Education Commons^™

An Exploration Of Collaboration In Indigenous Language Revitalization In A First Nation Community, Sara General

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation explores how Indigenous language leaders at Six Nations of the Grand River can collaborate for the purpose of revitalizing Indigenous languages. Using an Indigenous research study approach, I conducted single 45-60 minute semi-structured interviews with 10 Indigenous language leaders from the Six Nations of the Grand River. To develop an understanding about the concept of collaboration informed by Haudenosaunee epistemologies, I explored three cultural stories that generally constitute the foundation of Haudenosaunee philosophy and worldview. Together, insights from both the participants and the cultural stories informed this study and supported the development of my conceptual framework, which includes …

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 …

Collaborative Work Environments: Development And Sustainability, Christy L. Thompson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation examines how elementary principals develop collaborative work environments. Specifically, it explores how principals understand collaborative work, examines the strategies principals employ to encourage such an environment, the supports principals use when developing collaborative work environments and the challenges principals experience when trying to create one in his or her school. The study was conducted using a qualitative research design and an interpretivist approach was used to frame the research. Eleven elementary principals were interviewed for this study. The interviews were semi-structured and ranged in length from 45-60 minutes.

Findings included an important emphasis on positive relationship building amongst …

Fostering The Mobilization Of Knowledge From Professional Development To The Classroom, Robert J. Williams

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study examined the extent to which professional knowledge, acquired from professional development programs in education, was mobilized in elementary school classrooms. The author investigated the alignment of participants’ perceptions and actions with the aims of professional development providers, studied teachers' in-depth experiences of that professional development, and noted the key aspects of professional development that related to knowledge mobilization. The project acquired data from four elementary school teachers employing semi-structured interviews, multiple classroom observations and teacher-generated and published documents. Participants’ perceptions of professional development were influenced by the following factors: impact on income, personal/professional growth and professional collaboration. Additionally, …

An Investigation On The Value Of Integrating Mental Health Supports In Education To Build Capacity For Change, Erin Keith

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Current statistics in Ontario show that one in five students suffer from mental health issues (Canada, 2012). Mental health disorders cause significant distress, impairing students’ functioning at school, at home, and in the community (Children’s Mental Health Ontario, 2014). Research has shown that prevention and early intervention strategies targeting students at risk for mental health challenges are beneficial, cost-effective, and reduce the need for more costly, intensive interventions. (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2013). In response to recent Ontario Ministry mental health initiatives (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2006; 2011; 2013), the Peel District School Board, in Ontario, Canada, launched an interprofessional, …