Showing papers in "Canadian Journal of Education in 1997"
557 citations
TL;DR: The authors argues that the ills of education are caused by the fact that we have inherited three major educational ideas, each of which is incompatible with the other two These mutual incompatibilities, it continues, bring about clashes at every level of the educational process, from curriculum decisions to teaching methods.
Abstract: The ills of education are caused, this text argues, by the fact that we have inherited three major educational ideas, each of which is incompatible with the other two These mutual incompatibilities, it continues, bring about clashes at every level of the educational process, from curriculum decisions to teaching methods The text presents an alternative It concludes with practical proposals for how teaching and curriculum should be changed to reflect this new conception and fit in with how we actually learn
399 citations
TL;DR: The case for participatory evaluation in education is discussed in detail in this article, where the authors present a case study of the benefits of using participatory evaluations in education and evaluate the effectiveness of funded school improvements.
Abstract: Part 1 Why Participatory Evaluation?: The Case for Participatory Evaluation: Theory, Research and Practice, J. Bradley Cousins and Lorna M. Earl. Part 2 Participatory Evaluation in Schools and School Systems: District- wide Evaluation of School Improvement: A System Partners Approach, Lorna M. Earl A Participatory Approach to District-level Program Evaluation: The Dynamics of Internal Evaluation, Clay Lafleur Assessing Program Needs Using Participatory Evaluation: A Comparison of High and Marginal Success Cases, J. Bradley Cousins Participation in Evaluation of Funded School Improvements: Effects and Supporting Conditions, Linda E. Lee and J. Bradley Cousins Involving Practitioners in Evaluation Studies: How Viable is Collaborative Evaluation in Schools?, Jean A. King The Many Modes of Participatory Evaluation, Michael Huberman. Part 3 Educational Participatory Evaluation: Variations in Form: Inviting Collaboration: Insights into Researcher-School Community Partnerships, Lyn M. Shulha and Robert J. Wilson Using Participatory Evaluation in an International Context, Donna M. Mertens, Terry R. Berkeley and Susan D. Lopez. Part 4 Themes and Conclusions: Participatory Evaluation in Education: What Do We Know? Where Do We Go?, J. Bradley Cousins and Lorna M. Earl.
222 citations
202 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that Gardner's multiple intelligence theory is too broad to be useful for planning curriculum, and as a theory of ability, it presents a static view of student competence.
Abstract: Howard Gardner has theorized that the mind comprises seven (or eight) intelligences. Multiple intelligence theory has inspired educational innovations across North America, but has received little critical analysis. I contend that Gardner is on the horns of a dilemma. A "weak" version of multiple intelligence theory would be uninteresting, whereas a "strong" version is not adequately supported by the evidence Gardner presents. Pedagogically, multiple intelligence theory has inspired diverse practices, including balanced programming, matching instruction to learning styles, and student specialization. However, the theory shares the limitations of general intelligence theory: it is too broad to be useful for planning curriculum, and as a theory of ability, it presents a static view of student competence. Research on the knowledge and strategies that learners use in specific activities, and on how they construct this knowledge, may prove more relevant to classroom practice.
141 citations
TL;DR: The authors analyzed the perceptions of white and racial minority teachers concerning ant-racism education in the Toronto Board of Education and found that white teachers are generally less supportive than their racial minority colleagues of ant-racist education that attempts to shape the institutional culture of schools.
Abstract: We analyze the perceptions of White and racial minority teachers concerning antiracist education in the Toronto Board of Education. The findings highlight five topics on which White and racial minority teachers have different perspectives: views of antiracist educa- tion; support for employment equity; racial minority teachers as role models; the role of principals in antiracist education; and the treatment of racial minority teachers. Racial minority teachers face greater barriers than White teachers in the education system, barriers that hamper the full recognition and importance of racial diversity in education. White teachers are generally less supportive than their racial minority colleagues of antiracist education that attempts to shape the institutional culture of schools. Les auteurs analysent les perceptions des enseignants de race blanche et des enseignants faisant partie des minorites raciales au sujet de l’education antiraciste du Conseil scolaire de Toronto. Les conclusions de cette etude mettent en relief cinq sujets sur lesquels les points de vue des enseignants de race blanche et de ceux des minorites raciales different: les perceptions de l’education antiraciste, le soutien accorde a l’equite en matiere d’em- plois, les enseignants des minorites raciales comme modeles de comportement, le role des directeurs d’ecole dans l’education antiraciste, et la facon dont sont traites les enseignants des minorites raciales. Ces derniers font face a des obstacles plus grands que les ensei- gnants de race blanche, des obstacles qui retardent la reconnaissance complete de l’impor- tance de la diversite raciale dans l’education. En regle generale, les enseignants de race blanche sont, par rapport a leurs collegues faisant partie des minorites raciales, moins en faveur de l’education antiraciste qui essaie de faconner la culture institutionnelle du systeme d’education.
127 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, an overview of the production and treatment of human difference and diversity in Ontario school policy and practices is presented, with a focus on the identity of state and student.
Abstract: I offer an historical overview of the production and treatment of human difference and diversity in Ontario school policy and practices. With a focus on the identity of state and student, I identify five distinct patterns that have characterized the educational treatment of difference and diversity, and argue for the continuing interrogation of how difference is produced and treated in schools. Although my evidence is derived from Ontario, the conclusions may be useful for scholars and professionals grappling with issues of difference and diversity in other school contexts.
91 citations
TL;DR: This article conducted pilot case studies of two school districts, and then interviewed and observed a larger number of teachers in Grades 8, 10, and 12 drawn from 10 districts in British Columbia.
Abstract: In a study of the relationship between high-stakes testing and the teaching of science, we conducted pilot case studies of two school districts, and then interviewed and observed a larger number of teachers in Grades 8, 10, and 12 drawn from 10 districts in British Columbia. We also interviewed principals, students, and district personnel. The data showed a decrease in the variety of instructional approaches from Grade 8 to Grade 12. Teachers' comments suggested that high-stakes examinations at Grade 12 were a major factor in the instructional differences we observed. We concluded not only that the examinations discouraged teachers from using strategies which promoted enquiry and active student learning, but also that this impoverishment affected the language of class
90 citations
TL;DR: The authors examine the ethical obligations in witnessing testimony that conveys aspects of a traumatic "lived past" and illustrate the tensions between them in reference to testimony about the Nazi genocide of European Jewry.
Abstract: It is often assumed that history becomes meaningful when seen through the lens of personal experience. We examine the ethical obligations in witnessing testimony that conveys aspects of a traumatic "lived past." We discuss two different modes of attending to testimony and illustrate the tensions between them in reference to testimony about the Nazi genocide of European Jewry. We consider the possibilities for nurturing and supporting an ethical practice of witnessing in the context of informal and school-based communities of memory, and develop a principled basis for retelling or passing on what has been heard. This work is informed by our extended study of forms of commemoration that enable the remembrance of genocide, colonialism, and slavery in a way that traces and supports the potential transformation of the social grammar of violence inherent in such realities.
88 citations
TL;DR: The lecture : de la theorie a la pratique as discussed by the authors s'impose depuis 1995 comme l'ouvrage qui permet d'organiser, dans le domaine de l'enseignement de la lecture, une pratiques rigoureuse et efficace.
Abstract: "La lecture : de la theorie a la pratique" s'impose depuis 1995 comme l'ouvrage qui permet d'organiser, dans le domaine de l'enseignement de la lecture, une pratique rigoureuse et efficace. Cette edition, qui met l'accent sur l'approche equilibree en lecture, le maintient dans ce role fondamental. Les enseignants du primaire et tous ceux qui sont en voie de formation y trouveront des facons d'aider les eleves a devenir des lecteurs competents et de les interesser a la lecture. (Texte repris, en partie, au dos de l'ouvrage)
87 citations
TL;DR: This article examined the hypothesis that ethnocultural minority teachers bring to their pedagogy characteristics and experiences which create a positive learning environment, which contributes significantly to the academic success not only of students of colour but also of all other students.
Abstract: I examine the hypothesis that ethnocultural minority teachers bring to their pedagogy characteristics and experiences which create a positive learning environment. This environment contributes significantly to the academic success not only of students of colour but also of all other students. By tracking candidates of colour from pre-admission to a teacher education program through their first year as graduate teachers, I reveal their transgenerational commitment to role modelling and representation in their pedagogy. Nevertheless, the expectations and demands exerted on these young educators by students, parents, and colleagues resulted in unforeseen and potentially debilitating social, cultural, and psychological pressures. As a result, teacher education programs are challenged to prepare all practitioners for the complex pedagogical task of working equitably with diversity.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate the role of fantasy in preservice teacher learning by studying the responses of beginning teachers to popular images of and narratives about teaching, and how these meanings function in terms of helping to shape perceptions about teaching.
Abstract: An enquiry into the problems of theorizing about fantasy in preservice teacher learning raises several questions. What can teacher educators learn by studying beginning teachers' responses to popular images of and narratives about teaching? What meanings do beginning teachers attribute to teachers on the film screen, and how do these meanings function in terms of helping to shape perceptions about teaching? How can the recognition and disruption of fantasy in teacher learning enable education? The viewing engagements of 12 White women learning to teach primary school illustrate the existence of powerful fantasies of love and devotion. Teacher educators should encourage preservice teachers to explore fantasy as a source of possibility and confinement in pedagogy. Beginning teachers' engagements with screen images of teaching demonstrate discourses of mastery that both reveal and conceal knowledge about the self and others in teaching. If unaccounted for, fantasy can work to obstruct the thoughtfulness of education.
TL;DR: In this article, four exemplary Grade 9 mathematics teachers were followed over a year as they implemented destreaming, an externally induced reform Implementation of the reform had an immediate negative effect on teachers' expectations about their effectiveness in the classroom However, within the year, teachers' beliefs about their professional efficacy rebounded.
Abstract: Four exemplary Grade 9 mathematics teachers were followed over a year as they implemented destreaming, an externally induced reform Implementation of the reform had an immediate negative effect on teachers' expectations about their effectiveness in the classroom However, within the year, teachers' beliefs about their professional efficacy rebounded The recovery was attributed to curriculum factors (acquiring evidence that students were learning), organizational culture factors (collaborating with peers and having a timetable that supported collaboration), and personal factors (avoiding negative thoughts about their effectiveness, being certain about personal goals, and drawing on teaching experience) Quatre enseignants chevronn6s de math6matiques en 9e ann6e ont 6t6 suivis durant un an pendant qu'ils implantaient le d6cloisonnement Cette r6forme, impos6e de l'exterieur, a eu dans l'imm6diat un effet n6gatif sur les attentes des enseignants quant a leur efficacit6 en classe Toutefois, avant la fin de l'ann6e, ils avaient de nouveau repris confiance dans leur efficacit6 professionnelle Ce ph6nomene a 6t6 attribu6 " des facteurs relies au programme (accumulation de preuves que les e61ves apprenaient), a des facteurs associ6s a la culture organisationnelle (collaboration avec les pairs et mise en place d'un horaire qui favorisait celle-ci) et A des facteurs personnels (rejet des pens6es negatives au sujet de leur efficacit6, certitudes au sujet des objectifs personnels et mise 'a profit de leur experience de l'enseignement) The negative effects of educational reform on teachers have been calculated by such critics as Apple (1986) The effects of reform on teachers' expectations about their professional effectiveness are important because teacher expectancies influence decisions about daily practice We interviewed and observed four teachers over one year as they learned to teach mixed-ability mathematics classes in response to a destreaming policy imposed without their consent Although reform initially had a substantial negative effect on teachers' beliefs about their professional efficacy, over time their confidence rebounded The focus of our research was on identifying the factors that contributed to the resurgence'
TL;DR: The authors found that the rather structured environment of the Catholic school enhances the self-esteem of girls, but not of boys, but this may be due to the kind of measurements of self-appraisal used.
Abstract: An important goal of schooling is to support students’ personal well-being, including to enhance their self-esteem (Bagley, 1989b; Bagley, Verma, Mallick, & Young, 1979). Self-esteem and self-concept (used as interchangeable con- structs) are linked to scholastic achievement (Byrne, 1990), and, according to Kaplan (1980), inversely to school drop-out, delinquency, premature sexual activity, unwanted pregnancy, and substance abuse. In theory at least, the ethos of Catholic schools (which in many parts of Canada take more than a quarter of all students) should lead to greater integration with supportive social systems (Bryk, Lee, & Holland, 1993; Lesko, 1988). Some North and South American and European studies (Coleman, Hoffer, & Kilgore, 1982; Smith, Weigert, & Thomas, 1979) have shown that students in Catholic schools (or at least those accepting Catholic values, and attending church regularly) have somewhat higher levels of self-esteem than students in public schools; however, factors such as social class, age, and sex have not been entirely controlled for in these studies. In a Belgian study, Brutsaert (1995) points to the interesting finding that girls in Catholic schools, but not boys, have enhanced self-esteem levels. He speculates that the rather structured environment of the Catholic school enhances the self-esteem of girls, but not of boys. Finally, in a national U.S. study of some 30,000 adolescents, Donahue and Benson (1995) found that religiosity had no significant links with self-esteem, despite having significant negative correlations with suicidality, substance abuse, delinquency, and premature sexual involve- ment; thus Kaplan’s earlier finding was not confirmed, although this may be due to the kind of measurements of self-appraisal used.
TL;DR: This paper examined the experiences of a sample of African Canadian teacher candidates in a Faculty of Education with an "access program," noting how their educational experiences are affected by the existence of the program; how they negotiate the learning environment, which does not welcome their presence; and what narratives they construct to explain the contradictions inherent in their presence in the institution.
Abstract: In this article, I examine the experiences of a sample of African Canadian teacher candidates in a Faculty of Education with an "access program," noting how their educational experiences are affected by the existence of the program; how they negotiate the learning environment, which does not welcome their presence; and what narratives they construct to explain the contradictions inherent in their presence in the institution. The experiences of these students indicate that the culture of the Faculty does not provide a productive learning environment. The narratives the students construct reveal that although they were disenchanted with being identified as "access students," they remained determined to become teachers because they saw themselves as involved in a critical process to become role models, and advocates for educational change.
TL;DR: In this article, the Second Step: A Violence Prevention Curriculum (Committee for Children, 1992a, 1992b) was evaluated in two Winnipeg elementary schools and it was found that male and female students engage in dissimilar forms of conflict.
Abstract: After two years of a three-year evaluation of a violence-prevention program implemented in two elementary schools, it appears that the program may produce a decline in conflictevents and offer students, as well as teachers, options for conflict resolution. But the prescribed resolution skills and strategies may be most effective in decreasing forms of conflict most common among male students; the more covert, less physical behaviour typical of conflict involving female students may be more difficult for observers to detect and less likely to be targeted for resolution through program strategies. Consequently, male students may appear responsible for an inordinate number of conflicts, whereas female peers may be engaging in conflicts that observers neither detect nor mediate. D’apres l’evaluation, au bout de la deuxieme annee, d’un programme de trois ans visant a prevenir la violence dans deux ecoles primaires, il semble que ce programme peut reduire le nombre de situations conflictuelles et offrir aux eleves ainsi qu’aux enseignants des options en matiere de resolution de conflits. Toutefois, les competences et strategies pronees reussissent peut-etre mieux a diminuer les types de conflits les plus courants chez les eleves de sexe masculin; les comportements plus secrets, moins physiques, qui sont typiques des conflits mettant en jeu des filles, peuvent etre plus difficiles a deceler et donc moins susceptibles de faire l’objet de strategies de resolution. Les eleves de sexe masculin peuvent ainsi sembler responsables d’un nombre excessif de conflits alors que leurs pairs de sexe feminin sont peut-etre engagees dans des conflits que les observateurs ne voient pas et ne cherchent pas a regler. To provide more students with effective conflict-resolution strategies and skills, many elementary schools are implementing resolution models such as Second Step: A Violence Prevention Curriculum (Committee for Children, 1992a, 1992b). A three-year study in two Winnipeg elementary schools is generating evidence that adoption of the Second Step curriculum may lead to a decline in student conflicts and provide students and teachers with new options for dealing with conflicts. However, another finding of the study is that male and female students tend to engage in dissimilar forms of conflict. There are also indications that unless conflict resolution strategies and skills prescribed by the Second Step curriculum are used meticulously, teachers may be more likely to focus attention and instruction on the types of conflicts most frequently engaged in by male students. Furthermore, it is evident from this study that any assessment of Second Step’s efficacy in reducing conflict must recognize both overt and covert forms of conflict.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors propose a new framework for problem solving, and present a case study of problem-solving in one of these curricula, and summarize research findings from our classrooms that support the new conception of problem solving.
Abstract: Educating students to become successful problem solvers has been a goal of education at least since Dewey. However, the kinds of problems students do in school to practice their problem-solving competence have little to do with the problems they will need to solve in everyday settings. We briefly critique traditional conceptions of problem solving, propose a different framework for theorizing problem solving, describe how innovative curriculum design was informed by this new conception, present a case study of problem solving in one of these curricula, and summarize research findings from our classrooms that support the new conception of problem solving. L’un des buts de l’enseignement a ete, du moins depuis Dewey, de montrer aux eleves a resoudre des problemes. Toutefois, les problemes que doivent resoudre les eleves a l’ecole ne ressemblent guere a ceux qu’ils devront regler dans leur vie quotidienne. Les auteurs presentent d’abord une breve critique des conceptions traditionnelles de la reso- lution de problemes, puis proposent une conception nouvelle. Ils decrivent comment cette nouvelle conception les a guides dans l’elaboration de programmes scolaires en sciences; ils presentent d’ailleurs une etude de cas afin de donner un exemple des competences developpees par les eleves dans ces programmes. Ils terminent leur article par une breve presentation des principaux resultats de plusieurs recherches ethnographiques sur l’apprentissage de la resolution de problemes a l’ecole.
TL;DR: The most commonly cited risk factors include: substance abuse, illegal activity, school truancy, suspension, expulsion and failure, inadequate familial environments, transience, poverty, English as a foreign language, residing in the inner city, lack of extracurricular involvement, poor home-school relations, and ethnic minority status.
Abstract: The term at-risk students covers many categories of children and youth, "those who become pregnant, those who commit crimes, those who commit suicide, those who drop out" (Martin, 1991, p. 69). Educational concern with at-risk students is not simply that they are failing to learn but that they will enter adulthood "illiterate, dependent upon drugs and alcohol, unemployed or underemployed, as a teenage parent, dependent on welfare, or adjudicated by the criminal justice system" (Barr & Parrett, 1995, p. 3). The ultimate risk that students face is that they become disconnected from the functions of society, from economic productivity, and from the democracy in which they are participants (Johnson, 1997). Many factors (i.e., characteristics and circumstances) place students at risk (Lenarduzzi, 1992). The most commonly cited risk factors include: substance abuse, illegal activity, school truancy, suspension, expulsion and failure, inadequate familial environments, transience, poverty, English as a foreign language, residing in the inner city, lack of extracurricular involvement, poor home-school relations, and ethnic minority status (Manning & Baruth, 1995; Wang & Reynolds, 1995). The predictive validity of certain combinations of these risk factors has proven remarkably accurate. McPartland and Slavin (1990) reported that if a child who lives in poverty attends a school composed largely of other children living in poverty, reads at a level one year behind by the third grade, and has been retained a grade, the probability of that child ever graduating from high school is near zero.