Vocabulary learning through use of the picture-word inductive model for young English learners in China: A mixed methods examination using Cognitive Load Theory

English has been taught as a core and compulsory subject in China for decades. Recently, the demand for English in China has increased dramatically. China now has the world's largest English-learning population. The traditional English-teaching method cannot continue to be the only approach because it merely focuses on reading, grammar and translation, which cannot meet English learners and users' needs (i.e., communicative competence and skills in speaking and writing). ^ This study was conducted to investigate if the Picture-Word Inductive Model (PWIM), a new pedagogical method using pictures and inductive thinking, would benefit English learners in China in terms of potential higher output in speaking and writing. With the gauge of Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), specifically, its redundancy effect, I investigated whether processing words and a picture concurrently would present a cognitive overload for English learners in China. ^ I conducted a mixed methods research study. A quasi-experiment (pretest, intervention for seven weeks, and posttest) was conducted using 234 students in four groups in Lianyungang, China (58 fourth graders and 57 seventh graders as an experimental group with PWIM and 59 fourth graders and 60 seventh graders as a control group with the traditional method). No significant difference in the effects of PWIM was found on vocabulary acquisition based on grade levels. Observations, questionnaires with open-ended questions, and interviews were deployed to answer the three remaining research questions. A few students felt cognitively overloaded when they encountered too many writing samples, too many new words at one time, repeated words, mismatches between words and pictures, and so on. Many students listed and exemplified numerous strengths of PWIM, but a few mentioned weaknesses of PWIM. The students expressed the idea that PWIM had a positive effect on their English teaching. ^ As integrated inferences, qualitative findings were used to explain the quantitative results that there were no significant differences of the effects of the PWIM between the experimental and control groups in both grade levels, from four contextual aspects: time constraints on PWIM implementation, teachers' resistance, how to use PWIM and PWIM implemented in a classroom over 55 students.^

Digital signal processing implementation for near real-time wavelet transformation system for binary images

Communication has become an essential function in our civilization. With the increasing demand for communication channels, it is now necessary to find ways to optimize the use of their bandwidth. One way to achieve this is by transforming the information before it is transmitted. This transformation can be performed by several techniques. One of the newest of these techniques is the use of wavelets. Wavelet transformation refers to the act of breaking down a signal into components called details and trends by using small waveforms that have a zero average in the time domain. After this transformation the data can be compressed by discarding the details, transmitting the trends. In the receiving end, the trends are used to reconstruct the image. In this work, the wavelet used for the transformation of an image will be selected from a library of available bases. The accuracy of the reconstruction, after the details are discarded, is dependent on the wavelets chosen from the wavelet basis library. The system developed in this thesis takes a 2-D image and decomposes it using a wavelet bank. A digital signal processor is used to achieve near real-time performance in this transformation task. A contribution of this thesis project is the development of DSP-based test bed for the future development of new real-time wavelet transformation algorithms.

A mathematical resolution to log transformations and the binning effect in applied processing of data in flow cytometry

This dissertation develops a new mathematical approach that overcomes the effect of a data processing phenomenon known as "histogram binning" inherent to flow cytometry data. A real-time procedure is introduced to prove the effectiveness and fast implementation of such an approach on real-world data. The histogram binning effect is a dilemma posed by two seemingly antagonistic developments: (1) flow cytometry data in its histogram form is extended in its dynamic range to improve its analysis and interpretation, and (2) the inevitable dynamic range extension introduces an unwelcome side effect, the binning effect, which skews the statistics of the data, undermining as a consequence the accuracy of the analysis and the eventual interpretation of the data. Researchers in the field contended with such a dilemma for many years, resorting either to hardware approaches that are rather costly with inherent calibration and noise effects; or have developed software techniques based on filtering the binning effect but without successfully preserving the statistical content of the original data. The mathematical approach introduced in this dissertation is so appealing that a patent application has been filed. The contribution of this dissertation is an incremental scientific innovation based on a mathematical framework that will allow researchers in the field of flow cytometry to improve the interpretation of data knowing that its statistical meaning has been faithfully preserved for its optimized analysis. Furthermore, with the same mathematical foundation, proof of the origin of such an inherent artifact is provided. These results are unique in that new mathematical derivations are established to define and solve the critical problem of the binning effect faced at the experimental assessment level, providing a data platform that preserves its statistical content. In addition, a novel method for accumulating the log-transformed data was developed. This new method uses the properties of the transformation of statistical distributions to accumulate the output histogram in a non-integer and multi-channel fashion. Although the mathematics of this new mapping technique seem intricate, the concise nature of the derivations allow for an implementation procedure that lends itself to a real-time implementation using lookup tables, a task that is also introduced in this dissertation.

Differential activation in temporal, cingulate and prefrontal cortices during response inhibition in bipolar disorder

Background: Increased impulsivity and aberrant response inhibition have been observed in bipolar disorder (BD). This study examined the functional abnormalities and underlying neural processes during response inhibition in BD, and its relationship to impulsivity. Methods: We assessed impulsivity using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) and, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), measured neural activity in response to an Affective Go-NoGo Task, consisting of emotional facial stimuli (fear, happy, anger faces) and non-emotional control stimuli (neutral female and male faces) in euthymic BD (n=23) and healthy individuals (HI; n=25). Results: BD patients were significantly more impulsive, yet did not differ from HI on accuracy or reaction time on the emotional go/no-go task. Comparing neural patterns of activation when processing emotional Go versus emotional NoGo trials yielded increased activation in BD within temporal and cingulate cortices and within prefrontal-cortical regions in HI. Furthermore, higher BIS scores for BD were associated with slower reaction times, and indicative of compensatory cognitive strategies to counter increased impulsivity. Conclusions: These findings illustrate cognition-emotion interference in BD and the observed differences in neural activation indicate potentially altered emotion modulation. Increased activation in brain regions previously shown in emotion regulation and response inhibition tasks could represent a disease-specific marker for BD

Expertise sportive et entraînement perceptivo-cognitif de l’athlète

Pour être performant au plus haut niveau, les athlètes doivent posséder une capacité perceptivo-cognitive supérieure à la moyenne. Cette faculté, reflétée sur le terrain par la vision et l’intelligence de jeu des sportifs, permet d’extraire l’information clé de la scène visuelle. La science du sport a depuis longtemps observé l’expertise perceptivo-cognitive au sein de l’environnement sportif propre aux athlètes. Récemment, des études ont rapporté que l’expertise pouvait également se refléter hors de ce contexte, lors d’activités du quotidien par exemple. De plus, les récentes théories entourant la capacité plastique du cerveau ont amené les chercheurs à développer des outils pour entraîner les capacités perceptivo-cognitives des athlètes afin de les rendre plus performants sur le terrain. Ces méthodes sont la plupart du temps contextuelles à la discipline visée. Cependant, un nouvel outil d’entraînement perceptivo-cognitif, nommé 3-Dimensional Multiple Object Tracking (3D-MOT) et dénué de contexte sportif, a récemment vu le jour et a fait l’objet de nos recherches. Un de nos objectifs visait à mettre en évidence l’expertise perceptivo-cognitive spécifique et non-spécifique chez des athlètes lors d’une même étude. Nous avons évalué la perception du mouvement biologique chez des joueurs de soccer et des non-athlètes dans une salle de réalité virtuelle. Les sportifs étaient systématiquement plus performants en termes d’efficacité et de temps de réaction que les novices pour discriminer la direction du mouvement biologique lors d’un exercice spécifique de soccer (tir) mais également lors d’une action issue du quotidien (marche). Ces résultats signifient que les athlètes possèdent une meilleure capacité à percevoir les mouvements biologiques humains effectués par les autres. La pratique du soccer semble donc conférer un avantage fondamental qui va au-delà des fonctions spécifiques à la pratique d’un sport. Ces découvertes sont à mettre en parallèle avec la performance exceptionnelle des athlètes dans le traitement de scènes visuelles dynamiques et également dénuées de contexte sportif. Des joueurs de soccer ont surpassé des novices dans le test de 3D-MOT qui consiste à suivre des cibles en mouvement et stimule les capacités perceptivo-cognitives. Leur vitesse de suivi visuel ainsi que leur faculté d’apprentissage étaient supérieures. Ces résultats confirmaient des données obtenues précédemment chez des sportifs. Le 3D-MOT est un test de poursuite attentionnelle qui stimule le traitement actif de l’information visuelle dynamique. En particulier, l’attention sélective, dynamique et soutenue ainsi que la mémoire de travail. Cet outil peut être utilisé pour entraîner les fonctions perceptivo-cognitives des athlètes. Des joueurs de soccer entraînés au 3D-MOT durant 30 sessions ont montré une amélioration de la prise de décision dans les passes de 15% sur le terrain comparés à des joueurs de groupes contrôles. Ces données démontrent pour la première fois un transfert perceptivo-cognitif du laboratoire au terrain suivant un entraînement perceptivo-cognitif non-contextuel au sport de l’athlète ciblé. Nos recherches aident à comprendre l’expertise des athlètes par l’approche spécifique et non-spécifique et présentent également les outils d’entraînements perceptivo-cognitifs, en particulier le 3D-MOT, pour améliorer la performance dans le sport de haut-niveau.

Enhancing non-refractory aerosol apportionment from an urban industrial site through receptor modelling of complete high time-resolution aerosol mass spectra

Receptor modelling was performed on quadrupole unit mass resolution aerosol mass spectrometer (Q-AMS) sub-micron particulate matter (PM) chemical speciation measurements from Windsor, Ontario, an industrial city situated across the Detroit River from Detroit, Michigan. Aerosol and trace gas measurements were collected on board Environment Canada’s CRUISER mobile laboratory. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was performed on the AMS full particle-phase mass spectrum (PMFFull MS) encompassing both organic and inorganic components. This approach was compared to the more common method of analysing only the organic mass spectra (PMFOrg MS). PMF of the full mass spectrum revealed that variability in the non-refractory sub-micron aerosol concentration and composition was best explained by six factors: an amine-containing factor (Amine); an ammonium sulphate and oxygenated organic aerosol containing factor (Sulphate-OA); an ammonium nitrate and oxygenated organic aerosol containing factor (Nitrate-OA); an ammonium chloride containing factor (Chloride); a hydrocarbon like organic aerosol (HOA) factor; and a moderately oxygenated organic aerosol factor (OOA). PMF of the organic mass spectrum revealed three factors of similar composition to some of those revealed through PMFFull MS: Amine, HOA and OOA. Including both the inorganic and organic mass proved to be a beneficial approach to analysing the unit mass resolution AMS data for several reasons. First, it provided a method for potentially calculating more accurate sub-micron PM mass concentrations, particularly when unusual factors are present, in this case, an Amine factor. As this method does not rely on a priori knowledge of chemical species, it circumvents the need for any adjustments to the traditional AMS species fragmentation patterns to account for atypical species, and can thus lead to more complete factor profiles. It is expected that this method would be even more useful for HR-ToF-AMS data, due to the ability to better understand the chemical nature of atypical factors from high resolution mass spectra. Second, utilizing PMF to extract factors containing inorganic species allowed for the determination of extent of neutralization, which could have implications for aerosol parameterization. Third, subtler differences in organic aerosol components were resolved through the incorporation of inorganic mass into the PMF matrix. The additional temporal features provided by the inorganic aerosol components allowed for the resolution of more types of oxygenated organic aerosol than could be reliably re-solved from PMF of organics alone. Comparison of findings from the PMFFull MS and PMFOrg MS methods showed that for the Windsor airshed, the PMFFull MS method enabled additional conclusions to be drawn in terms of aerosol sources and chemical processes. While performing PMFOrg MS can provide important distinctions between types of organic aerosol, it is shown that including inorganic species in the PMF analysis can permit further apportionment of organics for unit mass resolution AMS mass spectra.

Vocabulary Learning through Use of the Picture-Word Inductive Model for Young English Learners in China: A Mixed Methods Examination Using Cognitive Load Theory

English has been taught as a core and compulsory subject in China for decades. Recently, the demand for English in China has increased dramatically. China now has the world’s largest English-learning population. The traditional English-teaching method cannot continue to be the only approach because it merely focuses on reading, grammar and translation, which cannot meet English learners and users’ needs (i.e., communicative competence and skills in speaking and writing). This study was conducted to investigate if the Picture-Word Inductive Model (PWIM), a new pedagogical method using pictures and inductive thinking, would benefit English learners in China in terms of potential higher output in speaking and writing. With the gauge of Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), specifically, its redundancy effect, I investigated whether processing words and a picture concurrently would present a cognitive overload for English learners in China. I conducted a mixed methods research study. A quasi-experiment (pretest, intervention for seven weeks, and posttest) was conducted using 234 students in four groups in Lianyungang, China (58 fourth graders and 57 seventh graders as an experimental group with PWIM and 59 fourth graders and 60 seventh graders as a control group with the traditional method). No significant difference in the effects of PWIM was found on vocabulary acquisition based on grade levels. Observations, questionnaires with open-ended questions, and interviews were deployed to answer the three remaining research questions. A few students felt cognitively overloaded when they encountered too many writing samples, too many new words at one time, repeated words, mismatches between words and pictures, and so on. Many students listed and exemplified numerous strengths of PWIM, but a few mentioned weaknesses of PWIM. The students expressed the idea that PWIM had a positive effect on their English teaching. As integrated inferences, qualitative findings were used to explain the quantitative results that there were no significant differences of the effects of the PWIM between the experimental and control groups in both grade levels, from four contextual aspects: time constraints on PWIM implementation, teachers’ resistance, how to use PWIM and PWIM implemented in a classroom over 55 students.

Imputing accelerometer non-wear time when assessing children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity

BACKGROUND: Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is an important determinant of children’s physical health, and is commonly measured using accelerometers. A major limitation of accelerometers is non-wear time, which is the time the participant did not wear their device. Given that non-wear time is traditionally discarded from the dataset prior to estimating MVPA, final estimates of MVPA may be biased. Therefore, alternate approaches should be explored. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this thesis were to 1) develop and describe an imputation approach that uses the socio-demographic, time, health, and behavioural data from participants to replace non-wear time accelerometer data, 2) determine the extent to which imputation of non-wear time data influences estimates of MVPA, and 3) determine if imputation of non-wear time data influences the associations between MVPA, body mass index (BMI), and systolic blood pressure (SBP). METHODS: Seven days of accelerometer data were collected using Actical accelerometers from 332 children aged 10-13. Three methods for handling missing accelerometer data were compared: 1) the “non-imputed” method wherein non-wear time was deleted from the dataset, 2) imputation dataset I, wherein the imputation of MVPA during non-wear time was based upon socio-demographic factors of the participant (e.g., age), health information (e.g., BMI), and time characteristics of the non-wear period (e.g., season), and 3) imputation dataset II wherein the imputation of MVPA was based upon the same variables as imputation dataset I, plus organized sport information. Associations between MVPA and health outcomes in each method were assessed using linear regression. RESULTS: Non-wear time accounted for 7.5% of epochs during waking hours. The average minutes/day of MVPA was 56.8 (95% CI: 54.2, 59.5) in the non-imputed dataset, 58.4 (95% CI: 55.8, 61.0) in imputed dataset I, and 59.0 (95% CI: 56.3, 61.5) in imputed dataset II. Estimates between datasets were not significantly different. The strength of the relationship between MVPA with BMI and SBP were comparable between all three datasets. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that studies that achieve high accelerometer compliance with unsystematic patterns of missing data can use the traditional approach of deleting non-wear time from the dataset to obtain MVPA measures without substantial bias.

COGNITIVE AND LINGUISTIC FACTORS OF READING ARABIC: THE ROLE OF MORPHOLOGICAL AWARENESS IN READING

Scientific reading research has produced substantial evidence linking specific reading components to a range of constructs including phonological awareness (PA), morphological awareness, orthographic processing (OP), rapid automatized naming, working memory and vocabulary. There is a paucity of research on Arabic, although 420 million people around the world (Gordon, 2005) speak Arabic. As a Semitic language, Arabic differs in many ways from Indo-European languages. Over the past three decades, literacy research has begun to elucidate the importance of morphological awareness (MA) in reading. Morphology is a salient aspect of Arabic word structure. This study was designed to (a) examine the dimensions underlying MA in Arabic; (b) determine how well MA predicts reading; (c) investigate the role of the standard predictors in different reading outcomes; and (d) investigate the construct of reading in Arabic. This study was undertaken in two phases. In Phase I, 10 MA measures and two reading measures were developed, and tested in a sample of 102 Grade 3 Arabic-speaking children. Factor analysis of the 10 MA tasks yielded one predominant factor supporting the construct validity of MA in Arabic. Hierarchical regression analyses, controlling for age and gender, indicated that the MA factor solution accounted for 41– 43% of the variance in reading. In Phase II, the widely studied predictor measures were developed for PA and OP in addition to one additional measure of MA (root awareness), and three reading measures In Phase II, all measures were administered to another sample of 201 Grade 3 Arabic-speaking children. The construct of reading in Arabic was examined using factor analysis. The joint and unique effects of all standard predictors were examined using different sets of hierarchical regression analyses. Results of Phase II showed that: (a) all five reading measures loaded on one factor; (b) MA consistently accounted for unique variance in reading, particularly in comprehension, above and beyond the standard predictors; and (c) the standard predictors had differential contributions. These findings underscore the contribution of MA to all components of Arabic reading. The need for more emphasis on including morphology in Arabic reading instruction and assessment is discussed.

Effects of retirement on cognitive function: A gender and international perspecive

Background: As the global population is ageing, studying cognitive impairments including dementia, one of the leading causes of disability in old age worldwide, is of fundamental importance to public health. As a major transition in older age, a focus on the complex impacts of the duration, timing, and voluntariness of retirement on health is important for policy changes in the future. Longer retirement periods, as well as leaving the workforce early, have been associated with poorer health, including reduced cognitive functioning. These associations are hypothesized to differ based on gender, as well as on pre-retirement educational and occupational experiences, and on post-retirement social factors and health conditions. Methods: A cross-sectional study is conducted to determine the relationship between duration and timing of retirement and cognitive function, using data from the five sites of International Mobility in Aging Study (IMIAS). Cognitive function is assessed using the Leganes Cognitive Test (LCT) scores in 2012. Data are analyzed using multiple linear regressions. Analyses are also done by site/region separately (Canada, Latin America, and Albania). Robustness checks are done with an analysis of cognitive change from 2012 to 2014, the effect of voluntariness of retirement on cognitive function. An instrumental variable (IV) approach is also applied to the cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses as a robustness check to address the potential endogeneity of the retirement variable. Results: Descriptive statistics highlight differences between men and women, as well as between sites. In linear regression analysis, there was no relationship between timing or duration of retirement and cognitive function in 2012, when adjusting for site/region. There was no association between retirement characteristics and cognitive function in site/region/stratified analyses. In IV analysis, longer retirement and on time or late retirement was associated with lower cognitive function among men. In IV analysis, there is no relationship between retirement characteristics and cognitive function among women. Conclusions: While results of the thesis suggest a negative effect of retirement on cognitive function, especially among men, the relationship remains uncertain. A lack of power results in the inability to draw conclusions for site/region-specific analysis and site-adjusted analysis in both linear and IV regressions.

NON-FULL-TIME COLLEGE PROFESSORS: A NARRATIVE INQUIRY INTO THE NON-FULL-TIME FACULTY ROLE

The rate of non-full-time faculty members has increased rapidly over the last decade (Louis, 2009; MacKay, 2014; Meranze & Newfield, 2013), as the post-secondary landscape of fluctuating enrolment, fiscal and operational challenges, and the requirement to hire specialized skill sets have required institutions to rely heavily on this demographic. In the Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAATs) system, institutions have tried to preserve and enhance educational quality with fewer resources through greater reliance on non-full-time faculty. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of teaching and support of non-full-time faculty at one Eastern Ontario college. Employing a narrative inquiry methodology, data were collected from four participants through their writing three individual letters at the end of each month and participating in one interview at the end of the contract period. The data were analyzed and coded. This analysis revealed five themes: motivation, connection and engagement, compensation, teaching and development, and performance evaluation. Differences in the participants’ perceptions tended to reflect divergences across career stage: retired versus early career. The compensation package provided to non-full-time faculty was considered inadequate for those in the early career stage, especially comparing it to that of full-time faculty. In addition, the amount of previous teaching experience was an important indicator for the appropriate level of teaching resources and support provided by the institution. The newer faculty members required a higher level of support to combat feelings of role isolation. The temporary nature of the role made it difficult to establish a feeling of a strong connection to the institution and subsequently opportunities to engage further to deepen the relationship. Despite these differences across participants, autonomous motivators were consistent across all narratives, as participants expressed their desire to teach and share their knowledge to help students achieve their goals. Participants concluded their narratives by sharing future advice for faculty interested in pursuing the role. The narratives provided areas for improvement that would help increase the level of job satisfaction for non-full-time college faculty members: (a) establishing a more thorough performance evaluation process to align with institutional supports, (b) offering more diverse teaching resources to better prepare faculty and enhance teaching practices, (c) overhauling the compensation package to better recognize the amount of time and effort spent in the role and aligning with the compensation provided to full-time faculty, and (d) including rewards and incentives as part of the compensation package to enhance the level of commitment and availability for the role. These changes might well increase the job satisfaction and improve the retention of non-full-time faculty members.

Processing the Intracardiac Electrogram for Atrial Fibrillation Ablation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major global health issue as it is the most prevalent sustained supraventricular arrhythmia. Catheter-based ablation of some parts of the atria is considered an effective treatment of AF. The main objective of this research is to analyze atrial intracardiac electrograms (IEGMs) and extract insightful information for the ablation therapy. Throughout this thesis we propose several computationally efficient algorithms that take streams of IEGMs from different atrial sites as the input signals, sequentially analyze them in various domains (e.g., time and frequency), and create color-coded three-dimensional map of the atria to be used in the ablation therapy.

ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES AND EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS IN RISK FOR DEPRESSION

Genetic and environmental factors interact to influence vulnerability for internalizing psychopathology, including Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The mechanisms that account for how environmental stress can alter biological systems are not yet well understood yet are critical to develop more accurate models of vulnerability and targeted interventions. Epigenetic influences, and more specifically, DNA methylation, may provide a mechanism by which stress could program gene expression, thereby altering key systems implicated in depression, such as frontal-limbic circuitry and its critical role in emotion regulation. This thesis investigated the role of environmental factors from infancy and throughout the lifespan affecting the serotonergic (5-HT) system in the vulnerability to and treatment of depression and anxiety and potential underlying DNA methylation processes. First, we investigated the contributions of additive genetic vs. environmental factors on an early trait phenotype for depression (negative emotionality) in infants and their stability over time in the first 2 years of life. We provided evidence of the substantial contributions of both genetic and shared environmental factors to this trait, as well as genetically- and environmentally- mediated stability and innovation. Second, we studied how childhood environmental stress is associated with peripheral DNA methylation of the serotonin transporter gene, SLC6A4, as well as long-term trajectories of internalizing behaviours. There was a relationship between childhood psychosocial adversity and SLC6A4 methylation in males, as well as between SLC6A4 methylation and internalizing trajectory in both sexes. Third, we investigated changes in emotion processing and epigenetic modification of the SLC6A4 gene in depressed adolescents before and after Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). The alterations from pre- to post-treatment in connectivity between the ACC and other network regions and SLC6A4 methylation suggested that MBCT may work to optimize the connectivity of brain networks involved in cognitive control of emotion as well as also normalize the relationship between SLC6A4 methylation and activation patterns in frontal-limbic circuitry. Our results from these three studies strengthen the theory that environmental influences are critical in establishing early vulnerability factors for MDD, driving epigenetic processes, and altering brain processes as an individual undergoes treatment, or experiences relapse.

A HARD PUSH FOR SOFT SKILLS: AN EXAMINATION OF POLICY AND RESEARCH ON NON-COGNITIVE SKILLS IN CANADIAN K-12 SCHOOLING

Non-cognitive skills have caught the attention of current education policy writers in Canada. Within the last 10 years, almost every province has produced a document including the importance of supporting non-cognitive skills in K-12 students in the classroom. Although often called different names (such as learning skills, cross curricular competencies, and 20th Century Skills) and occasionally viewed through different lenses (such as emotional intelligence skills, character skills, and work habits), what unifies non-cognitive skills within the policy documents is the claim that students that are strong in these skills are more successful in academic achievement and are more successful in post-secondary endeavors. Though the interest from policy-makers and educators is clear, there are still many questions about non-cognitive skills that have yet to be answered. These include: What skills are the most important for teacher’s to support in the classroom? What are these skills’ exact contributions to student success? How can teachers best support these skills? Are there currently reliable and valid measures of these skills? These are very important questions worth answering if Canadian teachers are expected to support non-cognitive skills in their classrooms with an already burdened workload. As well, it can begin to untangle the plethora of research that exists within the non-cognitive realm. Without a critical look at the current literature, it is impossible to ensure that these policies are effective in Canadian classrooms, and to see an alignment between research and policy. Upon analysis of Canadian curriculum, five non-cognitive skills were found to be the most prevalent among many of the provinces: Self-Regulation, Collaboration, Initiative, Responsibility and Creativity. The available research literature was then examined to determine the utility of teaching these skills in the classroom (can students improve on these skills, do these skills impact other aspects of students’ lives, and are there methods to validly and reliably assess these skills). It was found that Self-Regulation and Initiative had the strongest basis for being implemented in the classroom. On the other hand, Creativity still requires a lot more justification in terms of its impact on students’ lives and ability to assess in the classroom.

Receptive Vocabulary of CLIL and Non-CLIL Primary and Secondary School Learners

CLIL instruction has been reported to be beneficial for foreign language vocabulary learning since CLIL students show higher vocabulary profiles than students of their same age in traditional EFL contexts. However, to our knowledge, the receptive vocabulary knowledge of CLIL and non-CLIL learners at the end of primary and secondary education has not been examined yet. Hence, this study aims at comparing the receptive vocabulary size 79 CLIL primary learners with the receptive vocabulary knowledge of 331 non-CLIL learners at the end of primary and secondary school. Sex-based differences were also analysed. The 2k Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) was used for the purposes of the study. Results revealed that learners’ receptive vocabulary sizes lie within the most frequent 1000 words, non-CLIL secondary school students throw better results than primary students but the differences between the secondary group and the CLIL group are not statistically significant. As for sex-based differences, we found no significant differences among the groups. These findings led us to believe that the CLIL approach offers a benefit for vocabulary acquisition since CLIL learners have been exposed to the foreign language for a shorter period of time and the results are quite similar to their non-CLIL secondary school partners.