Authors:Ian Alexander Pages: 3 - 9 Abstract: Seven Canadian provinces authorize offshore schools where students in other countries can study the provincial curriculum and earn a high school diploma outside of Canada. Offshore schools are a form of international school that have emerged mostly in Asia, Africa, and South America in the first two decades of the twenty-first century (Cosco, 2011; Schuetze, 2008; Wang, 2017). Unlike traditional international schools that cater to globally mobile expatriate families (Bunnell et a., 2016), offshore schools recruit domestic students to study a foreign curriculum while still residing in their home country (Schuetze, 2008; Wang, 2017). In this paper, I examine discourses on the websites of three provincial governments — British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia — that describe their offshore or international programs which teach their public curricula to non-Canadian students in other countries. I chose the provinces of British Columbia (BC), New Brunswick (NB), and Nova Scotia (NS) because they have the most substantive and growing offshore school programs and their websites provide more description and explanation compared to others. My research question is: How do provincial government websites construct and portray offshore/international schools and students' Because BC and NB use the term offshore school, and NS uses international school, this article will use offshore/international school to refer to the type of school in general, and either offshore or international when referring to the individual schools or systems particular to each province. The following paragraphs review the literature followed by an explanation of my methodology. This is followed by my two related findings from this study which are the neoliberal discourses in the rationales and the omission of Indigenous perspectives on each provincial government website. While the schools are rationalized as vehicles for immigration, international readers of these websites are not informed that these provinces are situated on Indigenous territories. The paper concludes with a discussion of these findings. PubDate: 2024-07-13 Issue No:Vol. 13, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Julianne Gerbrandt Pages: 10 - 13 Abstract: As a former student, elementary teacher, and a parent of three children in the French immersion (FI) program in New Brunswick, I have an intimate and inescapable relationship with the controversial language program. I have experienced the exclusionary effect of FI and expressed my dismay at a program that fails to fulfill the promise of bilingualism for all (Gerbrandt, 2022). I have also questioned how the unintended effects that disproportionately affect marginalized students are magnified when we examine the intersection of program and discipline (Gerbrandt, 2021). My doctoral work focuses on examining the tensions of learning mathematics in FI, where both the discipline (Zevenbergen, 2002) and the program (Kunnas, 2019) have been described as mechanisms for streaming students in public education. This conceptual paper is the result of intentional learning and unlearning as I confront the challenges of doing research in a context that is inseparable from my identity. I begin by identifying the theories that explain how I see the world, connecting the ideas of an influential French sociologist from the 1950s to the intellectually liberating work of feminist post-structuralists. Together, these are the ideas that help me to reconcile the seemingly irreconcilable, as I develop a feminist research design for an elementary FI mathematics context. PubDate: 2024-07-13 Issue No:Vol. 13, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Marshall Gerbrandt Pages: 14 - 22 Abstract: The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is a large organization that relies upon people to accomplish a variety of unique and specific tasks. Consisting of approximately 68,000 full-time and 27,000 part-time members spread amongst the Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force, and Canadian Army, CAF members occupy approximately 100 different occupations (DND, 2021). From the moment an individual joins until they leave the military, they are on a path of continual learning. Often these occupations have no civilian equivalency or external institution capable of providing the necessary learning environment. As a result, the military is responsible to design and deliver the specialized body of knowledge and skills required by its members at all stages of their career. Military members learn within the CAF through education, training, and experience (DND, 2017). Given the range of occupations, the necessity to educate at all stages of a member’s career, and the requirement to have a single approach, the CAF Individual Training and Education (IT&E) system is complex. However, literature exploring this system outside of the military is limited. So how does the CAF approach the transmission and acquisition of knowledge within its organization' And what do members think about this' While most learning within the CAF is prescriptive, mid-level officers at the rank of Major and Lieutenant-Commander in the Joint Command and Staff Programme (JCSP) have an opportunity to critically examine an issue of interest. They do this through the production of a staff paper focused on solving a single problem, and for some, they also complete a master’s thesis. Examining what these officers choose to write about represents an opportunity to identify issues that matter most to a particular cohort of officers within the profession of arms. To explore current thinking, this paper examines how ideas about learning manifest in these papers. Thus, understanding their current thinking may help illuminate the future of military education. Post-JCSP, many students will assume roles and responsibilities within the CAF which may shape IT&E directly or indirectly. Prior to examining these papers, a brief overview of learning within the CAF in general and JCSP more specifically is provided. PubDate: 2024-07-13 Issue No:Vol. 13, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Gupta Adishi Pages: 23 - 30 Abstract: Literature exploring the enigmatic lives of youth go as far back as the early 1990s and it is a continuously evolving field, not just in research but also in everyday dinner conversations, especially amidst the rapid social changes occurring at a global level (Kriegel, 2016). What is it that makes adolescence such a mysterious life stage for adults' How much do “generalized cultural beliefs about adolescents” (Hines & Paulson, 2006, p. 602) influence how we understand and relate to them' How we perceive young people influences how we approach them, not just as their teachers but also as their parents and mentors (Camfield et al., 2023; Hines & Paulson, 2006; Kriegel, 2006; Jacobs et al., 2005; Dekovic et al., 1997). It behooves us to ask what shapes our perceptions of young adulthood. Among the many factors of influence, the role of popular media in shaping our perceptions of young adulthood cannot be overlooked (Atay & Ashlock, 2023). In this paper, I critically analyze two YouTube videos by the British-American author and motivational speaker Simon Sinek, who is often called the Millennial Whisperer (Burnett, 2017). These videos are targeted toward millennials and Gen Z respectively. Through these videos, I explore the positioning of young people in popular discourse with the aim of encouraging educators to make an effort to look beyond these stereotypes, foster spaces for collaboration and explore possibilities for mutual becoming with young learners. PubDate: 2024-07-13 Issue No:Vol. 13, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Katherine Hartnett, Cody Alderson, Zeinab Razavi, Melissa Keehn, Loaneen Palmer-Carroll Pages: 38 - 45 Abstract: What are the tensions and opportunities that frame the experiences of Ph.D. students' The challenge that doctoral students in education accept when entering the Ph.D. program is filled with academic demands. Completing a Doctorate requires showcasing one’s academic ability and navigating through high scholarly expectations, including taking courses, completing assignments, assisting in teaching and writing, and contributing knowledge to their respective fields (Winter et al., 2000). Students are also encouraged to reflect deeply on their learning, which often occurs in isolated silos (Berg & Seeber, 2016); doctoral students’ situations are unique in that they often work in isolation rather than in more traditional classroom settings or groups. According to Duke and Denicolo (2017), “the lack of integration into a supportive research culture may continue to inhibit researchers from reaching their full potential, resulting in dissatisfaction and attrition” (p. 2). This idea of a collaborative culture may be even more pertinent for emerging scholars and Ph.D. students. The unique experience of graduate work is rewarding and yet challenging in many ways, but research has been limited regarding Ph.D. students’ lived experiences. For instance, Janta et al. (2014) state that “the themes of loneliness and friendship networks are often examined from the international student perspective, with a specific focus on master’s students’ experiences” (p. 554). Sverdlik et al. (2018) note that research has focused on undergraduate students’ wellness, motivation, and success and less on doctoral students’ physiological and social experiences. So, while the experiences of undergraduate and master’s level students have been explored in the literature, a gap remains for education Ph.D. students, leading us to ask: what are the lived experiences of Ph.D. students in education' This study begins to address this gap by using data gathered at a graduate student data collection event guided by participatory action research (PAR) to understand better the realities of Ph.D. students through their lived experiences. We aim to understand the challenges that Ph.D. students encounter while exploring solutions to support current and future individuals in other doctoral programs of education. PubDate: 2024-07-13 Issue No:Vol. 13, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Teresa Holden Pages: 46 - 52 Abstract: Standardized testing is a topic that is both politicized and emotional. While it can be seen as a measure of meeting educational standards within a neoliberal marketplace, or as a tool that robs creativity and critical thinking, it could also be seen as a tool of colonialism and oppression when it comes to the experiences of equity-deserving student populations. Kemp & Dei (2006) contend that simplistic views of testing as either universally useful or detrimental fail to grasp the complicated reality of testing in practice. In the name of educational accountability, children are subjected to testing that is limited in its scope and deficient in serving the needs of its most vulnerable students. When seen through a decolonizing lens, it becomes harder to justify standardized testing. Schools function within a neoliberal construct that values competition and profits, where students represent numbers. It is time to reevaluate a testing culture where policymakers and educators question their purpose, intent, and outcome. This paper will explore an alternative pathway to standardized testing as seen through decolonizing approaches.
Authors:Chuan Liu Pages: 53 - 59 Abstract: Literacy plays a vital role in the twenty-first century. Individuals need a variety of literacies to meet the demand of the ever-increasing complexity of literate environments (Hill, 2019) in the twenty-first century. These multiple literacies, or multiliteracies, empower people to live democratically through better consumption and creation of multimodal information (Albers et al., 2015; Kim, 2016). Therefore, integrating multiliteracies is indispensable to current literacy curriculums and practices (Christison & Murray, 2020). In the same vein, multiliteracies should be embedded in early literacy education. Literacy begins at a young age, in that children are attentive to print and make meaning of the text at an early age (Gillen & Hall, 2013). When immersed in various technologies, young children are agents that can actively create meanings (Christison & Murray, 2020). Given the significance of multiliteracies in early childhood education, this paper focuses on analyzing Grade K Literacy Curriculum in Prince Edward Island (PEI). According to the PEI Literacy Alliance (2020), PEI is facing a literacy crisis and has been ranked as having one of the lowest literacy levels in Canada. In 2022 nearly 40% of grade K students did not meet the literacy curriculum standards (PEI Literacy Alliance, 2022). In response to this problem, the Department of Education in PEI, in collaboration with the Faculty of Education at the University of PEI, initiated a literacy intervention program for Grade K students in 2022. In July 2022, I was part of this project at its beginning stage. This study inspects PEI Grade K Literacy Curriculum, a relevant and timely endeavor. I will first demonstrate the theoretical and conceptual framework of multiliteracies (i.e., digital literacy, multicultural literacy, critical literacy, and multimodal literacy) by reviewing pertinent literature. Then, I will introduce the features of the Grade K Literacy Curriculum in PEI. Next, I will present the evidence from the curriculum to demonstrate how it is being actualized. Specifically, this report shows that literacy in the curriculum is traditionally defined as reading and writing print text. The methodology and approaches that actualize the ideology of the curriculum generally aligns with its philosophy and objectives, and the curriculum reflects how multimodality is integrated. However, this curriculum lacks the specification of critical literacy and digital literacy, and multicultural elements are demonstrated in the curriculum objectives but not in methodologies and assessments. Finally, I will discuss the findings and offer recommendations. PubDate: 2024-07-13 Issue No:Vol. 13, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:John Michael On Pages: 60 - 70 Abstract: Despite working in a demanding, high-pressure environment and being accountable for their athletes’ performance, health, and well-being, sports coaches have not received the same level of attention as their athletes in the research literature (Carson et al., 2018). Recent research conducted by Pilkington et al. (2022) revealed that 40% of elite-level Olympic coaches reported mental health issues that would be best treated by a professional, yet only 6% of these coaches sought mental health support. In addition, Pilkington et al. (2022) also mentioned 14% of the elite-level coaches reported high to extremely high psychological distress, and rather than seek support for the significant issues they were facing – such as dissatisfaction with social support and life balance – the researchers discovered that coaches frequently turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms that are more socially acceptable, such as alcohol consumption. Pearson & Baghurst (2020), wrote that “the majority of coaches have never received instruction or training on how to manage stress properly” (p. 134). Mindfulness (Norris et al., 2017) has been suggested as potential coping skill for coaches. A growing body of research demonstrates the efficacy of mindfulness interventions for improving anxiety (Fumero et al., 2020; Song & Lindquist, 2015), reducing stress (Goyal et al., 2014), decreasing depression and fatigue (Simpson et al., 2023), improving sleep and reducing rumination (Pawsey et al., 2021), and decreasing pain (Creswell, 2017). Engaging in mindfulness practices can assist sports coaches in managing their stress and serve as a means to replace certain informal and avoidance coping mechanisms they may rely on. Although there is limited research on the mindfulness practices of sports coaches across different levels of sports, the most significant observation is that none of the stress reduction interventions conducted with sports coaches involved the participation of coaches in developing the intervention. In addition, the majority of stress reduction interventions have been conducted on athlete samples (Longshore & Sachs, 2015; Lundqvist et al., 2018; Noetel et al., 2019), presenting an opportunity to contribute to a new field of research by investigating mindfulness and stress reduction for sports coaches. The aim of the present study is to address the limitations of the existing literature on mindfulness-based interventions for sports coaches by (1) examining sports coaches’ existing stress-coping strategies and (2) identifying sports coaches perceived barriers and enabling factors to mindfulness practice as a self-care tool using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF; Michie et al., 2005) to establish the foundations for developing an evidence and theory-based self-care intervention. PubDate: 2024-07-13 Issue No:Vol. 13, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Kimberly Ouellette Pages: 71 - 75 Abstract: This paper reflects my pedagogical shift from what I called an outdoor classroom to learning in the outdoors through an emergent co-constructivist theoretical framework, using a rights-based lens, rooted in the inherent dignity and worth of every individual, that requires listening to young children and actively inviting their perspectives (Blanchet-Cohen & Elliot, 2011). I will be addressing three key shifts in my practice: unlearning the label outdoor classroom (OC), valuing Wolastoqey knowledges, and co-constructing learning. These shifts have pushed me to acknowledge my continued colonialized teaching and generalization of Indigenous knowledge, and how this contributes to the ongoing challenges and violations of the rights of Indigenous peoples. PubDate: 2024-07-13 Issue No:Vol. 13, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Denise C. Palmer Pages: 76 - 81 Abstract: I am a teacher. I am a counselor. I am a social worker. I am a coach. I am a parent. To many of the students I teach, I am all of those things. To the province of Nova Scotia I must be all of those things, all of the time. I am tired. We are all tired. What has caused so many teachers to become unwell, burnt out' The breadth and almost universality of this problem suggests that it is not a problem with teachers. This literature review and professional reflection will demonstrate that burnout is a problem for teachers because of the structural realities in which they function. PubDate: 2024-07-13 Issue No:Vol. 13, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Padu Surtani Pages: 89 - 94 Abstract: This study employs an autobiographical narrative inquiry methodology to introspect, comprehend, and derive meaning from the experiences encountered throughout my leadership journey. Narrative inquiry serves as a means of respecting lived experiences as a valuable source of knowledge and insight, as asserted by Clandinin (2013). This methodology is inherently autobiographical, fostering a continuous, reflexive, and contemplative approach that empowers narrative researchers to constantly explore their own experiences, as articulated by Clandinin and Caine (2012). PubDate: 2024-07-13 Issue No:Vol. 13, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Lindsay Vautour, Julianne Gerbrandt Pages: 95 - 99 Abstract: There is something unique about the vulnerability we experience as teachers, and it may be that no subject surfaces vulnerability quite like mathematics. This paper is a reflection on our experiences at a Family Math Night (FMN) as a preservice teacher and as a university instructor, where each of us witnessed and confronted expressions of vulnerability from parents, children, and from each other. In February 2023, the chair of a local area elementary school’s Parent School Support Committee (PSSC) reached out to Julianne about assisting with a FMN. The school was trying to improve students’ fluency with basic computations, also known as ‘math facts’, and they were looking for community support to help with the event. After agreeing, Julianne decided to extend the invitation to Bachelor of Education students who took the elementary mathematics methods course with her in the fall. Two students expressed interest and joined the table, one of whom is the first author of this paper. We will begin by sharing a brief overview of FMNs before sharing how we turned this invitation into a small research project. Following an overview of our methods, we highlight the three themes that emerged from the data: feeling like a fraud, getting it right, and entering ‘the sphere’. We conclude by sharing our lessons learned, our lingering questions, and the implications of our analysis. PubDate: 2024-07-13 Issue No:Vol. 13, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Yutao Zhao Pages: 100 - 106 Abstract: In order to gain insight into the experiences and social perceptions of university students regarding their peers in mathematics classrooms that are linguistically diverse, this study employs interviews with three undergraduates. The results suggest that students' mathematical learning could be significantly impacted by the languages spoken by their peers, while their engagement in classroom discussions could be influenced by their cultural backgrounds. I am interested in this topic because of my educational and linguistic background. I have a bachelor's degree in applied physics and a master's degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). In addition, I am a non-native English speaker who has lived and studied in English-speaking countries for several years. Consequently, I am aware of the challenges and problems that arise in a mathematics classroom with a diverse student body. During my studies at the University of Washington in Seattle, the mathematics courses included tutorial sections that encouraged peer discussion. An international student never spoke during group discussions. He seldom participated in the group conversation, but whenever I asked a difficult question, he could always provide an accurate response. Posing the question, “why do you never participate in lesson discussions'” they responded that English is not their native tongue and that they don’t know what others will believe. Therefore, I wish to explore students’ experiences and how they perceive one another during mathematical discussions. Although numerous scholars have studied views and attitudes in mathematical instruction up to this point (e.g., Deale & Lee, 2022; Riegle-Crumb & Humphries, 2012), students' perceptions of their peers in linguistically diverse mathematics classrooms have gotten little consideration. More research is needed to understand the connection between student perception and language diversity in undergraduate mathematics instruction. This investigation is predicated on a broad research question: What are students’ experiences and social perceptions of their peers in linguistically diverse mathematics classrooms' PubDate: 2024-07-13 Issue No:Vol. 13, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Marly Nauss Pages: 107 - 114 Abstract: The study of children and the variety of ways they interconnect with adult society is complex. The desire for more scientific knowledge on child governance has existed for over a century (Mentha et al, 2015). Mentha et al. (2015) emphasize Kantian philosophy when examining child governance, agency, and participation: “how do I cultivate freedom when there is restraint” (Kant, 1899/2003 cited in Mentha et al., 2015, p. 625). In this project, I too, will ask this question. My intention was to explore the perspectives of Nova Scotian Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) on participation, agency, and children’s rights. My focus on how we do (or do not) provide/integrate opportunities to build the skill of agency and participation into the time restraint of a preschool day. PubDate: 2024-07-13 Issue No:Vol. 13, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Alexandra Weatherhead Pages: 115 - 123 Abstract: Refugees may be uniquely situated to benefit from Educational Technology (EdTech) because of its ability to reach students wherever they are and provide education continuity as they seek safety. Due to the protracted nature of conflicts, refugees can expect to stay abroad for many years while the conflict plays out in their home countries. This leads to problems with access to education and attainment for a variety of reasons that will be explored in detail. This study looks at how refugee children use technology to access education in the contexts of neighboring countries and resettled countries. Most refugees remain in neighboring host countries while only a very small percent of refugees are resettled into high income countries. This study also examines the impact COVID-19 had on refugee education. These topics represent gaps in academic literature. They represent under-studied topics on the use of EdTech in refugee education, especially at the primary school level. The research questions are: (1) How is technology currently used in informal refugee education programs' and (2) How did COVID-19 affect the use of or access to technology within the refugee context' The aim of this study is to understand how refugee children at the primary school level use technology for learning purposes. It also seeks to understand how the pandemic changed access to learning technology. PubDate: 2024-07-13 Issue No:Vol. 13, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Safeera Jaffer Pages: 124 - 127 Abstract: The university classroom is a space that can both reproduce and resist uneven power relationships. In this paper, I aim to explore the possibilities of how engaged, critical teaching practices can be used by Cultural Studies faculty members to counter dominant and oppressive forces in academic institutions. Cultural Studies is an interdisciplinary field that relies on “radical contextualism” to critique, analyze, and understand the complexities of power (Grossberg, 1994, p. 5). Even though hierarchical and oppressive practices rooted in capitalism, patriarchy, colonialism, and racism manifest themselves in higher education, engaged and critical pedagogy has the potential to disrupt these norms (Bunjun, 2021). Specifically, engaged, critical pedagogy can be considered as a holistic approach to teaching that encourages learning through practices such as dialogue, critical questioning, and re-learning (hooks, 1994). These holistic models of teaching can disrupt traditional hierarchies and problematize how only certain (i.e., male and white) voices are privileged in academic institutions (Freire, 2018; hooks, 1994). Even though substantial theory has been developed within Cultural Studies, multiple large research gaps currently exist in the field’s examination of its teaching practices; these gaps about pedagogy and impact in the research must be addressed and studied further. Therefore, my goal is to explore how the university classroom functions as a space for resisting dominant ideologies and institutionally privileged voices within Cultural Studies education in Canada. I am currently writing my master’s thesis on this topic after completing my data collection in the summer of 2023. In my study, the research questions I asked were: How do university faculty members use engaged, critical pedagogical practices to disrupt institutional hierarchies in Cultural Studies' What impacts do these approaches have on students who self- identify as Indigenous, Black, or a person of colour' PubDate: 2024-07-13 Issue No:Vol. 13, No. 2 (2024)
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