This
section includes articles published from 2010 to the present.
Issues are listed in descending chronological order.
Issue One Hundred Thirty-Three
May 18, 2012
Change Forces: Implementing Change in a Secondary School for the Common Good
Wayne Melville and Anthony Bartley, Lakehead University,
and Molly Weinburgh, Texas Christian UniversityIn this article, we investigate the change forces that act on administrators, subject department chairpersons and teachers as they seek to implement a change in a Canadian secondary school. Using a case study methodology, our analysis of the data uses Sergiovanni’s (1998) six change forces: bureaucratic, personal, market, professional, cultural, and democratic forces. Our interpretation supports the importance of the principal and administrators, working together with teachers, in implementing change. The analysis points to the chairperson of subject departments having a crucial, but often overlooked, role in the implementation of change. Three key co-requisites that allow chairpersons to play this critical role are: the existence of a school-level democratic commitment to the common good that guides the work of professional learning; the location of professional learning within departments to operationalise the common good; and, the capacity of the chairperson to fulfil their role as an instructional leader in the fullest sense of the term.
Issue One Hundred Thirty-Two
April 11, 2012
Gerald Fallon, University of British Columbia,
and Jerald Paquette, University of Western OntarioThis paper reviews the meaning and content of various First-Nation self-government discourses that have emerged over the last 40 years. Based on a detailed thematic analysis of policy papers, reports, and self-governance agreements on this issue of First-Nations control of education, this paper presents a coherent and defensible understanding of the current state of First-Nations rights to control education while mapping institutional arrangements or internal principles of organization for self-determination that have emerged over time in discourse on First-Nations rights and education in Canada.
Issue One Hundred Thirty-One
March 26, 2012
Megan K. Gordon and Dawn M. Zinga, Brock University
The black-focused school introduced by the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) in 2009 has been controversial since the community consultations were conducted. Although media representations and Dei (1996, 2006) provide insight into what Torontonians’ reactions are to the proposed black-focused school, the reactions of black youth in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) have not been documented. We address that gap by providing a representation of black youths’ voices obtained via focus groups. Black youth from the GTA voiced their agreement with elements of the proposal, but resisted the idea of implementing the proposal by creating a separate school. These findings pose important implications for those in education fields, the TDSB and the black-focused school proponents.
Issue One Hundred Thirty
March 5, 2012
Lessons in Leadership: Perspectives on Corporate
Managerialism and Educational ReformGerald Galway, Memorial University
Between 1970 and 1990 enrolment in Newfoundland and Labrador schools dropped by 22 percent. The first wave of major educational reform (1990 to 2000) saw massive reductions in public school expenditures and the reduction of more than 1650 teachers. Facing continued enrolment loss and a large current account deficit, in 2004, government again consolidated school districts. In this paper I examine the 1997 and 2004 reforms and argue that the “rationalization” agenda set by government was aggressive—driven primarily by fiscal and corporate factors. While the reforms accomplished their corporate goals, they also resulted in educational and organizational costs which should be weighed against potential benefits.
Issue One Hundred Twenty-Nine
February 13, 2012
Social Justice: The Missing Link in School Administrators’ Perspectives on Teacher Induction
Laura Elizabeth Pinto, Niagara University, John P. Portelli, OISE, University of Toronto, Cindy Rottmann, University of Manitoba, Karen Pashby, OISE, University of Toronto, Sarah Elizabeth Barrett, York University, and Donatille Mujuwamariya, University of Ottawa
Critical scholars view schooling as one piece of a larger struggle for democracy and social justice. We investigated 41 school administrators’ perceptions about the role and importance of equity, diversity and social justice in new teacher induction in the province of Ontario. Interviews reveal that principals were interested in shaping teacher induction programming in their schools and school districts, but that they regularly prioritized technical issues like classroom management and pedagogy over systemic issues like equity and social justice. When asked directly about equity, principals spoke about learning styles, special needs and differentiated instruction, but they regularly ignored new teachers’ abilities to counter systemic oppression—racism, sexism, and classism. Our findings suggest that without an explicit focus on equity and social justice in provincial policy documents, teacher induction programming runs the risk of reproducing a transmission model of new teacher education.
Issue One Hundred Twenty-Eight
January 16, 2012
Education Governance Reform in Ontario:
Neoliberalism in ContextPeggy Sattler, University of Western Ontario
This paper explores the relationship between neoliberal ideology and the discourse and practice of education governance reform in Ontario over the last two decades. It focuses on changes in education governance introduced by successive Ontario governments: the NDP government from 1990 to 1995, the Progressive Conservative government from 1995 to 2003, and the Liberal government from 2003 until the present. The analytical approach deploys the three models of education governance identified by Bedard and Lawton (2000) – policy interdependence, administrative agency and policy tutelage – to describe differences in the policy content of the neoliberal governance reform projects undertaken by each government. The paper uses the work and recommendations of three government-appointed bodies – the Royal Commission on Learning (RCOL), the Education Improvement Commission (EIC) and the Governance Review Committee (GRC) – to capture critical shifts and tensions in governance reform strategies. Three interrelated points are offered to further the understanding of education governance dynamics in neoliberal paradigms in Ontario: first, the influence of political ideologies on approaches to governance and accountability; second, the mediating role played by government-appointed bodies; and third, the incrementalism of neoliberal reforms in education governance policy.
Issue One Hundred Twenty-Seven
December 30, 2011
This study of one mid-sized Canadian school district employed a case study approach to uncover and document the influences of organizational socialization, sensemaking, and perceptions of self-efficacy on the development of administrators’ role identities. Findings describe formal and informal socialization processes experienced by administrators, how administrators made sense of their socialization, and how these processes influenced the development of their role identity and subsequent practice. A new framework for considering the organizational socialization of administrators is presented. This study will be of interest to those responsible for planning succession, professional development, and administrator preparedness programs.
Issue One Hundred Twenty-Six
December 5, 2011
Can Simple Interventions Increase Research Use in Secondary Schools?
Ben Levin, Amanda Cooper, Shalini Arjomand, and Kathy Thompson,
OISE, University of TorontoA variety of interventions have been attempted in education and other fields to increase the use of research use in policy and practice. However, there is still limited research on the impact of these interventions. This paper uses survey and qualitative data to analyze three interventions designed to increase research use among secondary school leaders in nine Canadian school districts. These interventions were found to have little impact, but were more successful where (1) designated facilitators were involved and (2) research used was connected to existing priority issues. The research design for this study (measuring the change in agreement with particular bodies of research knowledge using interventions and pre-post design) is a promising methodology to measure both research use and impact.
Issue One Hundred Twenty-Five
October 19, 2011
“Put on a Happy Face”: Tenure, Grievance, and Governance
Gerald de Montigny, Carleton University
This paper examines the processes of tenure denial and appeal from the standpoint of the author, who has been the Grievance Chair at Carleton University since 2000. The focus is on the ways that the grievance process as textually mediated provides for regulation and control over the forms of interaction between appellants and senior administration. The paper provides an ethnography of grievance work during the appeal process, to advance our understanding of ways that participants to the process deploy texts to produce accountable institutional orders. Further, by examining the ways that senior administrators justify their decision to deny faculty tenure, we can glimpse the emerging dynamics of inter-university competition for students, research funding, and prestige. It is argued that the decisions of senior administrators to use tenure denials, as a means to remake the university, not only threaten faculty, but threaten the integrity of the university mission.
Issue One Hundred Twenty-Four
September 21, 2011
Christine Wood, Chignecto-Central Regional School Board,
and Matthew J. Meyer, St. Francis Xavier UniversitySchool accreditation is one process currently mandated in Nova Scotia schools to facilitate school improvement efforts. This mixed methods study sought to discover and describe the impact of the Nova Scotia School Accreditation Program (NSSAP) specifically on teaching and student learning in three secondary schools in one school board. Surveys, interviews, and school documents provided data concerning the nature of each school’s respective improvement goals and subsequent implemented strategies. An analysis follows that considers the NSSAP impact on teacher participation and student achievement, and the ambiguity of program success.
Issue One Hundred Twenty-Three
August 18, 2011
High School Career Education: Policy and Practice
Hanh Quah Theresa Truong, Murdoch University
A considerable amount of research in a number of different jurisdictions has shown student dissatisfaction with career counselling in secondary schools. This article explores policy and practice by reflecting on two counsellor interviews and 35 student responses to a questionnaire about career education in a single Ontario high school. Students noted a level of certainty about their postsecondary plans, and reported experiential learning being most helpful to career planning. However, demands on counsellors’ time are seen as substantial and dissatisfaction with program provisions remains high. High student-counsellor ratios, over-extended counsellor responsibilities and low student initiative suggest a need for different approaches to helping students plan for their postsecondary careers.
Issue One Hundred Twenty-Two
June 23, 2011
Darlene Brackenreed, Nipissing University
This research replicates the study conducted by Forlin (2001) in Churchlands, Western Australia. Forlin’s Inclusive Education Teacher Stress and Coping Questionnaire was adapted from the original questionnaire to more accurately reflect the language and practice of inclusion in Ontario. The purpose of this portion of the study was to determine teachers’ strategies for coping with their levels of stress with respect to teaching students with an identified exceptionality in their inclusive classrooms. Additionally, the study was to inform practice for teachers and policy makers of Ontario and perhaps other regions of Canada. Implications for teachers and recommendations for further research are presented. The population for this study was drawn from teachers in north-eastern Ontario, Canada.
Issue One Hundred Twenty-One
May 10, 2011
A Role for Research in Initial Teacher Education Admissions:
A Case Study from One Canadian UniversityDianne Thomson, Everton Cummings, Amanda K. Ferguson, Erica Miyuki Moizumi Yael Sher, Xiaoyan Wang, Kathryn Broad, and Ruth A. Childs, OISE, University of Toronto
This article argues for the importance of broad and on-going research to support initial or pre-service teacher education program admissions. Examples from a large initial teacher education program at one Canadian university illustrate the contributions of research to the evaluation and refinement of admission processes. These examples include anonymous surveys and confidential interviews of current pre-service teachers about their experiences of answering application questions about their social identity, how they decided to apply to and attend the program, and their expectations of teacher education and teaching. Research studies about the perspectives of and agreement among the application raters are also discussed. Finally, how the operational needs of the admission processes shape the research agenda and the emerging research findings in turn shape the admission processes is explored.
Issue One Hundred Twenty
April 6, 2011
Dean M. Beaubier, Elton Collegiate Institute, Shannon A. Gadbois, Brandon University, and Sheldon L. Stick, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
In 2004 twin sisters Amy and Jesse Pasternak competed for the prospect of playing high school hockey, vying for the boys’ team rather than the girls’. The sisters’ opportunities were negated by the Manitoba High School Athletic Association (MHSAA). This paper examines the 2006 decision by the Manitoba Human Rights Commission and a 2008 judgment by the provincial Court of Queen’s Bench regarding an application for judicial review. We argue that these decisions imply that Canadian high school governance bodies should study gender equity policies and the judicial decisions surrounding similar high school challenges in the United States. This ultimately has implications for future such circumstances.
Issue One Hundred Nineteen
March 11, 2011
An Exploration of the Implementation of Restorative Justice in an Ontario Public School
Kristin Reimer, University of Ottawa
This qualitative case study explores the implementation of restorative justice within one Ontario Public School. Restorative justice is a philosophy and a process for dealing with harmful behaviour, viewing such behaviour as a violation of relationships, not rules. My research seeks to present how restorative justice has been implemented in one school, reaching beyond an examination of the effectiveness of restorative justice to an exploration of how teachers and administrators think and feel about, and actually employ, restorative justice practices. My findings suggest that while there is a personal commitment to the practice of restorative justice on the part of both teachers and administrators, if necessary structures and cultural systems are not in place, then it is difficult to sustain the restorative justice program. This study identifies factors needed to sustain a transformative reform such as restorative justice.
Issue One Hundred Eighteen
February 24, 2011
Karen A. Roland, University of Windsor
Many Canadian universities report an under-representation of Aboriginal scholars in their professoriate. Employment equity policy seeks to redress the under-representation of marginalized groups in the Canadian workforce, including Aboriginal peoples. This article presents the findings of a case study which sought to examine, from the perspective of Aboriginal scholars, the under-representation of Aboriginal scholars in the Ontario professoriate, specifically, why Aboriginal scholars stay, or leave the academy. The study findings illustrate the need for employment equity policy to equitably promote the recruitment of Aboriginal scholars, and further, to support their retention through the valuation of Aboriginal scholarship. The study highlights the need for Canadian universities to embrace their role as societal ‘agents of change,’ and as part of their social justice mission, to promote diversification in the professoriate by creating inclusive space for Aboriginal scholars and scholarship in the academy.
Issue One Hundred Seventeen
February 7, 2011
Matthew J. Meyer, St. Francis Xavier University, and Robert B. Macmillan, University of Western Ontario,
with Shawn K. Northfield, University of NottinghamPrincipal turnover has the potential to impact seriously school morale and values as teachers attempt to adjust to new administrators and their possible shifts in focus. In an era of mandated school improvement, teachers in schools with new administrators have to deal not only with changes in district, state and/or provincial policies, but also with adapting to the new principal. To understand the process of adaptation, this article presents an exploration of micro-politics between teachers and principals at the time of administrator succession and notions of the changing interplay between power and authority.
Issue One Hundred Sixteen
January 18, 2011
Canadian Teachers’ Associations and the Inclusive Movement for Students with Special Needs
Margret Winzer and Kas Mazurek, University of Lethbridge
During the1980s Canadian teachers’ associations became deeply immersed in the reform movement that called for the inclusion of students with special needs into general classrooms. Associations raised issues surrounding inclusive schooling, particularly in regard to the conditions of teaching and learning. As inclusion evolved into a dominant paradigm for schooling, the associations assumed more positive and conciliatory stances. To illustrate the manner in which Canadian teachers’ associations confronted the inclusive schooling policy, this paper discusses common overlapping elements found in their collective dialogue surrounding three major themes –- implementation, funding and supports, and professional development. It considers initial association responses and gradual shifts in stances by many associations as they increasingly supported inclusive schooling and assimilated its concepts under the banners of teacher professionalism and social justice.
Issue One Hundred Fifteen
December 20, 2010
Understanding the Connections Between Large-Scale Assessment and School Improvement Planning
Louis Volante and Lorenzo Cherubini, Brock University
This study explored how teachers and school administrators connect large-scale assessment results with school improvement planning. Using a semi-structured format, 20 teachers and 17 administrators were interviewed from two school districts in southern Ontario, Canada. The interview protocol contained a range of questions related to teaching and administrative experience, large-scale assessment knowledge, professional development, and instructional planning in response to large-scale assessment results. Analysis of the interviews followed a constant comparison method and suggested few educators, particularly at the secondary level, are using large-scale assessment results in a sophisticated fashion for data-integrated decision-making. The implications of the findings are discussed in relation to professional development, capacity building, and instructional leadership.
Issue One Hundred Fourteen
December 2, 2010
Special Issue: Parent and Community Participation in Educational Improvement
Guest Editors: Bonnie Stelmach and Patrick Renihan
Table of Contents in Brief:
1. Parents and Community, and School: A General Overview
--Bonnie Stelmach and Patrick Renihan, University of Saskatchewan2. Curriculum as a safe place: Parental perceptions of new literacies in a rural small town school
--Michael Corbett and Ann Vibert, Acadia University3. Schools as Protectorates: Stories Two Mi’kmaq Mothers Tell
--Debbie Pushor, University of Saskatchewan, and Bill Murphy, Antigonish Education Centre4. Minority Parents as Researchers: Beyond a Dichotomy in Parent Involvement in Schooling
--John Ippolito, York University5. Democracy in Education through Community-based Policy Dialogues
--Sue Winton, University at Buffalo, State University of New York6. Every Parent Matters: Reflections from England upon New Labour’s Parent Policy
--Howard Gibson and Catherine A. Simon, Bath Spa University
Issue One Hundred Thirteen
November 18, 2010
Pathways to University The “Victory Lap” Phenomenon in Ontario
Patrick Brady and Philip Allingham, Lakehead University
When Ontario eliminated its unique fifth year of secondary school for post-secondary bound students, policy makers, educators, and the general public anticipated that the province would finally adhere to the four-year model of secondary education common to the rest of English speaking North America. For a significant number of students, however, this outcome did not prove to be the case; a substantial proportion of adolescents, having met their graduation requirements, voluntarily chose to return to their former schools for an additional semester or two of secondary education, a phenomenon referred to as the “victory lap”. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, this study was conducted among first-year students Concurrent Education students in a small Ontario university and examined some of the factors that motivated students to opt for either the direct entry or “victory lap” pathway to university. Results suggest that the “victory lap”, while being a predominately male phenomena, may be a form of transition anxiety.
Issue One Hundred Twelve
November 3, 2010
Literacy-based Technology Support for Post-Secondary Second Language Learners
Daniel T. Yakimchuk, Cape Breton University
The academic performance of many international students admitted to Canadian universities is undermined by the students’ English language proficiency. The goal of this study was to improve English language proficiency of post-secondary second-language learners (SLLs) through the use of literacy-based assistive technology. Fifty-four participants (32 SLL, 22 non-SLL) enrolled in a cross-section of Cape Breton University’s Shannon School of Business courses participated in the investigation. Results determined a significant effect (9%) of the use of screen-reading software on academic performance of SLLs and a positive but insignificant effect (3%) of the use of screen-reading assistive technology on academic performance of non-SLLs. The article concludes with a discussion on the responsibility of educational institutions to provide additional language support services to international students studying in their non-native language.
Issue One Hundred Eleven
October 14, 2010
Simon Blakesley, University of British Columbia
This article is based upon a 2006 review of the research methodologies identified in the articles of two educational leadership journals. It found the use of narrative and biographical approaches specific to the field of educational leadership appears rare. This article examines the stories told by Yukon school principals in Indigenous contexts to accomplish three things: first, it presents narrative and biographical research as a promising approach to expand current conceptions of educational leadership. Second, stories illuminate the transformative nature of learning that can occur when non-Indigenous principals reflect on their lives and work in Indigenous contexts. Finally, narratives and biographies are offered as tools to assist the development of future educational leaders.
Issue One Hundred Ten
September 20, 2010
Frank Deer, University of Manitoba
This study sought to investigate the congruence between Aboriginal student citizenship development and the prescribed outcomes of citizenship development in secondary schools in Manitoba. The perceptions of 106 high school teachers and principals in the province of Manitoba were acquired through survey distribution and interviews. This study found that Aboriginal students from Manitoba high schools frequently behave in a manner that is congruent with the values of citizenship development. Participants in this study described a need for the development of curricula that is congruent with traditional Aboriginal ways of learning, the provision of opportunities for practical experiences in the area of citizenship development, and increased research into schools on First Nations communities in the area of citizenship development. Such developments may facilitate citizenship development for Aboriginal students through the provision of education that is sensitive to Aboriginal perspectives and circumstances.
Issue One Hundred Nine
August 30, 2010
Racist Parenting and the Best Interests of the Child: A Legal and Ethical Analysis
Paul T. Clarke, University of Regina, and Heather Heavin and Keith Walker, University of Saskatchewan
In this article, we use a recent Manitoba child custody case to provide a legal and ethical account of the notion of the best interests of the child. We explore the tension between the best interests of the child and parental rights to expression of a racist nature. We consider how the interests of different actors – the state, parents and children – are considered in the context of racist parenting. The parent-child relationship is salient in formulating and influencing acceptable and unacceptable thoughts, ideas and behaviours in children but the views of parents do not always coincide with what society tolerates as acceptable. We ask, when do parental views on subjects such as religion, race or politics reach the level of ‘legal unacceptability’ such that a parent could face a loss of custody as a result of expressing or teaching these views to his or her child? We also consider the ethical frames which apply to this proposed fact situation to help us make sense of the best interests of the child principle where racist parental beliefs are at the fore. This article encourages advocates, care-givers, and adjudicators to work with Solomon-like wisdom for the best interests of the child by bringing to consideration the commonly taken‑for‑granted jurisprudential and ethical meanings and interpretations that are perhaps over-embedded and under-considered in the cliché‑oriented notion of the best interests of the child.
Issue One Hundred Eight
July 14, 2010
Contemplating Regulation of Counsellors in Canadian Schools: Current Issues and Concerns
Patrice A. Keats and Daniel Laitsch, Simon Fraser University
According to current research, mental health issues are the leading health problem for Canadian children. Surveys also indicate that fewer than 25% of children are receiving care (Waddell, McEwan, Shepherd, Offord, & Hua, 2005); thus, schools play a key role in assessment, access to services, and possible referral to appropriate outside support systems. Currently in British Columbia schools, untrained individuals are hired into counselling positions due to the lack of qualified personnel. Our discussion focuses on this issue, the history and importance of certification and regulation of school counsellors, and our recommendations for actions that may assist in ensuring the welfare of children and families within the school system.
Issue One Hundred Seven
June 22, 2010
Admission to Teacher Education Programs: The Problem and Two Approaches to Addressing It
Thomas Falkenberg, University of Manitoba
What qualities should admission criteria identify in applicants to teacher education programs in order to select those that should be admitted into the program from those applying? One approach to addressing this selection problem is to link the desired qualities of applicants to the desired qualities with which students in the program are to graduate. In this paper I, first, reconstruct in some detail an approach that puts at its centre a functional relationship between these two types of qualities. Then I discuss the challenges of this approach and offer a second approach to the admission problem that does not face the same kind of challenges. The second approach puts at its centre the linking of the selection problem to the design of the teacher education program itself.
Issue One Hundred Six
June 7, 2010
Forgotten and Ignored: Special Education in First Nations Schools in Canada
Ron Phillips, Nipissing University
Usually reviews of special education in Canada describe the special education programs, services, policies, and legislation that are provided by the provinces and territories. The reviews consistently ignore the special education programs, services, policies, and legislation that are provided by federal government of Canada. The federal government of Canada is constitutionally responsible for the education, including special education, of First Nations students residing on reserves. This responsibility extends throughout Canada. This article describes the current status of special education programs provided to First Nations schools by the federal government and makes recommendations for the development of a comprehensive system of special education services and programs.
Issue One Hundred Five
May 17, 2010
The School Principal’s Role in Large-Scale Assessment
Paul Newton, University of Alberta, Scott Tunison, Saskatoon Public Schools,
and Melody Viczko, University of AlbertaThis paper reports on an interpretive study in which 25 elementary principals were asked about their assessment knowledge, the use of large-scale assessments in their schools, and principals’ perceptions on their roles with respect to large-scale assessments. Principals in this study suggested that the current context of large-scale assessment and accountability has resulted in their roles being redefined. In particular, they suggested that it is the principal’s role to teach other staff members about assessment, to advocate for assessment, and to organize and manage data. We argue that these emerging roles have the potential to redefine instructional leadership in schools.
Issue One Hundred Four
May 1, 2010
Glenn Rideout and Sheila Windle, University of Windsor
This empirical study examined changes in beginning teachers’ pupil control ideologies (PCI). Quantitative analyses were conducted with regard to shifts in PCI that may be associated with internal beliefs about education and with external factors such as mentorship, induction programs, and school leadership style. Follow-up interviews facilitated a more thorough understanding of the quantitative data analysis. Results indicate that beliefs about education significantly predict beginning teachers’ PCI, while other factors appear less important. Implications for teacher education and teacher professional development are discussed in relation to factors associated with authentic, beliefs-based beginning teacher classroom practices.
Issue One Hundred Three
April 13, 2010
Wisdom for the Ages from the Sages:
Manitoba Senior Administrators Offer Advice to AspirantsDawn C. Wallin, University of Manitoba
This paper discusses a portion of the findings of a mixed-methods study that examined the career patterns of senior educational administrators in public school divisions in Manitoba, Canada. Data based on the career paths of senior administrators from both a survey and interviews of senior administrators were analyzed and compared along three variables: (a) position; (b) context; and (c) sex. This paper reports the findings of one aspect of the study that asked senior administrators to provide advice to aspirants interested in becoming senior administrators. Findings suggest that in Manitoba context, sex, and position interact to create differences in career experiences. Overall, senior administrators enjoy their work, but encourage aspirants to seriously consider the personal and professional responsibilities and ramifications of moving in to a position of such public and political responsibility.
Issue One Hundred Two
March 27, 2010
Maintaining the Illusion of Democracy:
Policy-Making and Aboriginal Education in Canada, 1946-1948Helen Raptis and Samantha Bowker, University of Victoria
Following the 1949 recommendations of the Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Commons (SJC), the Canadian government shifted away from a policy of segregated to integrated schooling for Aboriginal children. This paper examines the minutes and proceedings of the SJC. Fewer than 10% of the briefs presented to the SJC called for integration indicating that government’s policy shift was less reflective of the needs of the citizens who addressed the SJC than of government “insiders” who had first promoted integration in the early 1940s. Nevertheless, the SJC’s open proceedings helped government to maintain the illusion of democratic processes.
Issue One Hundred One
March 9, 2010
Joseph Flessa and Kelly Gallagher-Mackay, OISE, University of Toronto,
and Darlene Ciuffetelli Parker, Brock UniversityThis paper presents findings from a funded case study research project conducted in Ontario, Canada during the 2007-2008 school year. Together with the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), the researchers undertook a qualitative investigation to identify and describe success stories from a diverse sample of 11 Ontario elementary schools working with students and communities affected by poverty. Through school visits, interviews, and document analysis, researchers identified three major findings: schools made connections with parents and the broader community; schools built a sense of collective endeavor and community within the school; and schools struggled with a persistent dilemma regarding students’ social versus academic needs. The project contributes to the Canadian research literature on poverty and schooling and to the practical understanding of how schools can better work with students and communities affected by poverty.
Issue One Hundred
February 16, 2010
Special Issue: Educational Policy and Internationally Educated Teachers
Guest Editor: Clea Schmidt
Table of Contents in Brief:
1. Introduction: Moving from the Personal to the Political in IET Scholarship
--Clea Schmidt, University of Manitoba2. Marginalization and the Occasional Teacher Workforce in Ontario: The Case of Internationally Educated Teachers (IETs)
--Katina Pollock, University of Western Ontario3. “Qualifying” as Teacher: Immigrant Teacher Candidates’ Counter-Stories
--Christine L. Cho, York University and Trent University
4. Linguistic and Cultural Adaptation of Internationally Educated Teacher Candidates
--Farahnaz Faez, University of Western Ontario
5. Participation of Internationally-Educated Professionals
in an Initial Teacher Education Bachelor of Education Degree Program: Challenges and Supports
--Caroline Chassels, OISE, University of Toronto
6. A Historical Exploration of Internationally Educated Teachers: Jamaican Teachers in 1960s Alberta
--Jennifer Kelly and Dan Cui, University of Alberta
7. Internationally Educated Teachers and Student Teachers in Iceland: Two Qualitative Studies
--Hanna Ragnarsdóttir, University of Iceland8. Without and Within: The Implications of Employment and Ethnocultural Equity Policies for Internationally Educated Teachers
--Clea Schmidt and Lee Anne Block, University of Manitoba
Issue Ninety-Nine
January 28, 2010
Learning French as a Second Official Language: Reserved for Anglophones?
Callie Mady, Nipissing University, and Miles Turnbull, University of Prince Edward Island
This article reviews federal language policies and provincial curriculum documents as they relate to Allophones and their access to French as a Second Official Language (FSOL) programs across Canada. Results of a detailed document analysis reveal that policies provide obstacles to access for allophone immigrants to Canada who seek to learn both official languages. An examination of research reveals that implementation of policy also restricts Allophones’ access to learning French in English-dominant provinces. We argue that increasing Allophones’ access to FSOL programming would not only support Canadian government initiatives and goals related to linguistic duality and official bilingualism, but also allophone students’ success in Canadian schools.
Issue Ninety-Eight
January 11, 2010
Combining the Views of “Both Worlds”:
Science Education in Nunavut piqusiit tamainik katisugitBrian Lewthwaite, Barbara McMillan, Robert Renaud, University of Manitoba,
Rebecca Hainnu, Quluaq School, Clyde River,
and Carolyn MacDonald, Atuguttaaluk Elementary School, IgloolikThis paper reports on several phases of a five-year science education development project in Nunavut, Canada. The project, in its entirety, was established as a Pilot Program for Nunavut schools in effort to understand school community aspirations for science education and potential contributors and impediments to fostering the realization of identified goals. This paper focuses on the cases of three Inuit school communities in identifying and achieving their aspirations for science education. This paper describes the goals collaboratively identified and the processes utilized to work towards the realizations of such goals. Of importance is the identification by the school communities to offer an educational experience that combines the knowledge, processes and values of “both worlds” (western science and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit) and to employ both traditional and contemporary methods for implementing and evaluating the success of the project. Finally, based upon the outcomes of this project, suggestions are provided for supporting developments in other jurisdictions aspiring to see the realization of local and Indigenous aspirations for science education. Of critical importance to seeing such efforts realized are the policy and leadership conditions manifest at the school-community, divisional and territorial level for fostering culture-based education programs.