Showing papers in "Canadian Journal of Education in 2013"

The irregular school: Exclusion, schooling and inclusive education

Abstract: Slee, Roger. (2011). The irregular school: Exclusion, schooling and inclusive education. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. 219 pages, ISBN ISBN: 978-0-41547990 (paperback), 978-0-415-47989-9 (hardback). Roger Slee is one the most innovative and genuinely original thinkers working in the field of diversity today. His latest book, The irregular school: Exclusion, schooling and inclusive education, continues to challenge readers to broaden their thinking with respect to inclusive (and exclusive!) education, and to re-imagine what schooling might be beyond the current framework of regular and special schools and classrooms. This is not a prescriptive 'how to' book, but rather a presentation of concepts designed to generate discussion and reform. The ideas are generally clearly presented in plain language, free of academic-ese, so as to allow the discourse to become (or possibly return to being) truly public. The book begins by examining the historical, philosophical, and research foundations of inclusive education through the lens of its black-sheep sibling (never invited to family dinners), exclusion. This reflects Slee's long-standing interest in the topic of exclusion; of who's in, who's out, and how come? (p. 152). The reader is taken on a Cook's tour of various international contexts of exclusion and invited to consider why societies and the individuals who comprise them are so indifferent in their reactions and responses to it. This section of the text makes for sober reading, enhanced by vignettes of personal experiences in impoverished areas of rural Australia. Eventually, following further consideration of marginalization, the reader is led to the building of a theory of inclusive education. No definitive passage on what it means to include is provided. Rather, a discussion cleverly designed to help readers think through the multiple issues and agendas that impact inclusive education theory is presented. In chapters five to seven the book examines progress in inclusive education, particularly in the area of policy, in a number of international jurisdictions including Canada (but most notably the Australian States of Queensland and Victoria), identifying both promise and problems along the way. The final chapter of the book dreams big in considering possibilities for the irregular school. It presents the reader with four action-based propositions for moving forward. These include re-framing the field, re-righting language, researching inclusion (which follow themes from his earlier text with Julie Allen), and re-visioning education. It also presents an agenda for collective action, outlining five key tasks; restorative, analytical, policy, education, and values. The conclusions in this chapter make good sense and draw on the tenor and content of the preceding chapters. While it is clear that the main purpose of this book is to expose structures that lead to exclusion and so in that sense it is theoretical, the challenge for the reader is that once one begins to entertain what is involved in implementing reform to the extent suggested the task ahead might seem overwhelming. …

The three block model of universal design for learning (udl): engaging students in inclusive education

Abstract: Outcomes related to student academic and social engagement when the Three Block Model of Universal Design for Learning (Author, 2012) is implemented were investigated. Six hundred and seventy-one students from grades one to twelve attending ten schools located in two rural and three urban school divisions in Manitoba took part in the study. Intervention and control groups were assessed pre and during intervention for academic and social engagement. Student and teacher demographics, types of task and grouping structures being assigned were investigated to determine impacts on engagement. Students completed several measures of classroom climate, belongingness, student autonomy, and inclusivity/exclusivity, and a selected sample were observed to obtain detailed information about their engaged behavior. Data were analyzed using repeated measures MANCOVAs. The intervention significantly increased students’ engaged behavior, particularly active engagement, and promoted social engagement through increased peer interactions, student autonomy, and inclusivity.

The Leadership Teachers Want from Principals: Transformational

Abstract: The purpose of this study, which was part of a larger study, was to examine teacher perceptions of transformational leadership qualities among principals. From a randomly generated sample of 135 public schools in the province of Alberta, Canada, 77 schools agreed to participate in a study on leadership attributes of principals. Ten randomly selected teachers from each participating school were asked to complete the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) (Bass & Avolio, 1995, 1997, 2000a) for their respective principals. The MLQ was a quantitative instrument in which teachers rated principals. Based on teacher responses, principals were stratified into categories according to whether they possessed high or low levels of transformational leadership qualities. Using the MLQ to rank principals allowed for clear selection criteria to group them. Once the principals were stratified, 10 teachers were then selected for in-depth interviews. Five of the teachers worked with principals who were characterized as highly transformational

Teacher perspectives on inclusive education in rural Alberta, Canada

Abstract: The results of 123 elementary- to secondary-level teacher surveys and 14 in-depth qualitative interviews examining the teachers’ perspectives regarding inclusion in a rural school district are reported. Four features of inclusive education from the perspective of teachers are revealed: (1) attitudes toward inclusion; (2) supportive communication and cooperation; (3) classroom community; and (4) support and training. The results of this study corroborate existing research and indicate significant differences between elementary and secondary teachers’ perceptions for some of the factors. Future research in this study will examine teachers’ instructional practices providing a more complete picture of inclusive teaching in rural Alberta, Canada.

Toward a Pedagogy of Land: The Urban Context

Abstract: This article examines the possibilities when shifting what we have come to call a pedagogy of Land from rural to urban contexts. The authors explore some persisting questions around what it means to bring a pedagogy of Land into classrooms and communities in urban settings. The authors consider the ways a pedagogy of Land might translate from rural to urban contexts while addressing some of the ways this work may move forward in a good way. Further, the authors share various aspects that have allowed Land to inform both pedagogy and praxis in teacher education focusing on student success, particularly Aboriginal students within schools.

The experience of parents as their children with developmental disabilities transition from early intervention to kindergarten

Abstract: Introduction In Canada there has been considerable change over the past three decades in early childhood intervention, care and education delivery approaches for young children with disabilities (Crawford, 2005; Irwin, Lero, & Brophy, 2004; Villeneuve, 2011). Young children with developmental delays and disabilities (DD) now frequently attend inclusive early childhood education (ECE) programs and inclusive schools; they are most often educated alongside their non-disabled peers in all contexts (Frankel & Underwood, 2011; Hutchinson & Martin, 2012). Inclusive education aims to support cognitive, physical, and social dimensions of healthy development and has been accepted as best practice for children with disabilities since the 1980's (Koster, Nakken, Pijl, & vanHouten, 2009; Irwin, Lero, & Brophy, 2004; Lupart, 1998). Inclusion is predicated on the belief that all children and families have a right to services within typical environments, is supported by international conventions, provincial legislation and local policies, is guided by sensitivity to the diverse cultural and linguistic priorities of families, and is developmentally based on the unique needs of the child (Frankel, Gold & AjodhiaAndrews, 2010). However, for many families, inclusion of children with DD in regular education brings both successes and challenges (Dionne & Rosseau, 2006; Hutchinson & Martin, 2012). One of the challenges is in assuring that the individual developmental, educational, health and social interventions required by the child and family are incorporated into the inclusive experience. Since the 1990's there has been growing recognition of the importance of providing professional services and supports in early childhood education for young children with special needs to facilitate the transition to kindergarten (Conn-Powers, Ross-Allen, & Holburn, 1990; Odom, Buysse, & Soukakou, 2011) and recognition that such collaboration facilitates inclusion in regular education programming and classroom routines (Cook & Friend, 1991; Villeneuve & Hutchinson, 2012). Although research recognizes the importance of cross-sector and interprofessional collaboration among healthcare providers, educators and families, limited research has investigated parent experiences of collaboration across the healthcare and education contexts during the transition to school. Research has documented that parental involvement and satisfaction, and the nature of collaborative work among professionals are often different in early childhood service contexts than they are in elementary school classrooms (Dunst, 2002; Rous, Teeters Myers, & Buras Stricklin, 2007; Therrien, 2008). For example, ECE educators and healthcare professionals, including occupational therapists and speech and language pathologists, tend to play a large role in the services received by children with DD during the preschool years. In contrast, classroom teachers, special educators, and educational assistants play a major role following the transition to school while children with DD and their families tend to have decreasing contact with healthcare professionals (Rous et al., 2007). Successful transitions, that ensure inclusion for these children, require collaboration, not only among the many professionals working with the child and family, but also between these professionals and the family. Purpose This research was conducted by HELPS Inc, a project designed to describe Health, Education, and Learning Partnerships that promote Social Inclusion of young children with DD as they transition from early childhood service contexts into school. HELPS Inc involves a team of Canadian researchers, who represent many disciplines, including early intervention, ECE, education, occupational therapy, psychology, and medicine in three provinces. HELPS Inc committed to advancing our understanding of how parental participation and interprofessional collaboration contribute to effective transitions and successful inclusion of children with DD. …

Integrating Aboriginal Perspectives in Education: Perceptions of Pre-Service Teachers

Abstract: This study explored teacher candidates’ perceptions of the potentialities and challenges associated with the integration of Aboriginal perspectives into mainstream education. Participants in this study were 2 nd -year teacher candidates of a two-year teacher education programme who have completed a course on Aboriginal education. Using a qualitative approach, the principal investigator conducted interviews with teacher candidates in an effort to acquire data on pre-service teacher perceptions of and attitudes towards Aboriginal perspectives as a field of study and practice. This study found that while some participants reported a great deal of comfort in the study and delivery of Aboriginal perspectives in their respective school experiences, a significant number of participants reported apprehension. The findings of this study suggest that there are a number of variables that may lend to a positive experience for teacher candidates who are responsible for integrating Aboriginal perspectives in their respective practices.

"Role Models Can't Just Be on Posters": Re/membering Barriers to Indigenous Community Engagement.

Abstract: Current Canadian scholarly literature, education policy, and curricular documents encourage the participation of Indigenous community members as a key component of Indigenous Education reform. Guided by sharing circles conducted with Indigenous Elders, families, teachers, and support workers, we present community voices and experiences of Indigenous Education in an urban school board through poetic transcription. Our research suggests that four key barriers will have to be overcome in efforts to improve urban Indigenous Education: unwelcoming schools, professionalization of classroom teaching, colonized classrooms, and unilateral decolonization. Poetic transcription is used in this article to centre the voices of Indigenous participants as well as attempt to decolonize our approach to data dissemination of Indigenous voices as white, Euro-Canadian university-based researchers. La litterature savante, les politiques d’education et les documents curriculaires canadiens actuels encouragent la participation des membres des communautes autochtones comme element-cle de la reforme en matiere d’education autochtone. A partir des cercles de partage auxquels participaient les aines, les familles, les enseignants et les agents de soutien, nous presentons, par l’intermediaire de la transcription poetique, les voix et les experiences d’une communaute autochtone en milieu scolaire urbain. Notre recherche suggere quatre barrieres a surmonter dans le but d’ameliorer l’experience scolaire en milieu urbain : ecoles non accueillantes, professionnalisation de l’enseignement en salle de classe, salle de classe colonisee et decolonisation unilaterale. L’utilisation de la transcription poetique dans cet article a comme objectif de mettre en valeur les voix des participants de la communaute autochtone et de tenter de decoloniser, a titre de chercheurs universitaires blancs euro-canadiens, notre approche de dissemination des donnees reliees aux voix autochtones.

The Emergence of the International Baccalaureate Diploma in Ontario: Diffusion, Pilot Study and Prospective Research

Abstract: The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP), created in the field of international schools in the late 1960s, has made considerable in-roads into publicly-funded schooling in many educational jurisdictions of the Anglo-West. Although the IBDP did not enter into the Ontario public system until 1991, there are now forty-one (and growing) publicly-funded schools offering the IBDP in Ontario. With the growth of IBDP schools and the increasing transnational policy presence of IB, academic research on the International Baccalaureate (IB) is emerging, albeit the Ontario context has not yet appeared in the research literature. This paper outlines how the phenomenon of IB is beginning to be used as an object of academic research and describes the diffusion of IB in Ontario and globally. It then reports on a pilot study aimed to understand students’ perceptions on the impacts of the IBDP at one Catholic secondary school in Ontario, particularly around how well the IBDP supports academic development and ‘international mindedness’ in students. It situates the aims and findings of this case study alongside past research, and then discusses more broadly potential lines of inquiry on IB that could be engaged in future research.

The Community-First Land-Centred Theoretical Framework: Bringing a ‘Good Mind’ to Indigenous Education Research?

Abstract: This article introduces an emergent research theoretical framework, the community-first Land-centred research framework. Carefully examining the literature within Indigenous educational research, we noted the limited approaches for engaging in culturally aligned and relevant research within Indigenous communities. The community-first Land-centred research framework was created by reflecting on how we engaged in research collaborations with Indigenous communities. This process of reflection led us to realize that within our research we had been developing a research framework that was culturally-aligned, relevant, and based on respectful relations that differed in important ways from other community oriented research framework. We articulate how we differentiate this framework from community-based approaches to research and discuss the community-first Land-centred research framework’s foundational principles. We draw upon lessons learned through our various collaborations over the past seven years. Key words: Indigenous; Land-centred research; community engagement

High School Students with Intellectual Disabilities in the School and Workplace: Multiple Perspectives on Inclusion.

Abstract: Data collected from three urban high schools in Ontario captures multiple voices in relation to inclusive practices in secondary schools and transitions into community. Twenty-one students with intellectual disabilities (ID), 54 teachers, 26 educational assistants, 7 job coaches, 22 parents, 23 peers and 19 community employers completed surveys examining: beliefs about inclusion, inclusion of students with ID in school/workplace, the impact of inclusion on individuals without disabilities, and support, socialization and friendships of students with ID. Results indicate agreement in relation to positive perceptions of inclusion and the impact on school/workplace. Cases in which consensus was not attained are also discussed.

Toward an Interdisciplinary Framework for Educational Inclusivity

Abstract: This purpose of this paper is to provide a theoretical foundation for inclusion in Canadian schools for this Special Issue on Inclusive Education . In response to the need for an interdisciplinary framework, this paper uses an interpretive literature review methodology to construct a framework for educational inclusivity based on four disciplinary perspectives: (a) special education and disability studies, (b) multiculturalism and anti-racist education, (c) gender and women’s education, and (b) queer studies. The constructed framework elucidates four conceptions of inclusivity––normative, integrative, dialogical, and transgressive––positioned on a continuum with each conception representing a different approach to inclusion. Unlike previous models, this framework is not anchored to any one marginalized group; rather, it is intended to represent multiple forms of inclusivity to edify historical, existing, and idealistic educational practices and structures for all forms of difference.

Enhancing Understanding of the Nature of Supportive School-based Relationships for Youth who have Experienced Trauma

Abstract: Student-teacher relationships play a critical role in supporting the learning and well-being of students with mental health problems. The purpose of this article was to draw from both current literature and previous qualitative interview research to understand the aspects of school-based relationships that are beneficial for students who have experienced trauma. The integration of theory with the first-person accounts of the youth led to the development of a model that describes the core needs created by experiencing trauma and the nature of student-teacher relationships that can meet these needs in the educational context. The four aspects of student teacher relationships that supported trauma-related needs at school were relationships that were 1) teacher driven, 2) authentic caring, 3) attunement to students’ emotional states, and 4) individualized. Establishing caring connections with teachers was pivotal to student health and well-being and to meeting the core needs created by traumatic events (safety, control, trust, self-worth, self-expression, connections). As youth with mental health problems spend considerable time each week in the classroom, a greater understanding of the nature of supportive school-based relationships can inform teachers in their efforts to teach and connect with students. Keywords: mental health, trauma, student-teacher relationships, school connectedness

E-Inclusion in Early French Immersion Classrooms: Using Digital Technologies to Support Inclusive Practices that Meet the Needs of All Learners.

Abstract: The paper discusses a 2-year study that investigated the role of the use of digital technologies in implementing inclusive instructional practices in EFI classrooms. In particular, the paper presents how the use of digital technologies can play a role in the adoption of differentiated and inclusive instructional strategies based on the multiple intelligence theory (Gardner, 1997) and on Universal Design Learning principles (UDL; Cast, 2011). Following the notion of e-inclusion, the use of digital technologies becomes intertwined with effective differentiated and inclusive instructional strategies that support, scaffold, and enhance the learning of all learners in the immersive classrooms.

Teachers' Beliefs and Teaching Mathematics with Manipulatives.

Abstract: To promote the implementation of manipulatives into mathematics instruction, this research project examined the instructional practices of four grade 9 Applied Mathematics teachers related to their use of manipulatives in teaching mathematics and how it affects students learning. Two instruments were used to collect data: The Teacher Questionnaire and Observation field Notes. The methods were used to collect data on how effectively teachers incorporated manipulatives into their instructional practices, after participating in training and practising their pilot lesson plans over the course of more than twenty weeks, as well as the effect of the use of manipulatives on their students learning. Results showed that the teachers were able to incorporate manipulatives in their daily lesson plans relative to what they practiced while delivering the model lessons. Teachers reported the use of more virtual manipulatives than physical manipulatives after the project. The use of manipulatives in the observed mathematics classrooms had some direct effects on the students learning, in particular, on the struggling students, however, its major effect was on creating an environment that facilitated students learning through different methods of engagement. The learning of mathematics took place through knowledge negotiation among the students.

Motivators of Educational Success: Perceptions of Grade 12 Aboriginal Students.

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to identify motivators that support educational success, as perceived by Aboriginal high school students enrolled in two urban Saskatchewan schools. Twelve semi-structured individual interviews revealed that students were motivated by a hospitable school culture, relevant learning opportunities, and positive personal influences outside the realm of the school (e.g., family role models and Elder influence). Utilizing an Aboriginal worldview lens, student motivation stemmed from experiencing four quadrants of learning—awareness (physical), knowledge (mental), continuous improvement (emotional), and perseverance (spiritual). An implication is that educators need to incorporate features of Aboriginal pedagogy when teaching. Keywords: motivational learning, Aboriginal high school students, Aboriginal worldview

Situating Nunavut Education with Indigenous Education in Canada.

Abstract: Recognizing that educational change in Nunavut has not been extensively documented, this article provides an entry point for considering how Nunavut can be better understood and situated with scholarship on Indigenous education in Canada. Comparing the history of education in Nunavut with key turning points in First Nations education, the article illustrates important distinctions in understanding the Arctic context. Examination of more current issues illustrates the interesting perspective offered from Nunavut – Canada’s only jurisdiction where the entire public education system is intended to be responsive to the Indigenous (Inuit) majority. Finally, four areas of common struggle are proposed for further consideration.

Happiness and Sustainability Together at Last! Sustainable Happiness.

Abstract: Sustainable happiness is “happiness that contributes to individual, community and/or global well-being without exploiting other people, the environment or future generations” (O’Brien, 2010a, n.p.). It underscores the interrelationship between human flourishing and ecological resilience. At the national and international levels, sustainable happiness has considerable relevance to the United Nations’ resolution on happiness and well-being (United Nations, 2011). Applications of sustainable happiness are discussed, with implications for fostering healthy, sustainable lifestyles and communities. The active debate about how to transform education to meet 21st-century learning needs ranges from suggestions that will merely tweak existing models through modernization, to calls for reimagining the role of education. As educators consider the future of education and the various visions that are promoted—such as 21st-century learning, Health Promoting Schools programs, social and emotional learning, and entrepreneurship education—the concept of sustainable happiness can contribute to the development of a unified vision that fosters well-being for all, forever (Hopkins, 2013). The sustainable happiness pre-service teacher education course described in this paper gives a glimpse of the benefits of doing so. The paper argues that sustainable happiness represents the evolution in happiness that is needed to set the world on a more sustainable trajectory. This makes sustainable happiness indispensable for new visions of education in the 21st century. Keywords: sustainable happiness; well-being; sustainability; education; 21st-century learning

Learning from Place: A Return to Traditional Mushkegowuk Ways of Knowing

Abstract: This paper details a research project dedicated to honouring Mushkegowuk Creeconcepts of land, environment and life in Fort Albany First Nation. Communityyouth interviewed local Elders to produce an audio documentary about therelations of the people to their traditional territory. These interactions evolved intoa 10-day river trip with youth, adult and elder participants traveling together ontheir traditional waters and lands learning about the meaning of paquataskamik,the Cree word used for traditional territory, all of the environment, nature, andeverything it contains. Bringing generations of community members together onthe land led to reclamation of culture and indigenous knowledge and built greatercommunity resistance to external forms of economic exploitation anddevelopment.

Accelerating Gifted Students in Canada: Policies and Possibilities

Abstract: Policy documents related to gifted education and 18 forms of accelerated learning were collected from all Canadian provinces and territories. The contents of 69 documents were examined to determine the nature and extent of support for services to gifted students in general, as well as acceleration. The results provide a sense of the variability and flexibility of these policies across Canadian jurisdictions. Documents from Alberta, BC, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia provided the greatest explicit support for advanced learners. Content-based forms of acceleration (e.g., credit by examination and subject acceleration) were more often supported than grade-based (e.g., grade skipping and early entrance to Kindergarten).

Teacher Education Policy in Canada: Beyond Professionalization and Deregulation

Abstract: This paper empirically investigates Grimmett’s (2008, 2009) thesis that recent Canadian teacher education policy is best characterized by dual forces of deregulation and professionalization resulting from a neoliberal policy environment. Specifically, we examine teacher education governance, policy reform, and political context from 2000 to 2010, across four Canadian provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Ontario. Our paper highlights the presence of deregulation and professionalization in Canadian teacher education policy while also revealing additional opposing force. We provide an overview of the policy context in US teacher education as a point of reference. Keywords: Teacher education, policy, deregulation, professionalization

Community involvement in school: Social relationships in a bedroom community

Abstract: The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe how community involvement in school is associated with the social relationships existing/lacking within a bedroom community. Thirty-five interviews with school council members, teachers, and community members highlighted that traditional forms of community involvement in school generate connections between educators and community members, while the proximity of the city negatively affected the community’s social cohesion. Theoretically, bonding and bridging social capital fosters trust, which enables community involvement. Implications are that traditional forms of community involvement in school are catalytic springboards for developing additional forms of community involvement in school.

Concept Maps Provide a Window onto Preservice Elementary Teachers' Knowledge in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics

Abstract: This collaborative concept-mapping exercise was conducted in a second-year mathematics methods course. Teachers’ visual representations of their mathematical content and pedagogical knowledge provided insight into their understanding of how students learn mathematics. We collected 28 students’ concept maps and analyzed them by counting the number of concepts and links within and across knowledge, teaching, and learning. We also examined the nature of the links between two domains of concepts. Preservice teachers revealed limited knowledge about how students learn mathematics. Concept maps successfully identified areas in which preservice teachers held a less sophisticated understanding of mathematics and its connection to pedagogy.

Appropriately Diverse? The Ontario Science and Technology Curriculum Tested Against the Banks Model

Abstract: The growing diversity of Ontario’s population is increasing pressure on the education system to ensure that all students receive equal opportunities to excel academically and develop personally. Students are more likely to succeed if their own racial, ethnic, and cultural identity is reflected in the classroom. This observation applies no less to science than it does to the humanities and social sciences. While science has a universal quality, flowing from its ability to transcend geographic and cultural frontiers, it is also diverse in origin. Science is a global story of achievement in which nearly every racial, ethnic, and cultural group has played a vital role. This diversity is not adequately appreciated in Ontario, Canada, or the Western world because the default assumption of most Europeans and European descendants is that science is fundamentally Western. Science curricula must therefore direct, convince and equip teachers to rebut this assumption and thereby engage the interest of students of all backgrounds. This paper uses classical content analysis to test the 1998 and 2007 versions of the Ontario science curriculum for Grades 1 to 8 against James Banks’s four approaches for ensuring racial, ethnic and cultural diversity in school programs. Our findings show that neither the 1998 nor the 2007 curricula, despite the latter’s claim to implement the principles of an anti-discriminatory education, challenge the perception of science as fundamentally Western in origin. Keywords: Multiculturalism, science education, anti-discrimination, history of science

The predicament of generation 1.5 English language learners: Three disjunctures and a possible way forward

Abstract: This article reports key findings from a project that focused on the academic literacy development of children who are born and/or begin their formal schooling in Canada but are raised in homes where the societally dominant language is not the primary idiom. Analyses involved characterizing students’ home ecological environments; assessing the nature of students’ challenges in relation to schoolbased literacy demands; and documenting collaborations with professional educators in generating cognitively and pedagogically differentiated instructional approaches. Findings are interpreted as three disjunctive conditions that impede the development of academic literacy competencies and, thus, schooling success of G1.5 linguistic minority students.

"The way it works" doesn't: Theatre of the Oppressed as Critical Pedagogy and Counternarrative

Abstract: This paper presents data from a study examining the use of Theatre of the Oppressed as a critical pedagogy and research method for exploring notions of identity, belonging, and culture with francophone secondary students (Schroeter, 2009). It describes the process whereby Black African–Canadian students with refugee backgrounds identified their program, as well as their language, citizenship status, and race as factors limiting their imagined social futures (New London Group, 2000). The paper finds that students used their identities, symbolism, and ambiguity to challenge authorized discourses and show how their identities intersected in their educational experiences. Keywords: critical pedagogy, Theatre of the Oppressed, refugee youth, identity.

On the effectiveness of team teaching in promoting learners’ grammatical proficiency

Abstract: Collaborative practice by two teachers in planning, teaching, and evaluating the educational program is known as co-teaching. The present study aimed to examine how co-teaching may affect the learning process. To do so, a group of 58 first-grade students was assigned to two classes. In one group, learners received grammar instruction from co-teachers, while in the other group grammar instruction was delivered by a single teacher. The findings revealed that the difference in method of grammar instruction did not lead to a significant difference in the participants’ performance. This finding implies that the appropriateness of co-teaching in educational systems, at least for teaching

Exploring Inclusive Educational Practices Through Professional Inquiry

Abstract: Porter, Gordon, Deidre Smith (Eds.). (2011). Exploring Inclusive Educational Practices Through Professional Inquiry. The Netherlands: Sense Publishers. 279 pages, ISBN 978-94-6091-556-7 (paperback), 978-94-6091-557-4 (hardback). Overview of the Book Exploring Inclusive Educational Practices provides an excellent framework for the important work of sustained reflection and implementation of inclusive education. Porter and Smith refer to inclusion, defined as all students, including those with disabilities and other special needs, are educated in regular classrooms with their peers in their community schools (p. 18/19), as being a pillar of education. They expertly weave 25 diverse case studies into a five pillared (to extend their metaphor) framework describing inclusive education. Pillar one asks readers to reflect on their commitment to inclusion--do we "walk the talk" of our values? Pillar two moves into practice--what does inclusion look like at the school level? What professional knowledge and practices are required to ensure that inclusion happens? Pillar three broadens to consider the entire school framework. What are the whole school level plans and practices required to make inclusion work? Pillar four aptly addresses the variety of typical challenges and barriers to making inclusive schools a reality. Pillar five addresses the role of parents, clearly respecting the critical role of parents at the heart of inclusive education. (p. 173) Providing an understanding of multiple perspectives. One of the major strengths of this book is its ability to raise the profile of the multiple perspectives of the variety of "players" who are required to make inclusive education work. Two vehicles provide these perspectives. First, the book provides case studies from the perspective of students, families, teachers, resource teachers and school principals, covering elementary and high school situations. These case studies provide excellent snap-shots of the lives of real people. The second vehicle to understanding perspectives comes from the various commentaries on each case situation. Commentators include the same roles as case study authors, but with more diversity. They are an international group: members of faculties of education, both professors and administrators; graduate students; leaders of community organizations; professional development consultants; and members of government ministries of education. The commentaries help the reader to develop new insights, understandings and questions. I often found myself wanting more details about the lives of the people involved in the cases, in order to reflect more deeply on strategies to "resolve" these challenging situations. Alas, books have limited numbers of pages. Raising the Bar The call to Raise the Bar (p.25) of expectations for educators, families and communities is excellent. More links to peer- reviewed research, regarding specific strategies, would help readers who wished to pursue their inevitable question of "what do I do in my classroom/home tomorrow? Where can I begin? Some excellent strategies are shared, such as MAPs, but this area of the book could be expanded, perhaps with a reference list. …

Academic Entitlement in the Context of Learning Styles

Abstract: This study explores the linkages between students’ sense of entitlement and their approaches to learning, based on survey research at a large public university in Canada. Through literature review and pilot testing, a questionnaire instrument was developed that measures four constructs: academic entitlement, deep learning, surface learning and strategic learning. Survey responses (n=1=2116) suggest that students approach learning in mixed ways, and that approaches to learning intersect with students’ sense of entitlement in complex ways. Overall, students’ scores on the sense of entitlement scale were found to be moderate, challenging some of the assertions about today’s students that have been made in the popular press.

Living Alongside: Teacher Educator Experiences Working in a Community-Based Aboriginal Teacher Education Program

Abstract: Aboriginal education in Canada needs to shift away from the assimilative model to a model of culturally responsive pedagogy. Teacher education programs that serve Aboriginal teachers have an important role to play in developing an education system that both meets mainstream and Indigenous criteria for success. This paper examines the experiences of teacher educators working in a community-based Aboriginal Bachelor of Education program that was developed through a university-community partnership. Through interviews with eight teacher educators working in the program, five themes emerged as important in effective and culturally responsive practice by teacher educators working with Aboriginal teacher candidates. L'education des Autochtones au Canada a besoin de s'eloigner du modele d'assimilation a un modele de pedagogie adaptes a la culture. Programmes de formation des enseignants qui servent d'enseignants autochtones ont un role important a jouer dans le developpement d'un systeme d'education qui repond a des criteres a la fois traditionnels et autochtones de la reussite. Ce document examine les experiences des formateurs d'enseignants travaillant dans un baccalaureat a base communautaire autochtone du programme d'education qui a ete developpe grâce a un partenariat universite-communaute. Grâce a des entrevues avec huit formateurs d'enseignants qui travaillent dans le programme, cinq themes ont emerge aussi important dans la pratique, efficace et adaptee a la culture par des formateurs d'enseignants travaillant avec les candidats enseignants autochtones.