenship framework to explore whether and how students’ experiences participating in an international double degree program (IDDP) in transnational communication shape them as global citizens. Fostering global citizenship has become a significant aim that is embedded in many post-secondary institutions’ documents. A qualitative case study was conducted by Skype-interviewing past participants who completed the IDDP in transnational communication. The findings indicate students recognize that the value of this double degree program has positive impacts on their perceptions of global citizenship. However, both Canadian students and Chinese …

Increasing Teacher Capacity In Supporting Student Mental Health, Mary Louise Ireland

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Abstract

Increasing rates of adolescent anxiety and depression present new challenges for educators. This requires educators to increase their capacity to meet the unique learning needs of students with mental health concerns. The Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) explores this problem of practice, targeting improved teacher ability to understand student mental health, to recognize the signs of distress, and to employ teaching strategies and practices to accommodate learning needs. The notion that academic functioning is tied to mental health functioning in a bi-directional relationship (Powers, Bower, Webber & Martinson, 2011) underscores the need for teachers to be equipped with a greater …

Curriculum Congruence Of An Hr Baccalaureate Degree Program To Industry Requirements, Wesley D. Sallenback

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Undergraduate students of business commonly view their time in school as a career-readying training ground preparatory to advancing into professional practice within industry settings. In preparing learners for success beyond the classroom, it is critical for post-secondary institutions (PSIs) to demonstrate alignment between program curriculum and workplace knowledge and skill requirements. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) outlines a potential solution to improve the relevance of business degree programming (at a large, Canadian-based, polytechnic institution), according to marketplace requirements. More narrowly, this OIP presents a process of program review which not only ensures alignment of program curricula and workplace-required competencies, but …

Aboriginal Offender Parole Outcomes, Truman Paul Tremblay

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This paper outlines an Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) and addresses a current Problem of Practice (PoP) in Aboriginal federal corrections. The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) is a federal department mandated by the Corrections and Conditional Release Act. Notably, this Act mandates the CSC to be responsive to the special needs of Aboriginal offenders. Aboriginal offenders have long been over-represented within the Canadian corrections system; consequently, there is tremendous pressure on the CSC to address the gap in outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal offenders. The PoP considers the role of the Aboriginal Initiatives Directorate within CSC and describes the impact …

Enhancing Employability Skill Sets: The Obligation Of Community Colleges To Be Greater Than The Sum Of Their Parts, Linda C. Hill Ms.

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

The pressure upon post-secondary institutions in Ontario to address the persistent gap between the employability skill sets of their graduates and the changing needs of the modern workplace has never been greater. Forces such as the complexities of participating in a globally competitive economy, and advancements in information and communication technologies have shifted workplace expectations. Parents, students, and employers want to be assured that a diploma is indicative of the full range of skill sets necessary to achieve entry into a chosen occupation. The case method of analysis was used to examine one college’s quality assurance strategies for teaching and …

Impact Of Islamophobia On Post-Secondary Muslim Students Attending Ontario Universities, Hassina Alizai

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study investigated the experiences of Muslim Canadian students attending institutions of higher education in the context of increasing Islamophobia. This study utilized qualitative case study methodology to investigate the following questions: (1) What are the experiences of Muslim Canadians attending institutions of higher education in the current context of Islamophobia? (2) How is the rising anti-Muslim sentiment impacting the academic performance of Muslim students? (3) How do Muslim students negotiate or navigate their identities subsequent to recent national and international tragic events (e.g. Paris Attacks, San Bernardino and other terrorist atrocities)? The students’ responses resulted in three major themes …

The Relationship Between Federal Citizenship And Immigration Policies And The Internationalization Of Higher Education In Canada, Rashed Al-Haque

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Using Actor-Network Theory (ANT) as a way to do Critical Policy Analysis (CPA), this instrumental case study explores the relationships between citizenship and immigration (CI) policies and the internationalization of Canadian higher education. By utilizing a critical-sociomaterial approach, the research exposes actors and actor-networks that are otherwise overlooked in these policy areas. Moreover, this lens underscores the impacts and consequences of policy and how the enrollment and/or exclusion of actors in actor-networks enables certain actors to exert control, power, and primacy over others.

While most research on internationalization identifies the academy as the site for internationalization policy enactment, this research …

Effects Of Group Functional Behavior-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior In A Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Nicole Neil, Tricia Vause, Heather Jaksic, Maurice Feldman

Education Publications

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often present with comorbid Obsessive Compulsive Behaviors (OCBs), but little research exists on effective intervention for OCBs. Using a single-case experimental design, this study highlights the efficacy of a Group Functional Behavior-Based Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (Fb-CBT) to reduce OCBs in an 11-year-old youth. Tailored for individuals with ASD, Fb-CBT included traditional CBT components (e.g., psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioral skills training, and exposure and response prevention), functional behavior assessment and intervention, and a group parent-training component. Time-series parent report data and standardized OCB measures showed clinically significant decreases in OCBs, increase in psychosocial functioning, and high consumer satisfaction.

The Rise And Fall Of Philosophy Of Education: An Institutional Analysis, Andrew D. Colgan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Philosophy of education’s academic literature portrays the field as being in decline over the past half century, especially in the once preeminent citadel of initial teacher preparation programs. This decline prompts the broad problem of the proper place of philosophy in teacher preparation. I therefore set out to explain why (in part) this decline has occurred in the English language field by connecting, from the 19^th century to the present, primarily in the United States and Britain, but also Canada, two histories: (1) the origins and development of the field of philosophy of education itself, and (2) the institutional …

Improving Principal Professional Practice Through Communities Of Practice, Lisa Clarke

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Project (OIP) explores a problem of practice (PoP) where the Association Office (AO), within a large, private school district (District), wishes to facilitate professional development of leadership skills, collaboration, and cooperation amongst the principals. Perspectives on the problem are gained through a thorough assessment of the District and its existing culture and practices. In addition, this OIP examines the District’s readiness for change and how both the internal and external forces for change can be used to create momentum to address the PoP. Various leadership approaches, including adaptive, agile, and servant leadership, and possible solutions are considered …

Diversity Matters: A Case Study Of The Cultural Components Of Three Ontario College Leadership Development Programs, Candace M. Miller

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

With the number of international students increasing notably in the Ontario college system, educational leaders in those institutions need to provide culturally sensitive leadership to ultimately support student learning and achievement. In order to investigate how and why leaders need to lead in culturally sensitive ways, an exploratory case study of leadership development programs was undertaken in three Ontario colleges. In all, 17 semi-structured, one-to-one interviews were conducted with leaders from different areas of each college (organizational development, academics, and student services). In addition, the physical settings of the three institutions were observed by the researcher and professional learning documents …

Democratic Implementation Of Anywhere, Anytime, Anyway Learning Through Blended Synchronous Delivery In A Postsecondary Institution In Canada, Donald Moen

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This organizational improvement plan considers the implementation of anywhere, anytime, anyway learning in the context of competing stakeholder values in a postsecondary institution in Canada. Quinn’s (1983) competing values framework is used to juxtapose the values of students, faculty members, innovators and administrators in the context of educational technology implementation (Yang & Melitski, 2007). A case for anywhere, anytime, anyway learning through web-conferencing in a blended online format is made to each group in the context of that group’s value system. Bourdieu’s (1984) forms of capital are used: administrators valuing economic capital, faculty members valuing cultural capital, and students valuing …

Making Meaning Of Gender And Sexual Identities In Early Childhood: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Canadian Early Childhood Curricula, Pamela M. Malins

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study is a critical discourse analysis of kindergarten programmatic curricula across Canada. The prime goal of the study was to produce knowledge of programmatic curricula’s treatment of diverse gender and sexual identities. The research questions investigated what gender and sexual identities are included in the curricula, how these identities are configured, the meaning making opportunities children are thereby offered, and the implications for students’ gender and sexual identity options and their understandings of gender and sexual minority youth and same-sex parented families.

The data collection tool drew upon Fairclough’s (1995) textual analysis (including linguistic and intertextual components), Dillon’s (2009) …

Book Review: Spotlight On China: Changes In Education Under China’S Market Economy, Xiaoli Liu

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

In the past 30 years, China has been experiencing tremendous social, economic, and educational transformations. China has become one economic superpower in the world. How do China’s economic forces influence its education? Spotlight on China: Changes in Education under China’s Market Economy, edited by Shibao Guo and Yan Guo, provides an insightful analysis of the impact of the profound social and economic transformations on education in China.

Service-Learning In Egypt: Effects Of Demographics, Course Features, And Community Engagement On Civic And Developmental Outcomes For University Students, Neivin M. Shalabi Dr.

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Although service-learning is spreading in various geographic locations across the globe, the majority of extant literature is based in the U.S. Additionally, past research focused largely on investigating student outcomes through this pedagogy with little attention to exploring the impact of variations among service-learning courses and students. This study addressed these gaps by examining how individual differences among students, course characteristics, and overall community engagement may relate to civic and developmental outcomes for college students through service-learning. Sixty one students at a private university in Egypt completed survey questionnaires. Students’ Demographics and Course Characteristics Composites predicted students’ reports of enhanced …