An examination of outdoor experience in the development of character in young adults with Type 1 Diabetes

Connected in Motion is a not for profit organization serving young adults with Type 1 diabetes. The organization hosted outdoor and experiential Type 1 diabetes education programs in January of2009 and 2010. The weekends provided non-clinical alternative Type 1 diabetes education to the underserved population of young adults within Canada. Six women living with Type I diabetes and between the ages of 22 and 30 participated in the Winter Slipstream weekends participated in this phenomenological research study. Through semi-structured interviews and artifact-elicitation interviews, ,{ the lived experiences of the participants were examined. Data analysis indicated that the sense of community created through outdoor programming and experiential education for young adults with Type I diabetes stimulated the development of self-efficacy and participant-perceived improvement in Type 1 diabetes self-management. There was no indication that outdoor and experiential Type I diabetes education had any impact on the development of autonomy among participants. Recommendations are made to encourage the successful implementation of further alternative (non-clinical) Type 1 diabetes education programs for young adults living with Type 1 diabetes.

Employer Perspectives on Secondary School Cooperative Education in a Southern Ontario City in Canada

Despite 2 Ontario Ministry of Education policy documents which mandate that regular program effectiveness surveys be completed in secondary school co-op programs, research was either not occurring or data were not being made available. A lack of co-op research also existed at the postsecondary level. The primary reason for this study was to determine the perspectives of current secondary school co-op employers in the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) and to identify any program strengths as well as any areas in which improvement can be made. A secondary aim of the study was to discover the reasons that some employers decline to participate in the co-op program, and why other employers decide to discontinue their co-op partnerships. An online survey was utilized with 2 Likert scales and open-ended questions to solicit responses from the 100 participants. The findings from this study strongly supported previous secondary and postsecondary co-op research. Overall, the HWDSB co-op program was found to be very strong, and employer satisfaction very high. There were, however, areas in which improvement could be made. Although most employers felt supported by institutions and felt that expectations were clearly communicated and were reasonable, there was evidence that many employers perceived a lack of institutional support which included factors such as communication, student placement and fit, and institutional responsiveness. In addition, some employers felt that students were underprepared for the workplace and lacked basic employability skills such as dependability and responsibility.

Voices of the Undereducated in Adult Education and Training in Ontario: A Phenomenographic Approach

This doctoral study was an exploration of the qualitatively different ways in which undereducated adults (at or below a high school level of formal education) reported their experiences of participation in adult education and training (AET) programmes offered by publicly funded school boards or their arms-length affiliate in the province of Ontario. In light of a low participation rate in the Canadian AET system by undereducated adults, the rationale was to examine whether or not AET programmes are meeting the needs of undereducated adults beyond a narrow focus on an instrumental approach associated with human capital development. This study was located in a theoretical framework consisting of (a) learning theory, (b) motivations for participation, (c) general barriers to participation, (d) structural barriers to participation, and (e) transformative learning. The purposive sample consisted of 11 participants between the ages of 18-58 who were drawn from service providers in 4 geographic regions of Ontario. Data collection consisted of (a) demographics, (b) voice recordings from face-to-face participant interviews, (c) participant weekly critical incident reports, and (d) researcher reflexive journal notes. Data were analyzed in accordance with a phenomenographic approach within a constructivist/interpretivist research paradigm. Findings revealed 4 qualitatively different ways in which undereducated adult learners reported their experiences of participation in AET and were reported as the voice of (a) security, (b) engagement, (c) relationship, and (d) competency. Implications to theory and practice and to further inquiry were outlined.

Second-Career Adults: Issues Encountered in Teacher Education Programs

The purpose of this case study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences of 3 second-career males prior to and during their participation in teacher education programs. Case study research techniques were used to elicit data from 3 participants who had completed teacher education programs and were actively teaching in various capacities in Ontario. Data were collected through an email questionnaire, 2 open-ended, one-on-one interviews, and the researcher's field notes and reflections of the interview process. These data were coded, analyzed for emerging trends, collated, and presented as a series of findings. The study revealed that these 3 second-career males transitioning into teacher education programs encountered a number of difficulties, some of which are a result of the way program providers structure their recruitment processes and present their curricula. Findings indicated that the second-career males in this study appeared to be inadequately prepared to work in a female-dominated profession. The study also found incompatibilities between associate teachers and these second-career candidates during practice teaching sessions. The findings and implications are of interest to teacher educators, school boards, teacher federations, and prospective adult candidates that may be considering teaching as an alternative second career.

Exploring Gifted Adults' Perception of Giftedness in their Pursuit of Graduate Education

This qualitative study explores 8 gifted adults' perceptions of their own giftedness and how those perceptions influenced their pursuit of graduate education as revealed by retrospective interviews. This study serves to inform the existing literature surrounding giftedness especially as it relates to gifted individuals across the lifespan and their experiences and perceptions of education at all levels. This study also provides insight into the emotional impact being labeled gifted has on an individual's self-concept and academic identity. The major themes that emerged using the interpretive phenomenological analysis method (Smith & Osborn, 2003) were discussed under five main headings: Evolution of Giftedness, Success and Failure, Expectations, Effort, and Doubt and Proof. An adaptation of the listening guide method (Gilligan, Spencer, Weinberg, & Bertsch, 2003) was used to provide a unique and personal perspective of the phenomenon of giftedness and revealed the feelings behind the themes that emerged in the interpretive phenomenological analysis method. Specifically; this study illuminates the lack of evolution that an individual's understanding and perception of giftedness undergoes across the lifespan, and the impact such a static and school-bound understanding has on gifted adults' self-concept. It also reveals the influence that gifted individuals' innate need to achieve has on their academic aspirations and their perceptions of themselves as gifted. Furthermore, it reveals how important the understanding and internalization of failure can be on the self-concept of gifted individuals, and that this issue needs immediate attention at all levels of education.

Exploring Academic (Di)stress and Help-Seeking in Faculty of Education Students

This is a study of education students’ conceptions of and experiences with academic stress and help-seeking. The study explored teacher education and Master of Education students’ academic stress by examining causes of academic stress and how these stressors affect students’ academic and university experiences. Stress-related help-seeking was also a focus of this study, and was explored using inquiries regarding where participants sought stress-related support. Additionally, exploring students’ use of the Internet for stress-related information or support was a goal of this study. These research goals were pursued using a qualitative methodology that applied grounded theory design. Consequently, data were used to develop a theory that would contribute to existing literature. Specifically, participant descriptions related to causes of and responses to academic stress aligned with Maslow’s (1954) theory of human motivation and Alderfer’s (1969) E. R. G. theory, and led to theoretical contributions that took a hierarchy of student needs and motivation into consideration.

An Exploration of Professors’ Use of Twitter in Higher Education

Scant research has explored how professors in Canadian universities use Twitter as a teaching tool or to augment knowledge about their subject disciplines. This case study employed a mixed-method approach to examine how professors in an Ontario university use Twitter. Using a variation of the technology acceptance model, the survey (n = 17) found that professor participants—41.2% of whom use Twitter—perceive Twitter as somewhat useful as a teaching tool, not useful for finding and sharing information, and not useful for personal use. Participants’ gender and number of years teaching are not indicators of Twitter use. Furthermore, the level of support from peers and the university may be reasons why some do not use Twitter or have stopped using Twitter. Face-to-face interviews (n = 3) revealed that Twitter is not used in classrooms or lecture halls, but predominantly as a means of sharing information with students and colleagues. Another deterrent to using Twitter is not knowing who to follow. Findings indicate that some professors at this university embrace Twitter, but not necessarily as an in-class teaching tool. The challenge and the advantage of using Twitter is to discover and follow people who tweet material and to select relevant material to pass along to students and colleagues. Professor participants in the study found a use for the social network as a means to increase student engagement, create virtual information-exchange communities, and enrich their own learning.

Exploring Teacher Candidates’ Perception of Practicum Placement Within Concurrent Teacher Education in Two Ontario Universities

In this study, teacher candidates’ perception of their concurrent education program at two Ontario universities were examined, with specific emphasis on how the programs utilized practicum placements, to determine the effectiveness in preparing teacher candidates to teach. This research also strived to uncover the best ways to optimize concurrent teacher education through practicum placements. A questionnaire and interviews were used to uncover teacher candidates’ perceptions at one teacher education program that used full integration of practicum and one that used minimal integration of practicum. The findings revealed that teacher candidates were generally more satisfied with the overall program when there was full integration of practicum. There were statistically significant differences found between the two concurrent programs with regard to practicum time and preparedness and context of the practicum and a highly significant difference found for theory-practice divide. There was also a statistically significant difference (p < .05) observed between the teacher candidates at each university in terms of their beliefs about the need for improvement of their program. Some of the improvements that participants believed could be made to their respective programs included having (a) exceptional mentor teachers and teacher educators, (b) longer placements with a balance of observation and practicum teaching, (c) clear expectations and evaluations of practicum placement, and (d) more distinct connections between theory and practice made within the programs.

Mindfulness: An Ancient Wisdom for the Reconceptualisation of Modern Education in the Complex World

Exploring the new science of emergence allows us to create a very different classroom than how the modern classroom has been conceptualised under the mentality of efficiency and output. Working on the whole person, and not just the mind, we see a shift from the epistemic pillars of truth to more ontological concerns as regards student achievement in our post-Modern and critical discourses. It is important to understand these shifts and how we are to transition our own perception and mentality not only in our research methodologies but also our approach to conceptualisations of issues in education and sustainability. We can no longer think linearly to approach complex problems or advocate for education and disregard our interconnectedness insofar as it enhances our children’s education. We must, therefore, contemplate and transition to a world that is ecological and not mechanical, complex and not complicated—in essence, we must work to link mind-body with self-environment and transcend these in order to bring about an integration toward a sustainable future. A fundamental shift in consciousness and perception may implicate our nature of creating dichotomous entities in our own microcosms, yet postmodern theorists assume, a priori, that these dualities can be bridged in naturalism alone. I, on the other hand, embrace metaphysics to understand the implicated modern classroom in a hierarchical context and ask: is not the very omission of metaphysics in postmodern discourse a symptom from an education whose foundation was built in its absence? The very dereliction of ancient wisdom in education is very peculiar indeed. Western mindfulness may play a vital component in consummating pragmatic idealism, but only under circumstances admitting metaphysics can we truly transcend our limitations, thereby placing Eastern Mindfulness not as an ecological component, but as an ecological and metaphysical foundation.

Religious Diversity and Teacher Education: Experiences and Perspectives of Muslim Women as Teacher Candidates in Pre-service Programs

This qualitative research project explores the insights of Muslim women as teacher candidates completing pre-service programs in Ontario. Ontario schools cater to students from many ethnic, cultural and religious groups, including a sizable Muslim population. Muslims make up 4.6% of Ontario’s population with the highest concentration of Muslims in the GTA (Statistics Canada, 2011). The Muslim population in Ontario is of a significant enough number that, in a post 9/11 world, it has prompted discussion of how to integrate Muslim populations in Canada. In this research, I explore how Islamophobic sentiment is experienced in Ontario-based teacher education programs. I use Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Critical Race Feminism (CRF) to analyse and deconstruct experiences of female Muslim teacher candidates in pre-service programs. I discuss how Muslims are a racialized group that experience racism as discussed by critical race literature; however, there is a marked difference between how Muslim men and women experience gendered Islamophobia. By using in-depth research-based interviews, I explore how Muslim women perceived diversity, education, accommodations and Islamophobia in pre-service programs. This study adds to the current literature on critical race theory and anti-racist practices in education. Furthermore, this study adds to the voice of Muslim women in the discussion of diversity and inclusivity in educational institutions.

Exploring the Current State of Grades 4 to 8 Science Education in Ontario

This study sought to explore the current state of Grades 4 to 8 science education in Ontario from the perspective of Junior/Intermediate (J/I) teachers. The study’s methodology was a sequential 2-phased mixed methods explanatory design denoted as QUAN (qual)  qual. Data were collected from an online survey and follow-up interviews. J/I teachers (N = 219) from 48 school boards in Ontario completed a survey that collected both quantitative and qualitative data. Interviewees were selected from the survey participant population (n = 6) to represent a range of teaching strategies, attitudes toward teaching science, and years of experience. Survey and interview questions inquired about teacher attitudes toward teaching science, academic and professional experiences, teaching strategies, support resources, and instructional time allotments. Quantitative data analyses involved the descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. Qualitative data was coded inductively and deductively. Academic background in science was found to significantly influence teachers’ reported level of capability to teach science. The undergraduate degrees held by J/I science teachers were found to significantly influence their reported levels of capability to teach science. Participants identified a lack of time allocated for science instruction and inadequate equipment and facilities as major limitations on science instruction. Science in schools was reported to be of a “second-tiered” value to language and mathematics. Implications of this study include improving undergraduate and preservice experiences of elementary teachers by supporting their science content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge.