Education Commons^™

How Schools Enact Equity Policies: A Case Study Of Social Justice Leadership, Allison L. Segeren

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

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 documents the enactment of Ontario’s Equity Strategy in one district school board and three schools in Ontario.

Analysis of education policy in local contexts must account for the influence of globalized policy discourses including performativity, accountability, and marketization. Policy sociology and policy enactment theory served as a conceptual framework from which to understand the everyday actions of school board …

Input Y Fonf En La Adquisición De La Doble Negación En Español Por Angloparlantes, Yolanda Pangtay Chang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Dos factores importantes en la adquisición de una L2: estructura a adquirir y metodología de enseñanza, se estudian en esta tesis. En la negación en español L2, el cambio de la forma del inglés a una forma en principio más sencilla, puede necesitar reestructuración. El segundo factor, la metodología utilizada en su enseñanza, puede variar de manera importante de una clase a otra. Por lo tanto, surgen los siguientes cuestionamientos:

1) ¿Existe la reestructura de la L1 a la L2?

2) ¿Qué tipo de metodología ayuda a la reestructuración?

3) Si hay reestructuración, ¿es ésta permanente o no?

Para el …

International Comparison Of Media Usage Among University Students, Luiz Fernando Capretz, Gerd Gidion

Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications

A survey on media usage was conducted at Western University, followed by similar surveys in Germany, Spain and Thailand. It seems that the usage of IT-devices is more popular in Thailand and Germany than in Canada. The use of social network related applications in academia seems to be more common in Thailand compared to Canada and Germany. The competitiveness of the Internet-based market of academic education might be more intensive in Canada because of the proximity of the U.S. market. An international comparison is, nevertheless, problematic, because the circumstances are really diverse and in constant change. Future plans involve conducting …

Student Programming And Identity In French Language Studies At An Ontario College, Crystal Brown

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This research set out to investigate the following questions: Why do students enroll in French, and in what ways do the students position themselves to learning French? What kinds of social issues do they confront when coming back? How do such issues impact their identities? Using the frameworks developed within sociocultural second language acquisition, identity, and motivational theories, this exploratory study includes semi-structured interviews and an online survey. Some of the reasons why students come back to the college system to study French include family background, political decisions, patriotism, gainful employment, cosmopolitanism, globalization and travel and retirement. Studying languages seems …

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, …

Understanding And Negotiating The Secondary Vice-Principal Role: Perspectives Of Secondary Principals, Louis Lim

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation explores how secondary principals understand and negotiate the secondary vice-principal role. The principal assigns vice-principal duties so there is no standard description for the vice-principal role (Ontario Ministry of Education, 1990). My conceptual framework, based on the notions of role and work, informed the study.

Using an interpretive basic, generic qualitative study approach, I conducted single 60 to 90 minute semi-structured interviews with 13 secondary principals from four Ontario district school boards. Data analysis was on-going and used a modified version of the constant comparative method for themes to emerge.

Findings indicated that secondary principals expect their vice-principals …

Math Stories In Elementary Mathematics Education In China And North America, Bingqing Xu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In our information- and technology-based society, mathematics education plays an increasingly important role in current world economic development. As the world biggest economies,ChinaandNorth Americahave accelerated the reform of mathematics education in recent years. One of the phenomena is that children’s literature has attracted great attention in the improvement of mathematics instruction and students’ learning for early childhood education. However, research conducted on math literature and the comparison of math literature inChinaand North America is limited, which points the necessity to consider the similarities and differences of math literature inChinaandNorth America. By comparing and contrasting the math stories in China and …

Leadership, Nursing, And Patient Safety Within A Hospital-Based Learning Organization, Lara Murphy

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Within the complex and often changing Canadian landscape of healthcare, patient safety remains at the forefront of hospital corporate priorities and strategic plans. Drawing data from an emergency department in one Ontario-based hospital that was supported by 180 nursing staff and a three-member front-line leadership team (two coordinators and a manager), this study provides further insight into aspects of how safe patient care can be provided. An exploratory mixed-methods case study was used to understand how and why leadership attributes impact a patient safety culture and patient safety outcomes in a learning organization. It was hypothesized that nursing staff who …

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 …

The Role Of The Secondary Vice-Principal And Its Relationship With The Enactment Of The Ontario Leadership Framework, Tracy Mccarthy

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This qualitative research study provided an interrogation of the enactment of the Ontario Leadership Framework (OLF) on the role and practices of secondary vice-principals in one school board in southern Ontario. This descriptive case study examined how the OLF influences the role, duties and practices of the secondary vice-principal and examined what leadership practices they participate in, which ones they do not, and why. The key research question was: How are the leadership practices of secondary vice-principals influenced by the OLF, and how do vice-principals use the OLF to conceptualize their role? The data collection included semi-structured interviews with ten …

Mental Health Policies And Practices: Student Services Leaders Connect The Dots, Laurie E. Dodson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This research explored the perceptions of student affairs and services (SAS) leaders in relation to the effectiveness of policies and practices that assist students with mental health problems. Many students enter post-secondary schools with existing conditions that may or may not be clinically recognized. These mental health impairments and disabilities can manifest as permanent, sporadic, or temporary impairments. The emergence and magnitude of mental illness in early adulthood make post-secondary institutions key environments in which to intervene more proactively. Providing access to comprehensive mental health supports is vital for meeting students’ increasing needs. To investigate how post-secondary leaders are responding …

Is Social Competence Achievable In Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder?, Monica Caldeira

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A review of existing literature pertaining to the social skills of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder provides a mixed picture: some researchers argue that social skills are altogether lacking, while others indicate that, in some instances, individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder possess the same social skills as their typically developed peers. The purpose of this study was to examine the social competence of adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders, as well as the factors that contributed to or hindered adolescents’ social competence. A sample of 17 adolescents, with varying degrees of autism severity, together with their parents and teachers took part …

Saudi Women's Experiences Studying At Canadian Universities Through The King Abdullah Scholarship Program, Noor Abdulrhman Ahmed

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study examines the experiences of Saudi women studying in Canada through the King Abdullah Scholarship program. Considering both the benefits and challenges that these women faced, this qualitative study highlights the push and pull factors (Mustapha, 2006) that Saudi women encounter when studying abroad. Data was gathered for this study by interviewing six Saudi women graduate students at one university in Canada. This study provides a greater understanding of the issues that Saudi women encounter when they choose to come to Canada to attend university, thereby helping other women who want to study abroad by preparing them for the …

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

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

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 …

Beyond Burnout: Educators' Experiences Of Mental Health Issues, And Stigma In The Workplace, Jenny Kassen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study examines Ontario teachers’ experiences of mental issues (MHI) and identity management in the workplace. Although numerous local and national initiatives exist to help raise awareness, decrease stigma, and assist teachers in supporting students with MHI, there appears to be an absence of literature that focuses on teachers' personal experiences with MHI and stigma in their professional environment. Two theoretical frameworks, Framework Integrating Normative Influences on Stigma (FINIS) (Pescosolido, Martin, Lang, & Olafsdottir, 2008), and Jones and King’s (2014) Managing stigmatized identities in the workplace, provide a lens for making meaning of the experiences of the participants. A …

Organisational Improvement Plan: System Of Care, Derek Haime

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This organizational improvement plan (OIP) describes a way to develop and implement a system of care philosophy within a district school board with the intent of spreading this philosophy throughout the district, province, and country in the future. It is intended to be used as a tool to guide other district school boards interested in implementing a system of care. More specifically, the problem of practice this OIP is intended to address is as follows: “The current model of care for JK-8 students with mental health needs must improve. The service delivery system and pathways to treatment for child and …

A Mixed Methods Approach To Challenging Stigma At A Faculty Of Education, Melanie-Anne P. Atkins

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation investigates the stigma of mental illness in schools. In today’s Canadian classrooms, at least one in five students is experiencing a mental disorder, which without treatment or support can severely impede students’ academic performance and can reinforce stereotypical beliefs about: (a) these students’ ability to be successful in the classroom, and (b) their teachers’ abilities to meet their needs. While mental health awareness about these issues is steadily increasing, stigmatizing attitudes – which present a major barrier to help-seeking – are not decreasing at a comparable rate. Therefore, I used mixed methods to explore the experience of mental …

Communication Intervention For Individuals With Down Syndrome: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Nicole Neil, Emily A. Jones

Education Publications

A systematic review was conducted to identify effective intervention strategies for communication in individuals with Down syndrome. We updated and extended previous reviews by examining: (1) participant characteristics; (2) study characteristics; (3) characteristics of effective interventions (e.g., strategies and intensity); (4) whether interventions are tailored to the Down syndrome behavior phenotype; and (5) the effectiveness (i.e., percentage non-overlapping data and Cohen’s d) of interventions. Thirty-seven studies met inclusion criteria. The majority of studies used behaviour analytic strategies and produced moderate gains in communication targets. Few interventions were tailored to the needs of the Down syndrome behaviour phenotype. The results …

An Investigation Of Multiliteracies Pedagogies In Language Teacher Education: A Mixed Methods Study, Adrienne Doucette-Vanthuyne

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Research into teacher preparedness within teacher education programs and its relationship to teacher attrition is an increasing area of interest in Canada and around the world. In Canada, on average, the estimated turnover for second language educators is approximately 30% in the first five years and 50% of these are within the first two years (Canadian Teacher’s Federation (CTF), 2004; Karsenti, Collin, Villeneuve, Dumouchel, & Roy, 2008; Siwatu, 2011; Swanson, 2012). The CTF (2004), French and Collins (2014), Karsenti et al. (2008) and Swanson (2012) have reported on several factors that influence language teacher attrition and retention: teacher preparedness, teacher …

How Elementary School Principals In An Ontario School Board Use Resiliency Strategies To Manage Adversity In Their Leadership, Catherine Elizabeth Zeisner

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this exploratory case study was to gather, examine, and define school leadership ‘adversity experiences’ of elementary school principals in an Ontario school board. This qualitative study examined how principals use resiliency strategies to manage adversity in the course of their school leadership. Lastly, the study examined supports, professional learning, and/or programs specific to the Ontario context that exist for principals experiencing adversity.

The purposeful sample was fifteen elementary school principals and one superintendent of education. They were interviewed one-on-one using semi-structured questions during the winter 2016. Those data were analyzed using a modified form of constant comparative …

Role Of Advocacy Organizations In Promoting Inclusive Education Policies For Students With Rare Chronic Health Conditions: Insights For Education Leaders, Jennifer Flinn

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This qualitative study investigated how advocacy groups for rare chronic health conditions understood their relation to, and interaction with, educational leadership and policy. This study adopted a critical research orientation and framed inclusion as an equity and social justice issue. Semi structured interviews were conducted with advocates representing various rare chronic health conditions, and a policy review of Ontario’s inclusion policy, as well as relevant health policies were conducted. The analysis revealed that there was tension in participants’ understanding of inclusion, and participants did not always support full inclusion for students with rare chronic health conditions. There is a lack …

The Effect Of Speech-To-Text Software On Learning A New Writing Strategy, Katrina N. Haug

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Handwriting and spelling present elementary students with significant sources of load on working memory as the various writing processes compete for cognitive resources (Kellogg, Whiteford, Turner, Cahill & Mertens, 2013). Several studies have shown that speech-to-text (STT) software can improve students' writing on a specific text (Higgins & Raskind, 1997; MacArthur & Cavalier, 2004; Quinlan, 2004); however, the question of whether STT can be used to teach writing strategies has been neglected. This pretest-post-test between groups study experimentally tested the effects of composition modality on learning a persuasive writing strategy. First, all students (N=45) completed a pretest of persuasive writing. …

A Study Of The Relationships Between Empowerment, Decision-Making Style And Job Satisfaction In Female Middle Managers Within Ontario's University Registrarial Units, Lee Ann C. Mckivor

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

An emerging body of literature has sought to explore the role of variables such as decision-making styles and structural empowerment in predicting job satisfaction in various populations and contexts. This study aimed to advance this knowledge by questioning the predictive ability of structural empowerment and decision-making styles in female registrarial middle managers in Ontario universities. It was hypothesized that when female registrarial middle managers feel empowered, dependent on their decision-making style, they experience high job satisfaction.

An online survey tool comprised of the Conditions for Workplace Effectiveness Questionnaire (CWEQ-I), the General Decision-Making Scale (GDMS), and the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS), …

Trends In Students Media Usage, Gerd Gidion, Luiz Fernando Capretz, Michael Grosch, Ken Meadow

Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications

Trends in media usage by students can affect the way they learn. Students demand the use of technology, thus institutions and instructors should meet students’ requests. This paper describes the results of a survey where drivers in the use of media show continuously increasing or decreasing values from the first to the fourth year of study experience at the Western University, Canada, highlighting trends in the usage of new and traditional media in higher education by students. The survey was used to gather data on students’ media usage habits and user satisfaction from first to fourth year of study and …

The Relationship Between School Leaders' Behaviors And Teachers' Perceptions Of Their Value In Promoting A Culture Of Inclusive Education, Grace L. Howell

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

One of the most critical factors in changing teachers’ attitudes toward inclusive education practices is the way in which the school leader, that is a principal or vice-principal, actively and consistently demonstrates a positive attitude towards an inclusive school culture (Leithwood, Begley, & Cousins, 1992). Specific types of behaviors by leaders may be more important than others in assisting teachers to develop their own attitudes concerning inclusive education. This convergent parallel mixed-methods study was designed to permit a comparison of rural Ontario elementary school leaders and teachers in a) their attitudes toward teaching students with mild to moderate disabilities and …

Exploring Science Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Perceptions To Teach In Ontario’S Diverse Classrooms: A Mixed-Methods Investigation, Mithila Vidwans

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In the past few years, Canadian schools have experienced increasing diversity with a large number of English Language Learners (ELLs) becoming part of the mainstream classroom. Research has shown that ELLs will achieve academic success when their backgrounds are incorporated within the curriculum and pedagogy (Gay, 2000). However, our curriculum is largely Eurocentric and caters predominantly to mainstream students. As a result, it has become critical to investigate teachers’ perceptions in terms of providing inclusive pedagogy in various classroom contexts. Hence, the purpose of this study was to examine the self-efficacy perceptions of Ontario’s Science teachers to teach in diverse …

Am I A Bully? A Mixed Methods Phenomenological Study Of The Perspectives And Experiences Of Girls Who Are Relationally Aggressive, Laura A. Hogarth

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This explanatory mixed-methods, phenomenological study investigated how relationally aggressive females perceive and experience their social world. The first, quantitative phase of the study included 237 students (85 males, 152 females) in grades 6 to grade 8 from four different schools. All students completed the quantitative measures of the study; a peer nomination scale of relational aggression, the Basic Empathy Scale (Joliffe & Farrington, 2006), and a self-concept measure, the Self-Description Questionnaire Short Form (Marsh et al., 2005). Female students whose mean relational aggression score was greater than 1 SD about the class mean, and received votes from more than 30% …

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 …

A Pedagogy Of Multiliteracies Into Practice: A Case Study In One Grade One Literacy Classroom, Xing Meng Ms.

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

With the rise of technology, literacy concepts in the 21^st century have challenged traditional literacy practices that have relied primarily on print media. Recent research has alerted early-years educators to the new understandings and significance of multiliteracies. These new understandings will better prepare classroom practices that purposefully design learning opportunities to accommodate diverse young learners in an era of evolving education.

This qualitative case study responds to these imperatives by showcasing a lived story of a grade one teacher who has implemented multiliteracies pedagogy in her classroom. Multiliteracies pedagogy has facilitated her effort in creating meaningful learning opportunities for …

Learning About Teaching Science: Improving Teachers' Practice Through Collaborative Professional Learning, Sarah E. Cloutier

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This single, descriptive qualitative case study provides a snapshot of elementary teachers and their school principal’s multiple and competing views about personal and contextual factors affecting teacher engagement in collaborative professional learning (CPL) related to science education within the school environment. This study was viewed through the lens of Situated Learning Theory primarily by Lave and Wenger (1991) because viewing knowledge as situated has implications for understanding teacher learning and the design of instructional activities.

Data were collected from three female elementary teachers and their school principal in Ontario for a period of six months. The data included: five principal …