Exploring the events that engage graduate students in transformative learning /

This research explored the events that engaged graduate students in transformative learning within a graduate program in education. This context was chosen because one objective of a graduate program is to facilitate critical thinking and transformative learning. The question ofhow adult learners perceive and experience learning steered the direction ofthis study. However, the purpose ofthis research was to study critical incidents that led to profound cognitive and affective changes as perceived by the graduate students. Specifically, the questions to be answered were what critical incidents happened to graduate students while in the Master ofEducation program, how were the incidents experienced, and what transformation resulted? The research design evolved over the course of a year and was highly influenced by previous empirical studies and criticisms oftransformative learning theory. The overall design was qualitative and phenomenological. A critical and interpretive approach was made to empirical data collected through a critical incident questionnaire and in-depth interviews. Inductive analysis allowed theory to be built from the data by making comparisons. New questions emerged and attention was given to social context, the passage oftime, and sequence ofevents in order to give meaning and translation ofthe participants' experiences and to build the interpretive narratives. Deductive analysis was also used on the data and a blending ofthe two forms of analysis; this resulted in the development ofa foundational model for transformative learning to be built.The data revealed critical incidents outside ofthe graduate school program that occurred in childhood or adult life prior to graduate school. Since context of individuals' lives had been an important critique of past transformative learning models and studies, this research expanded the original boundaries of this study beyond graduate school to incorporate incidents that occurred outside of graduate school. Critical incidents were categorized into time-related, people-related, and circumstancerelated themes. It was clear that participants were influenced and molded by the stage oftheir life, personal experiences, familial and cultural conditioning, and even historic events. The model developed in this document fiom an overview ofthe fmdings identifies a four-stage process of life difficulty, disintegration, reintegration, and completion that all participants' followed. The blended analysis was revealed from the description ofhow the incidents were experienced by the participants. The final categories were what were the feelings, what was happening, and what was the enviromnent? The resulting transformation was initially only going to consider cognitive and affective changes, however, it was apparent that contextual changes also occurred for all participants, so this category was also included. The model was described with the construction metaphor of a building "foimdation" to illustrate the variety of conditions that are necessary for transformative learning to occur. Since this was an exploratory study, no prior models or processes were used in data analysis, however, it appeared that the model developed from this study incorporated existing models and provided a more encompassing life picture oftransformative learning.

A study on the role of the parent in educational decision making from the perspective of parents and teachers

ADeweyan (1916) democratic theoty ofeducation called for the participation ofall citizens in deliberating important educational issues to improve overall student learning. Thus, the move to include parents in educational decision making can be considered to be rooted in democratic principles. To gain greater insight into the issue ofparent involvement in educational decision making, one elementary school was studied and a triangulization method was employed in an attempt to clarify the important issues surrolUlding the move to include parents in the governance ofschools. The three methods to gain information included surveys, interviews, and documentation ofsignificant school events and related work. All ofthe parents and teachers ofthe school were surveyed, 10 parents and 6teachers were interviewed, and related school events were recorded. The survey design was modeled on the Parent Involvement Questionnaire (PIQ) created and reported on by Chavkin and Williams (1987). The results ofthe surveys were used as a guide for the interview questions. An interview outline was developed based on Seidman's (1991) open-ended approach and Patton's (1980) standardized open-ended interview style in which parents and teachers were asked about their experiences and opinions on anmnber ofparent involvement issues. Parents and teachers in this school indicated agreater interest in becoming more aware ofeducational issues such as school budget and school discipline policies. Although the parents indicated agreater interest in school matters and the teachers indicated awillingness to include parents in school matters, both the parents and teachers in this study perceived the role ofthe parent as advisory, not decision making. It was concluded that to ensure ameaningful and functional role for parellts as tlleir p811icipatioll ill educational matters evolves, SCllools must have a clear vision ofthe primary goal ofall schools, namely, to foster and nourish democratic citizens for ademocratic society (Glickman, 1993). Furthennore, intentional practices such as Purkey's (ad) 5-P Relay approach, based on a democratic theory and practice of education, will have to be employed in order to give parents an authentic voice in educational matters and provide an avenue for parents to acquire the necessary skills and lmowledge needed to do so. As schools, school boards, and the Ministry ofEducation implement parent involvement guidelines and policies, developmental needs ofeach school need to be considered to ensure the employment ofdemocratic practices not authoritarian mandates. Parent interest and involvement, at whatever level, should be an important element in the overall move to make schools part ofthe democratic society they were meant to be.

Business leadership in the classroom

This action research assesses a framework that assists business educators in promoting leadership within a classroom. It is designed to better prepare students to assume leadership and fill the "leadership gap" in business. Two classes of 2nd-year community college business students participated in running and managing their own business community as teams of sales professionals by developing and practicing their own individual leadership for 28 weeks during their sales courses. The intent was to assess the development of leadership resulting from the implementation of the "Business Leadership in the Classroom" framework. This framework balances leadership principles to simulate a business environment with the practical elements of a learning community under the facilitation of an experienced business educator. The action research approach was used to assess and adjust approaches to business leadership on a continuous basis throughout the research. Data were collected from 61 students based on journals, surveys, peer group reviews, and my (facilitator) reflective journal.The findings reveal that both individual and collective business leadership views and practical skills developed over time. A business leadership mind-set evolved that ranged from a general awareness of the importance of leadership, to a conscious and deliberate use of individual leadership. Areas important in building a progression of leadership included: leadership teams, membership roles, weekly leadership teams, peer feedback, and activity-based learning. Emerging themes included leadership, leadership style, teamwork, as well as influence and motivation. The research framework was effective in supporting the development of business leadership but required some adjustments. These included increased structure and feedback mechanisms. Interpretation of the findings demonstrates the importance of real-world practical education in the classroom. Results show how focusing on a single mind-set such as business leadership, can result in enormous individual growth and development. When business students are encouraged to act as real businesspeople, managing their own learning, the results are effective in preparing them for the business world. All participants expressed their leadership in different ways based on personality and individual strengths. There was an overwhelming and, in some cases, passionate interest in leadership. The use of action research with a range of data collection methods provides a way to measure and track individual student learning and to generate adjustments to the research framework design and learning approaches. The findings generate implications and recommendations to continue this research further. Key recommendations center around how to ensure leadership development is sustained, including improved approaches to heighten the real-world feel of the classroom. Specifically, the use of leadership goals and action plans for each individual participant and an active use of outside business resource people as contacts for participants is recommended.

The person inside the nurse : the professional socialization of baccalaureate nursing students

The goal ofthis research was to gain an understanding ofthe process ofprofessional socialization by accessing role meaning ofstudents engaged in a BScN program. Students from each ofthe four years and faculty members from the school ofnursing volunteered as participants. G. Kelly's (1955) Personal Construct Theory provided the framework to determine awareness and constructed meanings. A reflective tool, called LifeMapping, was adapted and utilized to relate student experiences within education that have attributed to nurse role meaning. Focus group interviews verified data interpretation. Students are informed oftheir choice to study nursing through part-time and volunteer work, secondary school cooperative placements. Descriptions reveal that choices are tested and both positive and negative aspects ofthe role observed. Bipolar images of good and bad nurses seem to be context-related. These images may establish biases in choices related to learning experiences. The person inside ofeach aspiring nurse interprets, revises and understands experiences to incorporate individual meaning into their value and belief structures. Students are aware ofchanges and descnbe them as developments that occur personally up to Year ill and role-image changes that begin in Year II. The major difficulty that students encountered was descnbed as negative attitudes towards their anticipated role. Humanistic-interactionist philosophies are echoed in student accounts of learning experiences. Growth and role development corresponds to process factors of small group, problem-base learning.

The practical examination and how it correlates with the triple jump, tutorial, and written examination

This study explored the relationship between the practical examination and other course evaluation methods~ specifically, the triple jump, tutorial, and written examination. Studies correlating academic and clinical grades tended to indicate that they may not be highly correlated because each evaluation process contributes different kinds of information regarding student knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Six hypotheses were generated stating a positive relationship between the four evaluation methods. A correlation matrix was produced of the Pearson Product Moment correlation co-efficients on the four evaluation methods in the second and third year Occupational Therapy Technique and Clinical Problem Solving courses of the 1988 and 1989 graduates (n~45). The results showed that the highest correlations existed between the triple jump and the tutorial grades and the lowest correlations existed between the practical examination and written examination grades. Not all of the correlations~ however~ reached levels of significance. The correlations overall. though, were only low to moderate at best which indicates that the evaluation methods may be measuring different aspects of student learning. This conclusion supports the studies researched. The implications and significance of this study is that it will assist the faculty in defining what the various evaluation methods measure which will in turn promote more critical input into curriculum development for the remaining years of the program.

Visual word learning in good and poor readers

Forty students from regular, grade five classes were divided into two groups of twenty, a good reader group and a' poor reader group, on the basis. of their reading scores on Canadian Achievement Tests. .The subjects took. part in four experimental conditions iM which they .learned lists of pronounceable and unprono~nceable pseudowords, some with semantic referents, and responded to questions designed tci test visual perceptu~l learning and lexical ��and semantic association learning. It' was hypothesized "that the good reade~ group would be able to make use of graphemic and phonemic redundancy patterns in order to improv~��visuSl perceptual learning and lexical and semantic association lea~ningto a greater extent. than would .the poor reader gr6up. The data supported this hypothesis, and also indicated that, although the poor readers were less adept at using familiar sound and letter patterns, they were more dependent on�� such pa~terns as an aid to visual recognition memory and semantic recall than were the good readers. It wa.s postulated that poor readers are in a double- ~ . bind situatio~ of having to choose between using weak graphemic-semantic associations or gr~pheme-phoneme associations which are also weak and which have hindered them in developing automaticity in. reading.

Globalization and Its Impact on Assessment: Moving Toward a New Story

Globalization has resulted in large-scale international and local assessments closely tied to notions of accountability and competitiveness in a globalized economy. Although policy makers seek to ensure citizens meet the demands of a global knowledge-based economy, such assessments may also impede the development of requisite 21st century skills. While standardization currently is viewed as the most effective measurement of student achievement, several Canadian and international jurisdictions are moving toward assessment for learning (AfL). This conceptual study sought to identify whether AfL or standardized assessment most effectively meets 21st century learning goals in the wake of rapid global change. It applies a Story Model theoretical framework to understand the current, the new emerging, and the future ideal story of education from a personal, cultural, and global lens. The study examines the main critiques and/or challenges of standardized testing, the benefits of AfL for student learning, and new teaching and assessment approaches to the development of 21st century learning goals. The study applies the Story Model���s inside-outside/past-future approach to determine the future direction of assessment. Results show that the new story of assessment will most likely entail a model that integrates both standardized testing and in-class assessments in the form of AfL and PBL.

Conceptualizing Institutional Capacity Building Through a Learning Process Set in Motion by a Foundation

Employing critical pedagogy and transformative theory as a theoretical framework, I examined a learning process associated with building capacity in community-based organizations (CBOs) through an investigation of the Institutional Capacity Building Program (ICBP) initiated by a Foundation. The study sought to: (a) examine the importance of institutional capacity building for individual and community development; (b) investigate elements of a process associated with a program and characteristics of a learning process for building capacity in CBOs; and (c) analyze the Foundation���s approach to synthesizing, systematizing, and sharing learning. The study used a narrative research design that included 3 one-on-one, hour-long interviews with 2 women having unique vantage points in ICBP: one is a program facilitator working at the Foundation and the other runs a CBO supported by the Foundation. The interviews��� semistructured questions allowed interviewees to share stories regarding their experience with the learning process of ICB and enabled themes to emerge from their day-to-day experience. Through the analysis of this learning process for institutional capacity building, a few lessons can be drawn from the experience of the Foundation.

The Search for Scholarly Teaching in Elementary Education

Elementary teachers are expected to prepare students to work efficiently with others, solve complex problems and self-regulate their own learning. Considering the importance of a solid educational foundation in the early years, students would benefit if elementary teachers engaged in scholarly teaching. The purpose of this study was to investigate Boyer���s (1990) four dimensions of scholarship, application, integration, teaching and discovery, to better understand if there is scholarly teaching in elementary education. Four professional teaching documents were analyzed using a hermeneutic orientation. A deductive analysis suggests that we do have scholarly teaching in elementary education, with strong evidence that elementary teachers are scholars of application and integration. An inductive analysis of latent and manifest content suggests that underlying humanistic values run deeply through elementary education driving current curricular, instructional and pedagogical practices.

The Effective Use of 21st-Century Learning iPad Applications in the Primary/Junior Literacy Classroom

The purpose of this major research project was to develop a practical tool in the form of a handbook that could facilitate educators��� effective use of technology in primary and junior classrooms. The main goal was to explore the use of iPad devices and applications in the literacy classroom. The study audited available free applications against set criteria and selected only those that promoted 21st-century learning. The researcher used such applications to develop literacy lessons that aligned with curriculum expectations and promoted 21st-century skills and traditional skills alike. The study also created assessment models to evaluate the use of iPads in student work and explored the benefits and limitations of technology usage in student learning.

Conceptions of Quality and Approaches to Quality Assurance in Ontario���s Universities

Many international, political, and economic influences led to increased demands for development of new quality assurance systems for universities. Like many policies and processes that aim to assure quality, Ontario���s Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) did not define quality. This study sought to explore conceptions of quality and approaches to quality assurance used within Ontario���s universities. A document analysis of the QAF���s rationale and structure suggested that quality was conceived primarily as fitness for purpose, while suggested indicators represented an exceptional conception of quality. Ontario universities perpetuated such confusion by adopting the framework without customizing it to their institutional conceptions of quality. Drawing upon phenomenographic traditions, a qualitative investigation was conducted to better understand various conceptions of quality held by university administrators and to appreciate ways in which they implemented the QAF. Three main approaches to quality assurance were identified: (a) Defending Quality, characterized by conceptions of quality as exceptional, which focuses on administrative accountability and uses a hands-off strategy to defend traditional notions of quality inputs and resources; (b) Demonstrating Quality, characterized by conceptions of quality as fitness for purpose and value for money, which focuses on accountability to students and uses centralized engaged strategies to demonstrate how programs meet current priorities and intended outcomes; and (c) Enhancing Quality, characterized by conceptions of quality as transformation, which focuses on reflection and learning experience and uses engaged strategies to find new ways of improving learning and teaching. The development of a campus culture that values the institution���s function in student learning and quality teaching would benefit from Enhancing Quality approaches to quality assurance. This would require holistic consideration of the beliefs held by members of the institution, a clear articulation of the institution���s conceptions of quality, and a critical analysis of how these conceptions align with institutional practices and policies.

Educational Technology Decision-Making: A Case Study on Technology Acquisition for 746,000 Ontario Students

Very little research has examined K���12 educational technology decision-making in Canada. This collective case study explores the technology procurement process in Ontario���s publicly funded school districts to determine if it is informed by the relevant research, grounded in best practices, and enhances student learning. Using a qualitative approach, 10 senior leaders (i.e., chief information officers, superintendents, etc.) were interviewed. A combination of open-ended and closed-ended questions were used to reveal the most important factors driving technology acquisition, research support, governance procedures, data use, and assessment and return on investment (ROI) measures utilized by school districts in their implementation of educational technology. After participants were interviewed, the data were transcribed, member checked, and then submitted to ���Computer-assisted NCT analysis��� (Friese, 2014) using ATLAS.ti. The findings show that senior leaders are making acquisitions that are not aligned with current scholarship and not with student learning as the focus. It was also determined that districts struggle to use data-driven decision-making to support the governance of educational technology spending. Finally, the results showed that districts do not have effective assessment measures in place to determine the efficacy or ROI of a purchased technology. Although data are limited to the responses of 10 senior leaders, findings represent the technology leadership for approximately 746,000 Ontario students. The study is meant to serve as an informative resource for senior leaders and presents strategic and research-validated approaches to technology procurement. Further, the study has the potential to refine technology decision-making, policies, and practices in K���12 education.

Exploring Capacity Building of Ontario Dental Hygiene Educators During National Curriculum Reform

In times of educational change, educators are given the task of implementing new initiatives that meet the needs of a changing environment; yet, they are often dismissed from developmental phases of the reform. This top-down structure deters educators��� personal capacity building as their knowledge, values, assumptions, and beliefs are not acknowledged or explicitly developed as part of the initiative. This study explored Ontario dental hygiene educators��� perspectives of how they may build personal capacity during an externally mandated national curriculum reform, the Entry-to-Practice Competencies and Standards for Canadian Dental Hygienists (National Competencies). Narratives were collected from 5 dental hygiene educators of diverse educational training and teaching organizations. Three themes emerged that included perceptions of structural influence, perceptions of learning access, and perceptions of identity. Each theme was linked to tasks that were required to build personal capacity for sustainable school change. The theoretical framework and the required tasks demonstrated the interconnectedness between educators, leaders, and the organization for building educators��� personal capacity.

Changements et ��volution des universit��s conventionnelles sous l���influence des technologies de l���information et de la communication (TIC): le cas du contexte universitaire nord-am��ricain

Cette recherche part du constat de l���utilisation des nouvelles technologies qui se g��n��ralise dans l���enseignement universitaire (tant sur campus qu���en enseignement �� distance), et traite cette question sous trois aspects institutionnel, p��dagogique et technologique. La recherche a ��t�� men��e �� travers quinze universit��s canadiennes o�� nous avons interrog�� vingt-quatre universitaires, nomm��ment des responsables de centres de p��dagogie universitaire et des experts sur la question de l���int��gration des technologies �� l���enseignement universitaire. Pour le volet institutionnel, nous avons eu recours �� un cadre th��orique qui met en relief le changement de structure et de fonctionnement des universit��s �� l�����re d���Internet, suivant le mod��le th��orique de l���Open System Communications Net de Kershaw et Safford (1998, 2001). Les r��sultats, �� l���aune de ce mod��le, confirment que les universit��s conventionnelles sont dans une phase de transformation due �� l���utilisation des technologies de l'information et de la communication (TIC). De plus, les cours hybrides, la bimodalit��, des universit��s enti��rement �� distance visant une client��le estudiantine au-del�� des fronti��res r��gionales et nationales, des universit��s associant plusieurs mod��les, des universit��s fonctionnant �� base d���intelligence artificielle, sont les mod��les principaux qui ont la forte possibilit�� de s���imposer dans le paysage universitaire nord-am��ricain au cours des prochaines d��cennies. Enfin, �� la lumi��re du mod��le th��orique, nous avons explor�� le r��le de l���universit��, ainsi en transformation, au sein de la soci��t�� tout comme les rapports ��ventuels entre les institutions universitaires. S���agissant de l���aspect p��dagogique, nous avons utilis�� une perspective th��orique fond��e sur le mod��le du Community of Inquiry (CoI) de Garrison, Anderson et Archer (2000), revu par Vaughan et Garrison (2005) et Garrison et Arbaugh (2007) qui pr��ne notamment une nouvelle culture de travail �� l���universit�� fond��e sur trois niveaux de pr��sence. Les r��sultats indiquent l���importance d�����l��ments relatifs �� la pr��sence d���enseignement, �� la pr��sence cognitive et �� la pr��sence sociale, comme le sugg��re le mod��le. Cependant, la r��currence -dans les trois niveaux de pr��sence- de certains indicateurs, sugg��r��s par les r��pondants, tels que l�����change d���information, la discussion et la collaboration, nous ont amen��s �� conclure �� la non-��tanch��it�� du mod��le du CoI. De plus, certaines cat��gories, de par leur fr��quence d���apparition dans les propos des interview��s, m��riteraient d���avoir une consid��ration plus grande dans les exigences p��dagogiques que requiert le nouveau contexte pr��valant dans les universit��s conventionnelles. C���est le cas par exemple de la cat��gorie �� coh��sion de groupe ��. Enfin, dans le troisi��me volet de la recherche relatif �� la dimension technologique, nous nous sommes inspir��s du mod��le th��orique d���Olapiriyakul et Scher (2006) qui postule que l���infrastructure dans l���enseignement doit ��tre �� la fois une technologie p��dagogique et une technologie d���apprentissage pour les ��tudiants (instructional technology and student learning technology). Partant de cette approche, le volet technologique de notre recherche a consist�� �� identifier les fonctionnalit��s exig��es de la technologie pour induire une ��volution institutionnelle et p��dagogique. Les r��sultats �� cet ��gard ont indiqu�� que les raisons pour lesquelles les universit��s choisissent d���int��grer les TIC �� l���enseignement ne sont pas toujours d���ordre p��dagogique, ce qui explique que la technologie elle-m��me ne rev��te pas forc��ment les qualit��s a priori requises pour une ��volution p��dagogique et institutionnelle. De ce constat, les technologies appropri��es pour une r��elle ��volution p��dagogique et institutionnelle des universit��s ont ��t�� identifi��es.

Impact des services d'animation p��dagogique de la Biosph��re sur certaines conceptions d'��l��ves du deuxi��me cycle du primaire

L���enseignement des sciences est capital d��s l�����cole primaire, mais est souvent d��laiss��. Les mus��es scientifiques peuvent palier �� cette lacune en offrant des ressources ��ducatives concr��tes, dont les programmes ��ducatifs. Cette recherche d��termine l���impact d���une animation p��dagogique de la Biosph��re sur certaines conceptions d�����l��ves du deuxi��me cycle du primaire. La chercheuse a opt�� pour une recherche qualitative et la m��thode choisie est l�����tude de cas, de type exploratoire. Des ��l��ves d���une classe ont particip�� �� l�����tude. Ils ont assist�� �� une visite mus��ale, ins��r��e au sein d���une s��quence didactique. �� l���aide de plusieurs outils de collecte de donn��es (questionnaires, entrevues et observations), la chercheuse a ��t�� en mesure d���identifier quatre niveaux de modification des conceptions d�����l��ves (��volution notable, une certaine ��volution, stabilit�� des conceptions, confusion des conceptions). Enfin, elle sugg��re quelques pistes d���am��lioration �� la Biosph��re afin de maximiser l���impact de la visite sur l���apprentissage des ��l��ves.