All students of human development are interested in two questions: What develops? What influences development? In this course we are also interested in a third question: What is the role of formal education in human development? This course will provide an opportunity for students to construct an overall perspective on development and education, and to be introduced to the main areas of expertise among the faculty.
This course addresses issues and developmental changes in children and the factors involved in child development. Infancy, the preschool period, early school years, intermediate years, and adolescence are covered. Clinical and/or educational issues may be covered in some sections of this course.
Theories and Techniques of Counselling and Psychotherapy - Part I will introduce students to the process of psychotherapy and associated theories and techniques. Students will learn to conceptualize presenting issues from a number of theoretical orientations. Additionally, they will have an opportunity to engage in experiential exercises to practice relevant counselling skills and interventions through peer counselling activities. Being a culturally-responsive and self-aware practitioner is central to providing ethical and effective psychological services. Therefore, students will be invited to critically reflect on the theories discussed and the applicability of each to working with diverse client populations and concerns.
This course is intended to provide students with basic skills in clinical assessment and counselling interventions. Among others, issues related to the assessment of risk, history taking, clinical formulation, and the relationship between assessment and intervention will be addressed. Basic counselling interventions such as empathic responding, exploration of client's affect and cognitions, and problem solving will be explored. The course emphasizes the therapeutic relationship as well as the importance of ethical and legal issues in the provision of therapy. While the course presents didactic material, students have extensive opportunity to role play, and self-knowledge as well as issues related to boundary maintenance, power relationships in the provision of therapy and future self-development are also examined. This course involves sequenced skill training, with extensive counselling simulation and supervision of practice in a field setting. In addition to regular class meetings and time spent in group supervision with the instructor, M.Ed. students in Counselling are required to be in attendance one full day per week at their practicum settings. Some students may spend two full days in their practicum setting. MA students are required to be in attendance at least 2 full days per week at their practicum settings. All full- and part-time students must arrange their practica in consultation with the department's Coordinator of Internship and Counselling Services. Continuing students should plan to contact the Coordinator by March 15, and new students by May 15, in order to arrange the best match between student needs and field placement availability. The Counselling committee reserves the right to make any final decisions when questions arise concerning the placement of a student in a setting.
Current theories and research on personality are reviewed from several perspectives, including psychoanalytic, interpersonal, humanistic, trait, psychobiological, operant, and social cognitive. Topics include personality development and consistency, personality change, conscious and unconscious functioning, aggression, learned helplessness, personality disorders, sex and gender issues, and cross-cultural personality theories. Major theoretical approaches to personality within the context of clinical counseling psychology. This will include philosophical assumptions, key concepts, the process of change, and applications. Designed for those interested in personality development, change, and treatment issues. Specific content relevant to diverse socio- cultural contexts has been included. Upon completion of this course students will be able to: Understand the development of various Western psychology personality theories; understand the issues relevant to personality theory and development in culturally diverse contexts; and articulate a critical understanding of one of the major theories presented in class.
This course provides students with an overview of legal, ethical, and professional issues as they relate to the practice of psychology. The current regulatory model of psychology in Ontario and its implications for practice are reviewed. The Canadian Code of Ethics, College of Psychologists' Standards of Professional Conduct, federal and provincial legislation, and case law that apply to practice in Ontario are reviewed as they relate to issues of confidentiality, record keeping, consent, competence, professional boundaries, and diversity issues in assessment, psychotherapy, and research. Throughout the course, a model of ethical decision-making designed to assist practitioners with ethical dilemmas is reviewed and practised with a variety of case examples in the context of small- and large-group discussion.
The aim of this course is to provide a graduate level overview of a rapidly emerging field of research and application: Mind Brain and Education, also called Science of Learning, or Educational Neuroscience. The goal of this field is to bring together the theories, findings and methodologies of cognitive science, developmental science, education and neuroscience to understand the human mind/brain and its development and to devise effective ways to support learning and education.
This course will review the research findings and clinical case literature in selected areas of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender psychology with reference to their implications for professional practice in counselling psychology. Particular emphasis will be given to the clinical and research implications of sexual orientation identity acquisition, bias crime victimization, same sex domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, gender dysphoria, and alcohol and substance use. Students will come to a greater appreciation and understanding of the special counselling needs of clients from differing sexual orientations and gender identities through a combination of lectures, seminar presentations, discussions, bibliographic and Internet research, and original student research projects.
This course serves as an introduction and orientation to issues in psychological assessment. The principles of appropriate and ethical testing are reviewed with emphasis on psychometric theory, test standards, multicultural competence, and communication of findings. Supervised practical experience is provided in the administration and interpretation of representative tests of intellectual achievement, personality, neuropsychological, and occupational functioning to adults.
This course reviews foundational skills necessary for the successful completion of the MA thesis. The primary goals will be to develop: the ability to draw valid conclusions from quantitative evidence; the ability to critique published research articles; the ability to conduct a well designed piece of research; the ability to write up that research in a format appropriate for a journal article or thesis. The course deals with research methods, the conceptual foundations of statistics, and the preparation of a thesis/research report. The aim is to try to integrate these three things (research methods, the interpretation of statistics, and thesis/journal article preparation).
This research practicum-based course is designed to give students an opportunity to work closely with faculty on a research project. Students attend classes and colloquium presentations where they discuss the nature and range of current research in applied psychology, education, and human development. They are also linked with a faculty member in the department and work in their research lab on a project. Research work in the lab includes attending research meetings and may include a range of different research activities such as data collection, coding, and analyses. All students also have the opportunity to conduct a review of literature, pose and defend a research question, use data available from the faculty member's research lab to explore this question, and present results of this work as a research poster or a manuscript-style paper.
This course examines research on the psychological foundations of early development and relates those foundations to programs and policy in the preschool and primary years. The course follows an ecological framework beginning with child and family factors that affect development (brain development, coping and competence) then moves to relationships among families and services (child care, school) and finally considers broad factors such as adversity, resilience, culture and policy. Young children's physical, cognitive, communicative, social and emotional development are explored as contributors to and consequences of early learning.
This introductory level course in program evaluation will introduce students to the theoretical and practical issues encountered by evaluators as they appraise the design, implementation and utility of social service programs in education. The main objective of the course is to familiarize students with the major areas of program evaluation, and how it is used in the real world, including assessing program needs and evaluability assessments, developing a logic model, process and outcome evaluation, theoretical approaches, methodology and research design, communication of evaluation findings, evaluation ethics, and stakeholder engagement. This course will provide preliminary coverage of fundamental evaluation competencies and will help students work towards the professional designation of Credentialed Evaluator, as outlined by the Canadian Evaluation Society.
This course focuses on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and evidence-based approaches for its assessment, diagnosis, and intervention, with an emphasis on ADHD in educational settings. The course has three major sections. In the first section, we will cover the foundations of ADHD, including historical changes in the conceptualization of ADHD, core characteristics, developmental changes in its clinical manifestation (particularly in the educational setting), its current neuroscientific understanding and life-span impairments in cognitive, academic, social and family functioning. In the second section, we will explore issues and practices around assessment and diagnosis of ADHD from both medical/clinical and educational perspectives, to understand on-going controversies and delineate best practices. The third section of the course will focus on evidence-based interventions (medical, cognitive, educational), with emphasis on school-based, class-wide approaches, and educational accommodations.
The course is designed to introduce students to the field of counselling in the context of a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-faith, multi-racial, multi-gendered and multi-abled society. The course seeks to define and locate multicultural counselling studies within the broader historical, economic, social and political contexts of mental health care. Through a critical examination of 'race', gender , ethnicity, sexual orientations, disability and social class students would establish an understanding of the theoretical and conceptual ideas that form the basis of practice with minority clients. Key concepts such as identity and multiple identities, power, stereotyping, discrimination, prejudice and oppression will be explored in relation to women, Aboriginal, ethnic minorities, lesbian, gay men and disabled clients. Through discussions, seminar presentations and experiential learning, the course will support the development of appropriate counselling skills and competencies to practice in a clinically anti-oppressive way.
The purpose of this course is to gain an understanding of basic principles of psychological assessment and to acquire administration skills with respect to several widely used standardized tests of intelligence, academic achievement, and special abilities. Topics will include the history of intelligence testing, contextual issues surrounding the assessment process, basic statistical concepts related to psychometrics, test administration, and report writing. Students gain practical experience with respect to a test administration and scoring of a number of tests (e.g., WISC-IV, WPPSI-III, WAIS-III, WIAT-II, K-TEA, WJ-III, WRAT-3) which are evaluated through review of completed test protocols and videotaped test administrations. Pre-requisite: This course is limited to students in the School and Clinical Child Psychology program and is a pre-requisite for course APD1216H
Theory and practicum in psychological assessment techniques applied in school settings. Administration and interpretation of individual intelligence tests, academic tests, tests of special abilities and behaviour rating scales within the context of a practicum assignment in the Counselling and Psychoeducational Clinic. Topics focus on the development of assessment plans, clinical interviewing, test interpretation, report writing, feedback, and consultation.
This course provides a basic overview of current behavioural and cognitive-behavioural approaches to the management and remediation of maladaptive behaviour, such as aggression, disruption, and noncompliance, in clinical, educational and residential settings. A conceptual model of behaviour and cognitive-behaviour therapy and learning principles relevant to this model will be considered. The model focuses on proactive, nonintrusive, and success-based approaches to remediation of problem behaviour. Topics will include assessment of maintaining variables, teaching of adaptive skill clusters, building tolerance to difficult environmental circumstances, moderating severe behaviour to enable skill-teaching, and evaluating clinical progress.
This course supports and monitors the development of students' clinical skills (assessment, consultation and intervention) in their 250 hour-field placement in a school setting. Seminars are typically scheduled on alternate weeks for the academic year. They focus on issues related to working as a psychologist in school settings including the school context, psychological assessment, individual and cultural diversity, consultation, prevention, and mental health intervention. The seminars will include explicit teaching of behavioural observation, interviewing and consultation skills.
This course is an introduction to ethical issues in the professional practice of psychology. We will cover issues encountered in counselling, assessment, and research and will have opportunities to discuss ethical issues in teaching and organizational and community psychology. The goals of the course are: a) to familiarize students with the variety of issues they might encounter in their own work, b) to provide students with the skills and resources for ethical decision-making, c) to familiarize students with the codes, standards, and legislation which bear on ethical and legal issues.
This course introduces the major theories of psychotherapy with children and adults including cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and humanistic approaches. Issues related to gender and to individual and cultural diversity are also considered. A practical component assists students in developing basic psychotherapy skills.
NOTE: Targeted to School and Clinical Child Psychology students. Others by permission of instructor. DPE MEd students interested in this course must have pre-requisite course APD1297H, prior experience in therapeutic work with children and youth, and permission of instructor.
This course provides students with an introduction to the role of inquiry in teacher learning and professional development with a particular emphasis on the role of collaborative inquiry models in this process. Students will develop an understanding of the cycle of inquiry and how to engage in inquiry of their own professional practice. They will develop their understanding of how to use a broad range of data sources to inform their understanding of key issues and questions embedded in the classroom and school context. Students will also gain insight into core principles of data-based decision making and its role in classroom instruction and the development of effective learning environments.
Through a guided experience based on their school internships, students will implement the professional learning cycle in authentic contexts of practice to complete a professional practice project. The course is grounded in two of the Ontario College of Teachers Standards of Practice: Ongoing Professional Learning and Leadership in Learning Communities. Students will gain experience as "activators" of their own continuous professional learning processes as they work to improve their practice as beginning teachers, and as "facilitators" who actively create the conditions for the impactful professional learning of others.
This course will examine one of several contemporary models of psychotherapy for family and couples counselling.
This course will explore theory and implications of anti-Black racism from childhood to emerging adulthood. Topics will include: overview of recent scholarship in critical race theory and systems of oppression, models of racial identity development, concepts of power and privilege, exploration of the socio-emotional and socio-cultural experiences of Black children, adolescents, emerging adults and their families, and examination of the role of anti-Black racism in the development of psychological problems. Students will be introduced to a range of strategies for psychology and educational practice with racialized children, youth, emerging adults and families. The possibilities and challenges of applying anti-racist approaches to foster resilience in these populations will be explored.
In this course, we will explore well-being in the context of education and educational settings. We will start by learning about the definition of well-being and the different ways it is fostered and defined. We will discuss how well-being is connected to various aspects of children and youth’s experiences and what role educators play in fostering well-being. We will consider some of the most important factors and constructs that influence well-being among children and youth (technology, happiness, and resilience) and discuss how educators contribute to promoting well-being through these factors. Throughout the course, we will take a multi-system perspective, focusing on the roles of families, educators, classrooms and schools in promoting children and youth’s well-being.
This experiential course explores the concepts underlying mindful self-compassion and their application to education. We will engage in various mindful self-compassion exercises to gain direct insight on the benefits these experiences can have on teacher well-being. From this gained insight, we will examine how mindfulness and self-compassion can be integrated into the curriculum and contribute to both children’s individual emotional well-being as well as to the creation of a positive learning community in the classrooms that we teach in.
This course will explore historical, theoretical, experiential, psycho-educational, research and clinical applications of mindfulness-based interventions and approaches. Some of the topics will include: Historical context, development of mindfulness as a psychotherapeutic intervention, overview of multiple approaches to mindfulness, key concepts, evidence-based applications in health and well-being, mindfulness in the context of systemic approaches to health, compassion- based practices and integration of mindfulness in daily living. The course will provide opportunities to experience a variety of mindfulness practices, applications and interventions.
This course provides an introduction to a variety of topics in cognitive development that are of contemporary interest. Major theories of cognitive development will be explored. We cover both classic and current experimental findings, and on how they address centuries-old debates surrounding the origin and nature of human knowledge. These topics currently include concepts and conceptual change in infants, core domains in conceptual development, the organization of action in infancy, the onset of symbolic functioning, memory development, the use of the imagination, theory formation as a model for conceptual change, and scientific reasoning.
This course examines the intersection of technology, social media and play during adolescence from a developmental and educational perspective. Topics include: social interaction, emotional development, gamification, collaboration, social media, and the role of technology in education. This course is designed to have students critically examine contemporary research to better understand the implications of technology on social emotional development, interaction, and learning in adolescence.
The aim of this course is to provide students with a basic understanding of child and adult psychopathology. In order to do this we will look at normative patterns in personality, behavior and emotions. We will treat the work in the epidemiology of childhood and adult disorders as central to our understanding of these disorders, and discuss the methodological issues involved in this type of approach that make it so useful to understanding etiology, course, treatment and prognosis. The diversity of functioning in the emotional and behavioral realm will be reviewed in order to understand issues of abnormal or pathological development. The way in which the social and cultural context interacts with genetic and constitutional aspects of the individual will also be considered. This will give us the basis for examining some of the most common disorders and understanding the dynamics of these disorders during childhood and into adulthood.
A course designed to permit the study (in a formal class setting) of a specific area of human development and applied psychology not already covered in the courses listed for the current year. The topics will be announced each spring in the Winter Session and Summer Session timetables.
This course will introduce students to basics of theory and practice of various brief assessment and intervention models used in counselling and psychotherapy with a focus on international contexts. Each class may include lectures, discussions of required readings, instructor demonstration of specific techniques, class role plays, practice of techniques with peers, as well as analysis and critique of clinical videos. Students will learn how to conduct a suicide risk assessment and will develop a solid understanding of the principles and components of crisis intervention and brief therapy strategies. Related ethical and professional practice issues will be addressed. Students will learn to compare and contrast as well as integrate these brief counselling models, and how and when to include crisis intervention in their work.
This course must be taken in conjunction with APD1203Y Practicum in Counselling. The two courses may only be taken by students enrolled in Counselling programs. All students must arrange their practica in consultation with the department's Coordinator of Internship and Counselling Services.
This course will review theories of social and emotional development, and then follow the child's social-emotional growth from birth through adolescence. Within the context of children's family and peer relationships we will consider the ways in which emotional and social experience becomes patterned, organized, and represented by the child and by others. We will examine the implications of these issues for problematic outcomes in families, daycares, and schools, and for prevention and intervention practices.
This program evaluation practicum course is designed to support students with an opportunity to work closely with faculty on a program evaluation project or an external project that OISE faculty is collaborating on. Students attend class seminars weekly where they discuss various evaluation approaches and debrief their practicum work. They are linked with a faculty member in the department or OISE and work on an evaluation project under the faculty’s supervision. Evaluation work includes attending team meetings, conducting a review of literature, participating in instrument development, data collection and analysis activities, and presenting results of their work in an end of term poster.
This course will provide the student with a better understanding of current theoretical and applied issues in reading in a second language (L2). A cognitive-developmental approach will be used to examine topics such as: the development of L2 basic reading and spelling skills, the role of L2 oral proficiency in reading, comprehension related processes, the role of background knowledge, text structure and cultural background, sources of individual and developmental differences, and reading disability. Students will be encouraged to develop their own research and/or applied questions/projects. The course will be conducted in a seminar format. A different topic will be discussed each week. Key issues pertaining to research methodology and data analysis will be addressed as needed.
Specialized study, under the direction of a staff member, focusing upon topics that are of particular interest to the student but are not included in available courses. While credit is not given for a thesis investigation proper, the study may be closely related to such a topic.
An examination of the nature and consequences of child maltreatment. Theory and research in physical, sexual, and emotional abuse will be reviewed. Coverage includes recent therapeutic interventions and promising prevention initiatives. The objective of this course is to provide a knowledge base for more effective practice and inquiry.
This advanced course links scientific evidence regarding child development to one’s personal experience in childhood. This course provides students with opportunities to discuss current scientific findings regarding child development from personal perspectives, and thus to serve a forum for students to learn about scientific evidence regarding child development in a more meaningful and contextualized manner.
This course offers a thorough examination of the role that spatial thinking plays in STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics). Striking a balance between theory and practice, this course aims to develop a greater awareness and appreciation of what spatial reasoning is, how it develops, and how it might look and feel across a variety of educational contexts (e.g., preschool to university classrooms as well as maker spaces). We will review and discuss research on the relationship between spatial thinking and student interest, motivation, performance, and creativity in STEAM. Moreover, we will consider evidence suggesting that an increased curricular focus on spatial reasoning offers more equitable and accessible entry points into STEAM. Considerable time will be spent discussing ways of improving spatial thinking. Ultimately, this course offers new insights into the fundamental role that spatial thinking plays in STEAM education, begging us to reimagine what learning and education might look like if spatial thinking is given greater priority and explicit curricular focus.
This is an introductory course intended to provide students an overview in the clinical application of evidence based practice in Family Therapy grounded in the systemic conceptual frameworks. Several family therapy models (e.g. Bowenian multi-generational Family Therapy, Milan Systemic Family Therapy, Strategic Family Therapy, Structural Family Therapy, Behavioral Family Therapy, Narrative Therapy) will be presented. The significance of family work in the clinical practice of psychology has gained substantial recognition in recent years. Family Psychology is accorded divisional status (Division 43) by the American Psychological Association (APA) and is classified as one of the clinical specialty areas by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP).
Presentation of models of group work processes, as well as of current theory applicable to group work in counselling. Students will be expected to develop a catalogue of skills and ideas useful in the school setting, and to develop communication skills essential to group work. For students enrolled in Counselling programs only.
A survey of standardized tests typically used by counsellors in schools, community colleges, and other settings. Topics included are: a review of the basic concepts in tests and measurement; criteria for evaluating educational and psychological tests; rationale underlying the development of various tests; and practice in administration of tests and interpretation of test results. Individual intelligence scales and projective techniques are beyond the scope of this course.
Quantitative and qualitative alternatives in the design and conduct of counselling research will be examined. Limitations on research from practical and ethical considerations will be addressed. Students will be introduced to library, computer, and consulting resources within OISE/UT. (Limited to Counselling Psychology for Psychology Specialists students.)
This course aims at preparing the counsellor for an expanded role in career guidance. It deals with all major aspects of career development. The topics covered are: social and economic context, theories of career development, the role of information, assessment of career development, career guidance programs, and recurring issues in career guidance. This course is limited to students in a U of T graduate degree program. Others by permission of instructor.
This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of emotion-focused psychotherapy. The theoretical underpinnings and historical development of emotion-focused psychotherapy will be presented along with the practical application of the approach to facilitate clients’ emotional processing in the session. Students will be introduced to different ways of working with emotion using empathic reflections, focusing, exploratory tasks, and chair-dialogues. The role of the therapeutic relationship will be emphasized and specific emotional processing tasks will be explored. Students will receive three hours of instruction once a week consisting of lectures, video presentations, demonstrations, and in-vivo exercises. Students are expected to engage in in-vivo counselling exercises with their peers during class time under the supervision of the instructor. By the second class, students will be expected to form small process learning groups within which they will have the opportunity to experiment with different roles as counsellor, client and observer to practice using emotion focused and experiential techniques.
This course will focus on the theories of career development and counselling techniques to deal with major career transitions. Topics will include mid-life career changes, career psychology of women, career planning and development in the workplace, relocation counselling, and retirement and leisure counselling. This course is limited to students in a U of T graduate degree program. Others by permission of instructor.
This course will examine theories and models of psychotherapy through the lens of trauma-informed care. Students will gain an understanding of the impact of trauma on mental health and will explore critical principles of trauma-informed practice, including a focus on safety, trust, and choice. They will learn about the impacts of trauma for diverse populations. In addition, students will gain exposure to specific evidence-based therapy approaches that address trauma.
This course provides graduate students with an introduction to the topic of executive functions. The course enables students to better understand theoretical models of executive functions, executive function development, the associations of different domains of executive functions with social and scholastic functioning in school age children and youth, and recent findings related to the relations among executive functions, academic performance and achievement, and behaviour. In this course students will also develop an understanding of how various individual difference factors (e.g., language proficiency) as well as environmental contexts (e.g., classroom context) can impact executive function development. Finally, this course will explore diverse types of interventions designed to support students with executive function difficulties drawing on multitiered models of support.
A series of seminars dealing with the definition of the term ''play'' and its relation to both psychological and educational processes in the young child. The history of play will be examined in relationship to various theories that have been advanced concerning the need children have to play, the functions of play, and their relationship to psychological, social, cognitive, emotional, and physical development.
This course will focus on current knowledge of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from preschool through to adolescence. We will discuss the biological and psychological factors playing a role in the etiology and consider interventions for treatment and education of those with ASD. The emphasis will be on using well-founded research to inform instructional practices and decision making.
This course is primarily designed for students having their first experience in a Canadian academic context, and/or students who wish to further develop their academic English skills. The course will explore the following questions: How does learning happen for children and adults? How do YOU learn? How can you use the research on how learning happens to better understand and improve on the communicative and disciplinary practices in your graduate program and become successful graduate students and professionals? This course will help you 1) develop an understanding of the psychology behind learning; 2) reflect on your own learning experiences, connect them to the concepts being explored in this course and engage in critical discourse; and 3) develop and practice academic skills and strategies to maximize your learning experience in your graduate program. Topics such as cognition, cognitive biases, collaborative learning, motivation, critical thinking, online and in-person discussion strategies, academic reading skills, and academic writing will be addressed from both theoretical and practical perspectives.
A course designed to permit the study (in a formal class setting) of a specific area of counselling psychology not already covered in the courses listed for the current year. The topics will be announced each spring in the Winter Session and Summer Session timetables.
This course is an in-depth exploration of the concept of learning from both an individual and a group perspective. Students will examine the research on learning and the cognitive, social, and personal factors that encourage or impede it, to develop an understanding of how to maximize learning for themselves and others. Topics such as cognition, constructivism, metacognition, collaborative learning, efficacy, motivation, and influence will be addressed from both theoretical and practical perspectives. The course will be of particular interest to educators who are looking to maximize the learning of their students as well as their own ongoing professional learning as adults.
This course seeks to define, redefine and locate Indigenous knowledges in the context of International mental health care. In particular, the course will examine cultural and traditional healing within the broader economic, social and political practices of psychology worldwide. While the focus is in counselling psychology and psychotherapy, it also provides a critical site to highlight challenges and transformations within mental healthcare. The course seeks to draw attention to the use of Indigenous knowledges in mental health care generally. Explorations of the currents issues and debates in the contemporary practices of Indigenous healing in psychology will be a key features of the course, for example, cultural respect and appropriation, ethics and confidentiality, competence of practitioners, and systemic and social issues. Through an in-depth analysis of International Indigenous helping and healing practices, with particular focus on Indigenous knowledges perspectives from countries around the world, the course will undertake to raise questions regarding the theory, practice, and research of Indigenous traditional healing perspectives on mental health and healing in psychology and its relationship to education of practitioners. As part of the exploration of Indigenous traditional healing knowledges, the course will also focus on how peoples from non-dominant cultures construct illness perceptions and the types of treatments they expect to use to solve mental health problems; in this respect, the course is also intended to contribute to community development and community health promotion.
This course covers current theory and principles of cognitive therapy in the treatment of anxiety and depression. Special applications such as grief counselling, bereavement and post-traumatic stress disorders will be examined.
This course examines evidenced based efforts to prevent problems that place children and youth at risk. Focus will be on ways of reducing risk and increasing protective factors. Coverage includes interventions that effectively deal with health, social, and educational issues impacting well being and life chances. Poverty, chronic illness, and intentional and unintentional injury are some of the areas surveyed.
This is a graduate level seminar that will address fundamental questions regarding symbolic development and media-based learning in young children. We will explore recent findings in relation to questions such as the following: (1) What does symbolic understanding entail? (2) What is the developmental trajectory with respect to symbolic understanding? (3) What social-cognitive processes underlie symbolic development? (4) What can young children learn from media? (5) How well can young children learn from media? (6) What features of the media affect learning? (7) How can we facilitate children's symbolic learning? We will explore these questions by examining children's learning from a variety of symbolic media: pictures, scale-models, maps, TV, and electronic games.
Students will be introduced to the various special education exceptionalities in Ontario schools and will be provided with opportunities to analyze and reflect upon key issues in special education such as inclusion and universal design for learning. They will have the opportunity to gain skills and evidence-based knowledge regarding the identification, instruction, and progress monitoring of students with special education needs. The emphasis will be on using well-founded research to inform instructional practices and decision making. Given that students with exceptionalities are often at risk for mental health difficulties, we will discuss the intersection between mental health and learning as well as the intersection between special education and diversity.
This introductory course is designed to engage students in a critical understanding of the mental illness, mental health and well-being issues facing globalization, mental health practices and counselling psychology. The course will facilitate a critical reflection of the research and wellness practices that places a priority on improving equality of mental health and well-being for all people worldwide. The course seeks to define and locate critical counselling psychology within the broader historical, economic, social and political contexts of global mental health (GMH) care. Through a critical examination of the various ways in which Western mental health is practiced globally, students would establish a critical understanding of the economic and political engagements that underpin clinical practice globally. A critical examination of the various ways in which Western models of diagnosis and treatment - DSM5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed., and the ICD 10 International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, a medical classification list by the World Health Organization (WHO) - students will get an appreciation of how Western models dominate an determine Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC) mental health trajectory of care. Western narratives about mental illness, mental health and well-being tend to dominate over local LMIC traditional and indigenous healing practices. The course will focus on diagnosis and culture, transcultural psychiatry, cross-cultural counseling psychology, and the political economy of global mental health and well-being. An in-depth analysis of a number of individual country vignettes using a critical lens will be undertaken. Key concepts such as: globalization of mental health, cultural representation and presentation of mental illness and health, cross-cultural counselling and psychotherapy; Indigenous knowledges and traditional healing; political-economy of mental health and wellbeing will be critically understood and appreciated. This course will offer students an opportunity to learn about essential GMH current issues, discuss innovative cross-cultural counselling psychology collaborations, and critically examine strategic Indigenous initiatives aimed at reducing the burden of mental illness around the globe.
This course introduces students to the skills, theory, and practice of counselling interventions in persons experiencing mental health problems, as well as in mental health settings. It aims to develop peer-counselling skills and deepen self-awareness and interpersonal communication competencies. Basic counselling interventions such as empathic responding, exploration of client's affect and cognitions, and problem solving will be explored. The course emphasizes the therapeutic relationship as well as the importance of ethical and legal issues in the provision of therapy. The course will use a combination of video-based counselling techniques, to assist students in developing basic counselling skills and increase their conceptual understanding of theoretical perspectives of counselling through practice, including counselling processes and case conceptualizations. The instructor will also present cases, including using video-taped counselling sessions, in addition to extensive counselling simulation. Unique to this program, is a cohort model of learning, where participants build trust with one another and build on their in-class relationships and discussions. Through presentations, experiential learning, class discussion, group exercises, counselling practice and videotaping, participants will:
In addition, there will be a 250-hour placement in an approved field setting.
Psychological and educational characteristics of children and adolescents with learning disabilities and ADHD with an emphasis on the constitutional and environmental factors that contribute to these disabilities and enable optimal functioning. Emphasis is placed on the concept of learning disability and on the educational implications of the research literature in the field.
The course will provide the student with a better understanding of current theoretical and applied issues in language and reading development. It will target primarily first language learning but will cover second language learning whenever appropriate. A cognitive-developmental approach will be used to examine topics such as: the development of basic language reading skills including speech perception and phonological awareness, morphological awareness, orthographic processing and their respective contributions to reading, lexical learning and vocabulary development, the role of vocabulary in reading comprehension, comprehension strategies, reading disability, cross-language transfer of language and reading skills between first and second language in bilingual children, and cognitive effects of bilingualism. Implications of theories on instruction will be discussed whenever relevant. Students will be encouraged to develop their own research and/or applied projects. The course will be conducted in a seminar format. A different topic will be discussed in each session. Key issues pertaining to research methodology and data analysis will be addressed as needed.
Survey sampling, experimental design, and power analysis; analysis of variance for one-way and multi-way data with fixed, mixed, and random effects models; linear and multiple regression; multiple correlation; analysis of covariance.
Multistage, stratified sampling, multi-factor experimental designs, and multivariate statistical procedures, including multiple regression analysis, multivariate significance tests, factor analysis, discriminant analysis, canonical analysis, multivariate analysis of variance, logistic regression and log-linear analysis are discussed with application to research design and data analysis.
This interdisciplinary course seeks to advance Indigenous approaches to mental health and disability justice, especially in terms of applied theories and practices. By critically examining Indigenous psychological, sociological, cultural, environmental, and political formulations of mental health and disability, students will gain relevant knowledge and practical skills to promote Indigenous mental health equity and disability justice, especially within Canadian healthcare, social service, educational, and community development settings. In addition to developing a conceptual understanding of Indigenous approaches to mental health and disability including knowledge of the historical development of theories and practices, contextual factors (such as structural issues like colonialism; social and health policy contexts), students will also gain familiarity with intersectional issues facing Indigenous peoples in terms of mental health equity and disability justice (issues such as ageism, gender, sexuality, housing status). Students will also be able to reflect on their vocational formation and refine their commitments to ethical, culturally-safety, and socially responsive practice in their work with Indigenous peoples with lived/living experiences of psychosocial distress and disabilities. Finally, the course is geared towards developing skills to inform mental health promotion and disability justice organizing. Students will be exposed to and develop foundational skills in individual and community-based Indigenous mental health promotion, human rights-informed practices, and disability justice organizing.
This course will explore the role of the counsellor/counselling psychologist in the field of addictive behaviours. Through lectures, interactive discussions, video demonstrations, group presentations, and experiential exercises, students will become familiar with various theoretical models of addiction, approaches to assessment, and common intervention methods and techniques. Several intervention approaches will be examined, including behavioural, cognitive-behavioural and motivational interventions, relapse prevention, and self-help approaches. Although the primary emphasis will be on substance use issues, other addictive behaviours will be covered (e.g. gambling).
Introduction to the theory and practice of educational and psychological measurement. Topics include test development, classical test theory and item response theory, with applications to norm-referenced and criterion-referenced standardized achievement tests, group intelligence and aptitude tests, attitude and self-report scales, personality tests, performance assessments, questionnaires, and interview protocols.
This course examines psychological theories of play and has a focus on the role of technology in play across the life span (e.g., Vygotsky, Huizinga, Brown) in relation to the role of technology in play (e.g., Resnick, Gee, Squires) from both human developmental and educational perspectives. Topics addressing play include: gamification, trust, collaboration and passion to learn. In addition, we will address the growing role of technology in 'eduplay' and emerging social implications (e.g., concerns of addiction to gaming, social media, and networked-connectedness).
Adolescence is a developmental period characterized by both vulnerability and opportunity. This course will examine research and theory on the development of mental health and well-being in adolescence and emerging adulthood (ages 18-25 years), and examine common mental health concerns in adolescence. In addition to examining contributing developmental factors to adolescent mental health (e.g., physical, social, emotional changes and transitions in adolescence), this course will also explore risk and protective factors across various contexts (e.g., family, peers, schools, media) that influence adolescent risk and resiliency.
With increasing globalization and mobility across countries, student populations in urban schools include various groups of language learners, including immigrant children, indigenous language-speaking students, and second- or third-generation children who enter the school with fluent oral proficiency but with limited literacy skills in a language used as the medium of instruction at school. This course is designed for graduate students who wish to develop competencies in assessing additional language learners' language proficiency in K-12 curriculum learning contexts. The use of assessment is the central theme. We will consider theoretical bases and empirical evidence that educators and teachers should know in using assessment of school-aged language learners. Various cognitive and non-cognitive factors that influence students' language proficiency development will be examined. We will examine validity, reliability, and fairness issues arising from the use of standardized tests as well as classroom assessment.
Recent research suggests that one out of every five school-aged children suffers from a mental health issue (e.g., anxiety, depression), and that children who experience mental health issues are at increased risk for poor academic outcomes in schools. Educators are uniquely positioned to assist in the early identification of students struggling with mental health problems in the classroom. By learning about the signs of mental health problems, and understanding how to refer students to appropriate services, educators can facilitate children and youth's timely access to effective assessment and intervention. This course will provide an overview of the conceptualization, prevalence, and course of commonly occurring mental health disorders among school-aged children and youth, and explore risk and protective factors for mental health problems. Moreover, this course will examine the signs and symptoms of these disorders (to facilitate early detection by educators), as well as provide educators with information about empirically supported recommendations for preventing and responding to mental health issues in the classroom. Additionally, broader evidenced-based strategies and programming for preventing mental health concerns, and promoting mental health and well-being in the classroom will be discussed.
The mainstream view of developmental psychologists has been that early childhood is a 'high season of imaginative play'. Watching children at play seems to bear this out. However, both the purpose and the nature of children's imagination have recently been subjects of debate. We will examine fundamental questions about the nature and purpose of children's imagination, play, and narrative comprehension in development. We will also ask whether 'imagination' and 'play' have been appropriately conceptualized: are the explicit and tacit assumptions that developmental psychologists have made about the nature of 'play' convincing, and are they well-defined? We will also ask questions about future thinking and counterfactual reasoning and whether and how they impact children's learning and development.
Language is central to the human experience. It emerges universally and is acquired effortlessly by children. This seminar will focus on the acquisition of a first language by children. We will review the acquisition of the sounds of language, the meaning of language, and the structure of phrases and sentences. We will discuss both the process of acquisition and the competing theoretical explanations of that process. Particular emphasis will be placed on discovering the mechanisms children possess that enable them to learn language. Understanding how language develops and the factors involved can help us better identify appropriate interventions for children at risk.
This course will build on the foundations of counselling and psychotherapy developed in Part I. Students will continue their learning of different theoretical orientations, further adding to their repertoire of theories and techniques. As with Part I, students will have an opportunity to engage in experiential exercises to practice relevant counselling skills and interventions through peer counselling activities. Students will continue to reflect critically on the theories of counselling and psychotherapy addressed in this course, with a focus on building skills to become culturally-responsive and self-aware practitioners. The course will also focus on theoretical integration and common factors in psychotherapy and counselling.
This is an introductory course intended to provide students an overview of the theoretical and clinical application of the theories and techniques of counselling and psychotherapy. It will also critically explore the use of these theories and techniques across culturally diverse settings. This knowledge provides a foundation for further development in clinical skills and training in a global context.
A core element of the Research Intensive Training in Psychology and Education field of study within the Master of Arts in Child Study and Education program is the production of a Major Research Paper (MRP). The MRP represents a student's ability to engage in the production of a novel piece of research. The MRP will follow the OISE guidelines for the components of a M.A. thesis in terms of its design and layout. Students who complete an MRP will be assigned a primary faculty supervisor who will support the student through the research process and the development of a research proposal and MRP. A second faculty member will act as the "second reader" who must read and review the final MRP and provide formal approval of the MRP along with the primary supervisor.
Child Study is the examination of individual differences in children and their contexts. Using research in the cognitive, developmental and educational sciences, this course will help you to reason about children and the optimization of their trajectories. The course uses both research and experience of children in classrooms to build an integrated schema for your practice. The following core developmental principles are found in all sections: the cognitive foundations for learning, environmental support and instructional opportunities, proximal and distal ecological influences on learning (e.g., relationships, social disadvantage and discrimination, culture and ethnicity), and the role of science in effective teaching.
The course is delivered in four, six week blocks as follows:
· The Teaching and Learning of Mathematics
This is a seminar course that examines the interactions between teachers and children in kindergarten, primary and junior grade educational settings. Students learn instructional methods (planning, learning environment, classroom management) and pedagogies for elementary teaching. Emphasis is placed on the integration of teaching practice with Social Studies curriculum and social learning theories. Critical pedagogies and Indigenous perspectives are introduced and explored. The law, legislations and government policies for education are explored and tied to professional practice. This course blends theory and practice and draws on students’ experiences from practicum placements.
This seminar course will provide the students with opportunities to examine key topics in education as well as share and reflect upon topics and issues that emerge during the students' internship (APD2221Y Teaching Internship) and that relate to employment preparation. Each week students will discuss and evaluate ideas, strategies, and activities that they have observed in their classrooms in relation to key components of pedagogical practice in elementary education.
A study of education techniques and the role of the teacher in designing, implementing and evaluating curricula for children aged three to twelve. Basic areas of the elementary curriculum are introduced, including designing educational programs, early childhood, language and literacy, mathematics and science.
This course provides a foundation of understanding for language and literacy instruction, translating current theory and research into evidence-based practice. The course considers reading and writing acquisition in terms of the component processes involved at various stages of literacy development. The goal of the course is to engender thoughtful, critical, informed decisions about the teaching and assessment of language and literacy in the schools. Teachers successfully completing the course will be prepared to develop and implement theoretically-sound, practical and motivating classroom literacy programs for the primary and junior grades.
This course offers a detailed study of mathematics learning and education from the early years through to middle school (with a primary focus on K-6 mathematics). The course aims to strike a balance between. research and practice, routinely integrating research in the cognitive, developmental, and educational sciences with the teaching and learning of mathematics; assessment is discussed throughout the course and as a fundamental aspect of all mathematics teaching and learning. The course provides a foundation for developing research-informed practice and curriculum design, creating pathways that promote engaging, equitable, and accessible mathematics for all students.
In this course students will use a variety of artistic modalities (visual art, music, dance, drama), to explore arts-based critical pedagogy through an experiential learning model. Students will be provided opportunities to mobilize the arts towards a wide range of learning outcomes with a focus on equity, critical awareness, and community building. Students will also become familiar with process-driven and participation-based assessment as important elements of the Ontario Arts Curriculum.
First year Child Study and Education students are placed in classrooms in the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study Laboratory School, in public and separate schools in Toronto, and in other independent school settings. Students are under the joint supervision of an associate teacher on site and an academic staff member at the Institute. This course is normally open to students in the MA in Child Study and Education program only.
Second year Child Study and Education students carry out a single practicum placement called an internship during either the fall or winter term. Supervised by a mentor teacher on site and a staff member from the Institute of Child Study in an assigned setting from kindergarten through grade six, students have an opportunity to consolidate developing skills and attitudes as they apply their teaching skills.
Students will take this course during the internship term of their second year of the MA CSE program. The course is grounded in two of the Ontario College of Teachers Standards of Practice: Ongoing Professional Learning and Leadership in Learning Communities. Working collaboratively with students enrolled in APD2223 (Professional Practice: Developing the Skills of Critical Friendship), students will gain experience enacting their own continuous professional cycle as they work to improve their practice as beginning teachers.
Students will take this course during the academic term of their second year of the MA CSE program. The course is grounded in two of the Ontario College of Teachers Standards of Practice: Ongoing Professional Learning and Leadership in Learning Communities. Working collaboratively with students enrolled in APD2222 (Professional Practice: Enacting a Research-Informed Professional Learning Cycle), students will develop skills as "critical friends" who actively create the conditions for the impactful professional learning of themselves and others.
This course provides teacher candidates with the opportunity to learn and practice therapy techniques that can be used to engage parents, teachers, and students in the education system. Teacher candidates will learn different therapy techniques to engaging, focusing, evoking, planning, and healing to resolve conflict and practice the skills within class. Though the intent is not to train teachers as therapists, it is to provide them with essential skills that they can use in their practice.
Specialized study, under the direction of a staff member, focusing upon topics that are of particular interest to the student but are not included in available courses. While credit is not given for a thesis investigation proper, the study may be closely related to such a topic.
A critical analysis of current issues related to instruction for school-aged children with a focus on those with special educational needs. The emphasis is on using well-founded research and data to inform instructional practices and decision-making. This course is designed to promote reflective thinking about key topics that educators must conceptualize from both theoretical and practical perspectives. It is intended to provide students with knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will enable evidence-based understanding of what is involved in working with exceptional learners across a variety of settings, but primarily in an inclusive classroom situation. Focus is placed on curriculum being flexible in responding to diversity, so that teachers are guided to make appropriate accommodations and modified expectations for the various categories of exceptionality. This course includes a service-learning experiential component to enable students to make connections between theory, research, and practice.
This course will examine the potential of microcomputer-based technology in various types of learning environments. The focus is on the use of adaptive and assistive technology as a tool to increase the teacher's ability to handle a wide range of student learning needs in main streamed classrooms. The course is suitable for students in the departments of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning and Applied Psychology and Human Development.
Introductory course in the critical evaluation of research reports. Emphasis on understanding and interpretation of the outcome of basic statistical and research methods. Hands-on experience in research design and report writing.
This course focuses on prevention and intervention in the area of reading and writing difficulties and disabilities. It is designed to prepare special educators and classroom teachers to implement evidence-based practice in the assessment and instruction of children with reading and writing problems. Half of the course is concerned with assessment, including informal and standardized approaches, and the remainder is concerned with research-based interventions to meet specific programming needs. Both parts involve hands-on strategies with children and adolescents who have serious reading and writing difficulties.
This is a doctoral course that will provide foundational knowledge in developing as scholar practitioners and completing a dissertation in practice. The course will provide an overview of research methods and practices that are relevant to EdD students. Special topics that will be covered include a review of practice, policy, research and theory relevant to the students' focus of interest. Students will be introduced to the requirements of ethical reviews and working in the community as well as how to apply for funding and liaise with various agencies. Students will be introduced to program evaluation, action research, as well as other methodologies to support the development of proposals and programs of study to support their research with a focus on adults and adolescents.
This course will build on the research methods introduced in the 1st year Proseminar (APD3115H), with particular attention to the case study method. Specifically, this course aims to expand students' research knowledge and skills. This course offers students extended practice and knowledge on a sample of research methods, which will be prepare them in becoming leading scholar-practitioners. Specifically, students will acquire and develop skills in qualitative and quantitative data analysis. Emphasis will be placed on how to generate and analyze qualitative and quantitative data, integrate analyses in mixed methods research, and mobilize knowledge. This course follows a seminar format with a mix of lecture and media, didactic learning, class discussion and student research presentations.
This is an advanced level doctoral course that will build on the knowledge and clinical skills acquired in the introductory course in the theory and practice of Family Therapy. This course is for students enrolled in the EdD in either the adult or the adolescent emphasis. Students will be expected to be familiar with a number of different models of family therapy, including systemic, strategic, structural and behavioural. The course will focus on one of these models in depth, including conceptual frameworks, methods of assessment as well as intervention strategies. Issues related to the formation and maintenance of the therapeutic alliance in family therapy as well as specific challenges related to working with families will be addressed. The course will take a developmental perspective in terms of the family from early formation through maturity taking into account the developmental needs of different family members. Thus students will have the opportunity to focus on children, adolescents, young and older adults within a family context.
This seminar course will familiarise students with current issues and debates concerning research and practice of counselling psychology and psychotherapy in a multicultural society. The course seeks to define, redefine and locate multicultural counselling and psychotherapy research within the broader economic, social and political contexts of health care provision and practices (particularly in Canada). Through a post-colonial critique of psychiatry, clinical and counselling psychology, psychoanalysis, psychotherapy and counselling, the seminar attempts to raise questions regarding the theory, practice and research with ethnic minority clients. The seminar also offers a critical examination of the concepts of multicultural, multiethnic, and other nomenclatures, particularly assessing the epistemological and ontological histories and complexities in relation to ways in which theory, practice and research is undertaken in counselling psychology. The seminar is appropriate for students considering a dissertation proposal in critical multicultural counselling and psychotherapy. Students will review, analyse and redesign representative studies in the critical multicultural counselling psychology and psychotherapy literatures and methodology which will eventually lead to a thesis proposal.
This course provides in depth knowledge and advanced training in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). Students will acquire an enhanced understanding of current cognitive behavioural theories and master skills needed to implement evidence-based cognitive behavioural interventions across a wide range of mental health conditions and within diverse contexts. These include depression, anxiety disorders, psychological trauma, psychotic disorders, and a variety of complex presentations. A key aspect of the course is developing an understanding of how theory and research are used to inform current clinical practice in cognitive behaviour therapy.
This course provides a doctoral-level survey of developmental psychology and the role of formal education in human development. At the end of the course, students are expected to have sufficient knowledge of the history and theories of developmental psychology and the role of education in development to be able to teach an introductory course in developmental psychology and education.
This course provides an overview of qualitative research methodology and techniques. Coverage includes major philosophy of science, historical, and contemporary (critical, post modern, hermeneutic, constructivist and feminist) perspectives. Ethnographic, life history, individual and multiple case study, and focus group methods will be reviewed in relation to a narrative framework. Observational, interview, personal record, and archival data management will be discussed. Students will have an opportunity to design, implement, analyze, and report a micro qualitative study. Special emphasis will be placed on the use of computers and visual imaging techniques.
This doctoral-level course serves as an introduction to program evaluation used in education, psychology, and social sciences. Program evaluation aims to systematically investigate the process, effectiveness, and outcomes of programs. Its primary goal is to inform decision-making processes based on answers to why it works or doesn't work and improve the quality of the program. In this course, students will learn the craft of program evaluation at various stages, including: critically appraising evaluation research; assessing program needs, developing a logic model, evaluating the process and outcomes of the program, evaluating efficiency, dealing with ethical issues, warranting evaluation claims, and communicating with stakeholders. This course will focus on both theoretical and practical issues in designing, implementing, and appraising formative and summative evaluations of various educational and invention programs. In this course, we will consider the effects of various social, cultural, and political contextual factors underlying the program.
An examination of the historical and philosophical bases of modern theories of psychology. The goals of the course are a) to make explicit the origins of current ideas in applied psychology, and b) to demonstrate the importance of historical context in understanding research and practice issues.
This is a doctoral-level course on applied data science and machine learning in education and psychology, targeting graduate students in these fields. Students will be introduced to the fundamental principles and techniques of data science and their applications in education and psychology. The course places equal emphasis on the conceptual understanding of data science and machine learning as well as the practical implementation of these techniques.
Specific issues of counselling and psychotherapy are examined within an integrative framework of emotional processing. An in-depth examination of a counselling model will be included. Open to doctoral students in Counselling Psychology only.
A course aimed at the further enhancement of counselling skills through the integration of clinical experience and research. PhD and EdD students in Counselling Psychology are required to complete a practicum field placement in conjunction with this course. All students must arrange their practica in consultation with the Department's Coordinator of Internships and Counselling Services. Continuing students should plan to contact the Coordinator by March 15 (preferably earlier) and new students as soon as they have been notified of their acceptance to the program.
This course is designed to help students develop an appreciation that diversity issues may influence the way individuals act, the way their problems are expressed and conceived in their milieu and by outsiders, and the way assessment and interventions are treated. Through this course students will develop a solid understanding of the social bases of behavior. The course will examine from a cross-cultural perspective selected topics in psychology and human development pertaining to normative and pathological patterns of behavior in children and youth.
The educational goals of this course are to: 1) develop a basic understanding of the major theoretical approaches in psychotherapy and to 2) develop basic psychotherapy skills. Focus of classes will vary, with some classes covering mostly theoretical information and others covering mostly practical skills. In addition, students will observe and, to the extent possible, take part in the provision of group and individual intervention services.
This course will provide an advanced examination of proactive behavioral and cognitive-behavioral approaches used with children for the remediation of skill deficits associated with defiance, aggression, impulsivity, depression, and anxiety. Students will be required to develop treatment approaches to case presentations and/or develop clinical workshops for use with parents, teachers or other intervention agents.
This course serves as a continuation of APD3224H, with a focus on the critical analysis and in-depth understanding of selected theories of personality and diagnostic systems. Within this context, the results of personality inventories, standardized diagnostic interviews, behavioural measures, and neuropsychological tests will be used to prepare case formulations and treatment plans for adults.
This course will draw on contemporary psychoanalytic, cognitive and neuroscientific theories to provide an overview of clinical work with adults. We will also look at the state of empirical research on psychotherapy effectiveness. The focus will be on clinical observation and use of theory to arrive at an initial case formulation as well as the generation of ongoing hypotheses which inform clinical interventions. Emphasis will be placed on the current self-organization of the client, the transference and what is therapeutically usable or not usable at the present moment in treatment. In keeping with current psychoanalytic practice, therapy is seen from a relational perspective and interventions are rooted in dynamic systems theory with a focus is on therapeutic dyad. There will be an equal emphasis on clinical work and on theory and students will be encouraged to bring ongoing case material to class.
Course description same as APD1238H.
This practicum course introduces the student to the work of clinical assessment. Questionnaire and projective tests are used to assist in developing a picture of the emotional experience and the social environment of the child/adolescent. These factors are integrated with measures of cognitive ability and academic skill development to obtain an overview of psychological functioning. This half-credit course is scheduled on alternate weeks for the academic year. Open to School and Clinical Child Psychology students only.
This course supports and monitors the development of the Ph.D. students' clinical skills (assessment and intervention) in the field placement. Placements are typically in clinical settings. Seminars are scheduled on alternate weeks for the academic year. They focus on issues related to diagnosis, intervention and clinical practice.
This is a 1600 hour placement completed in the third or fourth year of doctoral study.
This optional practicum course is an additional practicum course that is available to School and Clinical Child Psychology (SCCP) program students at the PhD level. Students take it as an optional course beyond their program requirements. The course exists entirely to support students' development of their clinical skills. Students may register in this course any time that they commence a field placement experience under the supervision of a registered psychologist, providing that the placement is unpaid. Students may register in this course multiple times to permit a broad variety of assessment, intervention and supervisory experiences. Students may register for this course only with the permission of the course instructor. There are three restrictions on enrollment: 1) There is a signed agreement between the supervisor and the students with regard to the new skills that the student will acquire. 2) For each registration, the student must remain in the placement for a minimum of 100 hours to ensure that the supervisor has had ample time to observe and evaluate. 3) The total of clinical hours accrued in this open practicum course must not exceed 500 hours.
Course description same as APD2252H.
This course is designed to provide an in-depth understanding and working knowledge of the defining characteristics of major clinical/psychological disorders as well as current diagnostic systems and practices. Students will develop skills in synthesizing clinical material and formulating/making differential diagnoses based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders (DSM-5). The course will also provide some opportunity to critically examine current theories and etiological perspectives on psychopathology with attention to gender and cultural issues. The course material will include video recordings for illustration of diagnostic issues and clinical syndromes as well as for practice purposes. [For PhD students in CCP and SCCP only.]
This is a course for doctoral students from two different programs in APHD: EdD students in Counselling & Psychotherapy and PhD students in Clinical & Counselling Psychology. Students registered in APD3261 are required to register in a practicum placement where their primary responsibility is to supervise and consult with students engaged in a clinical and or counselling practicum. This seminar course runs in tandem with the supervision and consultation practicum placement and the successful completion of the practicum placement is essential for fulfilling the requirements for the course. Bi-weekly seminar meetings are intended to support the students' professional development and provide a forum for a) discussion of issues related to supervision and consultation including clinical experiences in supervision, consultation, assessment, and psychotherapy; b) student case presentations of cases being supervised and c) issues, concerns or questions related to the supervision practicum placement. All students will be encouraged to discuss their experiences supervising/mentoring Masters-level students.
This course requires the completion of at least 1,600 hours of internship under the supervision of a registered psychologist. Students will register in the course once the placement has been arranged and approved by the course instructor. Placements are generally expected to fulfil the criteria of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centres (APPIC). The internships may be served in a variety of settings and will normally involve instruction in psychopathology, training in differential diagnosis and assessment, case conceptualisation, treatment planning, a variety of psychotherapeutic approaches, case management, and other related tasks. All students must have a formal diagnosis and assessment component as part of their internship hours. It is expected that students will involve themselves in such activities as diagnosis and assessment, case conceptualisation, treatment planning, psychological interventions, consultations with other professionals, report writing, case conferences, and other activities relevant to professional training. It is also generally expected that, where possible, students will have contact with clients reflecting a range of diversity (e.g., clients who derive from various cultural, ethnic, social or linguistic groups and/or who bring other types of minority issues, such a gender identity or disability). Students are expected to find placements at training sites accredited by the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) or the American Psychological Association (APA), or equivalent.
All students completing an EdD in Counselling Psychology for Community Settings will be required to complete the doctoral internship course. This course requires the completion of at least 500 hours of internship under the supervision of an experienced psychotherapist or counsellor approved by the Counselling Psychology Internship Coordinator. EdD students in the Counselling Program have been completing this 500-hour internship requirement since the inception of this program. We wish to ensure that the completion of this requirement appears on the student's transcript as a completed course requirement. Students will register in the course once the placement has been arranged and approved by the course instructor. The internship may be accomplished on either a full-time or part-time basis. The internships may be served in a variety of settings and will normally involve case conceptualisation, treatment planning, counselling interventions, consultations with other professionals, report writing, case conferences, and other activities relevant to professional training. It is also generally expected that, where possible, students will have contact with clients reflecting a range of diversity (e.g., clients who derive from various cultural, ethnic, social or linguistic groups and/or who bring other types of diversity issues, such a gender identity or disability).
This optional practicum course is an additional practicum course that is available to Counselling Psychology (CP) program students at the PhD or EdD level. Students take it as an optional course beyond their program requirements. The course exists entirely to support students' development of their clinical skills. PhD students may register in this course any time that they commence a field placement experience under the supervision of a registered psychologist, providing that the placement is unpaid. Similarly EdD students may register in this course any time that they commence a field placement experience under the supervision of an appropriately trained professional psychotherapist, providing that the placement is unpaid. Students may register in this course multiple times to permit a broad variety of assessment, intervention and supervisory experiences. Students may register for this course only with the permission of the course instructor. There are three restrictions on enrollment: 1) There is a signed agreement between the supervisor and the student with regard to the new skills that the student will acquire. 2) For each registration, the student must remain in the placement for a minimum of 100 hours to ensure that the supervisor has had ample time to observe and evaluate. 3) The total of clinical hours accrued in each registration in this open practicum course will not normally exceed 500 hours.
In this course we will focus on brain-behaviour relationships from converging behavioural, neurophysiological and neuroimaging perspectives and track their development from birth to adulthood. We will pay particular attention to the structural development of the brain, the emergence of functional brain systems, and the neuropsychological underpinnings of childhood brain disorders. We will then explore the implications of these processes for typical and atypical development and developmental psychopathology.
Child Study is the systematic interdisciplinary investigation of the way children adapt and change in order to provide them with more supportive learning environments and increase the likelihood of positive outcomes. Child study is a professional practice skill, a critical attitude, and a belief system based on inquiry, best evidence and reflection. This course offers an advanced consideration of how child study history, concepts, and research are related to issues and challenges in childhood education. The aim of the course will be to provide students with an advanced understanding of the field of child study through an examination of the history, theories, and breadth of research in child study. Students will analyze issues in child study and education, apply a child study framework to their area of interest, articulate a researchable problem of practice of interest in their organization/community, and identify policies that influence/connect with their problem of practice. Students will also gain specialized knowledge and competencies in utilizing action research frameworks to engage in professional inquiry, policy analysis, and research drawing on child study lens.
This course is designed to provide an in-knowledge of critical issues in special education and the mental health of children and adolescents that will enable the learners to think broadly about the issues and interconnections and their relevance for policy and decision-making. This course will draw on a bioecological model of development (Bronfennbrener, 1992) to guide discussions as we will investigate the effects of systems (e.g., community, family, school) and culture on mental health promotion and risk as well as on children’s access and support through special education services. Students will examine the contribution of key theoretical learning models that often guide research design and practice. Students will be able to analyze key policy and practice issues that affect children and youths’ wellbeing and mental health as well as be able to synthesize points of intersection between the special education system, mental health, and social systems. This course will engage students in an in-depth examination that influence the implementation of programs or practices designed to support students with special education needs (including early risk and intervention) as well as those to promote wellbeing and mental health. Students will gain expertise in their knowledge of the complex and interrelated factors affecting student success in general and special education systems as well as in-depth knowledge of risk and resilience frameworks for mental health in children.
This course will build on students’ understandings of problems of practice in child study through the advanced study of tools and research methods for investigating problems in practice. Students will develop knowledge of different research methodologies and their uses. They will develop strong literacy in research methods as they analyse studies in their area of interest. They will continue to refine and clarify their problem of practice and potential methods to study and understand how to address their problem of practice through research. This course also assists students in selecting a methodology that will use this to design their own exploration of their problem in practice. They will also learn how data-blends empirical educational research with the theory-driven design of learning contexts for their thesis - Dissertation in Practice (DIP). Students will develop an understanding of how educational innovations work in practice and based decision-making can support students’ outcomes and inform instructional and administrative decision-making.
This course focuses on supporting students as they prepare their research proposal. The course aims to advance the research, writing, and practice elements and at the same time create an academic community. Students will be asked to complete a preliminary literature review and identify and describe a proposed problem of practice with the class to receive feedback and guidance within this collaborative setting. Students will be asked to demonstrate their understanding of ethical guidelines for research, and identify potential research challenges they may face in their research. This course will complement the students’ work with their thesis advisor as this course provides a community of learners who can support the critical thinking processes embedded within creating a research proposal. The course will include in class seminars where students will spend part of the class working in small groups with others who are at the same stage of the journey; online support; individual meetings. The course provides supportive feedback on their key skills such as synthesizing research findings, writing analytically, and creating clear statements of issues and problems of practice. Students will also have the opportunity to present their work in a friendly, supportive community to build their oral and written communication skills.
This applied seminar is designed for working professionals who want to understand their roles as change agents within the organizations (broadly defined) in which they work, regardless of whether or not they occupy formal leadership positions. The course is focused on examining how change happens in organizations, and considers organizational need, planning for change, and implementing change. Change efforts originating both inside and outside of organizations will be considered. Students will have the opportunity to think about and apply how the psychological notion of “personal influence” can contribute to the social and institutional goals of their organizations.
The purpose of this course is to learn about the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) children and youth who are English language learners (ELL), come from multicultural contexts demanding culturally sensitive strategies for assessment and intervention, or are in other bilingual programs such as French Immersion. The course is intended to provide doctoral students with a repertoire of strategies for dealing with the complex array of cognitive, linguistic, affective, social-emotional and cultural issues involved in assessment of CLD children and adolescents. This is achieved through readings, lectures, class discussion, case presentations, hands-on experience with a client and family, and school consultation. Each student will conduct an assessment with a CLD student who is learning difficulties. The goals of this assessment is to establish the client's’ learning and social-emotional needs, the strategies that support their learning and adjustment, and consult with their schools in order to enhance the likelihood that these strategies will be implemented there.
The purpose of this course is to learn about the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) children and youth who are English language learners (ELL), come from multicultural contexts demanding culturally sensitive strategies for intervention, or are in other bilingual programs such as French Immersion. The course is intended to provide doctoral students with a repertoire of strategies for dealing with the complex array of cognitive, linguistic, affective, social-emotional, and cultural issues involved in intervention of CLD children and adolescents. This is achieved through readings, lectures, class discussion, case presentations, hands-on experience with a client and family, and school consultation. Each student will conduct an instructional intervention with a CLD or bilingual child or adolescent who is experiencing learning difficulties and who may have a learning disability. The goals of this intervention is to address the client's learning and social-emotional needs, find strategies that support their learning and adjustment, and consult with their schools in order to enhance the likelihood that these strategies will be implemented past your work with the student.
All students completing an EdD in the School Psychology field will be required to complete the doctoral internship course APD3403H. This course requires the completion of at least 1600 hours of internship under the supervision of a doctoral-level psychologist registered with the CPO and approved by the Internship Coordinator. All internship arrangements must be made in consultation with the Director of Clinical Training. The internship may be accomplished on either a full-time or part-time basis and may be completed in either a school or education setting. The internship will normally involve assessment, intervention, consultation with other professionals, supervision, and other activities relevant to professional training. It is also generally expected that, where possible, students will have contact with clients reflecting a range of diverse backgrounds (e.g., clients who derive from various cultural, ethnic, social or linguistic groups and/or who bring other types of diversity issues, such a gender identity or disability).
Courses designed to permit the study (in a formal class setting) of a specific area of human development and applied psychology not already covered in the courses listed for the current year. The topics will be announced each spring in the Fall/Winter Session and Summer Session timetables.
The purpose of this course is to explore, from a multidimensional perspective, assessment and intervention issues and techniques arising when learners in second language or multicultural contexts experience learning difficulties. Through readings, classroom discussion, case studies, and client-work, the course is intended to help students become better aware and better prepared for work with individuals in culturally and linguistically diverse settings. Students are expected to integrate and apply such diverse areas as second language acquisition, learning disabilities, cognitive and affective functioning, and to consider alternative assessment and intervention practices.
Course description same as APD5000H.
This course serves as the basic core course for the Institute's graduate studies concentration in comparative, international, and development education. It focuses upon the various theoretical conceptions of the socioeconomic development process and the role of formal and non-formal educational programs within that process. The basic purposes of the course are to introduce students to the comparative literature regarding education in advanced and developing nations, to evaluate the various ways in which comparative data may be used, and to examine the relative utility of various theoretical perspectives for understanding formal and non-formal educational policy problems common to many societies. CIDE students only or by permission of instructor.
Supervised experience in an organizational setting related to comparative, international, and development education, under the direction of a CIDE faculty and a professional mentor. The practicum will include not fewer than 40 hours of field placement over a period of one semester. There will be three assignments: 1) Development of a proposal that includes main learning goals, identification of a field site, and selection of a field based mentor; 2) Completion of the practicum itself (40 hours of on-sight work); 3) A final ''portfolio'' assignment that should include some combination of a short reflection paper on knowledge gained during the practicum, and evidence of any work completed during the practicum itself. The practicum is intended to provide students with practical experience and an opportunity to apply skills and knowledge gained from participation in the Comparative, International and Development Education Collaborative program. Arrangements for the practicum placement and selection of a CIDE supervisor are the responsibility of the individual student. The course will be open to students who have completed the core CIDE course, CIE1001H, and at least one other CIDE course.
The course aims to: (i) explore national and Transnational Perspectives on Democracy, Human Rights and Democratic Education in an Era of Globalization drawing on experience and scholarship; (ii) provide opportunities for in depth engagement both with leading scholars acting as faculty and with students from other universities; and (iii) build global professional networks among students and faculty.
Students are expected to: (i) engage with key concepts relevant to democratic education such as: democracy, citizenship, human rights, antiracism, discrimination, equalities; (ii) interrogate transnational research and scholarship on Transnational Perspectives on Democracy, Human Rights and Democratic Education in an Era of Globalization, using a variety of perspectives including sociology, political science and pedagogy; (iii) critically evaluate and compare different national and international approaches to democratic citizenship education; (iv) apply understandings of democracy and human rights to educational contexts; and (v) develop and implement policies and programs for democratic education.
Based on a seminar mode, each school of education will suggest a number of faculty/professor as guest speakers in the area broadly defined as Transnational Perspectives on Democracy, Human Rights and Democratic Education in an Era of Globalization. From the pool of the professors, the U of T course director and collaborating faculty from of the other two institutions will select 3 to 4 guest speakers for the course on each offering. This course will be offered on-line to ensure synchronous delivery and participation of students across three different time zones: Toronto, London and Melbourne, each of the 12 sessions will take 2 hours only without break. Each guest speaker will be offering a brief lecture up to 15 minutes highlighting key issues around the topic of their scholarship. The rest of the class will be based on various forms of critical dialog and discussion (individual, group and whole class active learning activities). The speakers will also provide 2 to 3 readings (one from their publications and two from other scholars' works), which will be distributed prior to the session and will be available on the online forum. Based on the primacy of dialogue, each topic/session is expected to ensure that the participants' personal knowledge, the readings, and the instructors' knowledge are brought into synthesized and integrated learning outcomes. Instructional variety (seminars, pair/group discussions, lectures, guest speakers, Video-recordings) and intellectual challenge are the key elements in the course's pedagogy. In addition, reflection, cooperative learning, inclusive classroom ethos, critical thinking, social skills development, a culture of encouragement, and reciprocal sharing and learning are a must for each session.
This seminar proposes to study, from a range of perspectives, Francophone minorities within local, national and international spaces. It will discuss the processes of minoritization and exclusion existing within and towards francophone minorities. The study of issues structuring the French-speaking space is an opportunity to bring to light the transformative processes that have taken shape, have been contested, and which have succeeded each other as debates have evolved over time and to identify the actors involved, their motivations, the context of their actions and the categories of classification that emerged from these debates. Similarly, the study of linguistic minorities has led to the exploration of a large number of theoretical concepts and advances stemming from various disciplines and traditions. This seminar will thus serve as a forum for examining how to achieve a better understanding of the issues facing linguistic minorities and to formulate new research questions by using various theoretical orientations and putting them to work.
This is the core required course for all students enrolled in the Collaborative Specialization: Education, Francophonies and Diversity.
This is a required course for master's students (and doctoral students who did not take it in their masters programs). The aim of this course is to apply theory and research to the study of curriculum and teaching. The course (a) provides a language for conceptualizing educational questions; (b) reviews the major themes in the literature; c) provides a framework for thinking about curriculum changes and change; and (d) assists students in developing critical and analytical skills appropriate to the scholarly discussion of curriculum and teaching problems.
In this course we will identify ways that systems of oppression and oppressive educational practices manifest themselves in school settings - for example, within interactions between teachers and students; administrators and students; students and students; students and the curriculum; teachers and the curriculum; administrators and teachers; teachers and parents; parents and administrators - and we will discuss how we can use these spaces or locate new ones to do anti-oppressive educational work in school settings. Emphasis in the course will be placed on integrating anti-oppressive educational theory with anti-oppressive educational practice. We will attempt to link our discussions of practice to theory and our discussions of theory to practice.
This course provides for practical experience of as well as understanding of innovative practices in cooperative learning (CL). We explore rationales for and current developments (synergy, shared leadership). Topics include: What is CL (principles, attributes); how to organize CL (structures and strategies); how does CL work (basic elements, types of groups); teacher and student roles; benefits (positive interdependence, individual accountability, social skills, cohesion); evaluation (forms and criteria); obstacles and problems; starting and applying CL in your classroom (teachers' practical knowledge; collegiality; parental involvement); independent learning and collaborative inquiry; Ministry and Board requirements; and resources and materials Group (response trios) projects and joint seminars.
Experiential learning for students new to qualitative inquiry is provided through a broad introduction to qualitative approaches from beginning to end. A range of approaches relating to students' theoretical frameworks are explored. Thesis students are encouraged to pilot their thesis research.
This course will examine the foundations of educational thought from the perspectives of Jacques Derrida, Jean-Francois Lyotard, Luce Irigaray, Hélène Cixous, Michel Foucault, Roland Barthes, Gilles Deleuze, Julia Kristeva, Emmanuel Levinas, and Jean Baudrillard. Educational implications and applications of poststructural philosophy will be stressed in relation to the discursive and non-discursive limits of the scene of teaching.
A critical review of current approaches to analysing teaching and an examination of theoretical literature on the concept of teaching. The course involves reflection on one's own teaching. Students should be currently teaching or have access to a teaching situation. This course is most suitable for primary and secondary teachers.
Reflective practice is one means through which practitioners make site-based decisions and through which they continue to learn in their professions. This course will critically examine the research and professional literature concerning the meaning of and the processes involved in reflective practice. Additionally, as professional development is often associated with reflective practice, the course will also identify and examine professional development strategies which could facilitate reflective professional development. Students will critique these models by utilizing the concepts from the reflective practice literature.
The literary text is used as a vehicle for reflection on issues of language and ethnic identity maintenance and for allowing students an opportunity to live vicariously in other ethnocultural worlds. The focus is on autobiographical narrative within diversity as a means to our understanding of the ''self'' in relation to the ''other''. The course examines the complex implications of understanding teacher development as autobiographical/biographical text. We then extend this epistemological investigation into more broadly conceived notions of meaning-making that incorporate aesthetic and moral dimensions within the multicultural/anti-racist/anti-bias teacher educational enterprise.
This course will focus on the dynamics of multiculturalism within the individual classroom and their implications for teacher development. It is intended to examine how teachers can prepare themselves in a more fundamental way to reflect on their underlying personal attitudes toward the multicultural micro-society of their classrooms. Discussions will be concerned with the interaction between personal life histories and the shaping of assumptions about the teaching-learning experience, especially in the multicultural context. The course will have a ''hands-on'' component, where students (whether practising teachers or teacher/researchers) will have the opportunity to become participant-observers and reflect upon issues of cultural and linguistic diversity within the classroom.
In this course we explore differences in the ways ''Knowledge'', ''Teaching'', and ''Learning'' are constructed and understood in different cultures, and how these affect how teachers learn and promote learning, with particular emphasis on multicultural settings. An underlying theme is how one can best bring together a) narrative, and b) comparative/structural ways of knowing in order to better understand teacher development in varying cultural/national contexts. The choice of particular nations/regions/cultures on which to focus in the course responds to the experience and interest of the students and the availability of useful literature regarding a particular geo-cultural area with respect to the basic themes of the course.
This course is organized around the various components of program planning and evaluation for education and the social and health sciences; needs, evaluability, process, implementation, outcome, impact, and efficiency assessments. Data collection methods such as the survey, focus group interview and observation are introduced.
Basic concepts, methods, and problems in educational research are considered: discovering the periodicals in one's field, steps in the research process, developing research questions, design of instruments, methods of data collection and analysis, interpreting results, and writing research reports.
Survey is widely used in quantitative research. When survey is relied on exclusively to collect data in a non-experimental research, it is referred to as a survey research. In this course, we will learn about constructing and validating surveys within a framework that is currently advocated by quantitative research methodologists: Theory-driven using both quantitative and qualitative (mixed) methods. The course content adheres closely to the text Survey Development: A Theory-Driven Mixed-Method Approach (https://www.routledge.com/9780367222338), which encompasses four components: Theory and Methodology, Survey Construction, Assessing Psychometric Properties, and Recommendations. Students are expected to participate in discussions, exercises and a course project pertaining to survey development. Grades are assigned based on performances of these activities. The course is basically quantitative in nature. Even though advanced statistics included in the text are optional reading, basic knowledge and low level of aversion to math and statistics is desirable. With the same token, students should not have a distaste for qualitative data.
This course studies methods of evaluating training. Topics covered by the course include training models, practice analysis, Kirkpatrick's 4 level training outcome evaluation model and its variants, Return on Investment (ROI) analysis, and measurement and design issues in training evaluation.
This course examines the concept of self-assessment and its relationship to learning and other psychological constructs, construction and validation of self-assessment measures, psychometric properties of self-assessment, how learners assess their learning, and how teachers and professionals in social and health services assess the quality and effects of their practices. The course emphasizes practice as well as theory and research. Some of the topics include methods of self-assessment; cognitive processes; psychometric issues and sources of bias in self-assessment; correlates of self-assessment; learner self-assessment and teacher or professional self-assessment.
Working within a broad discussion of methodology and the problems of theory and praxis particular to a 'global', postmodern, and neoliberal era, this course invites students to work through methodological dilemmas, choices and experiments within the context of their own research projects and in conversation with a variety of qualitative methodologists. Readings will propose critical, creative, and collaborative solutions to a range of contemporary qualitative methodology concerns in the field of education today. In particular, the problematics of gender and race, the impact of neoliberal politics on workers and learners, the tensions of local and global, the competing epistemologies of art and science, structural and post-structural, the ethical relations between researchers and research participants, the challenges of 'representation', the struggles over claims to truth are some of the subjects to be addressed in the discussion of research design and methodology.
This course explores inquiry as a methodological stance on practice, a framework for investigating and addressing critical issues in school, classroom, and community-based research. What Cochran-Smith and Lytle (2001; 2009) have theorized as an inquiry stance invites educators to regard educational projects as sites of knowledge generation, occurring within social, historical, cultural, and political contexts. With its emphasis on the intimate relationship between knowledge and practice, this concept foregrounds the role that practitioners can play—individually and collectively—in generating understandings, rich conceptualizations, in the service of enacting new educational possibilities. Taking an inquiry stance involves constructively problematizing conventional educational arrangements, interrogating how knowledge is constructed, evaluated and used in various settings, and re-imagining the roles practitioners might play in actualizing change in their work contexts.
Drawing on this notion of inquiry as stance, this course will explore what it means to be a practitioner researcher in educational institutions and community-based organizations. This course is intended for MA and PhD students interested in exploring the possibilities and the potential of developing new understandings and research within actual educational contexts that they shape daily. This may include a range of initiatives, from developing small-scale studies to inform ongoing practice to developing larger research projects, including practitioner inquiry dissertations. The course will pay particular attention to the conceptual and experiential frameworks that practitioners bring to site-based educational research. We will consider critical practitioner research in relation to other methodological approaches as well as educational conversations about the nature of research, with special consideration of how research might shape practice and inform policy and the potential contributions practitioners can make.
This course examines the linkages between education, both formal and non-formal, and the social development of nations, with particular focus on the process of educational policy formation for both developing nations and developing sub-areas within richer nations. The course aims to acquaint students with the main competing ''theories'' or conceptualizations of the development process and, through examination of a representative set of recent empirical studies and ''state of the art'' papers, to develop an understanding of the relationships between educational activities and programs and various aspects of social development, with an overall focus on problems of social inequality. The overarching objective is to help develop a better understanding of how, in confronting a particular educational policy problem, one's own theoretical preconceptions, data about the particular jurisdiction, and comparative data about the problem at hand interact to produce a policy judgment.
This course will provide students with an opportunity to learn about the arts-based research methods of performed ethnography and research-informed theatre. Performed ethnography, also known as performance ethnography and ethnodrama, involves turning the findings of ethnographic research into a play script that can be read aloud by a group of participants or performed before audiences. Performed ethnography can be seen as one kind of research-informed theatre. Other examples of research-informed theatre we will look at in this course include autobiographical theatre, community theatre, verbatim theatre, documentary theatre, tribunal theatre and history theatre.
Taking as a starting point a conception of pedagogy that centres relational encounters, this course seeks to consider the question of how to enter into relationships with others that seek to transform the very terms that define such relationships. The course explores how the concept of solidarity has been used to both explain the nature of social relationships between groups and individuals, as well as how it has been mobilized as a strategy for political work. In both counts, solidarity plays a key pedagogical role because it seeks to either sustain or challenge particular social arrangements. The course takes education and educational experience as a particular site for thinking through solidarity as both explanation and strategy, and considers a range of educational situations, including the classroom, to consider the complexities of solidarity as ethical encounters in pedagogical relations.
This course will examine the research of, and different approaches to, applied and socially engaged theatre. Practitioners engaged in forms of applied theatre, such as drama in education, theatre for development, Verbatim theatre, participatory theatre etc. often believe creating and witnessing theatrical events can make a difference to the way people interact with one another and with the world at large. The 'social turn' in theatre is understood politically, artistically, and educationally to be in the service of social change, although there is certainly no single nor consistent ideological position that supports the expansive use of theatre in classrooms and communities. Theatre has been consistently used in formal and informal educational settings as a way to galvanize participation and make learning more relational, or more a student/participant-centred rather than teacher/facilitator- centred proposition. In addition to exploring the educational value of applied theatre in a range of contexts and through a variety of interventions and intentions, the course will also contemplate the ethics and poetics of representation in performance and in research.
This course will focus on matters of equity, inclusion, and school reform as these pertain to differences of sexual orientation and gender identity among students in elementary and secondary schools. Course content and instruction will focus on understanding and addressing educational and schooling issues confronting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and queer (LGBTQ) students. It will also explore strategies and resources for challenging homophobia, heterosexism, and transphobia in classrooms and schools. We will examine the ways homophobia, heterosexism, and transphobia intersect with multiple identities, other forms of oppression and our history of white settler colonialism. We will also examine curriculum materials and community support services that promote sensitivity, visibility and social justice.
This course examines how creative practices can be employed to generate innovative research in the humanities and social sciences. Course participants will analyze current debates on representation, rationale, and ethics, and in particular they will examine how arts-based practices/processes can move educational research towards more critical, democratic, and participatory forms of research by attending to issues of social justice and equity.
This course explores different approaches to the arts in urban schools, with a focus on how the arts might play a role in teaching for equity and social justice. Using a critical lens, students will explore the role that the arts might play pedagogically and in the curriculum in urban schools. Among other themes, students will explore how to incorporate the arts for teaching in non-arts classrooms, critical issues in curriculum and instruction in various arts disciplines, as well as non-curricular and community-based approaches to the arts in school related contexts. Students will have an opportunity to explore different artistic disciplines and consider how they might incorporate the arts as a strategy in teaching for social change.
The examination of current topics or problems in play, drama, and arts education as related to curriculum studies. Issues will be identified from all age levels of education as well as from dramatic play, each of the arts disciplines, and aesthetic education as a whole. Students will address one specific topic through self-directed learning and present the results in an appropriate form. Topics vary from year to year depending upon interests of course members.
This course examines the nature of spirituality. After exploring various conceptions of spirituality the course then examines how it can be part of the school curriculum in a non threatening manner. More specifically, the course explores the nature of the soul and how the soul can be nourished in the classroom through approaches such as imagery, dreams, journal writing, and forms of contemplation. The arts and earth education are also examined in this context. Finally the role of the teacher will be explored.
This course will focus on curriculum that facilitates personal growth and social change. Various programs and techniques that reflect a holistic orientation will be analysed: for example, Waldorf education, social action programs, and transpersonal techniques such as visualization and the use of imagery in the classroom. The philosophical, psychological, and social context of the holistic curriculum will also be examined.
It has been well documented that many adults experience mathematics anxiety, possibly due to the traditional way they have been taught math in their own schooling. This course utilizes a holistic approach in helping elementary teachers to reconstruct their foundational math knowledge and overcome their anxieties. Utilizing reform-based approaches, participants will work in small groups on selected mathematics problems and hands-on explorations at an appropriate level of difficulty. Journal writing, group reflection and guided visualization activities will be used to help participants become aware of, and start dealing with their emotional and cognitive blocks in relation to mathematics. Such work opens the door to accessing one's mathematical intuition and creativity. A discussion of how the strategies used in the course, or reported in the literature, can be adapted for mathematics-anxious students will also be included.
During this highly interactive course, graduate students will investigate in depth, current research on effective teaching strategies in elementary mathematics focusing on student communication and its implications for classroom practice. This course will also provide opportunities for graduate students to deepen their understanding of the research literature through hands-on activities, student work samples, and classroom-researched videos. We will examine the research related to student discourse and communication in order to explore not only students' understanding of mathematical concepts, but also the use of mathematical language and the social interactions that take place between students. No experience in teaching mathematics or previous coursework related to mathematics is required.
This course will focus on the holistic nature of wellness, through a phenomenology of practice. Phenomenology of practice is an approach that concentrates on the study of consciousness and the objects of direct experience and relates to the meaning and practice of phenomenology in professional contexts, as well as the practice of phenomenological methods in the context of everyday living. In this course, phenomenological reflection, using aspects of multimedia, will be employed in a concentrated effort to engage with the complexity of the topic of wellness. The course begins with questions relating to the meaning of “wellness,” by exploring philosophical and historical orientations towards wellness. Seminars will survey concepts, issues and approaches associated with wellness and educative practice. Theoretical and practical problems will be examined through themes such as sources of self, reality constructions, human agency and awareness.
This course explores the theory and practice (praxis) of Environmental and Sustainability Education (ESE) in school and community settings. Students will investigate the historical roots, theoretical foundations and pedagogical traditions of ESE from personal and organizational perspectives, contextualizing these in recent developments in research, policy, and practice in Canada and internationally. The praxis of ESE will be situated in relation to equity, social justice, Indigenous ways of knowing, health and wellbeing, and transformative learning. Students will use this as a starting point to explore and develop practices in ESE in classrooms and community settings as a means to better position and integrate ESE in their own work as educators and researchers.
This course examines what mathematics should be taught, how to define and increase students' understanding of mathematics, classroom discourse and student engagement in elementary mathematics. The intent of the course is to provide a grounding in mathematics education.
This course involves a study of theories of learning in the context of science education, a survey of research relating to children's understanding of concepts in science, and an exploration of strategies for more effective science teaching.
A detailed study of issues in the history, philosophy, and sociology of science that have significance for science education, an examination of the philosophy underpinning the STS movement, and a consideration of some of the theoretical and practical problems surrounding the implementation of science curricula intended to focus on environmental, socioeconomic, cultural, and moral-ethical issues.
The course focuses on the design of effective strategies for exploring students' personal frameworks of meaning in science and addresses issues of contemporary international debate about science and technology education, including the ''Science for All'' movement, the ''new'' psychology of learning, the language of science and technology education, politicization of science and technology education, the role of laboratory work, computers in science education, and issues in environmental and health education.
This course will address some key issues in the philosophy and the sociology of science and their implications for science education at the elementary and secondary levels. Attention will also be directed towards (i) a critical appraisal of the role of the history of science in science education , and (ii) a consideration of pseudosciences and their role, and the distortion and misuse of science for sociopolitical goals. Course members will have the opportunity to explore ways in which lab work, computer-mediated learning, language activities and historical case studies can be used to present a more authentic view of science, scientific development and scientific practice.
This course deals with issues of gender bias, Eurocentrism and other forms of bias and distortion in science and science-technology education. It seeks a generalized approach to equity issues and examines ways in which border crossings into the subcultures of science and science education can be eased for all those who currently experience difficulties.
This course will focus on theoretical and practical perspectives and current research on teaching and learning science and technology in school and non-school settings. Consideration will be given to classroom environments, as well as science centres, zoos, aquaria, museums, out-door centres, botanical gardens, science fairs, science hobby clubs, and media experiences. In particular, the course will focus on the nature of teaching and learning in these diverse settings, representations of science and technology, scientific and technological literacy, and socio-cultural interpretations of science and technology.
This course focuses on curriculum issues associated with integrating school science, mathematics and technology. Participants will examine the contemporary literature on curriculum integration. Topics include the history of curriculum integration and school subjects, theoretical and practical models for integration, strategies for teaching in an integrated fashion, student learning in integrated school settings, models for school organization, and curriculum implementation issues. During the course, participants will be required to interview a colleague, and to arrange access to a classroom or instructional setting to conduct some action research on their own integrated teaching practices.
This course explores the fundamentally cultural nature of all learning, but specifically learning of mathematics, science, and technology disciplines. The course is roughly split into three major sections. We begin with a brief overview of cultural-historical approaches to understanding learning and cognition. These theoretical frameworks begin with the assumption that cognition is fundamentally social and cultural, always grounded in activity, practices and communities. Secondly, we will focus on empirical research on mathematical, scientific and technological thinking in various contexts, ranging from elementary school mathematics classes to grocery shopping to carpet laying to theoretical physics. Finally, using the theoretical and empirical work as a foundation, we will study approaches to instruction based on the assumption that all learning is cultural.
Various approaches to making mathematics meaningful for, and accessible to intermediate and senior level students will be examined in the light of recent developments in the field and the Ontario mathematics curriculum guidelines. Throughout the course, we will focus on the question 'making mathematics meaningful for whom,' so an equity focus will pervade each week's readings and discussions. Topics may include: Streaming and school structures, the use of open-ended problems, identity issues, building on community knowledge, classroom discourse, and assessment.
This course is an introduction to sociocultural theories of learning, including both historical and contemporary views on how culture, society and history influence the nature of learning. We will begin with Vygotsky and activity theory, and then consider a broad spectrum of current views that draw on this work.
The role of science education in positively impacting life conditions globally is perhaps the most intriguing and urgent problem for science education. In this regard, a recurring theme in local and international deliberations on science education is the role of school science in social, economic, and cultural conditions, that is, in everyday life. This course will facilitate a systematic analysis of the role of school science in everyday life along five themes: The context for the issues that pertain to science education and social economic development; Emergent constructs for school science; How people learn and knowledge transfer; The realities of science teaching and learning; The notion of knowledge, school science, other sciences, and social economic development; and, Historical reflections and critique of the science education endeavor.
In this course we will explore teaching and learning about environmental education (EE) through science, mathematics and technology education. Environmental education is a particularly timely topic given the recent changes to Ontario curriculum and the renewed interest in environmental issues nationally and internationally. Central to this course is a commitment to a teaching and learning continuum that includes the use of schools, school grounds, the local and broader community, and outdoor education centres. All of these 'places' become contexts in which educators can explore environmental education. In this course, we will attempt to link our discussions to the theory and practice of EE education. Specifically, we will examine the notion of environmental literacy and citizenship, current changes in Ontario curriculum and policy, the relationship between EE and nature, sustainable development and social justice, place-based education, outdoor education, and EE and Indigenous knowledges. The course also examines the philosophical and ideological orientations and competing frameworks that underpin the EE movement in Canada and elsewhere, and identifies some of the theoretical and practical problems surrounding its implementation.
This course, open to Masters and Doctoral students in education, addresses theory and practice regarding relationships among various powerful individuals and groups in societies (e.g., corporations, transnational organizations, banks, financiers, politicians, think tanks, technologies, advertisements) and fields of professional science and technology regarding the extent to which they may contribute to the wellbeing of individuals, societies and environments. Attention also is paid to citizens' roles in conducting research and using findings to inform socio-political actions to influence powerful people/groups and fields of science and technology promoting a better world.
This course aims to illuminate contemporary Canadian and international debate in science education by providing insights into the nature of curriculum change through a critical analysis of episodes in science curriculum history. Students will have an opportunity to explore K-12 school science curricula at global, national, provincial, and classroom levels. The course has a metacognitive focus where students are encouraged to reflect on their own learning processes as well as those of science learners in other contexts. The course is framed by the question: How can an examination of the ways that science education has developed and been mobilised in different classroom contexts inform our focus for the future of science education?
In mathematics education today, policymakers, teachers, and researchers all agree that it is critical to link research to teaching practices in our schools. This means conducting research that is directly relevant to the everyday dilemmas of mathematics teachers and supporting teachers to adopt practices that research has shown to be effective. In this course, we draw from a recent publication by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, that outlines ten key questions that teachers put forward to guide researchers in their work. Topics include: assessment, curriculum, culturally relevant mathematics pedagogy, student thinking, effective algebra teaching, teacher professional development, influence of technology on mathematical learning, effective teaching with technology, interventions for struggling students, and helping students engage in ‘productive struggle.’ We will also investigate various theoretical and conceptual frameworks for mathematics education.
This course explores the perspectives and implications of Artificial Intelligence Ethics for Educators. The course will draw upon perspectives of AIED aligning with K-12 and higher education. The course will examine AI Literacy development for those with and without a technology background. Discussions of AI ethics and literacy will include important considerations of ethics, bias, data collection, privacy and explainability. Proposed guidelines for AI literacy will be critically examined.
The study and concept of ''culture'' has emerged from a number of different disciplines over the past century. ''Cultural studies'' is a recent synthesis and critical re-evaluation of some of these approaches, one with important implications for educators in the area of the humanities. Through a discussion of key texts and issues generated within this tradition, the course examines struc- turalist, ethnographic, feminist, and postmodern versions of cultural studies in order to understand how these approaches reformulate an educational practice concerned with contemporary culture.
The course is designed to introduce students to qualitative methods of research in education. The intention is to examine the nature of qualitative research and its relationship to theory. Students will look at different ways of approaching qualitative research, and special attention will be paid to the concept of critical ethnography. Students will also study five specific research techniques: observation, interview, content analysis, life history, and action research.
The course is designed to examine the contradictory role of the school as an agent of linguistic and social reproduction in a school system where students are from diverse linguistic and cultural origins. In this context, the majority-minorities dichotomy will be critically examined. The course will focus particularly on how school contributes to the students' identity construction process. In this critical examination, identity will be understood as a socially constructed notion. Key-concepts such as identity, ethnicity, minority, race, culture and language will be first analyzed. The process of identity construction will then be examined within the educational context of Ontario.
What social identities and roles are included in the ‘citizenships’ to be taught in various political and social contexts, and why? How might democratic citizenship be taught and learned? This course examines contrasting approaches to political (governance), social and cultural (identity and justice), local and transnational education for democracy (democratization), in light of comparative international and Canadian scholarship. The course addresses implicit and explicit citizenship curriculum/ teaching, primarily in relation to youth and state-funded formal (school) education. Themes include: agency in relation to social structures; participation in social institutions and collective decisions; territory and environment; social conflict, dissent and peacebuilding; diversely-positioned identities (gender, culture, nation…), values and motivations, rights, relationships, community and justice. Participants will learn to analyze and assess educational proposals and experiences in relation to theory, research, and their own democratic education goals. This course serves as a core course for the Institute's graduate studies specialization in comparative, international, and development education.
This course is designed for practising educators to develop and enhance their knowledge of how gender is produced in our educational system. It examines the different stages of the educational system: elementary, secondary, community college and university. The classroom is the focus because it is the central work setting of educational institutions. What happens in the classroom is not simply the result of what a teacher does but involves interactions between and among students and between teachers and students. The classroom has its own dynamic and is also interconnected to outside relationships with parents, friends, educational officials etc. The course has as its main objectives to examine the dynamics of inequality in the classroom and to discuss and develop strategies for change. While the primary focus is on gender inequality, course readings also draw on resources that make visible the intersections of gender with other inequalities based on race, class and sexual orientation.
This seminar examines how young people may be taught (and given opportunities), implicitly or explicitly, to handle interpersonal and social conflict. The course examines the ways conflict may be confronted, silenced, transformed, or resolved in school knowledge, pedagogy, hidden curriculum, peacemaking and peacebuilding programs, governance, discipline, restorative justice, and social relations, from Canadian and international/ comparative perspectives. The focus is to become aware of a range of choices and to analyze how various practices and lessons about conflict fit in (and challenge) the regular activities and assumptions of curriculum and schooling, and their implications for democracy, justice, and social exclusion/ inclusion. Participants will become skilled in analyzing the conflict and relational learning opportunities and dilemmas embedded in various institutional patterns or initiatives to teach or facilitate conflict resolution and transformation and to prevent violence.
This course presents and examines various international and comparative perspectives on religious education within and across Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islamic, and Jewish faith communities. We will critically and comparatively engage in the policies, practices, and research on religious education in public and faith-based schools Canada and internationally. No previous knowledge or coursework on religious education is necessary.
This course is designed as an introductory course for both Indigenous (FNMI) and non-Indigenous educators and professional practitioners focusing on issues related to teaching and learning in Indigenous contexts in both urban and rural communities in Canada and more generally across Turtle Island (North America). We will be examining Indigenous ways of knowing and consider the ways this knowledge may inform teaching and professional practices for the benefit of all. Historical, social, and political issues as well as cultural, spiritual and philosophical themes will be examined in relation to developing culturally relevant and responsive curricula, pedagogies and practices. There is a particular emphasis placed on understandings of land and culture as it relates to constructions of the self in relation to education. The course is constructed around three modules. The first module focuses on exploring historical, social and political contexts, background and related factors that have and continue to influence current realities of FNMI students in Canada. The second module of the course focuses on examining where we are now – here in this time – particularly with regard to educational considerations which includes constructions of the self and community engagement. The third module explores some of the ways we might all move forward together in respectful relationships.
This course is designed for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators and professional practitioners and examines Indigenous (FNMI) perspectives on language, culture, and identity while looking at how this knowledge can inform teacher and professional practices to the benefit of all learners. In relation to developing culturally relevant and responsive curriculum, pedagogies and professional practices we will explore some of the tangled historical, socio-cultural and - political issues. We will also develop an understanding of FNMI peoples as a complete civilization (a complete way of being in the world) that includes the complex interplay of various aspects of civilization such as culture, literacies, language, arts, architecture, spiritual practices, and philosophical themes. Educators and professional practitioners will come away with enhanced critical thinking skills and active engagement with the issues through discussions and hands-on learning opportunities in order to move forward and be able to create more inclusive, fulfilling learning environments in both urban and rural contexts.
This course is designed for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal educators and professional practitioners and examines Aboriginal (FNMI) perspectives on literacies grounded in understandings of Land (capital "L") while looking at how these literacies can inform teacher and professional practices to the benefit of all learners. In relation to developing culturally relevant and responsive curriculum, pedagogies and professional practices we will explore some of the various literacies and ways to support literacy success in classrooms. We will explore culturally aligned texts, stories, and oral narratives together with symbolically rich themes that support literacies of land as living and emergent. Educators and professional practitioners will come away with enhanced critical thinking skills and active engagement with the issues concerning literacies through discussions and hands-on learning opportunities in order to move forward and be able to create more inclusive, fulfilling learning environments in both urban and rural contexts.
This course is designed to explore and analyze evolving and contrasting characterizations of citizenship education in school communities, primarily in Canada. Particular attention is given to the ways in which teachers translate varying theoretical perspectives and curricular intentions into pedagogical practice as they address such themes as informed citizenship, civic identity, civic literacy, controversial public issues, and community engagement and activism. Instruction for this course includes a mixture of directed and interactive presentations, discussion, and inquiry modes. In doing so, candidates are provided with opportunities to deepen their language of conceptualization, their skills of analysis and critique, and their research abilities. Candidates will also be encouraged to take a personal stance on curricular and pedagogical perspectives in relation to citizenship education.
This course examines education's role in exacerbating, mitigating, or transforming direct and indirect (systemic) violence, and in building sustainable democratic justice and peace, in different kinds of conflict zones around the world (such as divided and post-colonial societies, post-war reconstruction, refugee education, and societies suffering escalated gang criminality). We address conflict, justice, relational and peace-building learning opportunities and dilemmas embedded in various curricula and local/international initiatives. Themes include: education in 'emergency' and 'fragile state' contexts; securitization and colonization vs. humanization and restorative/transformative justice in education; history education for violence or peace; education for human rights and social cohesion; inter-group contact and integrated schooling; conflict resolution capability development; and teacher development for democratic peacebuilding. Participants will gain competence and confidence in conflict (transformation) analysis and in applying contrasting theories to contrasting examples of practice.
Indigenous research is a dynamic, collaborative and rapidly expanding field of study and practice. This course invites students to explore and apply their growing understandings of the relationship between Indigenous research and community engagement through an in-depth review of relevant literature, independent study and group work, critical engagement, and experiential learning. This course a theoretical, conceptual and applied exploration of Indigenous approaches to conducting research and engages in topics dealing with ideological, socio-cultural -political, and ethical issues that inform Indigenous Land-centered (capital “L”) research and community engagement across various landscapes, community, and educational contexts including but not limited to philosophies, frameworks, protocols, and practices. This course also examines specific topics such as research ownership, process and outcomes framed around the 5 R’s (relationship, respect, relevance, reciprocity and responsibility) in relation to Indigenous research from Land-centred and place-specific philosophical contexts. The course also includes an exploration of the governance by Indigenous communities of their own research and ethical review processes. In relation to developing culturally relevant, responsive and emergent research processes we will explore some of the various ways to do research and engage respectfully and meaningful with Indigenous communities. Educators, researchers, and professional practitioners will come away with enhanced critical thinking skills and active engagement with the issues concerning emergent, responsive, and respectful Indigenous research and community engagement through discussions and hands-on learning opportunities in both urban and rural contexts. There is a particular emphasis placed on philosophical nature of Land in relation to Indigenous research and community engagement together with constructions of the self in relationship to diverse research contexts. This course uses relevant research articles, activities, and various forms of media to foster an understanding of the pertinent literature and to assist students in engaging with some of the realities that face both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people across Turtle Island as they endeavour to engage in respectful and meaningful research. The course brings together a variety of decolonizing and anti-oppressive approaches to understanding the contexts of doing research so that educators, researchers and professional practitioners will come away with a better understanding of Indigenous research and the issues affecting insider/outsider researchers, as well as some better tools that can help develop and implement more inclusive, meaningful, fulfilling, and culturally relevant research in both urban and rural contexts and places both within Turtle Island and across the great waters. The course will explore understandings of what it means to conduct research with Indigenous peoples on the issues of pressing concern to communities across diverse contexts and asks what it means to decolonize research. It will also apply socio-cultural and socio-political frameworks to both theoretical and applied issues.
The purpose of this course is to introduce concepts and ideas related to processes of colonization and struggles for decolonization. The course seeks to engage in a reflection process of what it means to decolonize and to teach for decolonization, particularly when doing educational work within a settler colonial context. The course will focus on introducing selected foundational texts from decolonial thinkers and considering specific decolonization movements from different parts of the world. The course will gravitate around what Edward Said might call a “contrapuntal” reading of key texts from scholars of color about the topic of colonization and decolonization, which will weave around a process of reflection on how we are all impacted in and affected by ongoing colonization. This will involve a consideration of what we mean by colonization, and what are different colonial modes to impose particular knowledge frameworks in order to secure control over land as well as human and natural resources. The aim of the course is to begin to develop an initial understanding of what education for decolonization might mean by engaging “classic” texts while reflecting on how we are implicated in and/or impacted by colonization.
The course allows students to learn about schools, pedagogy and education through the lens of settler colonial studies. Settler colonialism is the process by which colonial nations and populations seek to displace Indigenous people from the Land in order to establish, and maintain, modern nations such as Canada. The course takes a critical approach to ways that settler colonialism persists through a matrix of oppressive pedagogies of knowledge, subjectivity, state and land theft/occupation. The course offers pathways for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students to deepen their understandings, to challenge and to delink from pedagogies and practices that support settler colonialism. Indigenous knowledge and scholarship will guide how we approach un/learning settler colonialism in ways that are accountable to Indigenous resurgence. Topics covered include Land theft/occupation (privatization, containment, dispossession); knowledge (reason, positivism, Western Enlightenment); schooling (residential schools, school to prison pipeline, multiculturalism); school subjects (social studies, physical education, environmental education, peace education); subjectivity (racism, gendered violence, heteropatriarchy, homonationalism); and public pedagogies (sport, popular culture, media). Students will be encouraged to make connections between local, everyday practices and wider historical contexts and critically analyze settler colonialism across Turtle Island (Canada/US) and other settler colonial contexts, such as Aotearoa/New Zealand, Palestine/Israel, South Americas and South Africa.
This course draws from the field of Maternal Pedagogies and Womanist Praxis, areas of inquiry that examine the relationship between mothering, teaching, and learning, and promotes various forms of agency, advocacy, and activism. Indigenous Maternal Pedagogies include women-centred Indigenous epistemologies that embrace the “whole student” within educational contexts and draw from an Indigenous women-centred worldview to establish a teaching and learning environment that can speak to the hearts and minds of students. This course provides a unique pedagogical framework that encourages anti-racist and ethical dialogue between Indigenous and non-Indigenous learners. Through scholarly material along with Indigenous narratives and storywork, topics will include: colonial histories, moving beyond empathy to teach about residential schools, ongoing structural violence, and the overrepresentation of children in care. Contemporary resistance movements and resilience frameworks will also be discussed along with ongoing conversations of current community experiences. Students will consider this praxis as a starting for Indigenizing classroom spaces; one that is rooted in localized community knowledges.
This graduate seminar examines how people engage in literacies with and through digital technologies. More specifically, we will explore how children’s and youth’s literacies continue to change along with increasingly networked local and global communities. Grounded in an understanding of digital literacies as culturally, historically, and socially situated meaning-making practices, students will also critically investigate how power and privilege are (re)constructed and negotiated with digitally mediated technologies. Throughout this seminar, students will read deeply into contemporary theories of digital literacies. In turn, students will also review recent empirical research and be afforded opportunities to problematize the ethics of digital literacies in teaching and learning.
In today's heterogeneous classrooms, teachers diversify their techniques of teaching, the content of lessons and their systems for evaluating student progress. The greater pupil diversity, the more teachers must adapt instruction. In this course, we will examine adaptive instruction at a macro(teaching methods) and micro-level (student-teacher interaction). Questions to be examined: What are the teacher's responsibilities for adapting instruction? What is an adapted or modified program? Is differential instruction of students discriminatory or essential? How might modified outcomes be evaluated and reported.
Why is the North American school system as it is? What were the options for change and what are the options for change? Drawing chiefly on North American scholarly literature, this course explores the origins of the state mandated educational systems in the context of traditional patterns of socialization and formal schooling, and changing social, political, and economic conditions.
This course is directed at those students interested in exploring the deep connections between education and social change in Canadian history. Before 1941, the majority of Canadian families lived outside of cities. This course will examine institutional structures, popular responses, and community involvement, and the ways that these factors interacted as state-run compulsory schooling was slowly accepted. It invites students to explore the vital, but relatively unknown, relationship that existed between education, social protest, and the search for reform in rural Canada in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Readings in this course will allow students to explore the ways that various people, kinds of people, and organizations, both rural and urban – First Peoples; recent British, African, and eastern European immigrants; educational bureaucrats and revolutionaries; social reformers; settled farm families and itinerant miners – used various kinds of education to encourage, resist and direct social reform in rural Canada.
This course provides an examination of how faith groups, often at odds with one another or the state, have shaped and continue to shape the Canadian school system, its organization, curriculum, and culture.
This course explores the changing dimensions of gender relations in Canada from the late 18th to the 20th century. It will examine selected social, cultural, economic, and political developments, shifting meanings of femininity and masculinity in these developments, and their effect on formal and informal forms of education.
This course will examine historical literature that looks at the different ways in which historical commemorations and historical memory have been forged, the hegemonic meanings of the past created by elites, and the contestation of those meanings by those often formally excluded from these processes: women, members of ethnic and racialized groups, and the working classes. We will look at areas such as state commemorations and the creation of 'tradition', the development of museums, historical tourism, and the designation of monuments and battlefields as sites of national memory. The course will conclude with an exploration of current debates over the place of 'history' in the schools and universities.
This course explores how immigration and immigration policy have shaped and continue to shape the Canadian social, economic, political, and linguistic reality with special reference to education. As schools are a primary place of encounter between immigrants and the Canadian receiving society, the class will examine the often-differing agenda of immigrants and educators hoping to meet the needs of immigrants and their children.
This course explores issues of ethnic and racial identity as factors influencing Canadian civic culture and the educational system in particular. Special attention will be paid to the changing nature of ethnicity in Canada and the social, linguistic, economic and political challenges ethnic and racial identity represent to keepers of the Canadian gate and educators in particular.
This course explores the ways in which gender relations have been an integral part of colonial and imperial expansion and national identities, from the mid-18th to the mid-20th centuries. We examine both how gender relations helped structure these historical developments and how gender relations were subject to change in various colonial contexts (including 'settler societies' such as Canada). The course readings explore the uneven and historically contingent ways in which processes of colonial and national expansion created new forms of gender asymmetry in both colony and metropole.
This course examines a range of themes in the history of education and popular culture, drawn primarily from nineteenth and twentieth-century Canadian history. Topics that will be covered include the impact of popular forms of amusement and education: theatre, tourism, public parades and festivals, and commercial exhibitions and museums. We also will explore the relationship of various levels of the state and of capitalism to popular culture and the relation of "high" culture to mass culture. This course will pay attention to the influences of gender, race and ethnicity, class, and sexuality in shaping and, at times, challenging, particular forms of popular culture.
Canadians, like other peoples around the world, have witnessed a breakdown in consensus about what history should be taught in schools, and a heightened awareness of the political nature of deciding whose history is, or should be, taught. Debates about what to teach, and how, are appearing as strands within larger discussions about the social and political meaning and purposes of history, and 'historical consciousness' is emerging in a wide range of cultural activities, from visiting museums to watching the History Channel. Adults and children alike seem to be seeking answers to questions of identity, meaning, community and nation in their study of the past. Students in this course will explore through readings and seminar discussions some of the complex meanings that our society gives to historical knowledge, with particular emphasis on the current debates about history teaching in Canadian schools, and the political and ethical issues involved. This course was previously listed under TPS1461 - "Special Topics in History: History Wars: Issues in Canadian History Education".
An overview of the uses of computers in education and consideration of critical issues of those uses; recommended as a first course in this area. Current practice and research in the use of computers to guide instruction are examined. Includes aspects of computer-aided learning: computers in the schools, computer-managed instruction, computer assisted instruction, internet resources, computer mediated communication, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence applications. Specific topics change each year. It is strongly recommended that this course be taken early in the student's program.
This course examines the role that knowledge building can play in school and work settings. We will review the distinction between knowledge building and learning, analyze recent knowledge building literature, and discuss socio-cultural, logistical and design considerations when constructing an online Knowledge Building community. Students will visit and study existing Knowledge Building communities as one of the course assignments.
This course deals with the use of computers in schools as tools for students in curricula other than computer studies. The role that technology can play in school restructuring is examined. Also included is a discussion of issues related to teacher training and classroom implementation, and the ways in which technology applications can influence the curriculum content and process. The major emphasis is on determining the specific educational needs (of students, teachers, etc.) that computers can meet.
This course will examine the theory and research underlying key learning theories that have informed online design, including constructivist learning and its historical and philosophical roots. We will consider various learning approaches that have informed these ideas, like problem based learning, collaborative learning and knowledge building, as well as more recent perspectives, including Universal Design for Learning and equity and inclusion considerations for creating safe online experiences for all students. We will examine how such concepts can inform and enhance the design and pedagogy of online environments.
A review of the history and purposes of computer-based communication for educational purposes, including the transition from text-based distance learning, the rise of internet based applications and the range of educational strategies and designs used in different learning contexts: e.g. self-paced learning; collaborative learning, and the use of micro learning. We will also look at the shift away from older access-focused purposes for online learning to its recent use as a more mainstream educational tool. Applications and issues of teaching and learning in online environments, related to all levels of education, are examined.
While many recognize that forms of artificial intelligence (AI) technology is increasingly infused in our everyday lives, AI’s role in education (K-12, higher education and corporate) is less clear. Some are predicting that AI will enhance teaching and learning by complimenting instructional and assessment practices through big data collection, machine learning and sophisticated prediction. Some see the promise of AI through the fulfillment of support roles such as through the use of chat-bots and intelligent tutors. Others are concerned about the impact of AI on educators and learners, particularly related to security/privacy and data collection, ambiguous decision making/inherent bias, job loss and loss of control. AI is showing promise in the area of research tools, too. In this course, we explore the implications of AI in education (AEID).
Included in the course is a discussion of related terminology and core concepts, the history and current state of AIED, practical considerations, current applications and future predictions about the impact of AI on the educational field.
The readings will focus on a variety of theoretical concepts and will explore the integration of and implications of AIED.
The key, overarching questions we’ll be considering in this course are: What definitions, terminology and core concepts of AI are important to understand as they relate to education? How do we stay current with AI developments in education? What are the implications of AI integration in education today and in the future?
This course examines current issues and applications of blended learning, where some learning is facilitated in a face-to-face environment and some is facilitated within a digital environment. Purposeful and pedagogically sound methods of digital teaching and learning in a blended learning environment are explored. This course examines applications and issues related to blended learning at all levels of education. Underlying this examination are the theoretical frameworks of constructivist learning and TPACK, and the issue of technology transience as it affects the design and incorporation of a digital learning environment. The digital tools available to facilitate blended learning are explored from the perspective of how such applications can support, inform and enhance the design of digital learning environments and methods of teaching. Included in the course is a discussion of related terminology, the current state and trends of blended learning, and future predictions about teaching in digital environments that facilitate blended learning. Assessment, competencies, Universal Design for Learning and inclusion in blended learning are also examined. The readings will focus on the theoretical ideas themselves, along with the integration of digital tools and instructional methods to support student learning in a blended learning environment. The key, overarching question we’ll be considering in this course is: In times of technology transience, how can we best support student learning in blended learning environments? In other words, how do we design blended learning opportunities in ways that reflect what we know about how people communicate and learn through digital interactions?
This course explores issues related to the use of social media in education contexts. There will be a particular focus on K-12 schools but the course will also examine the use of social media in higher education. Some of the topics that will be discussed include: popular social media tools and their application to teaching and learning, policies and practices related to integrating social media into classrooms, student safety in online environments, cyber bullying, elements of digital citizenship, e-professionalism and teachers as models of digital citizenship.
The course format will include a combination of whole class instruction, small group activities, and independent work.
This course examines the theoretical foundations of teaching and learning, and how that theory informs the design and delivery of online instruction. The course utilizes a textbook that is entitled, “How Learning Happens: Seminal Works in Educational Psychology and What They Mean in Practice” by Paul A. Kirschner and Carl Hendrick (2020). Kirschner and Hendrick’s book is organized around a set of 28 significant studies in educational psychology that illuminate different aspects of how learning takes place. Each week, students in this course will read one or two of these seminal articles and discuss its implications for online education.
This course involves a combination of theory and project design. Students will be introduced to key educational theories that inform how we design instructional media: cognitive load theory, dual coding theory, and Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning. Using the ADDIE model as an overarching framework, this course will focus on techniques for designing and developing educational media, including how to make effective use of colour, text, audio, video and different interface elements (menus, buttons, icons, etc.). The course will also examine principles of accessibility and the University Design for Learning (UDL) standards, which students will incorporate in their final projects.
Formative and summative assessment are critical components of teaching and learning. This course introduces you to the theory and practice of assessing students online. Key topics include: a) the goals of assessment; b) systematic practices for the development of assessment instruments; c) the strengths and weaknesses of different online assessment instruments and their suitability for different instructional goals; d) how to effectively communicate online assessment criteria and procedures; and e) how to design online assessments to be fair, culturally-sensitive, equitable and effective. During the course, you will use an assortment of free web-based tools to develop, test, and refine assessment instruments of your own design. This course will explore assessment strategies both for use in elementary and / or secondary contexts and in adult education contexts.
This course deals with the appropriate use of immersive technology (virtual reality, augmented reality, 360° video, 3D learning environments) as it pertains to curricula and education. This course examines the novel role of immersive technology as tools for educators and students to engage, enhance, and extend curricula beyond conventional methods. Also included is a discussion of issues related to educational trends and initiatives, theoretical frameworks, as well as subject and classroom integration. The major emphasis is on assessing the specific academic context (of students, the teacher, the learning environment, and curriculum objectives) that immersive technology can address in an educational and safe manner. This course will consist of twelve (12) lessons which will offer a variety of study methodologies, approaches, and activities: online videoconferencing with lectures, small-group student discussions, and student-led tech insights. Student reflection exercises will be conducted via online peer feedback forms, academic readings, online discussion forums, and exploration of digital resources.
Instructional design is important aspect of education. Today, we see many job postings for instructional designers in both the education and the corporate sectors. This course aims to equip students with both the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to become a successful instructional designer in the 21st century. The course will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of instructional design using technology in flex-mode, and fully online delivery modes. Students will have the opportunity to apply their understanding of instructional design principles through the assessed learning experiences. Online discussions will explore current issues in instructional design, and assessed learning experiences will provide students with individual and collaborative opportunities to develop their instructional design skill set.
A visionary document put out by UNESCO stated ‘Nobody should be excluded from knowledge societies, where knowledge is a public good, available to each and every individual.’ Standing in the way of that vision is education’s failure to democratize knowledge. The rich-get-richer story of modern times is as true for education as for the economy; those who enter with more knowledge leave with disproportionately more. In the meantime, a free, plentiful and equalizing resource—students’ capacity to work creatively with ideas—remains underdeveloped. Taking advantage of this resource requires that education adopt cultural norms that are prevalent in innovative, knowledge-creating organizations of all sorts: collective responsibility for community, not simply personal knowledge; sustained idea improvement; a “surpassing ourselves” mindset; and students taking charge at levels customarily reserved for teachers, curriculum, and technology designers. This class will function as a workshop to advance innovative knowledge practices and digital media attuned to UNESCO’s vision of an inclusive knowledge society.
Supervised experience in an area of fieldwork, under the direction of faculty and field personnel.
Specialized, individual study, under the direction of a member of the teaching staff, focusing upon topics of particular interest to the student. Although credit is not given for a thesis investigation proper, the study may be closely related to a thesis topic. A student wishing to enrol in CTL1798 is required to complete, in typewritten form, an Individual Reading and Research Course form, including an appropriate bibliography, describing the rationale and plan of study for the course. This course proposal must be signed by the student's faculty advisor and the instructor with whom the course will be taken, and then submitted for approval to the department's academic programs standing committee.
A course designed to permit the study of a specific area of curriculum or instruction not already covered in the courses listed for the current year. (This course does not fulfil the purpose of CTL1798, which in the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning is normally conducted on a tutorial basis.)
This course critically explores innovations in teacher education associated with promoting coherence, maintaining relevance, addressing complexity, and serving increasingly diverse communities. Program content, designs, practices, pedagogies, partnerships and policies developed in response to enduring challenges and competing conceptions of 'learning to teach' will be examined. Students will be encouraged to consider and develop potential innovations to initial and ongoing teacher learning that are supported by evidence and research.
This course focuses on supporting graduate students at both the Master's and Doctoral levels who are preparing research proposals, theses, dissertations, and for the comprehensive exam. The course aims to advance the research, writing, and exam preparations for its members and at the same time create an academic community. It examines students' ''works-in-progress'' with the goal of improving and advancing their research. Course topics will include: defining the research question; framing the study; choosing an appropriate research methodology; gathering the data; analyzing the data; and writing the thesis. Through examination of various studies, students will deepen their understanding of the process of conducting research. One emphasis of the course will be research on teaching and teacher education. Each week, students will spend part of the class working in small groups with others who are at the same stage of the doctoral/master's journey. The course will include: feedback on their work, time to discuss aspects of the research process, and an opportunity to present their work in a friendly, supportive environment.
Current educational literature reflects increasing attention to the practical and philosophical significance of ethical decision-making as a central aspect of the professionalism and accountability of teachers in their role as moral agents. This course will examine, through in part the use of case studies, some of the ethical complexities, dilemmas, and controversial issues that arise within the overall context of the school. It will raise questions about ethical concerns that occur as a result of teachers' daily work with students, colleagues, administrators, and parents. The course will consider the nature of professional ethics in education and associated concepts of the moral climate of schools. It will explore theoretical and empirical knowledge in the field of applied educational ethics and the moral/ethical dimensions of teaching and schooling.
This course examines various issues of teacher education, including the longstanding criticisms (e.g. program is disjointed) while others are more recent concerns (e.g. defining a knowledge base for teachers). Specific topics will be examined in light of the current context of education with an effort to understand the complexity of becoming a teacher. This course will systematically examine the current research on teacher education. We will consider teacher education both within Canada and internationally. We will systematically work through various topics by reading widely, discussing issues, and trying to determine ways to reform and renew teacher education.
In this class students will survey a range of issues related to the arts in education, including philosophical and theoretical issues, justifications and approaches to the arts in schools, the role of the arts in communities, as well as contemporary media and popular culture. The course will have a broad and interdisciplinary focus and will introduce students to relevant frameworks for conceptualizing a wide range of artistic practices in various educational contexts both within and beyond schools. From a consideration of various rationales for the inclusion of the arts in general education to the educational experiences of artists themselves, the course will seek to bridge the distance between contemporary arts and cultural theory and the integration of the arts in education through curriculum implementation and research.
In this course, we examine multiple and multicultural books. We examine the multicultural literature (what we read) as well as critically analyzing (how we read) these texts. Critical (indications of class, race and gender relations); multicultural (acknowledges the diversity in cultural experiences) analysis and social action/justice (what and how we act on these analyses) will guide our work together. The new knowledge constructed will inform how we create and develop critical perspectives and practices with students in the schools.
This course will examine conceptual, theoretical, and methodological considerations of urban school research. The arts generally- and theatre/drama in particular- will be used as a conceptual and methodological lens that informs questions of curriculum, subjectivity, space, diversity, policy, and youth culture in the study of urban schools. Studies of children/youth and youth culture and conceptions of arts/theatre practices and pedagogies in schools will be examined. Discussions of research problems in school-based research, and methodological and design choices in the development of school-based research projects will be a particular focus. Two of the primary goals of the course are: to expand students' qualitative research interpretation skills by examining the work of other school-based researchers and to help students formulate and articulate their research designs and methods for their own projects.
This course examines the role contemplation can play in teaching. Specifically, the concept of contemplation is explored in relation to reflection, personal narrative, and personal mythology. Students will also examine the thought and biographies of various contemplatives (e.g., Emerson, Huxley, Merton, and Steiner). The course provides opportunities to explore various modes of contemplation. Finally, contemplation will be linked with teaching and how it can allow teaching to become a more fully conscious act.
A critical examination of current theoretical perspectives and research methods in science, mathematics and technology education. The course is designed for those contemplating a thesis in this area. Participants will have the opportunity to present seminars on their research interests.
A seminar dealing with theories and practical constraints in the implementation of evaluation strategies in field settings.
The proseminar half-course will be organized into three-hour sessions. These sessions will often involve two parts, which may be organized in any order from week to week. First, some classes will feature a member of the Curriculum and Pedagogy (C&P) faculty who will be asked to introduce her or his research to the students and to speak to the question of how her or his work is situated within curriculum studies. Invited faculty will be able to choose one or two readings for that week, in order to give students an introduction to their work prior to the class. Second, each class session will focus on a topic of interest to doctoral students related to academic work in general and doctoral work in particular. The course will introduce students to the details of being a PhD student in C&P and will provide a forum for exchanging resources and ideas among students. In tandem, the proseminar will provide students with an introduction to academic life in general, including issues such as conferences, publications, teaching experience, academic job markets, etc.
Course description same as CTL1798.
A course designed to permit the study (in a formal class setting) of a specific area of curriculum or instruction not already covered in the courses listed for the current year. (This course does not fulfil the purpose of CTL1998, which in the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning is normally conducted on a tutorial basis.)
Foundation course for the Language and Literacies Education Program, also open to students from other programs. The course is offered for students particularly concerned with issues of second language instruction, education for minority populations, and pluralism in education, defined in terms of language, culture (including religion), or ethno-racial origin. The emphasis is on study of major foundational writings that have shaped current thinking about these topics and on deriving implications for reflective teaching practice. Registration preference given to LLE students.
This course focuses on the range of research under way or recently done by professors in or affiliated with the LLE program as well as some recent graduates or visiting scholars. Topics, research projects, and presenters vary each year. Participants analyze examples of diverse research methods and topics, critique theses previously completed in the program, and undertake a systematic synthesis of prior research related to their prospective thesis on language and/or literacies learning, teaching, curriculum, or policy. The course is required of students in the MA and PhD and may also be taken by students in the MEd. This colloquium provides opportunities to become familiar with ongoing research, research methodologies, and curriculum activities in second-language learning and teaching.
This course offers a historical survey of second language teaching methodologies and provides students with theoretical knowledge of innovative current practices, including the movement to a post-method era, new ways of teaching traditional second language skills, and other key issues current in the field. All learner groups are considered in minority and majority settings in Canada and internationally, though English and French are emphasized.
This course deals with current theory and practice in the development of the second language curriculum -- the planning, needs analysis, objectives, content, structure, and evaluation of second language programs for preschoolers to adults. The course is not an introduction to language teaching methods, but rather assumes that participants have taken such a course previously and/or have significant language teaching experience, which they now wish to consolidate -- by studying fundamental issues, current theory and research, recent publications and curriculum initiatives -- to develop their professional knowledge and capacities in this area.
This seminar focuses on discourse and discourse analysis, and their application to the field of second language education. We will review various approaches to discourse analysis, such as pragmatics, ethnomethodology, conversation analysis, interactional analysis, critical discourse analysis. We will consider language and discourse from the perspective of political economy and the construction of identities. Attention will also be paid to gender, gender performance and sexuality as identity constructs, as these are interrelated with language use and language acquisition.
Linguistic and cultural diversity have always characterized human societies and have usually played a central role in mediating power relations between dominant and subordinate groups. In recent years, theorists working within the framework of Critical Pedagogy have begun to describe how societal power relations are manifested in schools both through interpersonal interactions and the hidden curriculum. In particular, theory has focused on how language use and language learning interact with dimensions such as class, race, ethnicity, and gender in mediating power relations within the educational system. The course will focus on this body of theory and research and explore its applications to current educational issues related to minority students in both Canadian and international contexts.
This course examines theory and research in second language (L2) acquisition, including cognitive, linguistic, social, biological and affective variables that account for relative success in L2 learning. The role of instruction in L2 learning is also discussed.
This course examines bilingual education in its many forms. Particular emphasis will be placed on research questions and findings related to bilingual education in Canada - for English Canadians, French Canadians, immigrant populations, and Native peoples. Issues such as the effects of bilingualism on cognitive functioning, psycholinguistic abilities, and personality will also be explored.
This course provides an overview of current practices and problematic issues in language assessment. Topics include approaches commonly taken to developing and using language assessment instruments and procedures, their evaluation, and their applications in specific educational contexts.
A seminar to examine research on literacy education in second, foreign, or minority languages in subject or medium of instruction programs. Psychological and social perspectives are explored in relation to commonalities among and differences between second-language teaching in various kinds of world contexts.
The study of language politics, language planning and policy-making focuses on how social groups, governments, and other bodies, are involved in language issues, such as language teaching. There are few countries in the world today where language does not give rise to political debates. The state is frequently involved in the way decisions are taken about the languages to be used and promoted in various domains of public life (e.g. education, justice, the media) and even about what ''counts'' as a language. This course aims at providing some understanding of works conducted in this field, the way in which they are developing and the problems they face. There will be an emphasis on practical examples of language planning and policy issues drawn from Canada and other countries, and there will be scope for students to nominate examples, topics or case studies for class consideration. The course is suitable for students interested in the wider policy contexts in Canada and overseas of language education and language issues.
This course focuses on second-language writing, with special attention to relations between research, theory, and practice. Topics include text, psychological and social models of second-language writing instruction and learning, ways of responding to student writing, and techniques for evaluating writing.
In this course the many dimensions of second and foreign language teacher education will be explored. The course will focus on four main areas including 1) the foundations of second language teacher education, 2) initial teacher preparation, 3) in-service education and on-going professional development as well as 4) activities and procedures for second language teacher education. Consideration will be given to the specific needs of different types of second language teachers working in either traditional or non-traditional learning environments with learners of different ages. The implications of responding to these diverse needs for second language teacher education will also be explored.
This course addresses the influences of community, home, school, and cultural heritage on (second) language acquisition and language use. Social and educational implications of language variation are addressed, particularly as they relate to language policy and social and linguistic change. Factors such as gender, ethnicity, race, and socioeconomic background are studied as they relate to language use and perception. The current status of different language minority groups is considered, and related cultural and pedagogical issues are raised. Students will acquire an understanding of basic concepts, findings, issues, and research methods in sociolinguistics as they relate to second and foreign language learning, teaching, and use. They will develop a sociolinguistic perspective for the teaching and learning of second and foreign languages and obtain experience in the use of sociolinguistic techniques for the description of language in society as it pertains to second language learning, teaching, and use.
This course examines theories, research methods, and substantive findings about second language speakers' and learners' pragmatic style and development. Themes to be explored include the relationship between pragmatic and grammatical development, the role of different learning environments (such as study abroad, EFL vs. ESL), options and effects of instruction, individual differences, institutional discourse, cross-cultural politeness studies, electronic communication, and the interrelation of social context, identity, and L2 pragmatic learning. Through the class, students will understand basic concepts, findings, issues, and research methods in interlanguage and cross-cultural pragmatics; develop perspectives on the teaching and learning of second and foreign languages as pertains to the acquisition of pragmatic competence; and investigate in detail a topic related to the field of interlanguage pragmatics.
An analysis of the components of literacy programs in the early years. The course will focus on reading and writing elementary education, and will use a wide range of methods and materials of instruction. Topics include: child- and teacher-centred philosophies, content area literacy, use of digital technology, and assessing growth in reading and writing.
An examination of the nature and function of the study of literature. Children's Literature as a Foundation of Literate and culture in elementary schools. This course is designed for experienced teachers who will develop programs, select texts, explore interpretations, and consider implications and applications for schools.
This course examines a number of theoretical perspectives on literacy exploring their implications for work with Theory and Practice in Elementary literacy, learning and instruction. Topics such as literacy across the curriculum, reading comprehension, beginning writing instruction, use of media and technology in writing, and sociocultural influences on literacy learning, will be explored in terms of various theoretical approaches.
This course explores ways to bring children, cultural diversity and literature together in an interactive manner. Stories - whether traditional folktales or contemporary multicultural works - not only help define a child's identity and understanding of self, but also allow others to look into, appreciate, and embrace another culture. Class discussions revolve around an annotated bibliography of articles and books concerned with multicultural children's literature prepared specifically for the course and designed primarily for teachers in mainstream as well as ESL (English as a Second Language) and heritage language classes. The practical aim is for teachers to learn how to take advantage of the cultural diversity and interests that children of varied backgrounds bring to the classroom and to explore themes in folklore in order to open up the world of literature to all their students. The focus is to develop strategies for engaging students in classrooms in meaningful dialogue about diversity using the medium of personal interaction with the multicultural text. Throughout the course, we focus on how to encourage students to share their own cultural stories and ''border cross'' from one world to another. Particular emphasis is placed on the relevance of multicultural children's literature to minority students' self-esteem and literacy formation and to the school's relationship to minority and majority communities in addition to its relevance in confronting issues of human rights and social justice.
This course addresses theories of writing instruction and assessment that influence current classroom practice. Connections between theory and practice will be explored in terms of what it means to be a writer and a teacher of writing. Issues such as the teaching of writing conventions, writing assessment, sociocultural influences on students' writing, and the teacher's role in guiding student writing will be examined.
An exploration of the relationships between theory, research findings, course members' teaching experiences. Course members contribute their teaching experience as a context in which the group discusses ideas drawn as far as possible from original sources read and reported on. The topic, language and learning, cuts across various areas commonly taught in the school curriculum and embraces original work in a number of disciplines (e.g., philosophy, linguistics, psychology, sociology, literary criticism).
"New Literacies: Making Multiple Meanings" is a graduate seminar for masters and doctoral students interested in exploring issues and research literature in the field of literacy. This course takes up the notion that literacy is not singular, but multiple and ideological: diverse social practices that are embedded in local contexts. The course is designed as a collaborative inquiry into uses and associations that "literacy" has in particular educational projects and contexts. Using a seminar format, we will look at theoretical and empirical literature as well as examples from practice to explore the social functions of literacy in work, home, and school settings, with an eye toward how these conversations and ideas can be useful for researching, theorizing, and teaching in our own areas of interest. We examine new and historical developments in New Literacy Studies, multiliteracies, multimodality, critical literacy, as well as practitioner and activist traditions, and other work that considers literacy in relation to critical, social, political, technological, and educational factors.
Note: CTL3034H-New Literacies: Making Multiple Meanings, is cross-listed between LLE and C&P and therefore also counts towards C&P program requirements.
This course focuses on critical literacy and the theories that underpin it. Throughout the course participants are asked to explore issues raised by critical literacy in relation to their own circumstances, particularly as these pertain to educational issues within society. This course challenges participants to develop critical questions with application to personal/professional contexts. Video clips of interviews with renowned scholars in literacy studies form the basis of this interactive course. Major questions discussed throughout the course are: What is literacy? What is critical literacy? What is the history of critical literacy? - What is so critical about critical literacy? What are the theoretical underpinnings of critical literacy? How do critical literacies converge and diverge with multiliteracies? What does critical literacy look like in practice? Graduate students will be asked to generate additional critical questions that contribute to individual or collective critical inquiry projects such as a critical literature review, a thesis research project or a curriculum analysis that investigates burning questions about critical literacies.
This course focuses on the pragmatics of expressive writing in a range of pedagogical settings. Students will experience the ways in which a range of styles and modes of expressive writing operate in various prose forms including personal narratives, arguments, evaluations, interviews, and reports. Students will consider the implications of this expressivist pedagogy for educational practice from elementary to post-secondary learning. Students will work both independently and collaboratively. Assessment will be portfolio-based.
This course, focusing on (auto)biography, provides graduate students the opportunity to critically analyze biographical contexts of influential educational researchers and scholars such as Henry Giroux, Maxine Greene, and William Pinar, amongst others. Using relevant theoretical frameworks, course participants will engage with the biographies of numerous scholars and will critically discuss the important contributions they have made to the educational field. Students will also have the opportunity to explore and reflect on their own lived experiences and circumstances, particularly in relation to educational issues within society. Video clips of interviews with renowned scholars form the basis of this interactive course.
This course brings together research and practice in primary classrooms, introducing sociolinguistic and sociocultural perspectives on young children’s oral language and literacy (with a focus on writing and other symbolic representation), and play-based pedagogy supporting literacy. In addition to contributing to ongoing online conversations about readings, students will learn a story well enough to tell it to an audience and discuss the play-based pedagogical possibilities of the story. Students will also develop a creative collaborative curriculum activity intended to support young children’s oral language and literacy.
This course is designed primarily for graduate students whose first language or dominant language is not Standard English. In this course students will use an action research approach to analyze their own progress in actively acquiring Academic English proficiency. They will learn about the research, theories, and practices which inform our understanding of academic language skills necessary for success in graduate studies, and how they are acquired by learners of English as a Second Language. This will be achieved through a combination of critically reviewing scholarly articles/lectures on the acquisition of academic English proficiency and the sub-skills this comprises, applying second language acquisition research methods in a self-study project, and engaging in collaborative learning to develop graduate level academic language and literacies. Learning outcomes are assessed on the basis of students’ progress, self-evaluations, peer-to-peer feedback, and language acquisition; as such, grades for the class are credit/no credit only.
This course is offered for graduate students particularly concerned with issues related to student mobility in education, promising education pathways for students of refugee background and programs for language, literacy and numeracy instruction for these students. In this course, students will learn about research, theory, policy and practice as these inform our understanding of the education of students of refugee background. It is intended to provide practitioners and researchers with a critical overview of theoretical and practical perspectives, concepts, strategies, and issues relevant to the education of refugee and asylum seekers. There will be opportunities to review scholarly articles, language policies, curriculum and program documents as well as to explore teaching strategies and tools that promote inclusive education. This course is designed around theory, policy, curriculum and pedagogy to support reflective practice and research related to the students of refugee background.
The primary aim of this course is to enable students to develop a framework for describing the field of Vocabulary Acquisition and Teaching. To do so, (1) students will learn key theoretical concepts in the field of vocabulary teaching and learning (2), present and discuss the most relevant research methodologies in the field and (3) reflect on the effectiveness of didactic materials through language textbook analysis.
This course investigates Complexity Theory (CT) as a lens to study Second Language Learning and Development (SLLD). After presenting the origin, evolution and main tenets of the constellation of complexity in a transdisciplinary perspective, the course turns to investigating key concepts such as emergence, complex adaptive systems, fractals, change over time, and attractors in relation to SLLD. CT is increasingly used as a metatheory in the study of phenomena related to the development of languages, the positioning of language learners/users vis-à-vis their own linguistic trajectories and repertoires, and the conceptualization of language learning. The course studies phenomena which imply overcoming linguistic/cultural barriers and triggering individuals’ creativity and agency, as well as the way CT can be articulated to existing theories of (language) learning (specifically Vygotsky’s Sociocultural theory and Bandura’s Social cognitive theory) and studies in the field of creativity. Students will identify areas of SLLD that would benefit from a CT-informed framework, will discuss the implications of using it, alone or in combination with other theories, and will analyze research studies that have adopted CT as their theoretical lens.
A huge proportion of workers in Canada utilize at least one language which is not their mother tongue in order to carry out their work. In this course, we will investigate a wide variety of questions and topics related to second language speakers and learners in the workplace. What is workplace communication? Who does it? Why? What impact do factors have on the conversations that occur in the workplace, including:
- second language ability
- sociolinguistic competence
- intercultural communication
- one's institutional role (e.g., employee, employer, supervisor, entry-level worker)
- type of workplace (e.g., medical, legal, university, warehouse, construction, etc.
- types of speech events that occur (e.g., meetings, interviews, email memos, internet chatrooms, lectures, workplace ESL classes, etc.)
We will use sociolinguistic tools to understand workplace settings and to investigate what makes for successful multicultural/intercultural workplace interactions. We will analyze authentic examples of written and spoken language in a variety of workplace settings.
This courses explores the nature of language: its rule-governed structure, its variety and its universal characteristics, the way it is acquired by native speakers and additional language learners, its role in society, its role in creating, sustaining, and enhancing power, and its role in informal and institutional education. The aim of the course is to consider (i) language awareness and use in first, second, and foreign language education; (ii) the special need for language awareness in L2 contexts; and (iii) the role of language awareness in teacher development and program administration. Students will relate course concepts to their own language learning and teaching experiences, and will carry out observational/empirical tasks to apply their learning to the real world.
Ce cours a pour but d'explorer une conception élargie du langage et de la communication basée sur le discours et l'analyse du discours. Les interactions humaines et sociales se construisent en grande partie au moyen du discours, à travers sa production, sa circulation, sa diffusion, sa légitimation, sa valorisation, sa consignation, sa mise en archives. Dans les sciences humaines et sociales, le discours constitue à la fois un mode d'accès à la connaissance et un contenu à étudier. En guise d'illustration, nous examinerons diverses applications de l'analyse de discours, en particulier lorsqu'il s'agit de comprendre la production discursive dans l'exercice d'activités de travail ou dans la construction de l'identité collective en contexte pluraliste.
Ce cours a pour but de familiariser les étudiants avec les théories sur le bilinguisme et avec les méthodes de recherche qui ont été développées pour en traiter, de façon à pouvoir prendre en compte ces connaissances dans la recherche, l'enseignement ou le développement de matériel pédagogique, que ce soit en milieu bilingue ou plurilingue, ou en rapport avec l'enseignement des langues. Il porte plus particulièrement sur l'individu faisant l'acquisition ou ayant recours à deux ou plusieurs langues. Il aborde également la question du bilinguisme sur le plan des interactions langagières au sein de communautés linguistiques, comme la famille, la ville, ou le monde du travail.
Ce cours a pour objectif de mieux comprendre de quelle façon les interventions humaines sont réalisées sur les dynamiques linguistiques. Nous examinerons en particulier sur quelles bases idéologiques et politiques on en vient à élaborer des politiques linguistiques, quelles en sont les composantes et les principales étapes, et de quelle façon les politiques linguistiques se répercutent dans les pratiques langagières des acteurs sociaux. Idéalement, la politique linguistique devrait permettre à l'école une meilleure prise en compte du contexte qui lui est propre, de façon àharmoniser les rapports entre, d'une part, les langues de l'école, à savoir la langue d'enseignement et les langues secondes ou étrangères à enseigner (ou en d'autres termes la langue en tant que médium d'instruction et en tant que matière enseignée), et d'autre part, la réalité linguistique des élèves, incluant en premier lieu leur langue première pouvant correspondre aussi bien à la langue dominante, à une langue minoritaire, à une langue d'origine ou à une langue autochtone, et, en second lieu, leurs pratiques langagières axées autour du bilinguisme, de la dominance linguistique, de l'alternance et du mixage de codes.
Ce cours, donné en français, traite des diverses formes d’approches pédagogiques où la diversité linguistique et culturelle est utilisée comme soutien à l’apprentissage d’une ou plusieurs langues à l’école. Les enjeux de la diversité linguistique et culturelle dans le système éducatif canadien seront discutés. Les fondements de ces approches pédagogiques novatrices et des recherches empiriques seront présentés afin de voir sous un jour plus inclusif l’école du 21e siècle.
Only offered in French, L’immersion francaise: enseignement et recherches (French Immersion: Teaching and Research) is designed for MT students interested in teaching in French immersion. As the course is in French, students must pass OISE’s French language proficiency test before enrolling in the course. The course aims to support students in developing appropriate knowledge, skills, and attitudes for beginning a placement or a teaching assignment in French Immersion (Kindergarten to Grade 12). Students will have opportunities to focus on the level of their choice (e.g., Primary/Junior, Junior/Intermediate, or Intermediate/Senior) while gaining a broader understanding of immersion students' learning trajectories across elementary and secondary panels.
The course will be built around a series of six two week class units. In the first class of each unit students will view a film after which, with the film still fresh in mind, they will have a first discussion of the film and issues it raises. For the next class students will watch a second film on the same topic from a short list supplied, read contemporary reviews for both films, read assigned monographs or articles related to the historical period or subject matter of the films and prepare a short critique based on the films and readings. The second class in each unit will then review the critiques and discuss the films in light of insight afforded by historians or other scholars. Students will also prepare a course paper.
This course considers how viewers "read" historical cinema. Its focus is on the divergent demands of the production of historical films and the ways in which those demands distort (or just change) historical events in order to produce a consumer product. Each class has an introduction by the professor, viewing the film, and a discussion period. Students write weekly reports and a term paper.
William Shakespeare is the most famous person in the English-language tradition. This course has three main themes: "Historical Shakespeare", "Re-Created Shakespeare" and "Shakespeare and Popular Culture". Its primary concern is not literary but, rather, the social and historical evolution of Shakespeare's iconic status.
This course is concerned with the ways in which historical films treat the subject of identity. In this regard, it has four sub-sections: power/gender, class struggle, inter- and intra-cultural connections, and appearances and reality. Each class has an introduction by the professor, viewing the film, and a discussion period. Students write weekly reports and a term paper.
This course is a survey of the struggle between literacy-as-social-control and literacy-as-enlightenment. Using a variety of texts, this theme is followed from the ancient world through to the onset of modern, compulsory schooling. Each class has an introduction by the professor, viewing the film, and a discussion period. Students write weekly reports and a term paper.
This course has two organizing themes: first, representative educational thinkers writings on literacy and schooling (e.g., Plato, Augustine, Erasmus, Luther, Locke, Rousseau, and Malthus); and, second, secondary scholarly readings chosen to enable the students to consider these thinkers' ideas in their historical context. Each class has an introduction by the professor, viewing the film, and a discussion period. Students write weekly reports and a term paper.
LLE Master of Ed. Field in Language Teaching candidates enrolled in this course will work alongside host teachers who are experienced in language instruction. The goal of working alongside host teachers will be to actively participate in all aspects of language instruction including but not limited to: curriculum and lesson planning, assessment development, differentiated instructions, working with individual students, and developing a deep understanding of language instruction to various age groups. The overarching goal of this practicum course is to help all M. Ed. candidates to gain clarity in life, valuable teaching experience, connections, and employability through authentic lessons and dedicated support. A majority of the M. Ed. candidates are international students and could greatly benefit from having more experience and cultural context from working in Canadian language instructional organizations.
An individualized course linking research and theory in Language and Literacies Education (LLE) with practical fieldwork supervised by a professor. Credit is not given for the fieldwork per se, but rather for the academic work related to it. Academic assignments related to the field work are established collaboratively between the student and professor supervising the course, and evaluated accordingly, in a manner similar to an individual reading and research course (e.g., CTL 3998H). A student wishing to propose a Practicum course must prepare a rationale, syllabus, and bibliography for the course, and obtain the written approval of a supervising professor and of the graduate coordinator in LLE one month prior to the start of the academic term in which the course is to begin.
Specialized study, under the direction of a staff member, focusing on topics of particular interest to the student. While course credit is not given for a thesis investigation proper, the study may be closely related to a thesis topic. A student wishing to propose an Individual Reading and Research course must prepare a rationale, syllabus, and bibliography for the course, and obtain the written approval of a supervising professor and of the graduate coordinator in LLE one month prior to the start of the academic term in which the course is to begin.
A course designed to permit the study (in a formal class setting) of specific areas of language and literacies education not already covered in the courses listed for the current year. (This course does not fulfil the purpose of CTL3798, which is normally conducted on a tutorial basis.)
This course will examine several forms of linguistic diversity at the individual and community level as well as their impact on language and identity construction. Through the class, students will discuss and understand the emerging notion of plurilingualism as distinct from multilingualism and analyze it from three different scientific points of view: cognitive, sociological/sociocultural and pedagogical. The course will adopt a global perspective in investigating language diversity and its implications in different geographical areas and historical times. The course is at doctoral level but it is open to Master's students (with permission of the instructor).
This course will examine aspects of second language learning (SLL) from the perspective of a sociocultural theory of mind. Key concepts from sociocultural theory, for example zone of proximal development (ZPD), scaffolding, private speech, and mediation will be considered as they relate to SLL. Relevant writings of Vygotsky, Leont'ev, Cole, Donato, Lantolf, van Lier, Wertsch and others will be read in depth.
For thesis students (MA, PhD, or EdD) preparing to do empirical research on second language learning, instruction, and/or curriculum, this course reviews and provides experience with relevant techniques for data collection (e.g. focus groups, interviewing, verbal reports, observation, discourse analysis, questionnaires, tests); data analyses (e.g., coding, profiling, summarizing, reliability and verification checks, validation), and addressing ethical issues in research with humans.
This course examines theory and research on the role of instruction in second language acquisition. The central issues to be addressed are the extent to which different types of instructional input and corrective feedback contribute to second language acquisition (SLA). The extent to which different language features and proficiency levels interact with instructional input is also examined alongside other learner and teacher variables.
The purpose of this course is to provide students with a foundation in the breadth of possibilities for researching the second language classroom. The course is structured to capture this breadth methodologically (primarily quantitative and qualitative social science approaches, but also research informed by humanities approaches); theoretically (cognitivist, socio-cultural, and critical approaches); contextually in terms of program models (both across bilingual, foreign, heritage, Indigenous, and multilingual mainstream contexts, but also in terms of K-12 and adult settings); and in terms of domain (e.g., research with varying foci on language itself, the teacher, learners, curriculum, policy, home-school connections, etc.). As much as possible, the course pairs "how-to" readings with exemplars of second language classroom research. The course also includes structured activities to support students in gaining direct experience with typical methods for doing research in and about language classrooms. Based on the interests of students enrolled in the course, we can agree to adapt the syllabus at the beginning of the semester to narrow or shift our focus. By the end of this course, participants are expected to: 1) Articulate the relationship between theoretical perspective, research design, and methods in the study of second language classrooms; 2) Use course and other readings to critique an exemplar of second language classroom research; 3) Formulate a research(-able) question of interest to the participant; 4) Use small-scale data collection techniques and reflect on their experience with them; 5) Use course and other readings to develop a research proposal.
This course is designed to engage cutting-edge scholarship from applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology, sociology of language, language policy, and history that interrogates the relationship between language, racism, and settler-colonialism. Besides engaging closely with this scholarship, the goal of this course is to deepen our understanding of critical social theory as it applies to language and language education in multiple contexts.
The objectives of this professional seminar course are 1) to support students in developing the skills needed to complete the work associated with their MA or PhD program in Language and Literacies Education and 2) to introduce them to the work that is integral to a life as an academic in the field of education such as presenting at conferences, preparing publications, and teaching. Over the course of the semester there will be opportunities to exchange with some LLE professors, current and former LLE students, as well as librarians and other University of Toronto staff who can assist on the journey. The course is required for PhD students (both full-time and flex-time) and recommended for MA students.
Specialized study, under the direction of a staff member, focusing on topics of particular interest to the student. While course credit is not given for a thesis investigation proper, the study may be closely related to a thesis topic. A student wishing to propose an Individual Reading and Research course must prepare a rationale, syllabus, and bibliography for the course, and obtain the written approval of a supervising professor and of the graduate coordinator in LLE one month prior to the start of the academic term in which the course is to begin.
A course designed to permit the study (in a formal class setting) of specific areas of second language education not already covered in the courses listed for the current year. (This course does not fulfil the purpose of CTL3998, which is normally conducted on a tutorial basis.)
A course designed to permit the study of a specific area of curriculum or instruction not already covered in the courses listed for the current year. (This course does not fulfil the purpose of CTL1798-Individual Reading and Research in Curriculum: Master's Level, which in the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning is normally conducted on a tutorial basis.)
A course designed to permit the study (in a formal class setting) of specific areas of language and literacies education not already covered in the courses listed for the current year. (This course does not fulfil the purpose of CTL3798-Individual Reading and Research in Language and Literacies Education: Master's Level, which is normally conducted on a tutorial basis.)
A course designed to permit the study of a specific area of teaching not already covered in the courses listed for the current year.
A course designed to permit the study (in a formal class setting) of a specific area of curriculum or instruction not already covered in the courses listed for the current year. (This course does not fulfil the purpose of CTL1998-Individual Reading and Research in Curriculum: Doctoral Level, which in the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning is normally conducted on a tutorial basis.)
A course designed to permit the study (in a formal class setting) of specific areas of second language education not already covered in the courses listed for the current year. (This course does not fulfil the purpose of CTL3998-Individual Reading and Research in Language and Literacies Education: Doctoral Level, which is normally conducted on a tutorial basis.)
This course is an introduction to education approaches and the role of the teacher in using research, theory, literature and multi-modal texts to teach and assess literacy and to support students' literacy across the curriculum in K-10 classrooms. This course is normally open only to students in the Teaching program.
This course will enable teacher candidates to analyze the interrelated legal and ethical conditions that shape the classroom context specifically and educational change generally. The Ontario College of Teachers regulations and professional misconduct policies and procedures will be studied. Topics include leadership theories, the legal context of education, parental participation, and the influence of collegial relationships with students, parents, community, government and social business agencies upon the classroom and the school. This course is normally open only to students in the Teaching program.
An introduction to education techniques and the role of the teacher in implementing, evaluating and designing mathematics curricula for students in grades K to 10. Additionally, the course explores methods for curriculum planning and development including practical assessment strategies. This course is normally open only to students in the Teaching program.
This first year course provides supervised experience in an area of fieldwork, under the direction of faculty and field personnel. Teacher candidates are placed in partnership schools in public and separate school systems and in other settings that use the Ontario curriculum. Teacher Candidates are under the joint supervision of a field teacher on site and an academic staff member at OISE. The teacher candidates will have one placement in each of their divisions. This course is normally open only to students in the Teaching program.
In this second year course, teacher candidates are placed in partnership schools in public and separate school systems and in other settings that use the Ontario curriculum. Teacher candidates are under the joint supervision of field teachers on site and an academic staff member at OISE. Teacher candidates may have experience in one or both of their divisions. They may be placed in special education, library or specialist classrooms in their last placement. This course is normally open only to students in the Teaching program.
Educational Research 1 is a graduate seminar designed to foster MT candidates’ research literacy and deepen their understanding of the role that research plays in the field of education. Candidates learn how to access, interpret, synthesize, and critically evaluate research literature. This course is designed to develop candidates’ identities as teacher-researchers who engage in critical inquiry as a key component of their professional practice. Research for educational equity and social justice is integral to the course. The course facilitates examination of the politics of knowledge production and use, as well as citation practices. Candidates learn how to examine power dynamics between researcher and researched, and are guided toward deepening their understanding of researcher subjectivities and research as relational. Candidates are provided with opportunities to critically reflect on how their positionality shapes their identities and practices as teacher-researchers. Throughout the course, candidates review the research literature in an area of education that interests them. The culminating assignment of the course is a 3750-5000-word research paper. Educational Research 1 (CTL7006H) is a prerequisite for Educational Research 2 (CTL7015H).
This course presents an overview of the basic concepts, practices, and current research associated with effective assessment and evaluation in Ontario classrooms. Teacher candidates will develop an understanding of Ontario curriculum and policy documents as relevant to the professional obligations of student assessment and evaluation, grading and reporting. Examination of effective strategies of assessment for, as, and of learning is at the core of this course. Drawing on current research, attention may be given to topics such as validity and reliability, assessment tool design, success criteria, quality feedback, performance assessment, authentic assessment, portfolios, self-evaluation, data gathering and management, standardized testing in provincial or large-scale assessments, as well as assessment related beliefs, attitudes, and issues of psychological well-being. Related issues of equity and a critical stance are infused and discussed throughout the course.
This course is normally open only to students in the MT program. Students may not take CTL 1019.
In this course, teacher candidates are introduced to topics/core content related to both Special Education and Mental Health and Well-Being. Teacher candidates will consider Special Education from the perspective of the general classroom teacher. From this perspective, special education is not "special" but is effective teaching that benefits all students in the class. Teacher candidates will consider Mental Health as pertaining to students' resilience, social/emotional well-being and mental wellness.
This course is designed to promote critical and reflective thinking and learning about topics related to supporting a diverse range of learners, including students identified as requiring special education support. Specifically, this course will support teacher candidates to: (1) examine their own beliefs and practices related to supporting student learning, (2) understand and utilize a strength-based approach and teaching strategies for differentiation, accommodation, and modification to plan for and assess learning needs, (3) understand the relationship among mental health, well-being and achievement and view student well-being as inclusive of physical, cognitive/mental, social and emotional well-being, (4) identify ways to support students' mental health and well-being and identify students who require more intensive intervention (4) develop the capacities to work with families and other professionals in support of students, (5) demonstrate the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and confidence necessary to effectively promote success for students with a broad range of experiences, needs and abilities, including students with exceptionalities, (6) develop the knowledge and skills pertaining to First Nation, Métis, and Inuit ways of thinking about the kinds of differences associated with special education needs. This course will pay particular attention to current research in planning for inclusion through Universal Design for Learning (UDL), differentiated instruction (DI), and response to intervention (RTI) and how these can inform teachers' responses to students; various ways of being, learning, and showing understanding in the classroom.
This course inquires into a range of equity issues including: teacher candidates' (TC) own biases, dispositions, ideas and positionality; relationships between and among students, teachers, community, administrators and families; the ways in which systemic oppressions operate within K-12 schooling in Ontario and beyond; and the interlocking social, economic and political (re)production of inequalities (including but not limited to race, indigeneity, class, gender, sexuality, ability, language, age and religion). The course develops TC capacity to interrogate and challenge multiple forms of discriminatory practices within education, seeking to develop TC's understandings of theories and practices of pedagogies of liberation within daily life in schools. This course is normally open only to students in the Teaching program.
In this course, Primary/Junior teacher candidates will explore theoretical and current issues in numeracy and literacy spanning kindergarten through grade eight. Integration with other subject areas and course work will be addressed. The experiences in this course are intended to help teacher candidates bridge theory and practice, and articulate personal beliefs and experiences related to literacy and numeracy. This course is normally open only to students in the Teaching program.
Teacher candidates in the Junior/Intermediate division will explore a variety of both theoretical and current issues related to junior and intermediate schooling. The importance of content area curriculum, including the drama and dance curriculum; integration of curriculum across subject areas, community in classrooms and schools; culturally responsive teaching; and out of school experiences will be addressed. In the literacy portion of this course, there will be an emphasis on critical literacy, drama curriculum and dance curriculum specific and overall expectations. The course is intended to help student teachers understand the complexity of the junior/intermediate panel and particular issues regarding working with adolescents. Student teachers will be encouraged to articulate personal beliefs as they relate to teaching of drama, dance, critical literacy, and mathematics, as well as working with students, and the role of the teacher.
This course addresses issues and developmental changes in children and the factors involved in child development. Infancy, the preschool period, early school years, intermediate years, and adolescence are covered. This course is normally open only to students in the Teaching program.
There are both professional and academic rationales underpinning this course. Teachers and high schools are governed by a range of shifting and variably interpreted legal, policy and ethical mandates which have been produced in a range of historical, political and institutional contexts. One key aim of this course is to assure that teacher candidates are aware of their professional and legal rights and responsibilities, as defined by national and provincial legislation, local school board policy, and professional advisories. Another aim of the course is to explore ethical nuances and challenges in teaching while aiming to interpret and respond to relevant legislation that helps to define the teacher's professional role. Using academic research literature, policy documents, and case studies, the course blends theory with the consideration of practical in-school situations in order to enable teacher candidates to analyse policy, ethical and legal tensions in teaching. The course thus aims to rigorously explore teachers' professional contexts so as to inform their daily practice through thoughtful ethical reflection in light of legal and policy considerations.
An introduction to research-informed teaching and professional learning in Music Education, Visual Arts Education, and Health and Physical Education for students in grades 4 to 10. For each of these disciplines, the course explores Ministry curriculum, lesson design and planning, pedagogy, assessment and evaluation, and research in light of contemporary educational theory and practice. This course is normally open only to students in the Teaching Program.
This course will explore the complexity of schools and place of the school in the community. Practical issues around lesson planning, unit planning, classroom management, and the class as a community are addressed. This course provides a practical and conceptual introduction to the teaching of students and will introduce student teachers to many of the philosophies, methods, and materials relevant to teaching. It provides opportunities to develop an understanding of the process of becoming a teacher, insight into the role of ethics in research, and to acquire the skills and attitudes to be a thoughtful and reflective practitioner. In these respects, this course enables the student teacher to build a foundation for continuing professional growth as an individual and as a member of the teaching community. This course is normally open only to students in the Teaching program.
In Educational Research 2 candidates draw on the research literacy they developed in CTL 7006 to learn some of the foundational skills of doing research. They conduct a small-scale qualitative research study using either semi-structured interviews or document analysis methods. Special attention is given to the topics of research design, data collection, data analysis, and mobilizing knowledge in one’s own practice and beyond. Students deepen their understanding of how their own positionalities and experiences affect their identities as teacher-researchers. The course format includes a combination of whole class instruction, research methods workshops, and independent work periods. The culminating assignments of the course include a 3750-5000-word research paper and a presentation at the annual MT Research Conference.
This course deals with the use of computer technology in schools as tools for students in curricula other than computer studies. The role that technology can play in school restructuring is examined. Also included is a discussion of issues related to responsible use, teacher training, and classroom implementation, and the ways in which technology applications can influence the curriculum content and process. The major emphasis is on determining the specific education need (of students, teacher, curriculum objectives or subject area) that computer technology can meet. This course is normally open only to students in the Teaching program.
An introduction to research-informed teaching and professional learning in Music, Dance and Drama Education for students in grades K to 6. For each of these disciplines, the course explores Ministry curriculum, lesson design and planning, pedagogy, assessment and evaluation, and research in light of contemporary educational theory and practice. This course is normally open only to students in the Teaching Program.
This course provides a practical and conceptual introduction to the teaching of Science Education and Environmental Education in PJ and JI. This course consists of lectures, discussions, learning activities and workshops designed to emphasize the expectations, pedagogy, methodology and content of Science and Technology, and Environmental Education across the curriculum in the primary, junior and intermediate (PJ, JI) grades, based on the Ministry of Education curriculum found in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8, Science and Technology (2007), The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 & 10, Science (2008) and Ministry policy, Acting Today, Shaping Tomorrow (2009). As an overview, it will introduce theory and practices from a range of related fields, including Science and Technology Education, Environmental Education (EE), Outdoor Education, and Ecojustice Education, drawing on concepts such as Inquiry-based Learning, Sustainability, Systems-Thinking, Equity, Interdisciplinary Design, and Integration. The course provides opportunities to develop a practical understanding of instructional methods and skills through unit and lesson planning, effective use of teaching resources, digital technology, assessment/evaluation strategies, and an exploration of related educational research literature.
This course focuses on the inclusion of English Language Learners (ELLs) across the school curriculum. It is intended to support teacher candidates' development of a pedagogical approach and a repertoire of instructional and assessment strategies to engage ELLs in developing language and content knowledge simultaneously. Using an asset-based perspective to language diversity, the course is structured around the broad domains of (1) theories of language learning and teaching, (2) language awareness, analysis, and assessment, (3) ESL strategies in the content areas, and (4) family, school, community, and policy contexts. Upon successful completion of this course, candidates should be able to identify and use ELLs' individual strengths and interests to promote their learning and development, to work with families and other professionals to support ELLs, and to understand their roles and responsibilities as teachers with respect to ELLs and their academic, social, and personal success.
This course will introduce candidates to the methodologies and issues relevant to teaching English in Ontario in the Intermediate and Senior divisions (Grades 7-12). Written, visual and virtual texts such as literature, media and technology define the content. Topics include teaching textual forms, writing processes, classroom language and media/technology. Teacher candidates will read, write, view, talk and represent their understanding of text to reflect on English/Language Arts practices and theories, as preparation for informed curriculum planning and implementation. The content, methodologies, evaluation and skill requirements in English/Language Arts will be linked to Ontario Ministry of Education guidelines. This course is normally open only to students in the Master of Teaching program.
This course will introduce candidates to the methodologies and issues relevant to teaching History in Ontario in the Intermediate and Senior divisions (Grades 7-12). A variety of teaching/learning strategies, assessment techniques and approaches to curriculum design will be explored. Adapting the history program to meet the needs of a diverse student body will be highlighted. Course methods include demonstrations, interactive sessions, small group activities and field studies. Assignments will require candidates to develop practical applications and to link theory and practice. This course is normally open only to students in the Master of Teaching program.
This course will introduce candidates to the methodologies and issues relevant to teaching Mathematics in Ontario in the Intermediate and Senior divisions (Grades 7-12). A variety of teaching/learning strategies, assessment techniques and approaches to curriculum design will be explored. Course methods include discussion of objectives, teaching methods, instructional materials, testing and evaluation, and selected topics from the Ontario Ministry of Education Guidelines. This course is normally open only to students in the Master of Teaching program.
This course will introduce candidates to the methodologies and issues relevant to teaching Biology in Ontario in the Intermediate and Senior divisions (Grades 7-12). The course provides opportunities to develop a practical understanding of instructional methods and skills through unit and lesson planning in a variety of classroom contexts. Furthermore, candidates will be introduced to safe laboratory work, the effective selection and use of resources, the integration of technology into teaching, a variety of assessment/evaluation strategies, and to creating an inclusive and motivating learning environment. Throughout the program, efforts are made to integrate theoretical ideas and perspectives from the educational research literature with teaching and learning practices in schools. This course is normally open only to students in the Master of Teaching program.
The I/S Science-Chemistry course provides a practical and conceptual introduction to the teaching of Intermediate Science (Grades 7 to 10 Science) and Senior Chemistry (Grades 11 and 12 Chemistry). This course consists of a series of lectures, seminars and laboratory workshops designed to emphasize the research in teaching and learning of chemistry The course expectations, pedagogy, methodology and content of science in the intermediate and senior grades are guided by the Ministry of Education curriculum policy documents: The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8, Science and Technology (2007), The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 & 10, Science (2008) and The Ontario Curriculum Grades 11 & 12 Science(2008). The course provides opportunities to develop a practical understanding of instructional methods and skills through unit and lesson planning in a variety of classroom contexts. Furthermore, candidates will be introduced to safe laboratory work, the effective selection and use of resources, the integration of technology into teaching, a variety of assessment/evaluation strategies, and candidates will be encouraged to integrate theoretical ideas and perspectives from the educational research literature with teaching and learning practices in schools.
Designed to prepare teachers of Science in the Intermediate and Senior Divisions (Grades 7-10 Science and Grades 11-12 Physics), this course deals with the Overall and Specific Expectations of the Ontario Science Curriculum. The course provides opportunities to develop a practical understanding of instructional methods and skills through unit and lesson planning in a variety of classroom contexts. Furthermore, candidates will be introduced to safe laboratory work, the effective selection and use of resources, the integration of technology into teaching, a variety of assessment/evaluation strategies, and to creating an inclusive and motivating learning environment. Throughout the program, efforts are made to integrate theoretical ideas and perspectives from the educational research literature with teaching and learning practices in schools.
This course provides a practical and conceptual introduction to the teaching of Intermediate and senior Science. It consists of a series of lectures, seminars, and laboratory workshops designed to emphasize the expectations, pedagogy, methodology, and content of science. The course is designed to assist students to explore: the teaching and learning process, the pedagogical considerations in teaching science; and the challenges of teaching science as a curriculum subject in schools with a diverse student population and research in science education. It is also designed to help develop the knowledge and skills of curriculum development within the context of curriculum theory and to support personal reflection within the context of contemporary classrooms or other education settings.
This course is designed to prepare teacher candidates to teach students Social Science at the Grade 7-12 level in a thoughtful and interactive way. It focuses primarily on Social Science at the Senior level. Teacher candidates will explore a variety of teaching techniques, which are useful in teaching and assessing today's students as they experience the current Social Science curriculum.
Teacher candidates will also have an opportunity to engage in inquiry and examine unique ways for presenting Social Science content. Examining classroom practice and methods, curriculum and program materials are an important component of the process. As well, the interdependence of these components, their link with theory and contemporary issues will be considered.
Techniques such as discussion, presentations, inquiry, and active participation that incorporate individual and group learning will be employed. Opportunities for sharing of ideas and experiences from field placements will be provided in the context of the classroom setting.
Two important ideas that will be emphasized throughout the program are: how to make Social Science meaningful for children, and how to promote positive attitudes.
Prerequisite: Students must have six full-year university courses in any of Psychology, Sociology or Anthropology if selected as your first- choice teaching subject, or three full-year university courses if selected as your second choice.
In this course, you will acquire the knowledge, skills/techniques, attitudes and methodologies necessary to be effective teachers of geography at the Intermediate/Senior level. You will study the Ontario geography curriculum, learn how to prepare effective geography lessons, develop a repertoire of different pedagogical strategies, examine a variety of assessment techniques, and extend your knowledge of practical and theoretical issues related to the teaching of geography in Ontario's schools. As you engage with the material in this course, you will be expected to take an active and reflective stance toward your growth as a geography teacher.
This course investigates approaches to music learning, teaching, and assessment through instrumental performance, composition, conducting, listening, analysis and creative problem solving. Candidates will develop a repertoire of diverse teaching and assessment strategies appropriate for Ontario students in grades 7-12. A range of music education philosophic orientations, Ministry of Education policies, music technologies, research-informed pedagogies, and those emerging the field are considered while learning to design of curriculum lessons and units. Recent research questioning the music education paradigm of the past 25 years is examined. A practitioner research stance is the basis for all assignments, which curriculum development, and practical learning in Japanese lesson study format as well as philosophic writing.
This course investigates approaches to music learning, teaching, and assessment through vocal performance, composition, conducting, listening, analysis and creative problem solving. Candidates will develop a repertoire of diverse teaching and assessment strategies appropriate for Ontario students in grades 7-12. A range of music education philosophic orientations, Ministry of Education policies, music technologies, research-informed pedagogies, and those emerging the field are considered while learning to design of curriculum lessons and units. Recent research questioning the music education paradigm of the past 25 years is examined. A practitioner research stance is the basis for all assignments, which curriculum development, and practical learning in Japanese lesson study format as well as philosophic writing.
This course examines the underlying principles of teaching Health and Physical Education in the Intermediate/ Senior division for the 21st century learner by drawing on current research, current philosophies and the overarching goals of Health and Physical Education. This course of study prepares future teachers to enable their students to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to become both physically and health literate in order to lead healthy active lives and promote healthy active living for others. Attention will be paid to the importance of supporting students in making positive personal health choices, enhancing their personal fitness and further developing movement skills, strategies and tactics to promote their participation in a wide variety of physical activities. Effective teaching strategies and practices in Health and Physical Education will be addressed. The importance of quality instruction as it fits into a comprehensive school health model will also be explored.
The focus of this course is on preparing to be a teacher of visual arts at the Intermediate/Senior level. You will learn about the Ontario visual arts curriculum, lesson design, and instructional approaches as they relate to secondary school studio work and the critical analysis of art work. As a developing visual arts instructor, you will learn how to teach students about the elements and principles of design, and how to encourage your class to apply these techniques creatively and expressively to communicate emotions, or comment on contemporary issues. Different forms of media, alternative media, and the use of technologies will also be examined, for both two-dimensional and three-dimensional art works.
This course prepares teacher candidates to be effective instructors of dramatic arts the Intermediate/Secondary level. During this course, you will learn about the Ontario dramatic arts curriculum, lesson planning, assessment, and techniques for preparing learning experiences that foster creativity and nurture artistic growth. You will also study pedagogical practices related to each of the three inter-related strands of the Intermediate/Secondary drama curriculum: 1. Creating and Presenting; 2. Reflecting, Responding, and Analyzing; and 3. Foundations. The impact of different dramatic styles and traditions, drawn from different social and cultural contexts, will also be examined.
This course will help teacher candidates develop the skills, knowledge, and professionalism expected of beginning core French teachers at the Intermediate and Senior levels. We will focus on:
Candidates will be involved in reflective and active learning. This course is offered in French.
Intended to prepare teachers of Religious Education in Catholic secondary schools, the focus of the course is the discipline of Religious Education rather than religious doctrine. This course examines contemporary theories and issues of pedagogy, analyzes present guidelines and support materials, and addresses teaching models and assessment practices relevant to the field of Religious Education. It asks students to present research-based findings from explorations of theorists, strategies, and resources in the discipline of Religious Education. In particular, graduates from this program will have a strong sense of how Catholic Social Teachings can animate the Religious Education curriculum.
This course engages students in the practices, resources and theories of English/Language Arts to prepare them for teaching in the intermediate grades (Grades 7-10). Explorations of written, visual and virtual texts such as literature, media, and technology define the content. Since language is fundamental to thinking and learning, students engage in reading, writing, viewing, talking and representing strategies as the practical grounding for understanding and reflecting on English/Language Arts practices, and for creating sound language curricula. The content, methodologies, evaluation and skill requirements of the course will be linked to Ontario Ministry of Education and Training guidelines.
This course will help teacher candidates develop the skills, knowledge, and professionalism expected of beginning core French teachers at the junior/ intermediate levels. We will focus on:
Candidates will be involved in reflective and active learning. This course is offered in French.
The purpose of this course is to introduce teacher candidates to basic knowledge, skills/techniques, attitudes and methodologies applicable in the successful teaching of geography and social studies at the J/I level. The course will, therefore, deal with both the practical and theoretical issues related to the teaching of geography and environmental education in Ontario's schools.
The course is an enabling process to help you develop your own teaching and learning beliefs through experiencing and experimenting with the ways geography's concepts and skills can help students learn. It stresses that reflection and analysis about their own teaching are critical elements in the life-long developmental process of being teacher first, geographer second.
Geography is not a collection of arcane information. Rather, it is the study of spatial aspects of human existence. People everywhere need to know about the nature of their world and their place in it. Geography has more to do with asking questions and solving problems than it does with memorization of isolated facts.
So what exactly is Geography? It is an integrative discipline that brings together the physical and human dimensions of the world in the study of people, places, and environments. Its subject matter is Earth's surface and the processes that shape it, the relationships between people and environments, and the connections between people and places.
The world facing students on graduating will be more crowded, the physical environment more threatened, and the global economy more competitive and interconnected. Understanding that world, that environment, and that economy will require high levels of competency in Geography, because Geography means a sensitivity to location, to scale, to movement, to patterns, to resources and conflicts, to maps and geographics.
This course of study prepares future teachers to design and deliver contemporary Intermediate level (grades 7-10) Health and Physical Education programs. It is consistent with the national and provincial trend towards de-emphasizing competitive team sports and focuses on wellness and the process of guiding youngsters to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes that lead one to become physically active for a lifetime. Participants relate social, cultural, economic and political factors to teaching and student learning and their ability to work collaboratively within the school setting, systems and the community. One of the aims of the course is to introduce new ways of thinking about Health and Physical Education and its role in schools, thereby supporting beginning teachers as they construct their vision for teaching Health and Physical Education. The importance of quality instruction as it fits into a comprehensive school health model will also be explored.
The purpose of this course is to introduce teacher candidates to basic knowledge, skills/techniques, attitudes and methodologies applicable in the successful teaching of History. The course will, therefore, deal with both the practical and theoretical issues related to the teaching of History in Ontario's schools.
The course is an enabling process to help you develop your own teaching and learning beliefs through experiencing and experimenting with the ways history's concepts and skills can help students learn. It stresses that reflection and analysis about their own teaching are critical elements in the life-long developmental process of being teacher first, historian second.
History is not a collection of arcane information. People everywhere need to know about the nature of their world and their place in it. History has more to do with asking questions and solving problems than it does with memorization of isolated facts. A primary objective of the course is to equip you with practical, innovative strategies around which to build an effective history program. As well, you will be exposed to a wide variety of learning resources that can be used to enhance classroom learning. In the end you will leave the course well prepared to deliver an exciting and success-based history curriculum to a diversity of learners.
Guiding Focus: To explore the meanings of history and teaching history, and to develop innovative curriculum and pedagogical strategies to meet the needs of a diversity of learners.
This course is designed to prepare teacher candidates to teach students mathematics at the Grade 7-10 level in a thoughtful and interactive way. It focuses on mathematics at the Intermediate level. Teacher candidates will explore a variety of teaching techniques, which are useful in teaching and assessing today's students as they experience the current mathematics curriculum.
Teacher candidates will also have an opportunity to engage in inquiry and examine unique ways for presenting mathematics content. Examining classroom practice and methods, curriculum and program materials are an important component of the process. As well, the interdependence of these components, their link with theory and contemporary issues will be considered.
Techniques such as discussion, presentations, inquiry, and active participation that incorporate individual and group learning will be employed. Opportunities for sharing of ideas and experiences from field placements will be provided in the context of the classroom setting.
Two important ideas that will be emphasized throughout the program are: how to make mathematics meaningful for children, and how to promote positive attitudes.
These courses investigate approaches to music learning, teaching, and assessment through instrumental performance, conducting, listening, analysis and creative problem solving; and personal experience with music and technology (MIDI) and media arts. Candidates will develop a repertoire of diverse teaching and assessment strategies appropriate for Ontario students in grades 7-10. Current music education philosophies, Ministry of Education and Training policy and best practices from the field will be the basis for the designing of curriculum lessons and units. Assignments involve practical applications of methodology and frequent personal reflections on music teaching.
These courses investigate approaches to music learning, teaching, and assessment through vocal and instrumental performance, conducting, listening, analysis and creative problem solving; and personal experience with music and technology (MIDI) and media arts. Candidates will develop a repertoire of diverse teaching and assessment strategies appropriate for Ontario students in grades 7-10. Current music education philosophies, Ministry of Education and Training policy and best practices from the field will be the basis for the designing of curriculum lessons and units. Assignments involve practical applications of methodology and frequent personal reflections on music teaching.
This course is designed to prepare teachers of science in the intermediate division (Grades 7-10). It explores the teaching of selected units in all four strands from the Ontario Science and Technology Curriculum guideline. Attention is paid to the skills of lesson planning, laboratory techniques, teaching strategies, and assessment and resources, through workshops, lectures and lab activities.
This course will consider important contexts as they relate to science and technology in education as outlined in:
The focus of the course is on becoming visual arts teachers in the intermediate grades. The course is structured to intersect theory, practice, and studio work in order to explore a) contemporary art and elementary education; b) contemporary issues in pedagogy; c) lesson planning at the elementary level d) the above in relation to Ministry guidelines, assessment, and curriculum development.
This course of study prepares future teachers to design and deliver contemporary dramatic arts instruction for Intermediate level (grades 7-10) learners. Teacher candidates will examine both the research on adolescent development and strategies for effective dramatic arts pedagogies. The course will also explore how teachers can promote student engagement and how to foster a positive, supportive classroom culture. Special attention will be given to such topics as role playing, improvisation, techniques for infusing drama in other disciplines, and the special role that the dramatic arts can play in examining issues of equity, inclusivity and diversity.
The Sustainability course is designed to assist candidates in the Master of Teaching Program in implementing the Ontario curriculum for Environmental Education (MOE 2017) within their subject specializations, and, heeding the United Nations' repeated calls for action on sustainable development, to promote both critical and caring perspectives on the serious ecological and humanitarian challenges we face globally and locally.
The course will survey various aspects of the broad topic space: environmental sustainability education, place-based education, sustainable development goals, global citizenship education, and eco-justice. The course builds upon and compliments learning in the other foundations courses without repeating the content: CTL7074H-Issues in Educational Law, Policy and Ethics; CTL7073H-Indigenous Experiences of Racism and Settler Colonialism in Canada: An Introduction; and, CTL7009H-Anti-Discriminatory Education.
As a part of the Curriculum & Instruction course, this module is designed to introduce you to strategies and approaches for teaching Visual Arts Education and Health & Physical Education (HPE) to Primary and/or Junior learners. This course is designed to help OISE MT students (re)discover the theory and practice of Art Education and HPE, as well as understand and apply the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for effective teaching and learning that meets the diverse needs of students. Over the course you will become more competent and confident in working with learning tools and resources in each of these areas of the curriculum; developing lesson themes and ideas; and devising questions and learning activities for students. You will become familiar with the Ontario Ministry of Education curriculum policy documents: The Arts (2009), and Health & Physical Education (2010), core concepts and teaching techniques, methods for integrating Art Education and HPE with other disciplines, including social justice, environmental education and indigenous approaches to knowing. Current ways of thinking about and teaching Art Education and HPE may differ significantly from when beginning teachers were students; therefore one of the aims of the course is to introduce new ways of thinking about these disciplines and their role in contemporary approaches to teaching and learning.
The Curriculum and Instruction in Social Studies and Aboriginal Education course explores the shared histories of Indigenous and settler relationships across Turtle Island and, while recognizing the US/Canadian divisions as colonial constructs, will focus more specifically on the Canadian context. This course provides a practical and conceptual introduction to the teaching of Social Studies (Grades 4-6), History and Geography (7-10) within the context of Aboriginal (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) understandings. This course consists of a series of seminars and workshops designed to emphasize the expectations, pedagogy, methodology and content integrating both Social studies and Aboriginal Studies in the junior/intermediate grades.
The course provides opportunities to develop practical understandings relating to instructional methods and skills through unit and lesson planning, including practical assessment strategies, in a variety of classroom contexts as well as the incorporation of Indigenous and Western knowledges and understandings. It seeks answers to questions of identity, meaning-making, complex issues concerning community and nation, past and present. It looks to bring local histories and traditional ecological knowledges- and to provide a template for understanding the complex interplay relating to constructions of identity (personal, local, and national) and sovereignty.
With a focus on teacher preparation, this course seeks to understand the experiences of Indigenous people in Canada with regard to racism and settler colonialism, focusing on implications for classroom-based, programmatic, and pedagogical practice and reform. Because schooling has a historical and contemporary role in facilitating racism and settler colonialism, especially through the creation of residential schools, this course encourages teachers to become familiar with the consequences of this ongoing history, and to learn strategies to rethink relationships between schools and Indigenous learners and communities.
As a required course in a professional program, there are both professional and academic rationales underpinning this course. Teachers and high schools are governed by a range of shifting and variably interpreted legal, policy and ethical mandates which have been produced in a range of historical, political and institutional contexts. One key aim of this course is to assure that teacher candidates are aware of their professional and legal rights and responsibilities, as defined by national and provincial legislation, local school board policy, and professional advisories. Another aim of the course is to explore ethical nuances and challenges in teaching while aiming to interpret and respond to relevant legislation that helps to define the teacher's professional role. Using academic research literature, policy documents, and case studies, the course blends theory with the consideration of practical in-school situations in order to enable teacher candidates to analyse policy, ethical and legal tensions in teaching. The course thus aims to rigorously explore teachers' professional contexts so as to inform their daily practice through thoughtful ethical reflection in light of legal and policy considerations.
This first year course provides supervised experience in an area of fieldwork, under the direction of faculty and field personnel. Teacher candidates are placed in partnership schools in public and separate school systems and in other settings that use the Ontario curriculum. Teacher Candidates are under the joint supervision of a field teacher on site and an academic staff member at OISE. The teacher candidates will have one placement in each of their divisions. This course is normally open only to students in the Teaching program.
This first year course provides supervised experience in an area of fieldwork, under the direction of faculty and field personnel. Teacher candidates are placed in partnership schools in public and separate school systems and in other settings that use the Ontario curriculum. Teacher Candidates are under the joint supervision of a field teacher on site and an academic staff member at OISE. The teacher candidates will have one placement in each of their divisions. This course is normally open only to students in the Teaching program.
This second year course provides supervised experience in an area of fieldwork, under the direction of faculty and field personnel. Teacher candidates are placed in partnership schools in public and separate school systems and in other settings that use the Ontario curriculum. Teacher Candidates are under the joint supervision of a field teacher on site and an academic staff member at OISE. The teacher candidates will have one placement in each of their divisions. This course is normally open only to students in the Teaching program.
This second year course provides supervised experience in an area of fieldwork, under the direction of faculty and field personnel. Teacher candidates are placed in partnership schools in public and separate school systems and in other settings that use the Ontario curriculum. Teacher Candidates are under the joint supervision of a field teacher on site and an academic staff member at OISE. The teacher candidates will have one placement in each of their divisions. This course is normally open only to students in the Teaching program.
In this course, current issues related to mathematics instruction and their theoretical underpinnings will be explored. We will examine research related to this issues and how the impact they can have on classroom programming. Candidates will have an opportunity to discuss their personal beliefs and views about mathematics education as they bridge theory with practice. Instruction in this course will include lecture, written response, group activities, and group investigations.
In this course, current issues related to literacy instruction and their theoretical underpinnings will be explored. We will examine research related to this issues and how the impact they can have on classroom programming. Candidates will have an opportunity to discuss their personal beliefs and views about literacy education as they bridge theory with practice. Instruction in this course will include lecture, written response, group activities, and group investigations.
This course develops an awareness of and practice in the arts as a means of personal development and as a learning technique. The philosophy and practice of Music and Dance in education will be explored. The possibilities of conceptual development and expansion of THE CREATIVE PROCESS through the art of Music and Dance with a particular focus on the cognitive, social, and artistic development of the child.
This course is designed to assist teachers in the Primary/Junior Division in the development, implementation and assessment/evaluation of Music and Dance focused learning experiences.
Candidates will explore music through singing, movement, musical games, playing instruments (recorder, percussion, djembes and boomwhackers) and developing their listening skills while at the same time creating, composing and improvising.
Current theories of arts in education will be incorporated as participants plan lessons, consider expectation(s) and implement assessment strategies as outlined in the Ministry documents. The use of Music and Dance as art as well as an INTEGRATIVE methodology for learning across the curriculum will provide a framework for the course.
This course develops an awareness of and practice in the arts as a means of personal development and as a learning technique. The philosophy and practice of Dance and Drama in education will be explored. The possibilities of conceptual development and expansion of THE CREATIVE PROCESS through the art of Dance and Drama with a particular focus on the cognitive, social, and artistic development of the child.
This course is designed to assist teachers in the Primary/Junior Division in the development, implementation and assessment/evaluation of Dance and Drama focused learning experiences. Candidates will participate in work that involves games, movement, tableau, role-playing, storytelling, playmaking, writing in role, improvisation, interpretation and presentation. They will learn to explore the elements of dance through creative movement that may be inspired by picture books, visual images, and artworks and music. Candidates will also explore various forms of global dance and genres.
Current theories of arts in education will be incorporated as participants plan drama lessons, consider expectation(s) and implement assessment strategies as outlined in the Ministry documents. The use of Dance, Drama and Music as art forms as well as an INTEGRATIVE methodology for learning across the curriculum will provide a framework for the course.
As a part of the Curriculum & Instruction course, this module is designed to introduce you to strategies and approaches for teaching Visual Arts Education to Primary and/or Junior learners. This course is designed to help OISE MT students (re)discover the theory and practice of Art Education, as well as understand and apply the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for effective teaching and learning that meets the diverse needs of students. Over the course you will become more competent and confident in working with learning tools and resources in each of these areas of the curriculum; developing lesson themes and ideas; and devising questions and learning activities for students. You will become familiar with the Ontario Ministry of Education curriculum policy documents: The Arts (2009), core concepts and teaching techniques, methods for integrating Art Education with other disciplines, including social justice, environmental education and indigenous approaches to knowing. Current ways of thinking about and teaching Art Education may differ significantly from when beginning teachers were students; therefore one of the aims of the course is to introduce new ways of thinking about these disciplines and their role in contemporary approaches to teaching and learning methodology for learning across the curriculum will provide a framework for the course.
As a part of the Curriculum & Instruction course, this module is designed to introduce you to strategies and approaches for teaching Health & Physical Education (HPE) to Primary and/or Junior learners. This course is designed to help OISE MT students (re)discover the theory and practice of HPE, as well as understand and apply the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for effective teaching and learning that meets the diverse needs of students. Over the course you will become more competent and confident in working with learning tools and resources in each of these areas of the curriculum; developing lesson themes and ideas; and devising questions and learning activities for students. You will become familiar with the Ontario Ministry of Education curriculum policy documents: The Health & Physical Education (2010), core concepts and teaching techniques, methods for integrating HPE with other disciplines, including social justice, environmental education and indigenous approaches to knowing. Current ways of thinking about and teaching HPE may differ significantly from when beginning teachers were students; therefore one of the aims of the course is to introduce new ways of thinking about these disciplines and their role in contemporary approaches to teaching and learning.
This second year course provides supervised experience in an area of fieldwork, under the direction of faculty and field personnel. Teacher candidates are placed in partnership schools in public and separate school systems and in other settings that use the Ontario curriculum. Teacher Candidates are under the joint supervision of a field teacher on site and an academic staff member at OISE. The teacher candidates will have one placement in each of their divisions. This course is normally open only to students in the Teaching program.
The Master of Teaching Research Project is designed to provide a deeper exploration of the interrelationships between educational theory, research, and practice. The overarching goal of this project is to engage students in an in-depth analysis of issues related to curriculum, teaching, and learning through systematic research. The MTRP has value both for students who are intending to pursue a career in classroom teaching, and for students who are planning to pursue doctoral studies. The Project involves the identification of a research problem, a literature review, data collection, data analysis, the construction of a formal report, which is published in a public online repository, and a formal presentation. As part of this process, students develop a variety of research-related skills, including the ability to formulate effective research questions, conduct interviews, review the academic and professional literatures, analyze data, and present research findings.
This course equips students with the math knowledge and skills needed by Primary/Junior and Junior/Intermediate teachers. A strong foundation in math content knowledge is necessary for teachers to build pedagogical content knowledge capacities. Students will develop an understanding of numeracy concepts in: quantity relationships, operational sense and proportional reasoning. The course will build on problem solving content skills in multiplication, division, order of operations, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios, integers, exponents, manipulating expressions and solving algebraic equations. Students will be immersed in meta-cognition as math learners and will reflect on their own math strengths, needs and learning styles. The course will offer various math pedagogies, such as math games and hands-on activities suitable for elementary classes.
This course will help teacher-candidates develop the theoretical framework, skills, knowledge, and professionalism expected of beginning French teachers at the Primary and Junior levels. Since this course is offered in French, teacher candidates will also have the opportunity of practicing their oral and written French. Teacher candidates will be expected to speak French at all times during class and all written assignments will be submitted in French.
This course provides students interested in educational policy analysis with a working understanding of the relevant conceptual, methodological, ethical and political issues. In this course, students conduct in-depth analysis of educational policy issues that are in recent public discourse as well as those that they are personally interested in. Students are guided through relevant readings, class discussions and assignments to examine the different aspects of educational policy: historical, political, social and personal. We also examine different educational policy issues from the perspectives of different stakeholders: students, family, teachers/educators, unions, administrators, bureaucrats/civil servants, politicians, and society-at-large. Course assignments support students in learning how to frame an educational issue; critique and analyze policies through a critical and anti-colonial perspective; use existing research evidence to analyze the implications of the issue and to develop options for addressing the issue; collaborate with stakeholders; and communicate policy issues with different audiences. Visits by guest speakers will ensure that students are exposed to a range of policy topics as well as contrasting framing and communication styles. Major assignments for the class will consist of carrying out in-depth policy analysis or some of the aspects of an applied research project.
This course provides doctoral studies with knowledge of a range of methodological approaches for conducting research on education policy. Using sources from international and domestic contexts, the course reviews primarily qualitative methodologies (such as case study, critical policy analysis, ethnography, among others) weighing the strengths and weaknesses of each for examining various education policy issues. Students will also explore ethical tensions involved in policy research and will have the opportunity to consider different analytical approaches for their thesis projects, including the design of a comprehensive research strategy.
This course provides an introduction to quantitative methods of inquiry and a foundation for more advanced courses in applied statistics for students in education and social sciences. The course covers univariate and bivariate descriptive statistics; an introduction to sampling, experimental design and statistical inference; contingency tables and Chi-square; t-test, analysis of variance, and regression. Students will learn to use SPSS software. At the end of the course, students should be able to define and use the descriptive and inferential statistics taught in this course to analyze real data and to interpret the analytical results.
This course will cover: survey sampling, experimental design, and power analysis; analysis of variance for one-way and multi-way data with fixed, mixed, and random effects models; linear and multiple regression; multiple correlation; analysis of covariance.
An exploration of the history and current use of survey research in educational leadership and policy. Topics will include an assessment of the strengths and limitations of the method survey, the selection of samples, questionnaire design, standard measurement instruments used in the field, methods of data analysis (with a focus on using SPSS), the drawing of causal inferences, and presentation of results in a clear and effective manner.
This is an intermediate applied statistics course designed for students who have already taken one course in elementary concepts (e.g., sampling and statistical inference). The course covers the use, interpretation, and presentation of bivariate and multivariate linear regression models, curvilinear regression functions, dummy and categorical variables, and interactions; as well as model selection, assumptions, and diagnostics. Examples and assignments will draw from commonly-used large-scale educational datasets. Students are encouraged to use Stata; the course will also serve as an introduction to this software package (students may instead choose to use SPSS or other software they are familiar with). The objective of the course is to equip students with the skills to use, interpret and write about regression models in their own research.
This is an advanced applied statistics course designed for doctoral or advanced master’s students and serving as a comprehensive introduction to multilevel modelling, also known as “hierarchical linear modelling (HLM)” or “mixed effects modelling.” These powerful models have become very common in educational research, both for the analysis of data with a multilevel structure (e.g., students nested in schools, school boards, provinces or countries) and for the study of educational change (e.g., student learning/growth, school improvement or organizational change). The course covers two-level and three-level cross-sectional and growth curve models, as well as model selection, assumptions and diagnostics. Examples and assignments will draw on data from large-scale national and international datasets; the course will also serve as an introduction to the HLM7 software package. The objective of the course is to equip students with the skills to use, interpret and write about multilevel models in their own research. Pre-requisite: An intermediate statistics course such as JOI3048H, JOI1288H or equivalent
This course will prepare students to conduct quantitative data analysis for a thesis, dissertation, journal article, or policy report. Students should enter it with 2 pre-requisites: an introductory statistics course, and an intermediate statistics course. They will require knowledge of descriptive statistics, inference and basic regression techniques. This course has 2 broad learning goals. First, it will expose students to 3 advanced statistical techniques and procedures: categorical data analysis, with a focus on logistic regression; causal inference, with a focus on propensity score matching, and missing data analysis, with a focus on multiple imputation. Please note course topics will lean towards sociologically-oriented educational research, and will not cover detailed issues in psychometrics or econometrics. Second, students will receive guidance in the management and analysis of large data sets, including administrative and survey data, and will become acquainted with STATA statistical software. The major assignments will be cumulative in nature, with the final assignment consisting of original data analysis written in the format of a journal article, dissertation/thesis chapter, or technical report that applies each of the above-mentioned statistical techniques. Students can use their own data if they wish, but can also get access to several educational data sets that will be available through the Data, Equity and Policy in Education [DEPE] Lab (www.oise.utoronto.ca/depelab/).
Mixed methods research is increasingly being used as an alternative to the traditional mono-method ways of conceiving and implementing inquiries in education and social sciences. In conceptualizing mixed methods studies, various paradigmatic assumptions are still being debated. However, many researchers have stated that the paradigmatic differences have been overdrawn and that paradigmatic incompatibility makes dialogue among researchers less productive. Researchers further acknowledge that philosophical differences are reconcilable through new guiding paradigms that actively embrace and promote mixing methods. Mixed methods researchers reject traditional dualism and prefer action to philosophizing by privileging inquiry questions over assumptive worlds. In this course, students will be introduced to various mixed methods design alternatives that allow researchers to link the purpose of the research to methodologies and integrate findings from mixed methods. This course covers various phases of mixed methods research, including theoretical frameworks of mixed methods research designs, strategic mixed methods sampling, data collection methods, integrative data analysis strategies, and a mixed methods research proposal. This is a doctoral level course designed to serve students who plan to conduct independent research. I anticipate that students will have had prior research experience or course work in research methods.
This course is designed to provide students with a working knowledge of the concepts related to systematic review and meta-analysis and develop their skills in this research methodology. Specifically, this course covers the topics of formulating the research questions that can be answered with systematic reviews, perform the literature search, select the studies and critically evaluate them using the quality, inclusion and exclusion criteria, extract data on key elements of the studies, outcomes and relevant statistics, compute and convert various effect size indices, synthesize the results of the studies with meta-analysis techniques, and present the results. The focus of the course is both methodological and practical.
Special topics courses designed to permit the study (in a formal class setting) of advanced quantitative research methods.
The purpose of this course is to examine the relationship between ideologies and practices of language and nation, from the period of the rise of the nation-State in the 19th century to current social changes related to the globalized new economy which challenge prevailing ideas about language and nation. We will focus in particular on language as a technique of regimentation, which helps produce and police populations; and as a terrain of struggle over access to and legitimation of relations of authority, power and inequality. We will examine European nationalism and its ties to colonialism, industrial capitalism, liberal democracy and modernity. We will then move to reactions to it in the form of linguistic minority movements, international auxiliary languages, fascism (in particular Nazism), and Communism. We will then touch briefly on the post WWII period, and focus the rest of the course on contemporary conditions of late capitalism, since the late 1980s, with a focus on the commodification of language and identity in the current economy; language and globalization; and current debates on the ecology of language and language endangerment. Throughout we will also examine the role of linguists, anthropologists and other producers of discourse about language, nation and State in the construction of theories of nation, ethnicity, race and citizenship.
The anthropological perspective of the ethnography of communication will be adopted to study the relationship between language use, social relations, culture and learning in and out of schools. The course will deal with the nature and origin of cultural differences in language use and patterns and social interactional styles; with the consequences of those differences for school performance; and with the usefulness of the ethnography of communication as both a research and a pedagogical tool in the development of curricula and teaching practices that account for such differences. The ethnography of communication will also be interpreted in the light of political economic perspectives on the issue of sociolinguistic diversity and educational success.
A seminar examining the strategies, techniques, and problems involved in the conduct of research in educational administration. This seminar prepares the student for defining research problems, reviewing relevant literature, writing research proposals, conducting research and writing reports in educational administration. During this course the student will prepare the proposal for their Major Research Paper.
The goals of this course are to provide students with an introduction to the purposes of research in educational leadership and policy and to assist students in learning how to obtain, evaluate, interpret, and use research in their work as educators and in their graduate studies. Possible topics include: overview of different research paradigms and research strategies used in studies of policy, leadership, and change; how to critically analyze the strengths and weakness of research; how to conduct a review of literature and build a bibliography; dissemination of research; the connections between research, policy, and practice; the role of research and evaluation departments; leadership roles in sponsoring, directing, using, and communicating research.
This course provides an introduction to quantitative methods of inquiry and a foundation for more advanced courses in applied statistics for students in education and social sciences. The course covers univariate and bivariate descriptive statistics; an introduction to sampling, experimental design and statistical inference; contingency tables and Chi-square; t-test, analysis of variance, and regression. Students will learn to use Excel software. At the end of the course, students should be able to define and use the descriptive and inferential statistics taught in this course to analyze real data and to interpret the analytical results. No prior knowledge of statistics is required.
An analysis of the organizational culture of educational organizations. The implications for action resulting from research and theory relating to organizational culture are examined. Case studies and field experiences are used as bases for the analysis of decision-making within the context of specific organizational cultures.
This course examines how to effectively develop the people who work in education throughout their careers. The course includes attention to different education systems’ approaches to developing and organizing people in education in Canada and internationally. Topics for investigation include induction, mentoring, coaching, effective continuing professional learning and development, leading and developing educators including performance appraisal and support, and leadership development for aspiring and current school and system leaders.
An analysis of issues and problems in conceptualizing, operationalizing, and evaluating a total school environment in terms of a range of divergent goals and values. Major topics include strategies for program development and change in the context of education in Ontario, Canada, and internationally; theoretical and empirical bases differentiating educational environments, the role of the program manager, and skills needed to manage program development, organization, implementation, and evaluation.
Practical considerations in solving political problems in and about schools. Focus is on the five levels of local governance: family/school, micro-politics (within the school), neighbourhood, meso-politics (the school and the central office), and the board. Special attention to understanding background variables such as the environment, institutions, power, and issues. Workshop activities centre around processes such as coalition-building, advocating, believing, and co-producing. Readings include procedural, fictional, and conceptual materials.
Administrators in education and teachers are continually asked to decide on matters of equity, to adjudicate between conflicting value positions, and to accommodate different rights and human interests in their planning. Often administrative practice in these areas is less than successful. This course will study various ethical schools of thought and modern approaches to social justice. It will apply that content to administrative practice in education. Particular attention will be given to equity issues in areas of race, culture, gender, age, social class, national origin, language, ancestry, sexual orientation, citizenship, and physical or mental abilities.
This course deals with how teachers contribute to and are affected by administrative processes. It looks at the determinants of teachers' classroom strategies, the work culture of teachers, teachers' careers, the role of teachers in school decision-making, the relationship of teachers' educational commitments to aspects of their broader lives (such as age, religious and political beliefs, and gender identity), and the role of teachers in fostering or inhibiting educational change. The course will be of interest to elementary and secondary teachers and to educational administrators.
An examination of the current context of legal discourse related to the practical exigencies of present-day school experience. A detailed study of statutory and common law sources under which educators operate. The law is not immutable. Emphasis on negligence, malpractice, human rights and the school system, teacher rights, and student discipline and the Young Offenders Act and Zero Tolerance.
This course offers a broad survey of contemporary research, theory and debates in Sociology of Education. The course is organized by 3 major connections between schools and society: social organization, selection, and socialization. It will examine how schooling has become a core institution in modern society, central for understanding emerging forms of culture, economy, inequality, and social organization. The course will prepare students to conduct research on many educational topics at both K-12 and post-secondary levels. It will focus on trends that have shaped education in the modern era, particularly over the past 30 years. Most readings will be by North America-based empirical sociologists, though we will also look at many international trends.
This course provides an introduction to educational policy, leadership and change in general and to this program in particular by focusing on foundational concepts and theories significant to the understanding of education and educational administration. It offers a critical examination of a wide range of topics central to educational administration, educational policy, leadership and change, such as organization, community, power, authority, change, difference, leadership, and values. This examination will take into account major historical developments in the field as well as differing theoretical stances or paradigms, such as positivism, functionalism, interpretivism, critical pedagogy, feminism, post-structuralism and post-modernism. The course will help students understand how to use theory to make sense of educational practice in productive ways.
This course will focus on the social and policy contexts in which elementary and secondary educators work. Students will be exposed to a variety of issues related to schooling in a diverse and complex environment such as: differing purposes, philosophies, and values of education; multiculturalism and social justice; equity issues related to race, class, gender, and language; parental influences on schooling; the relationship of schooling to the labor market and the economy; choice of school and program; decentralization and centralization; standards and accountability; educational finance; school reform; educational and non-educational pressure groups and stakeholders. Through an exploration of these or related topics, this course will help students to continue to develop their understanding of different paradigms and methods used in research in educational administration, leadership, policy and change.
This course is designed to acquaint students with the practices and issues associated with administration, organization, and leadership in educational organizations with culturally diverse student populations. Students will have the opportunity to critically analyse and appraise the practices and issues involved in the administration and leadership of such schools. They will also have the chance to probe and clarify their own conceptions of, and attitudes toward, multiethnic and anti-racist education generally and leadership in such school organizations specifically, in ways that will assist them with their own administrative practices.
The course explores ways in which discourses and practices grounded in white supremacy and coloniality have been operationalized in the field of educational leadership. Education and schooling are sites of continued contestations of knowledge that impacts learners in these spaces. The course examines how issues of race, anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism, whiteness and other forms of oppression are theorized and practiced in educational leadership. Examining these issues offers alternative leadership epistemologies that scholars and practitioners can explore with the aim of changing the educational outcomes for those who continue to be oppressed in educational spaces. The course offers educators, educational practitioners, administrators, researchers and others to better understand and critique approaches to leadership within different educational and organizational contexts. Students will have the opportunity to engage with multiple perspectives and approaches to leadership framed within contemporary socio-cultural and political shifts and complexities. Overall, the course provides students with an opportunity to re-imagine school leadership undergirded by critical decolonizing antiracist frameworks.
This course explores the meaning of educational change, addressing such issues as contemporary views on educational reform, and the challenges in implementing change. The perspective is then used to better appreciate how those in leadership roles can facilitate efforts by stakeholders (principals, teachers, staff, and others) to improve their own practice as well as meaningfully respond to pressures for change. Through the readings, course work, and assignments, students will gain a broader comprehension of the pertinent skills required to manage educational change, with an emphasis on both knowledge acquisition and practice.
A companion course to 1047. Contemporary conceptions of leadership are examined for their value in helping present schools improve and future schools serve their publics well. Understanding of expert leadership is developed through the study not only of expert leaders' behaviors, but also of their feelings, values, and problem-solving strategies. The formal and informal experiences that contribute to the development of leadership expertise will be examined.
This course has been designed to be the final course for students in the 10-course M.Ed. Program in Educational Administration. The course provides an opportunity for students to explore and develop a comprehensive view of the field of educational administration, through a series of seminars designed to help summarize, integrate and consolidate knowledge of the field. Students will link particular problems in practice to the theoretical bases of the field, through the lenses of the major strands of our program: change, leadership, policy and social diversity. There will be a focus on analysis, synthesis and application, building a deeper understanding, situated in the broader field. The culmination of this course will be the creation of a comprehensive portfolio reflecting the student's understanding of the breadth and depth of the field.
Specialized study, under the direction of a staff member, focusing upon topics of particular interest to the student that are not included in available courses. While credit is not given for a thesis investigation proper, the study may be closely related to a thesis topic.
This course is the first of two courses to develop people to become school principals in Ontario. A key component of the course is the critical evaluation and focus on current research in the areas related to leadership practices and their effects, instructional leadership, education change and reform efforts. The course's content includes a critical awareness of current problems associated with educational leadership practice and application to current issues and problems in education informed by cutting-edge research and professional practice. The outcome of these courses is to hone the judgment of practitioners within the educational setting. Through the assignments students must demonstrate originality in the application of new knowledge and concepts.
This is the second of two courses which explores the role of the principal, one of the most influential roles in our educational system. It provides a foundation for candidates assuming the role of principal or vice-principal in Ontario schools and is one component of ongoing professional learning focused on the development of the personal and professional knowledge, and the skills and practices that lead to exemplary practice in the role of principal. The program is designed to support candidates in becoming reflective educational leaders who are informed consumers of education research in their ongoing professional growth, and who can lead effectively in the dynamic, diverse contexts of Ontario, characterized by rapidly changing events and circumstances.
Numbers and data have a growing influence in educational policy-making at the local, national and international levels. Large-scale assessments are increasingly used for monitoring and accountability; randomized controlled trials are considered the ‘gold standard’ in assessing the effects of educational policies, with important implications for resource allocation. This course is an introduction to the uses of quantitative research in comparative, international and development education. The goal is for students to be able to read, understand, critique and synthesize quantitative evidence, and to formulate policy recommendations on key educational debates. We will read empirical research on topics such as privatization of schooling, international large-scale assessments (PISA, PIRLS, TIMSS, etc.), school segregation, vocational education, decentralization, private tutoring and gender inequality. We will compare economic versus sociological approaches to quantitative comparative research in terms of major underlying theories and assumptions and how these guide methods and analyses. Students will learn how to evaluate which evidence is credible, including what to look for in high-quality sampling, measurement, assessment, analysis and interpretation. No background in statistics or quantitative research methods is required.
Gender issues and gendered practices in education have global relevance and have received sustained scholarly and policy interest in northern and southern societies, as well as in the work of major international organizations such as the World Bank, the OECD, and various United Nations' agencies, bilateral donors, and transnational civil society organizations. This course will provide students with an opportunity to critically and comparatively explore different theoretical (e.g., feminist, womanist, Women in Development, Women and Development, Gender and Development, social change, education etc.) and discursive frameworks (e.g., human capital, human rights, human capabilities), policies and practices (e.g., Education for All, United Nations Girls' Education Initiative, affirmative action, single-sex education initiatives, feminist pedagogy etc.) that have constituted and shaped the broad and interdisciplinary field of gender and education over the last century. Given that the emphasis in this course is on "gender" as a socially constructed, performed, and contested identity(s), we will critically and comparatively investigate the educational opportunities, experiences and outcomes for girls, boys, women and men, as well as people identifying as non-binary, from early childhood to adulthood. Critical attention will also be given to the intersections of gender, race, class, age, and sexual orientation (among other categories of social difference) in relation to educational access, survival, output, and outcomes.
This course focuses on understanding the politics of education policy development and using this knowledge for political analysis. By surveying different theories from political science and public policy and exploring different examples of education policy in different contexts, students will be able to analyze education policy issues, formulate strategies to advocate, support, or prevent education policy changes, and foresee potential political problems of policies. Ultimately, the course develops two types of skills: skills to conduct strategic political analysis, and research skills for using transdisciplinary theories to address education policy problems in a comparative way.
This course offers students practical experience in educational policy at a major educational organization that might include Ontario’s Ministry of Education, or another organization as arranged by students themselves. This internship offers opportunities to apply skills and knowledge learned from the Educational Leadership and Policy program. Responsibilities will be determined on an individual basis depending on the needs, interests, and aspirations of selected students and also the needs of their host organization. The internship will normally consist of full-time employment over a period of one semester. Students will be expected to summarize their activities in a presentation at the end of the internship.
This course is designed to assist students to develop an understanding of and an identity with the field of adult education. Major philosophical, historical, and conceptual bases are examined; also contemporary agencies and programs, issues, and trends in the practice of adult education. It is required that all Master's students include either LHA1100H or LHA1102H in their program of study.
This course introduces students to basic principles and processes of program planning, and how they apply to adult educational contexts. Relevant literatures and cases will be examined to illustrate different approaches to planning with particular emphasis on non-profit, public sector and community settings.
This course attempts to come to grips with the meaning of community development in a highly networked, increasingly information-dependent society. The course looks at such issues as the relationships between community organizing and community development and the role of social capital in community economic development. Models of community development that involve government programs such as social housing and community health centres are considered as are market-based approaches involving micro-lending, co-operatives and social enterprises. It is required that all Master's students include either LHA1100H or LHA1102H in their program of study.
This course introduces quantitative and qualitative research methods and theoretical perspectives. It is designed as an exploration into a range of research / inquiry methods appropriate for adult education and community development. The course examines the underlying philosophical assumptions of these methods, and the implications that these assumptions have for framing research questions, data collection, analysis, and dissemination strategies. It also provides opportunities to engage in practical, hands-on experience with developing research questions, data collection, and data analysis. The students are given an opportunity to reflect on the ethical, procedural, and political implications of research work and what it means to be "the researcher" and "the researched". The course is designed as a hybrid or blended course, which means that it is taught through face-to-face and online sessions and activities.
This course articulates various theoretic grounding for qualitative research and helps students become conversant with a wide variety of qualitative methodologies (i.e., grounded theory, feminist interviewing, ethnography, participatory research, biographic analysis, arts-informed inquiry, aboriginal research methodologies and institutional ethnography.) Gathering of information through observation, participatory observation, dialogue, and collection of documents will all be considered. Emphasis is on both understanding and practice. Learners will design or co-design a concrete piece of research and take it through the ethical review process. They will also present on at least one methodology. In line with this, they will learn about ethical conundrums, about matching methodologies with objectives and values, about methods for choosing participants. There is special emphasis on becoming critically aware as researchers - on understanding and integrating issues of power and difference.
This course begins where Part I leaves off. Learners will deepen their knowledge of a wide variety of qualitative research methodologies. They will gain skills interviewing, judging research, exploring dilemmas, and becoming critically aware as researchers. Their primary activity will be carrying out and completing the research project designed and approved in Part I. Giving and getting help from other classmates is an integral part of the process. Additional methodologies explored in this course include: action research, critical discourse analysis, and Freirian-based research.
This course examines the application of small group theory and leadership models to team development within organizational settings. It addresses such issues as power and difference among members, equity in leadership, peer performance assessment, multi-rater feedback and team process consultation. It provides an opportunity to examine, both theoretically and experientially, the development of a team as it forms, confronts interpersonal and group conflict, and evolves from dependence on the team leader to interdependence and shared leadership among team members. This course is particularly relevant to current workplace designs, where matrix models, cross-functional team arrangements and ad hoc project teams dominate new organizational forms. The course is held on seven alternate weeks for a full day each session, in order to permit both conceptual exploration and the application of theory to actual team development.
This course is focussed on theoretical research on the concept of adult learning. The course will operate on the basis of high student participation. Students are expected to incorporate aspects of their own experiences and/or research interests with course studies. From the vantage point of Adult Education, topic areas included in the course are as follows: the social importance of studying adult learning dynamics; history of conceptualizing adult learning; contemporary trends in studies of adult learning; agency, autonomy and the individual in adult learning research; socio-cultural theories of adult learning; the relationship of adult learning and social change; and, methods and methodologies in the study of adult learning.
This course has been designed to be of interest to people from such diverse backgrounds as activists, counsellors, crisis workers, shelter workers, harm reduction workers, advocates, literacy workers, popular educators, community theatre practitioners, political artists, and critical social workers. The context in which it is offered is a world increasingly populated by ‘disenfranchised’ or systemically excluded individuals and communities and the need for more aware, more versatile, more strategic, more creative practitioners. The course addresses a number of systemically excluded individuals and communities such as people who have been engaged in the psychiatric system; people who are unhoused; people who have been imprisoned, and people who use illicit drugs; people who are ‘undocumented’; people who are sex trade workers; and the intersection between these communities and other systemically excluded groups such as racialized communities, people who are part of the dis/ability community, and Indigenous communities (please note: this is not an exhaustive list). Special attention will be paid to the overlaps and the commonalties , along with the meaning this holds for praxis. It has two primary purposes: to support people who would like to develop a deeper understanding of the lived experiences, and to become more skilled and creative allies, accomplices and activists to systemically excluded or ‘disenfranchised’ populations; and to explore key community development and social activism principles using the realities of these populations (including their inclusion/exclusion they experience), balancing strategic and arts-based activism. This is a counter-hegemonic course. The vantage points and concerns of the groups in question are the starting point; and their rights are paramount. It is grounded in respect for groups of people who have been systemically excluded, and for the solutions engaged, the cultures created, and the communities formed. Primary theoretic frameworks include: feminism, anti-racism, Marxism, critical theory, transformative justice, labeling theory, antipsychiatry, socialist anarchism, existentialism, and the philosophies of nonviolent activism. Questions investigated include: How, who, and why does the state ‘disenfranchise’?; What modifications are needed in community organizing with populations at risk from the state?; What are some ways the arts have been effectively used by the movements in question? The primary focus is the liberation movements of the communities we are examining in this course (e.g. the prison abolition movement, the antipsychiatry movement, the harm reduction movement, the antipoverty movement). A particularly pivotal question is how to advance the goals of the movements in question. There will also be an emphasis on the creation, use and dissemination of many different forms of art including: political art, expressive art, witness art, popular education (e.g. theatre (including theatre of the oppressed), visual art, photography, puppetry, photography, creation of documentaries, and storytelling).
A theoretical and experiential study of strategies for teaching adults, and of the procedures educators can use in group settings to enhance the development of learning processes. Students will explore personal institutional and societal variables that shape teaching/Learning environments, examine the factors that promote or hinder success, experience and analyze different teaching approaches, and develop a personal approach to the teaching/learning process.
This course explores the nature(s) of trauma and the different ways of working with survivors. The emphasis is on difference-different types of trauma, different ways of coping, and the significance of different and multiple identities. Work with adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse is particularly highlighted. Other areas include survivors of: homophobic assault, ritual abuse, residential schools, refugee traumatization, war trauma, trauma associated with imprisonment, trauma associated with psychiatric intervention, and second generation trauma (e.g., children of Holocaust survivors). The trauma inherent in systemic oppressions, the fact that we live in an oppressive and violent society, and the implications for practitioners is emphasized throughout. While the primary emphasis is on practitioners as counsellors, other roles are also considered, including: advocates, befrienders, community workers, and literacy workers. Practitioner self-care in light of vicarious traumatization is given special consideration. Attention is divided between individual work, group work, and community work. The course is counter-hegemonic. Dominant perspectives include: critical theory, feminism, and existentialism. Permission of Instructor is required to enrol. Failure to contact the instructor for a screening interview well in advance (at bonnie.burstow@utoronto.ca) may result in not being able to take the course.
This course will focus on gender processes in work settings. We will identify patriarchal rules and expectations which run through contemporary workplaces (factories, offices, homes, hospitals, shopfloors, etc.) and propose ways in which normalizing discourses which reify gender hierarchies can be challenged. The course will focus on how ''gender,'' ''race'' and ''class'' can be conceptualized as processes rather than demographic attributes possessed by individual workers. We will trace the connections between gendered jobs and gendered workers and explore how individuals learn to ''do gender'' in organizational settings.
While our economic GDP is growing today via enclosure and destruction of the Commons, our human wellbeing and sustainability increasingly depend not only upon protection of the Commons (economic, ecological, cultural and electronic) but their extension in most areas of human experience. With the participation of all faculty members of the AECD Program, the course will be based on introducing students to the following: i) a history of Commons in societies; ii) conceptualization of Commons; iii) relevance of Commons for understanding adult education in relation to a variety of learning contexts and social issues. In this context, the course will specifically seek to explore the following dynamics of change: a) the current impact of ‘counter-commons’ market measures of wealth, well-being and ‘development’; b) current commons- related education, policy and activism in economic, social, cultural and spiritual realms at the local, national and global levels; and c) theoretical and strategic debates among commoners and between commoners and corporate ‘sharing economy.’
This course focuses on learning for the global economy. We will explore workers' learning which occurs during migration and as a result of the movements of global capital. In order to support the growing interconnectedness between workplaces located in different countries, organizations and states have developed strategies and programs which serve to "train" workers to engage in transnational interactions. Workers engage in a wide range of language, communication, and vocational training as a result of migration as well as through their involvement in global economic processes. We will explore what and how workers learn to conceptualize the "world as a single social space" (Robertson 2002) and the impact of this learning on their lives and communities.
Peter Senge's concept of the Learning Organization has now been embedded in organizational thinking since 1990. Many organizations have struggled to create learning cultures with varying degrees of success and much has been discovered about the factors that contribute to or inhibit this success. In this course, we will look at the Learning Organization as Senge and others have conceived it through the lens of productive conversation. The course will employ a variety of learning strategies including student presentations, theory bursts and organizational simulation. As part of our process, we will examine our own ability to create a learning organization within the class and the impact that our conversations have on the quality of our own learning.
The content of this course focuses on work and learning dynamics within professional workplaces and seeks to place these dynamics within their broader social, political, economic and historical context. Themes concerning professionalization, de-professionalization, professionalism, the nature of professional and/or expert knowledge, ethics, identity, knowledge cultures, and the organization of professional labour processes will also be addressed. The first half of the course will review the history of approaches to the meaning and study of professions as well as address key concepts, issues and dynamics of professions and professional work. The second half of the course will focus on leading conceptual issues and research on professional learning dynamics specifically. Students will be encouraged to combine the development of course assignments with existing research projects/goals/interests. The basic elements of a typical week in this course are as follows: 1. Opening lecture video posted by the instructor on Monday evening of each week 2. Group discussion each week (Monday to Thursday) 3. Closing lecture video posted at the end of each week (based on key themes emerging from the discussion groups and related issues from the readings).
This course provides an opportunity for students to put theoretical ideas they have learned in other courses into practice. Students will identify a placement setting and develop a project in consultation with the instructor. The practicum can be situated within such settings as schools, private sector organizations, community groups, hospitals. Suitable projects may include (but are not limited to) the development of curriculum, programs or online resources, the organization and/or delivery of courses and workshops, and the evaluation of teaching materials and programs. Weekly discussions will provide for support, feedback and reflection.
This course focuses on the experiences of a generation of young adults who have come of age under the auspices of fiscal crisis, austerity and massive shifts in social policies landscapes, and recent upheavals and mobilizations against the state across North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Young adults today are uniquely positioned within the cultural, economic, and policy landscapes of growing conditions of social and material insecurity. Compared to adolescence, which is a much-researched area of educational scholarship, young people who are "emerging" or "young" adults are an under-researched population. Emerging adulthood includes the period between 18 and 30 years of age when young people become more independent and explore various life possibilities. It is a time of profound change, when young adults acquire the skills and education they need for jobs and careers, when they establish households and relationships, begin families, and begin to contribute to society in meaningful ways. It is also a time in which young people gain political status vis-a-vis the state and become subject to rules and regulations concerning criminal justice and financial institutions and can experience an attenuating loss of social supports. There is a growing body of research to suggest that that the forms of 'crisis' experienced by young people today will have a profound effect on their transition to adulthood, their engagement in traditional social and political institutions, and their ability to participate meaningfully in the knowledge economy. For these reasons, emerging adulthood and youth studies are important areas of study in adult education.
This course will provide students with little background in feminism and students wishing to renew and deepen their knowledge of feminism with an overview of: 1) the principles of feminist social analyses and social practice, and 2) feminist perspectives on current issues. It will be useful for students who are facing issues of gender in their research, their work, or their personal lives and are interested in how gender intersects with race, class and sexuality.
This course presents a hands-on approach to community organizing on lgbtq issues, and is meant to supplement the skill base of those currently working in communities as health and social services professionals, as well as those who are grass roots community organizers. The curriculum is designed to engage lgbtq history and contemporary issues, and to integrate this knowledge with a skill-building approach to community development through organizing and participatory action.
This course examines the theory and practice of conducting participatory and collaborative research that bridges the academic, workplace, and community divide, with an emphasis on research from feminist, anti-racist, and anti-colonial perspectives. In addition to readings, students will undertake a research project as part of the course requirement.
This course will focus on the impact of war on women and their rights. We will engage in critical analyses of contemporary conflicts and their impact on gender, race and learning. Specifically, we will examine the link between war, globalization, nation-states and learning and the link between non-state, non-market forces and learning. We will look at current feminist approaches to the study of war, violence and women's resistance and learning. The theoretical approach in this course is anti-racist and anti-imperialist feminism.
This course will examine the gender, race, and class dimensions of population movement and forced migration. The focal point of our work will be understanding how these experiences intersect with questions about learning and work. Much of the world population is ‘on the move.’ According to the United Nations, as of 2020, about 281 million people were living outside their country of birth. War, environmental disasters, and massive restructuring of certain sectors of economy are forces that displace population mostly from the global south. In this context, a significant percentage of migrants move in search of financial stability. Participants in this seminar will study a range of learning experiences connected to the flow of people and jobs in various sites and scales––Canada, transnationally, globally. We will follow the adjustment and transformation of market economy and educational initiatives in response to these movements. Emphasis will be on the challenges faced by women migrants and refugees as they navigate changing labor markets in search of waged work. The course will pay attention to competing theoretical analyses of the relationship between gender, sexuality, race, and class in the context of migration, learning and work. We will discuss critical feminist and race theories, Marxist feminist analysis, transnational, diaspora, mobility and cultural studies, and adult education. The course will rely on theoretical studies and pay attention to social relations, politics, policies, and practices of migration, learning and work. Additional course materials, including policy documents, reports, novels, and other creative media will further inform our discussions and inquiries.
This course explores theories and practices of democratizing work, organizations, and the economy. It looks at the ways workers and communities can take stewardship of working life, work organizations, and the economy and critically assesses management and workers' strategies of workplace and organizational participation. The course also homes in on how contemporary alternative economic arrangements (such as worker cooperatives and numerous forms of self-managed community initiatives), the social and solidarity economy, and environmental and social movements prefigure the expansion of economic democracy and social change while they, at the same time, directly contest the ongoing crisis spawned by neoliberal capitalism. The course applies theory to practice via multiple case studies from the global North and South and student' own experiences with work and participative organizations in the for-profit, not-for-profit, and public sectors. Throughout, the course interlaces explorations of workplace, organizational, and economic democracy with critical adult learning theory and practice.
Some of the most pressing problems affecting community wellness can be traced to how stable infrastructures are eroding, resulting in underemployment, insecure housing, expulsions from prime real estate, and criminalization of the racialized and indigenous poor. This course provides some important conceptual frameworks that help us understand how these themes are interconnected through militarized finance capitalism that is also alternatively referred to as 'the new economy', 'casino economics', and 'crisis economics'. As devastating as these trends are, never have possibilities for transformation been more accessible through a myriad of inspiring social movements and innovative community activism and development. This course provides some critical literacy for organizing, and some hands-on experience in transformative community development.
Critical approaches to organizations focus on how organizational change and development is experienced by diverse groups of women and men who work within organizations, as well as how organizational change is influenced by broader historical, social, political, and economic forces. Through this course, students will have the opportunity to develop theoretical and analytical skills to critically assess organizational change, its socio-economic contexts, and its dimensions of sense making, language, power, inequality, and resistance in a variety of organizational settings (offices, factories, service sector firms, NGOs, non-profits, cooperatives, community groups, government units, schools, family businesses, etc.). We will explore the methods frequently used to ''restructure'' organizations (such as downsizing, outsourcing, contingent just-in-time policies); develop critiques of recent trends which emphasize ''empowerment'', ''organizational learning", and ''reengineering'' and reflect on alternative organizational models with a vision of social change. Throughout the course, we will endeavour to situate the critical perspectives, theories, and methods of organizational change we will be studying to actual cases (including your own experience with organizations) via a variety of learning formats.
Specialized exploration, under the direction of a faculty member, of topics of particular interest to the student that are not included in existing courses. While credit is not given for a thesis topic proper, the study may be closely related to such a topic. Guidelines and Form are available from the website: http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/ro/UserFiles/File/Graduate%20Registration/GradReg_ReqIndReadRsch.pdf This course can also be designed as a field-based practicum in adult education and/or community development in an agreed setting. The course will include reflection, research, and writing on issues raised in practice.
This is the foundation course for Transformative Learning studies. It is designed to introduce students to a global planetary perspective. The concept of a global world order will be examined from historic, critical, and visionary perspectives. Issues of development/underdevelopment, human rights, and social justice perspectives are considered. A critical understanding of social power relations will be highlighted in the areas of gender, class, and race dynamics. The topics are approached as interdependent dimensions within a holistic education perspective.
This course is designed to provide an interdisciplinary approach to the analysis of Aboriginal education in Canada. Emphasis is on understanding the influences of policies, programs, and institutions that affect the Aboriginal community in respect to Aboriginal education. One of the major data sources will be the report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. Aboriginal guest speakers will also comment on selected topics. Components of this course will include the Aboriginal world view; contemporary history/politics relevant to Aboriginal Peoples; and Aboriginal education and healing. Treaties were originally signed between First Nations and the Federal Government of Canada. These treaties for the most part have not been honoured. In this course we shall discuss the ways and means to redress this situation as we focus more specifically on issues relevant to Aboriginal education.
This course will provide a deeper understanding of Aboriginal worldviews and an appreciation of how this knowledge can enhance teaching, learning and research. Learners will examine philosophical views shared by Aboriginal people while honoring a diversity of identities, culture, language, and geographic locations. Course content may include Aboriginal cognitive styles, values and ethics, traditional teachings and indigenous methodologies. This course will promote an understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal perspectives and explore strategies for integrating this knowledge into the work of educators and researchers.
Some very innovative community activism takes place through creative forms of embodied learning, including theatre, dance, slam poetry, hip hop, and various other art forms. In addition, many of these art forms offer alternatives to western Eurocentric frameworks of objectification, subjugation and alienation, emphasizing, instead, relationality and connectedness. The two alternative embodied arts explored in this course include Qigong and Mindfulness Meditation, with a view to examining how these can augment Marxist Feminist dialectics, and inform social justice movements, through deep personal and social transformation. Students will develop a community development proposal involving embodied learning and social movement building, and will participate in a group-based art-as-public pedagogy project.
This course discusses critical issues facing nonprofits, co-operatives, and the social economy, which is a bridging concept for organizations pursuing a social purpose. The course examines the differing organizational forms and accountability structures and the challenges faced by these organizations. Issues to be considered are: social enterprises and their increasing prominence in an age of government retrenchment; community economic development in low-income communities; and civil society organizations and their functions in encouraging social engagement and challenging social norms. The course views the social economy in relation to the government and business sectors, and attempts to understand the multiple roles of organizations in the social economy as they interact with the rest of society. The course materials include innovative case studies and adult education materials with regular guest lectures from social economy practitioners.
This seminar is designed to support Master's students in the process of writing a thesis or a substantial research paper. Issues to be discussed will include: choosing a topic, writing a proposal, developing an argument, selecting a supervisor, and organizing the writing process. The class will be participatory, and weekly readings will be assigned on the various parts of the thesis-writing journey. Class members will also receive instruction on effective library research techniques. In addition, students will have the opportunity to read completed theses and proposals. The course is required for all MA students. Full-time MA students are encouraged to take this course at the start of their program. Part-time MA students should ideally take this course when they are ready to start working on their thesis proposals. If you have difficulty fitting this into your schedule, please contact the instructor.
The course is also open to MEd students who are interested in gaining research experience by writing a substantial research paper equivalent to a thesis.
This course will explore Indigenous ways of knowing and knowledge systems and how this knowledge might inform the work of teaching, learning and research. Course content may include indigenous research protocols, decolonizing methodologies, ethics and politics of researching and teaching in Aboriginal communities, indigenous knowledges in the academy, intellectual property rights, curriculum development and innovations in Aboriginal education. Traditional teachings from respected Elders may be incorporated into learning. For learners with a research focus, this course enables inquiry into the production of knowledge, from both western and indigenous perspectives. For those interested in education implications, the course provides a footing in the workings and characteristics of indigenous knowing which will aid their pedagogical practices in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal contexts.
This course provides you with opportunities to examine current principles, practices, trends and issues related to organizational leadership, and apply these concepts to your own professional practice. You will explore leadership styles, practices, tasks and models, and are encouraged to reflect on and analyze your own leadership experiences in light of theories examined.
This course explores concepts, practices and processes in organizations, with specific emphasis on the challenges and strategies for addressing the human aspects of change. The course combines an experimental approach and critical analysis to examine issues in organizational change. Students will gain understanding of theories, practices and the importance of Human Resources Development, Human Resources Management and Labour Relations principles in planning and implementing effective organizational change.
This course will examine issues faced by individuals, groups and communities trapped in ongoing cycles of violence due to historic and current traumas, and systemic injustice. The course will focus on healing and peacebuilding initiatives at the community level and will draw on diverse cultural traditions. The course will acquaint students with current theoretical concepts of community healing and peacebuilding. Participants will also develop skills, values and attitudes that will enable them to work towards healing, reconciliation, and comprehensive, viable peace. The notion of praxis is key, and students will be given the opportunity to reflect on their own practice.
This course will introduce students to the emerging field of adult education for sustainability. As a form of critical pedagogy, it concentrates on the interface between the education of adults and the question of sustainability. The task of adult education for sustainability involves helping us to learn our way out of unsustainable modes of thinking, feeling and acting about ourselves, our communities and the wider world, and to learn our way in to more sustainable ways of life. This course will cover issues such as globalization, sustainable development, community, environmental integrity, social justice, gender, energy and ecological literacy. It will also examine the role of adult education in exploring alternative models to our current unsustainable direction.
Drawing from several disciplinary perspectives, this course provides an opportunity to interrogate the relationship of the Internet to adult education. The main objectives of this course are: to engage participants in an examination of the influence of contemporary information and communication technology, including social media and other platform-mediated activity, on key adult education praxis areas such as community development, literacy, employment and services. The course provides participants with a critical framework for analyzing Internet mediated environments; and encourages students to explore Internet resources that may be used in conjunction with traditional community development and adult education practice. The course is conducted using a seminar format where discussion is informed by weekly readings.
This course examines a moving target, the interface between emerging technologies, primarily information and communication technologies, and the workplace. Drawing from various disciplinary perspectives, including education, sociology, social psychology and communication studies; the course provides an opportunity for students to interrogate the ways in which technology is embedded in the work place. Some topics that will be covered include the knowledge economy, virtual teamwork, surveillance and the future of authority. The course is designed as a hybrid or blended course, which means that it is taught through face-to-face and online sessions and activities. A mixed course format allows participants to experience diverse technology platforms and applications and illustrates course content.
Humans are fundamentally social creatures, depending on good relationships with those around us for optimal functioning. When harm is done in these relationships people suffer. If restoration does not occur and the underlying structural and cultural issues are not addressed, suffering and violence will likely continue, whether acted out inwardly within the individual or group, or outwardly, directed to others. Reconciliation, the complex, dynamic, long-term process of restoring relationships, structures and identities after violent conflict, is a concept that is becoming increasingly relevant. This course has been developed to study reconciliation in accordance with the following principles: reconciliation is necessary; reconciliation is complex; reconciliation is praxis; and reconciliation has implications for adult education and community development.
Following the lead of American essayist Wendell Berry, who has argued that eating is an agricultural act, this course will focus on the idea that eating is also a pedagogical act. What do we learn, and unlearn, from the food we eat? How is the food on our plate connected to such issues as food systems, food politics, food justice, food security, food sovereignty and food movements? Can we consume our way into a more sustainable future, or does this simply reinforce our current unsustainable way of life? This course will explore these and other questions, keeping in mind that food can be a catalyst for learning, resistance and change.
An examination of some of the many issues that have been characteristic of postsecondary education in the past and are likely to continue to be faced in the future.
This course provides an overview of the history, philosophy and evolution of community colleges. While the focus will largely be on the Ontario college system, students will also engage in exploration of wider issues, controversies, challenges and opportunities that community colleges face more broadly in Canada, the United States and in other countries, particularly Anglophone countries with similar systems. The themes of social justice, access and equity run through all topics, as a key purpose of community colleges is to promote these objectives.
A comparative description and analysis of tertiary-level systems of education with special attention to their structure and governance and the relevant features of the societies in which they operate.
This course is about system-wide policy and planning in higher education. The primary goal of this course is to help students understand how to conduct sound analyses of major policy issues at the system level, and make well-grounded recommendations on how to address them. This course is organized around a realistic planning assignment to address a policy issue, following a problem-based approach.
This course explores how administration, management, and leadership are conceptualized, studied, and practiced in higher education institutions. The course will contrast mainstream and critical perspectives on administration, management, and leadership and examine the specificity of academic settings in shaping both the practice and the investigation of administration in colleges and universities.
This course examines multiple theories and concepts that will help learners better understand colleges and universities as complex organizations and how they change. The aim is to help learners acquire a strong conceptual foundation for their analysis of organizational issues faced by colleges and universities, and to familiarize themselves with useful theoretical tools for interpreting and explaining organizational change in higher education.
This course reviews theoretical debates regarding the nature of professions and professional education, placing them within their historical context in western societies. Contemporary issues that are addressed include the implications of globalization of the professions, diversity in the professions and the ''entrepreneurial university'' and the professions. Perspectives of practitioners as well as faculty teaching in the professions are considered.
This course on lifelong learning and professional and vocational education has four broad aims: First, it explores debates about: the learning society and lifelong learning; globalisation, the ‘risk’ society and reflexive modernisation; and, the knowledge society and the knowledge economy. Second, it explores the nature of, and debates concerning, professional and vocational education. Third, it explores different ways in which post-secondary education systems can be structured and organised, the relationships between universities and colleges and how this helps to structure relationships between professional and vocational education. Fourth, it explores regulation of post-secondary education through qualifications frameworks, and considers debates about the Ontario Qualifications Framework. It explores debates about skills, employability skills, generic skills, learning outcomes and competency-based education/training. It considers the contrasting theoretical frameworks that underpin various positions in these debates.
The course is about the resources — public and private — that support schools, colleges, and universities: how the resources are raised, how they are allocated, how they are budgeted for, how they are economically justified, and how they are accounted for. The course is also about the connections: connections between investments in education and the larger economy, between the organization of systems and the way funding is allocated and accounted for, between forms of budgets and the efficiency with which funding is deployed, and between funding and educational quality. Although the ideas of classical economists – Smith, Ricardo, Marx, Becker, Rostow – about the formation of human capital will be discussed, the course does not require a background in economic theory.
This course applies key sociological theories and concepts to issues in higher education. The course examines both how society affects access to and outcomes of higher education, and conversely, how higher education has played a role in forming modern societies. Topics include: the role that higher education plays in social mobility, social reproduction, and the production of elites; faculty labor, knowledge production and dissemination; and, student campus life and identity formation. The course draws on various sub-fields in Sociology, including Social Stratification, the Sociology of Education, Sociology of Organizations and the Sociology of Knowledge.
This course examines the field of higher education through a political lens and covers relations between higher education institutions and states, between institutions, and within institutions. The aim is to introduce students to the fundamental assumptions and applications of political theories as they relate to international, national, organizational, and individual levels of analysis. Topics covered during this course include political theory, political dynamics, sources of power, and political behaviour. These are in turn used to analyze current debates and events in higher education such as higher education as a public or a private good, academic freedom, accountability, internal governance, leadership and administration, and labour relations.
This course addresses the arrangements for governance in higher education. It examines formal models and theories of governance; the legal and institutional framework of higher education governance; the role and characteristics of higher education intermediary bodies, governing boards, and academic senates and their relationships to one another; and current challenges and issues pertaining to university and community college governance.
This course develops an understanding of the principles of teaching and learning in higher education, and it develops skills in the practice of teaching in higher education.
This course introduces the scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education with a particular focus on the scholarship of teaching and learning in professional education. The scholarship of teaching and learning engages teachers in scholarly inquiry into teaching and learning with the aim of improving student learning, and advancing curriculum and pedagogy. The emphasis is on undertaking systematic scholarly inquiry into one’s teaching either individually or collegially, and sharing the outcomes of this inquiry in a variety of ways, including in practitioner seminars and conferences, journals and websites, as well as in refereed conferences and journals so that knowledge about how to improve learning in one's field is advanced.
This course provides an overview of the evolution of comparative education as a field of study, covering historical-philosophical, positivistic, phenomenological and neo-Marxist approaches to the field. It also looks at how comparative education scholars have responded to the literature of postmodernism and globalization. Central themes of the course are the purpose of comparative education, the impact of diverse views of social change, and the idea of scientific method. The role of such international organizations as the International Bureau of Education, UNESCO, and the World Bank in comparative education is discussed.
This course provides an overview of the field of comparative higher education, beginning with perspectives from the different civilizations which fostered higher learning in the pre-modern era. It considers theories from comparative education and disciplines such as history, sociology and anthropology as they apply to understanding higher education in global context. It also takes both a regional and a thematic approach in looking at higher education across different societies. Themes covered in the course include gender in higher education, curricular patterns across different societies, student issues and the relation of higher education to the state.
This course investigates the theory and practice of evaluation in higher education, including admissions processes, assessment of student learning, student evaluation of teaching, and program and institutional evaluation. By the end of the course, students should be able to explain purposes and principles of evaluation; critique uses of evaluation in higher education; apply evaluation principles in higher education; create and critique logic models, change models, and action models for higher education programs; plan evaluations of higher education programs; and discuss ethical issues in evaluation.
This course is designed for students who are planning, collecting data, analyzing or writing up thesis or other qualitative research. Classes will involve reading about the theoretical paradigms (e.g. interactionish, phenomenological, critical feminist, postcolonial/emancipatory) and research methodologies and types of analysis and interpretations being used by students (e.g. participant observation, thematic analysis, focus groups, individual interviews, ethnography, autoethnography, grounded theory, critical ethnography, participatory action research, life histories/narratives, institutional ethnography, textual analysis, policy or program analysis). Selected ethical issues that are often encountered in the process of doing research will also be covered. Special attention will be paid to analysis and interpretation of the data, with students presenting their changing views of their chosen topic for feedback and referral to relevant literature.
This course examines the logics and strategies of case study research used in the social sciences, as well as their applications to higher education and related fields. The main goal of the course is to help students develop skills for designing, conducting, evaluating, and critiquing case studies. Hand-on activities and intensive reading and discussion are employed towards helping students achieve this goal. This course is designed for graduate students who are interested in conducting case study research as part of their thesis projects and/or future academic and professional work. While the course uses themes related to higher education, this course is appropriate to graduate students from other fields who have had an introduction to qualitative research.
This course will focus on the critical analysis of interdisciplinary research conducted within the higher education context. Participants will begin with an exploration of the fundamental characteristics and underlying theories of quantitative, qualitative and mixed mode research methodologies, and the strengths and limitations of each in relation to issues relevant to higher education. Building on this foundation, the participants will analyze and critique publications and theses reporting higher education research. Recommendations and implications suggested in these documents will be critiqued with respect to their potential impact on decisions made by organizational leaders with respect to equity issues, policies and procedures. Finally, participants will develop a sound research proposal that could conceivably be conducted within the higher education context.
This course will examine the legal framework of higher education, including laws, regulations, and judicial interpretations that impact upon the governance and conduct of higher education. Particular attention will be placed upon the tension between academic autonomy and individual rights as they affect students' rights, faculty status, sanctions against discrimination, and the conditions attached to government funding.
This course will explore the theoretical and conceptual foundations of the student experience in postsecondary education. As well, we will study the nature of work in postsecondary education that supports students' development and learning. Students in this course will review and discuss broad forms of literature/documentation that addresses various components of the student experience. A particular focus of this course will be on exploring the various outcomes of postsecondary education and examining forms of assessing the various student outcomes in and beyond postsecondary education.
The field of Student Affairs strives to understand and support students. While student affairs core courses include content regarding marginalized and BIPOC populations, Indigenous students are distinctive as the institution-student relationship is complicated by Treaty and the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report. The population is also growing which has implications for higher education generally and student services specifically. This course focuses on Indigenous students in higher education to ethically prepare student affairs professionals and scholars. In addition to academic readings, students will contrast and compare Indigenous experiences with other minoritized and racialized groups, including their own. Pidgeon’s (2016) Indigenous Wholistic Framework and the TRC are foundational in this course. Indigenous social media representation of Indigenous student services, academic departments, and scholars will also be explored.
The purpose of this course is to examine the complex phenomenon of internationalization from both conceptual and applied perspectives,. The course explores and develops a conceptual framework for internationalization through a rigorous analysis of different meanings of the concept; shifting rationales, benefits, risks, and outcomes; and the diversity of actors and stakeholders; Students will apply the conceptual framework to a region or group of countries in the world, by analyzing the key priorities, policies and issues. Comparing different approaches among the regions and countries will raise important questions about the different roles and implications of the internationalization process. Emerging trends and issues linked to internationalization including commercialization, brain drain/gain, quality assurance, cultural homogenization, neo-colonization and world rankings will be examined. This course has a definite policy orientation and students with some academic or professional background in higher education will benefit most from it.
This course will explore and discuss models of and approaches to leadership as they pertain to higher education. Particular attention will be paid to equity and diversity issues within human resources, recognizing the increasing diversity of the higher education environment. The course will include an examination of (a) how equity and diversity inform our models of academic and administrative leadership; (b) what leaders might do to ensure that their institutions are viewed as Employers of Choice both nationally and internationally; (c) the role of leadership within the post secondary system in the promotion and enhancement of student learning and literature.
This course explores how educators in higher education and professional programs approach curriculum development from an innovative perspective. Curriculum theories, philosophic perspectives in the literature, and current realities in the classroom will be explored. Curriculum challenges with respect to access, quality and funding in higher education will be identified and analyzed, and innovative strategies for addressing these challenges will be generated.
Individual Reading and Research courses are taken as specialized study, under the direction of a staff member, focusing on topics of particular interest to the student that are not included in available courses. While credit is not given for a thesis investigation proper, the study may be closely related to a thesis topic.
This course is designed to introduce students to the field of student affairs and services within the context of Canadian postsecondary education institutions. We will use a multidisciplinary approach to examine the historical, philosophical, legal, and cultural foundations of student affairs and services work. From these multiple perspectives, we will discuss the guiding principles from which student affairs and services practitioners educate and deliver services and programs to students.
This course examines the origins, present status, challenges and future directions of student development within the context of higher education in western society. Sessions will review the evidence from research and practice that identify key factors influencing student development in postsecondary education. Discussions will focus on the changing nature of students in higher education, the role of institutional policy, structure and function in facilitating student development and pathways to student success and retention. In addition, the social, psychological and cultural foundations of the student personnel movement as well as the role and functions of student services staff in colleges and universities will be examined.
This course builds upon the knowledge gained in LHA1854, Student Development Theories in Higher Education. The course will more deeply examine psychosocial, cognitive structural, and typological theories. With a focus on intersectionality we will examine how race, culture, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and spirituality can influence development. Students will learn to use theories to improve our work with students. We will not do so without a critical examination of the theories.
The internship is a research informed theory to practice experiential form of instruction designed to provide students with opportunities to perform activities that are regularly performed by practitioners in the area of the internship in student services.
The internship is a research informed theory to practice experiential form of instruction designed to provide students with opportunities to perform activities that are regularly performed by practitioners in the area of the internship in student services.
This course will provide students the opportunity to review, integrate and synthesize what they have learned in their learning experience, and apply these in a Capstone project. The Capstone Project that is the goal of this course will be a culminating, comprehensive and scholarly project completed near or at the end of the M.Ed. in Higher Education Leadership option.
The Capstone project will address one or more complex empirical issue(s) relevant to the leadership challenges in the students’ professional work context. The project will ask the students to demonstrate their ability to identify and define the issue/problem, conduct an insightful analysis and critique of the scholarly literature that informs the issue. This includes philosophical foundations, theoretical frameworks, conceptual models and the research methodologies employed (consistent with the COU, Quality Assurance Framework, Updated 2019, GDLEs, pp.34-35). They are expected to gather relevant secondary or primary data and propose feasible strategies/approaches to resolve the issue(s). Implications for implementation of the proposed resolution will be clearly identified and supported. Students may have an opportunity to participate in the organization and delivery of a Leadership Forum for the dissemination of knowledge gained.
This course is designed to assist doctoral students in the development of effective research proposals. Course readings, assignments, and activities will provide students with a structured approach to problem definition, succinctly reviewing the relevant literature, articulating conceptual frameworks, identifying suitable methodological approaches for the questions to be examined, understanding the purposes of informed consent in research design, and anticipating the timelines associated with data collection, data analysis, and writing up final reports. Students will practice writing both short proposals for graduate research funding as well as longer dissertation proposals.
This course will assist students in learning how to find, understand, share and act on research in their doctoral studies and their professional work. The course will include consideration of the nature of research literacy; the concepts and practices of finding, understanding, sharing and acting on research; developments in education research philosophies, paradigms, stances and methods; strategies for critiquing and citing research; design and use of literature reviews, syntheses and meta-analyses; and communicating and presenting research reviews.
The purpose of this course is to provide students in the Educational Leadership and Policy Program's EdD cohort with exposure to and practice in a range of research design and data collection methods for applied research: educational change case studies and comparative case studies; qualitative, ethnographic tools for educational inquiry; systematic analysis of policy documents; survey research; quantitative analysis of school, system, or other organization administrative data.
This course is one of the core courses in the Educational Leadership and Policy Program EdD program and provides students with the opportunity to learn and practice the data analysis approaches most appropriate for studying problems of practice. In this course students will work on coding and organization of qualitative and case study data and policy documents; presentation of findings from survey research and quantitative examination of administrative data. This course also requires students to examine a wide range of knowledge mobilization strategies and to link those strategies to their projects.
This course will provide students with the skills and knowledge needed to synthesize academic literature. In particular, it will provide students with the opportunity to become familiar with the philosophy, assumptions, characteristics and methods of reviewing literature in education and the social sciences. It will expose students to theories about how literature should be reviewed and provide them with the opportunity to develop their own reviewing skills.
This professional seminar course aims to advance the use and application of research, writing, and methodologies for the dissertation in practice while students engage as part of an academic community. The course is intended to support professional interactions and learning among the International Educational Leadership and Policy EdD cohort with the goal of improving and advancing opportunities to discuss aspects of the research process. It includes practical modules in the context of effective leadership and policymaking in international education settings, while also scaffolding stages of thesis development.
The course is open to EdD students in the International ELP cohort.
Understanding education law is essential to the effective management and operation of schools. Schools function in a complex legal environment. It is essential for educators to be as current as possible of their legal rights and responsibilities. Focus on current issues, legislative and common law precedents.
A review of major perspectives on the individual and the organization includes discussion of questions pertaining to the nature of society and the nature of people. Of immediate concern is the manner in which decisions and organizational outcomes are produced, as well as the bearing that these sets of arrangements have upon productivity and the well-being of those whose lives are touched by organized education. Of express concern is the manner in which power is exercised in everyday situations that may involve elected officials, appointed administrators, teachers, students, and the public at large.
This seminar examines significant policy issues in education, both historical and current, both Canadian and international. Emphasis is on acquiring an understanding of the content and significance of the policies, with a secondary interest in policy analysis and development.
The course explores naturalistic and ethnographic methods of research applied to field research and case studies in educational administration. The researcher as participant in as well as an observer of social reality; the relationship of fact and value in social research, the limits of science in truth-making; the relationship of such science-established truth to evaluation and administrative action; and the problems of ethical inquiry into organizational and administrative realities.
An advanced administrative experience, primarily for EdD students, under the joint guidance of faculty members and senior administrators in the internship/practicum location. Placement and responsibilities relating to the internship/practicum are determined on an individual basis depending on the needs, interests, and aspirations of students and on the availability of appropriate locations.
The course explores a variety of initiatives being taken to improve, reform, and/or restructure schools. The basic intents of these initiatives are examined in an effort to understand implications for productive change processes at the classroom, school, and school system levels. Emphasis is given to the role of leadership in fostering educational change. Students will be involved in a research project designed to illustrate the practical meaning of course concepts and to refine their research capacities.
Course description same as 1052H.
This course looks at the role of international level actors and networks in shaping domestic educational policies and producing globalized models for learning often underappreciated in the study of educational policy and change. This course reviews various theoretical approaches to the study of international relations in the field of education, considers recent efforts to study the globalization of educational policy, and then turns to the activities of a variety of organizations and networks, intergovernmental and nongovernmental, which have developed global level mandates in education. Topics include: education in the global development regime; the educational activities of the World Bank, UNESCO the OECD and the World Trade Organization; and transnational advocacy and NGO networks in education.
This seminar is designed for first or second year doctoral students. It will explore key elements of the doctoral studies journey: crafting a researchable topic, developing a thesis proposal, choosing a committee, planning for comprehensives, fostering effective writing strategies, planning for publication. Required activities will include one final piece of writing related to proposal development. This is a required course and if you cannot fit it into your schedule, please contact the instructor.
This course will examine adult education in global contexts with specific focus on ''Third World'' societies. It will offer a critical review of the relationship between adult education, modes of production, and state. In this course we will draw on Marxist, feminist, anti-racist, and ecological theoretical debates. Applying critical comparative analysis, the course will examine the role of adult education in liberation movements and democratization of state and society. We will study the role of adult education in building a dynamic civil society and challenges we are facing towards creating a democratic civil society.
Specialized exploration, under the direction of a faculty member, of topics of particular interest to the student that are not included in existing courses. While credit is not given for a thesis topic proper, the study may be closely related to such a topic. Guidelines and forms are available from the website:http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/ro/UserFiles/File/Graduate%20Registration/Individual_ReadingResearchCourse_-_OISE_2014.pdf. This course can also be designed as a field-based practicum in adult education and/or community development in an agreed setting. The course will include reflection, research, and writing on issues raised in practice.
This course is a comprehensive introduction to institutional ethnography (IE), a powerful method of social analysis developed by feminist sociologist, Dorothy E. Smith, Professor Emerita at OISE/UT. IE starts with people's everyday experiences, and provides a way of exploring how the ruling of institutions shape their experiences and practices and lead to the disjunctures that people experience in their everyday lives. The course begins with the epistemology and theoretical traditions that inform IE, discusses IE's core concepts and procedures, examines the major tools associated with IE, and provides opportunities for practice. Explorations will include, but will not be limited to, textual analysis; the overlapping relations of gender, race, class and other axes of difference in organizations; and the combining of institutional ethnography with other critical forms of inquiry such as critical discourse analysis and participatory research. Both Dorothy Smith and George Smith style institutional ethnography are explored, that, is, both institutional ethnography for understanding and institutional ethnography for social change (now commonly known as political activist ethnography).
This course will provide an overview of indigenous research methodologies and an introduction to planning research projects that are relevant, respectful, responsible and reciprocal in relation to indigenous communities. Students will engage in a dialogue on research ethics and protocols as they relate to working with indigenous peoples and communities.
Recurring Issues in Postsecondary Education is an examination of some of the issues that have characterized postsecondary education in the past and are likely to continue to be faced in the future. The objectives of the course are to: (1) provide a broad, introductory overview of postsecondary education as a field of scholarly inquiry and research; (2) examine the major issues of a recurring nature which have confronted postsecondary education, albeit in different forms and contexts, over time and in different jurisdictions; and (3) introduce students to some of the most important writings in the field.
This course is designed to prepare doctoral students to develop strong dissertation proposals. It will orient doctoral students to conducting and disseminating different types of research and publishing for different audiences. The course will orient doctoral students to the nature of research as an iterative process of integrating theory, data, analysis, and writing, and give them opportunities to practice a variety of research-related skills. Through its pedagogical techniques, the course will orient students' thinking about research as knowledge construction through ongoing conversation (i.e., debate or dialogue) among scholars. Key topics include: research paradigms, conducting literature reviews, developing research questions, conceptual and theoretical frameworks, various methodological approaches, and the ethics of conducting research. Each student will be expected to conduct independent work, share their ideas with peers, engage in discussion and constructive feedback, and practice translating research ideas to various audiences. The primary outcomes of the course will be a polished research proposal and a presentation to the class of their research proposal.
This course begins with the literature of international relations to set the context for an examination of higher education's role and responsibilities in an international arena. It then looks at the critical challenges to accepted views of knowledge in the university that have arisen from social theorists such as Habermas, from feminist scholarship, and from non-Western scholarship. Topics for exploration and research include the following: academic freedom in a global context; the role of universities and colleges in international development; relations between higher education institutions and international organizations; scholar/student exchanges; and human rights and higher education.
Course description same as LHA1852H.
This course permits the study of specific topics or areas in educational administration not already covered in the courses listed for the current year. The topics will be announced each spring in the Winter Session and Summer Session timetables.
A course that will examine in depth a topic of particular relevance not already covered in regular course offerings in the department. The topics will be announced each spring in the Winter Session and Summer Session course schedules.
A course that will examine in depth a topic of particular relevance not already covered in regular course offerings in the department. The topics will be announced each spring in the Winter Session and Summer Session OISE course schedules.
This course permits the study of specific topics or areas in educational administration not already covered in the courses listed for the current year. The topics will be announced each spring in the Winter Session and Summer Session timetables.
A course that will examine in depth a topic of relevance not already covered in regular course offerings in the department. The topics will be announced each spring in the Winter Session and Summer Session course schedules.
Course description same as LHA5800H.
Ce cours s’intéresse aux méthodes narratives en éducation et tout particulièrement à l’approche méthodologique des récits, des contre-récits et des récits alternatifs. Nous naviguons dans le quotidien à partir de catégories de classement qui influencent notre rapport au monde et aux autres et à partir desquelles se perpétuent les injustices scolaires et sociales. Ce dispositif méthodologique vise à remettre en cause les représentations sociales dominantes et à constituer ainsi un espace de découverte, de réflexion, de dialogue et de transformation. Nous abordons l’étude de ce thème à partir de la sociologie de l’éducation où l’élément pivot sera celui de la socialisation, c’est-à-dire de la prise en considération de l’influence et des contraintes qu’exerce le social dans les parcours de vie. Sera abordée dans ce cours la quête de sens dans les enquêtes narratives, de même que les fondements épistémologiques du récit, l’entretien biographique, l’analyse et la mise en mots de récits, les questions d’éthiques, la présentation de contre-récits, et enfin, la proposition de récits alternatifs. En s’inspirant d’études variées, le cours met en valeur le potentiel de transformation que recèlent les récits de vie dans les divers usages dont ils font l’objet.
Ce séminaire s’intéresse au sens que les élèves donnent à l’expérience scolaire ainsi qu’aux facteurs de différenciation sociale qui influencent leur parcours dès l’entrée à l’école. L’étude des inégalités est un thème prolifique en sociologie et dans les sciences de l’éducation. Il s’agit d’un enjeu qui est toutefois peu abordé à partir des voix d’enfants dans les facultés d’éducation malgré les avancées en recherche, recensées sur plusieurs décennies. Le séminaire offre l’occasion de se familiariser avec la sociologie de l’enfance. Il met en lumière la multiplicité des parcours de vie d’enfants et, pris collectivement, d’une pluralité d’enfances. Sont aussi abordées des enquêtes réalisées par des sociologues de la jeunesse au Québec, au Canada et en Europe. Ce séminaire aborde l’enfance et la jeunesse par le prisme de l’éducation et de la question des inégalités. Les thèmes à l’étude incluent l’émergence de nouvelles perspectives sur l’enfance, l’étude de la différenciation sociale entre enfants, les concepts clés sur l’enfance et la jeunesse, tels que la parole d’enfants, la capacité d’action, la participation, l’âge, les transitions et la temporalité, la production des inégalités par les enfants, le rôle de l’enfant dans la production de connaissances, et enfin l’équité, l’inclusion et la prise de parole d’enfants.
This course investigates knowledge, knowing, and knowing subjects as they are represented in modern and postmodern educational theory and practices. The course is designed to facilitate educators' self-reflection on questions of learning and teaching, constructions of knowledge and knowers, and the implications of power/knowledge. Selected topics include: the impact of constructivism on teaching; problems of epistemic dominance and marginalization (Whose knowledge counts?); and representations of learning (styles; ability/disability).
This course is an overview of the field of philosophy of education. It focuses on selected major thinkers, such as Plato, Rousseau, Wollenstonecraft, Dewey, Peters, and Martin, with attention given both to classic texts and to contemporary developments, critiques, and uses of ideas from these texts. Emphasis is placed on the kinds of epistemological, ethical, and political questions that comprise the core of philosophy of education and that need to be addressed to the classic and contemporary literature.
This course examines in depth a topic of particular relevance not already covered in the regular course offerings in the department. The topics will be announced each spring in the Winter Session and Summer Session schedules.
An examination of the possibilities, promises, and problems with which sociological perspectives can enliven and enrich the understanding of the educational process. This course provides an introduction to and integration of theoretical and practical aspects of sociology in education.
An introduction to basic research methods appropriate for teachers and other students of sociology in education. General consideration will be given to technical problems with emphasis on the underlying research process and its practical implications for schools.
This course will serve as an introduction to the major concepts and issues in education from both a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach, that values social justice education. Students will be introduced to major questions and debates in educational theory and praxis, focusing specifically on issues that define the areas of emphases in SJE: anti-racism, critical race theory and Indigenous studies; feminism, gender, and queer studies; cultural and philosophical contexts in education (including francophone studies); aesthetics, communication and media studies; and democracy, ethics, disability studies, and social class. The course, which is normally taken in the beginning of a master level program in SJE, will assist students to understand how a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach from the humanities/social sciences perspective that honors social justice education, contrasts with other disciplinary approaches and what this perspective contributes to the examination of major educational concepts and issues. Students will develop an understanding of the central questions, debates, and controversies from diverse intellectual traditions of the humanities and social sciences, and explore multi- and interdisciplinary studies in education, with a focus on history, philosophy, sociology and social justice education.
Qualitative research is a mode of systemic inquiry that utilizes various interpretive and critical genres to understand- and often change- complex social phenomena. This course examines the field of qualitative inquiry focusing on the epistemological and practical aspects of a plethora of data gathering techniques such as ethnography, phenomenology, oral history, participatory action research, focus groups, program evaluation and personal interviews. The course further introduces students to critical data interpretive approaches involving data coding and analyses rooted in social justice education: postcolonial, postmodern, and decolonizing frames, feminist theory and praxes, Indigenous knowledges, critical discourse analysis, critical race theory and queer analysis. This is a writing and data gathering intensive course.
The premise on which this course is based is that social equity and environmental sustainability are necessarily and inextricably intertwined. After clarifying key concepts such as environmental justice, we will analyze the current unsustainable way in which Canada as a society, as well as the world as a whole, are organized, including climate change, water and food access and quality, energy generation and consumption, BMO,s, population growth. We will also explore positive examples of how to deal with these issues.
This course will introduce students to central approaches, themes and questions in the work of Michel Foucault. We will discuss the relevance and utility of his work by examining how a number of researchers in education have made use of it. Students will also be able to explore the implications and usefulness of Foucault's work for their own research.
This course builds on the assumption that social justice and environmental sustainability are intertwined. It explores the interconnections among environmental problems and capitalism, patriarchy, racism, and other forms of domination. Participants will be encouraged to analyze the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of (in)justice in diverse contexts within frameworks that recognize the salience of social identities, including but not limited to class, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and ability. Participants critically examine contrasting theoretical perspectives, practices, and examples of environmental justice advocacy and action. These investigations will assist course participants to deepen their understandings and hone their practical abilities to respond to social, economic, and environmental issues in multiple institutional contexts -- schools, workplaces, unions, social service agencies, NGOs, and so on.
The first half of the course provides a theoretical analysis of anti-racism and anti-oppression education and issues for students, educators, and staff interested in the pursuit of anti-racism and anti-oppression education in the schools. The second half focuses on practical anti-racism strategies aimed at institutional change in schools, classrooms, and other organizational settings. The intention is to ground theoretical principles of anti-racism education in the actual school practices of promoting educational inclusion, social change and transformation.
This seminar reviews selected sociological theories and perspectives on race and ethnicity. The emphasis is on emerging debates and investigations on the interrelation and interstices of race, gender, sexuality, [dis]ability, and class in the construction of social and historical realities and identities. It explores the implications of these advances for curriculum and pedagogical practices.
This course explores the extent of racialized violence, provides a theoretical approach for understanding it, and considers appropriate anti-violence strategies. How should educators respond to the world post 911? Are we in a new age of empire? What is the connection between historical moments of extraordinary racial violence and our everyday world? How do individuals come to participate in, remain indifferent to or approve of violence? This course offers researchers and educators an opportunity to explore these broad questions through examining historical and contemporary examples of racial violence and the law.
This seminar explores the significance and implication of education (as broadly defined) to the discourse of modernization and development in Africa. The course begins with the interrogation of 'African development' from an African-centred perspective. There is an examination of various theoretical conceptions of 'development' and the role of education and schooling in social change. A special emphasis is on the World Bank/IMF induced educational reform initiatives and the implications of 'authentic'/alternative development. The seminar will attempt to uncover the myriad interests and issues about Africa, including contemporary challenges and possibilities. The course critically engages the multiple ways of presenting current challenges of 'development', the interplay of tradition and modernity, contestations over knowledge production in 'post-colonial' Africa, and the roles and significance of Indigenous/local cultural resource knowledges, science, culture, gender, ethnicity, language, and religion for understanding African development. Other related questions for discussion include social stratification and cultural pluralism, formulation of national identity, political ideology and the growth of nationalism, and the search for peace, cooperation and social justice. Although the course basically uses African case material, it is hoped our discussions will be placed in global/transnational contexts, particularly in looking at themes common to many Southern peoples contending with, and resisting, the effects of [neo] colonial and imperial knowledge.
This seminar will examine Indigenous and marginalized knowledge forms in global and transnational contexts and the pedagogical implications for decolonized education. It begins with a brief overview of processes of knowledge production, interrogation, validation and dissemination in diverse educational settings. There is a critique of theoretical conceptions of what constitutes 'valid' knowledge and how such knowledge is produced and disseminated locally and externally. A particular emphasis is on the validation of non-Western epistemologies and their contributions in terms of offering multiple and collective readings of the world. Among the specific topics to be covered are the principles of Indigenous knowledge forms; questions of power, social difference, identity, and representation in Indigenous knowledge production; cultural appropriation and the political economy of knowledge production; Indigenous knowledges and science education; Indigenous knowledges and globalization; change, modernity, and Indigenous knowledges. The course uses case material from diverse social settings to understand different epistemologies and their pedagogical implications. Indigenous knowledge is thus defined broadly to local cultural resource knowledge and the Indigenous philosophies of colonized/oppressed peoples. The focus on local Indigenousness, that is, a knowledge consciousness that emerges from an understanding of the society-nature-culture nexus or interface.
How do we come to know who we are and how is this knowledge emplaced, raced and gendered? For educators, these questions underpin pedagogy. In focusing on the formation of racial subjects and the symbolic and material processes that sustain racial hierarchies, educators can consider how dominance is taught and how it might be undermined. Drawing on recent scholarship in critical race theory, critical geography, history and cultural studies, the course examines how we learn who we are and how these pedagogies of citizenship (who is to count and who is not) operate in concrete spaces--bodies, nations, cities, institutions. This course is about the production of identities--dominant ones and subordinate ones in specific spaces. It is taught from an educator's and a researcher's viewpoint. As an educator, the compelling question is how we might interrupt the production of dominant subjects. As a researcher, the question is how to document and understand racial formations, and the production of identities in specific spaces. The course begins by exploring the racial violence of colonialism, of periods of racial terror (lynching, the Holocaust), and of the New World Order (in particular, the post 911 environment, and the violence of peacekeeping and occupations) as well as state violence. In all these instances, law often has a central role to play in producing and sustaining violence. It is through law, for example, that nations are able to legally authorize acts of racial violence and legal narratives often operate to secure social consent to acts of racial terror. Through a feminist and anti-racist framework, we explore how racial violence is sexualized and gendered, and how it operates as a defining feature of relations between dominant and subordinate groups. The course examines how racial violence is linked to empire and nation building, and how individuals come to participate in these racial and gendered social arrangements.
This course will tackle three broad themes: (1) migration, nation, and subjectivity; (2) globalization and its discontents; (3) empire and subalternity. It will engage with theoretical and empirical studies of discourses and structures that constitute the formations and relations of subjects, cultures, spaces, institutions, and practices. The analytical and methodological approach will be both disciplinary and inter-disciplinary, drawing from the fields of sociology, history, geography, anthropology, and education, while mobilizing insights from ethnic, feminist, queer, cultural, and postcolonial studies. The interpretive lens will be simultaneously panoramic, comparative, and focused that will attend to the shared and unique conditions of local-global, north-south transactions.
The course offers interdisciplinary approaches to critical inquiries into the historical, socio-cultural, and political forces that shape our knowledge about peoples of Asian heritage in Canada and in the diaspora. It foregrounds the intersections of race and ethnicity with other indices of difference, such as gender, class, migration, sexuality, ability, language, and spirituality in local, national, and global contexts. It engages with theoretical, empirical, and methodological issues related to inquiries on Asian Canadians, and draws out implications for intellectual, educational, and policy arenas.
This course explores histories of racism, displacement and legal disenfranchisement that create citizenship injustices for Indigenous peoples in Canada. It aims to highlight a set of decolonizing perspectives on belonging and identity, to contest existing case law and policy, and to deconstruct the normative discourses of law, liberalism and cultural representation that govern and shape current nation-to-nation relationships between Ongwehoweh (real people) and colonial-settler governments. The course is centered on exploring the possibilities, challenges and contradictions raised by resurgence strategies and reparation involving citizenship injustice from an anti-racist, anti-colonial and indigenous-centered perspective.
What sets of intellectual and intercultural relationships exist between settler, diasporic, and Indigenous populations in Canada, and what possibilities, challenges, and limitations surround the building of these alliances in both theory and research? This course will examine these questions by exploring scholarly, theoretical, and research-based frameworks centred on the creation, maintenance, and rejuvenation of Indigenous-settler relationships and organizing. The objective is to engage with and assess these frameworks from a critical, Indigenous, and anticolonial perspective, and to understand the strengths, divergences and interconnections surrounding each of them. Through films, readings, group discussions, and guest speakers, emphasis will be placed on current and future research and mobilizing, considering in turn the implications for political, historical, and educational change.
This course examines settler colonialism and antiblackness as entwined historical and contemporary social structures. Appraises lived consequences for Indigenous peoples, Black peoples, European settlers, and other arrivals. Considers theories of decolonization and abolition within settler colonial contexts.
This course engages participatory research approaches as an important intervention to the politics of knowledge and knowing that otherwise typify academic knowledge production. It considers the settler colonial harms of research alongside the resistance and refusals by communities to allow such harms to continue. Course readings and assignments are designed to support students in crafting meaningful forms of participation in a wide array of social science and humanities approaches to inquiry.
This course investigates changing relations within and between schools and communities (however defined). We will review sociological and historical studies of community and discuss the ways in which different notions of ''community'' and forms of diversity have been employed by parents, teachers, administrators, trustees and others in struggles over the form, content, and outcomes of schooling. Students are encouraged to draw on their own experiences as parents, teachers, students, trustees and/or community activists.
This course examines the processes through which certain groups are marginalized and explores some strategies for resistance. The first section explores: the meaning of subjectivity and its relationship to political practice, experience, knowledge, and power. Section two looks more closely at gender, sexuality and race, exploring here both the concepts we have used to understand domination and the practices of marginalization themselves. Section three considers three strategies of resistance: writing, cultural production, and politics.
This course will analyse how cultural meanings are produced, interpreted, legitimated, and accepted and/or rejected in educational settings, including but not limited to schools. Critical perspectives from feminism, Marxism, and poststructuralism will be explored to consider how culture has been investigated and taken up in/through sociology, cultural studies, and studies of education and schooling.
''Doing Disability'' brings us to a central premise of disability studies--disability is a space of cultural practices done by and to people. From this premise, it follows that we are never alone in our bodies and so disability represents the material fact that bodies, minds, and senses always appear in the midst of people. Assuming that disability is done and re-done through everyday discursive practices, disability studies turns to a range of interdisciplinary work that enriches the potential to challenge our taken-for-granted understandings of social and political life. Theorizing how we do disability, even in the everyday of the (our) classroom, provides the occasion to critically engage contexts, such as education, mass media, and the built environment, as they intersect with issues of identity and difference; embodiment; narrative; the constitutive structuring of ordinary, agentive, viable, life at their opposites. Orienting to disability as a social accomplishment of everyday life is a way to examine how versions of what counts as human are culturally organized and governed. Made by culture, disability is a key space of practices where we might theorize culture's makings. In this course, we explore social models and theories of disability, so as to develop a critical understanding of disability's appearance in everyday life and to work to open ourselves to question how these new non-medicalized ways of knowing disability might influence pedagogical structures and practices.
This course explores socio-cultural theories of the self and subjectivity. Turning to interpretive sociology, informed by cultural and disability studies, we will theorize the self as social and as located in educational scenes of its appearance, including its appearance in empirical studies that regard the self as a problem. Through lecture and seminar discussions, we will uncover taken-for-granted conceptions of the self-as-a-problem in education. The course aims to reveal the complex version of self as a cultural production while questioning individualized versions of self currently produced by dominant fields' of inquiry in education such as developmental and epigenetic psychology.
This course examines a range of arguments concerning the ways in which theories of culture, communication and education impact our understanding of the everyday world. The course attempts to survey literature which place discussions of culture, communication and education in the foreground. The course will attend to the ways in which culture, communication and education are not settled terms but are terms deeply implicated in how we maneuver the everyday social world.
Exploring spirituality within the context of education will create new pathways of understanding for educators and students. By weaving spirituality into learning and knowledge creation discourse, educators and learners can foster spiritual growth while strengthening the connections between knowledge and the process of schooling. The main objective of this course, therefore, will be to create an educational space that develops students' spiritual interconnectedness in relation to learning, schooling and the community at large. Spirituality is very important in many people's lives, and valuing the spirituality of students means valuing their uniqueness as individuals, regardless of race, gender, creed, sexuality or ability. Spirituality has been silenced and marginalized as a discourse or embodied knowledge in the academy. The course will survey the literature that examines spirituality and knowledge production from a wide range of perspectives, such as from various Eastern, African, indigenous traditions, and from both religious and secular traditions. The course will examine the intersections between issues of spirituality and environment, health, colonialism, gender, sexuality, the body and so on.
Applied ethics is the study of questions that result from real-life moral situations, usually in specific domains such as medicine, business, and education. The institution of higher education (primarily universities) has always raised applied ethical questions, such as those regarding freedom of speech and research, compensation for intellectual work, choices in student admissions, obligations to the larger society, and academic integrity. Contemporary influences on higher education are also introducing a raft of new ethical quandaries: changes to the conduct and dissemination of research, free massive online courses, distance education, corporate university partnerships, restructuring of academic positions, rising tuition, and the dilution of degree integrity due to such phenomena as for-profit universities, just to name a few. How do we address these ethical questions? What concepts of value and morality can be brought to bear on higher education? This course will examine these ethical issues using a blend of empirical and theoretical, academic and non-academic literature. No background in philosophy is necessary to take this course.
This course is about identity and its relationship to education. We all have beliefs about identity – our own, and others' as well – but when we start to investigate these beliefs, many questions arise. What is essential to one's identity? How much could you change about yourself and still be the same person? Were you born with an identity? How do children develop their identities? Where are the lines between individual identity and group identity?
These questions have major implications for education. On one level, we may assume implicitly that education should accord in some way with one's identity. One should not be educated to have an identity that is vastly different from one's own family or culture, or worse, to alienate one from these identities. Many types of schooling are explicitly concerned with instilling or nurturing certain identities in children - most commonly religious, ethnic, or national – so that they grow up with a sense of heritage and belonging. Yet we also think of education as liberating, as feeding the autonomy that allows individuals to "come into their own" identities, whatever these may be. Sometimes these purposes may seem to be at odds.
Teachers have identities, too, and who a teacher is affects how she will teach, and consequently what the students may come to understand of their own identities. Teachers can subtly reinforce or subvert dominant narratives about individual and group identities, shaping the way in which students come to see themselves in an educational setting and beyond. Teacher identities, student identities, and the identities of the wider community in which they learn are all very much entangled.
The readings in this course are drawn from philosophy and other disciplines. We will consider some of the contributions made to our understanding of identity by Western liberal thought, psychoanalysis, feminist and queer theory, anti-racist education, and more. Film and other source materials will also be used.
The course offers an opportunity to inquire ethically into timely, controversial educational issues, focusing on K-12 schooling in Ontario. We will be guided by questions about the purpose of education, the responsibilities of the state, the rights of parent, children, and minority groups, and the functions of teachers. Each week will focus on one general topic, such as ethnocentric segregated schools, standardization and standardized testing, sexual minorities in religious schools, and so on.
No background in philosophy is required, but we will continually reinforce the methods of ethical inquiry and steer away from other approaches. We will use a variety of sources, including scholarly articles, various news media, and policy documents.
This course is open to Master of Teaching students.
Liberalism is a crucial influence on the Western philosophical and political traditions, and a framework for understanding many contemporary debates about education. This course will engage with selected foundational texts in liberal thought, with a focus on Rawls' Theory of Justice, as well as some of the critiques (e.g. communitarian, feminist) that have shaped political discourse in recent years.
There are many versions of liberalism, and countless unsettled debates within the liberal tradition. What intellectual and political developments are central to contemporary liberalism? What is the liberal vision of a socially just state? Can the state be neutral with respect to views about the good life? How should individual rights be conceptualized in a diverse society? What is the value of community membership? Does liberalism place too much importance on autonomy or reason? How should liberal societies deal with illiberal views? How does our present society embody, and fail to embody, various theories of liberal justice? What is the relationship between liberalism and neoliberalism?
We will engage with these questions via close readings of liberal theorists and their critics, and by examining the formidable influence of liberal ideas on contemporary schooling. We will also examine specific debates about liberalism in education, including the importance of educating for autonomy and the legitimacy of state-initiated educational policies.
This course considers, in part comparatively and internationally, the content and implications of Truth Commissions, especially Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in terms of delivering colonial reparations and redress. In June 2015, following six years of investigation and hearings across Canada, the TRC released its findings to the public. The findings were based largely on testimonies of over 6000 witnesses, mostly adult survivors of residential schools. The TRC concluded that the residential schools were based on a policy of "cultural genocide", enforced as part of the very foundation of the Canadian state and sustained for over a century. Canada's TRC documented crimes exclusively targeting children, and an attack on Indigenous sovereignty. It also identified education as an avenue for reconciliation.
The course in general addresses histories of settler colonialism in Canada, historically and at present. It also works in particular to make comparisons with other Truth Commissions and cases of apology and redress. Attention is paid to recommendations for social justice related, political, and educational reform and practice; as well as their implications for settler/indigenous relationships-building and -rejuvenation.
The readings in this course are drawn from Critical Indigenous Studies, History, as well as other disciplines. Films, guest speakers, and other source materials are used.
This course names and considers the role of Canadian educators in transforming classroom-based, pedagogical, research-oriented, and programmatic initiatives aimed at settler, arrivant, and migrant/ Indigenous relationships-building and -rejuvenation. It invites teachers and administrators in particular to mobilize recent calls by the Association of Canadian Deans of Education (2010) and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2015) to address the possibilities of colonial reparations and reconciliation. Issues addressed include: the 'Non-Indigenous Learner and Indigeneity,' and how to 'build student capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect.'
The course addresses scholarly criticisms regarding the invitation to 'cultural competence' and 'sensitivity training' in services delivery and educational contexts. It also addresses current and past histories of settler colonialism, multiculturalism, and Indigenous education in Canada. Attention is paid to anticolonial pedagogy and practice, as well as Indigenous perspectives on sovereignty, relationships and governance.
The readings in this course are drawn from Critical Indigenous Studies, Critical Pedagogy, as well as other disciplines. Films, guest speakers, and other source materials are used.
This course positions students for successful teaching and curriculum design in the area of critical media literacy education. The course introduces students to major theoretical paradigms in the field, illuminating shifting debates, changing pedagogical and political objectives, and the growth of the field over time. The course explores important concepts and theories related to media usage and media production in relation to teaching and pedagogical practice. These include media psychology in the classroom, the links between media-based creativity, education and social forms, the politics of media production, and the role of decolonization, internationalization and globality in this field. The course will introduce multiple and diverse approaches used by media literacy educators and teachers and engage students in critical media literacy curriculum design, as well as anti-hegemonic media productions that could support transformative media-based education across the humanities and social sciences.
The intent of this course is to develop and understand the philosophical basis of Indigenous Health and Healing Practices: Implication for Education by reviewing educational and research initiatives in this area. The course will also broaden students' understanding of holistic methods of health and healing practices in the context of education and schooling. Given the impacts of globalization, different communities are faced with a myriad of physical/economic, psychological, mental and community distresses. A course on Sociology of Indigenous Health and Healing Practices and its Implication for Education create a space for dialogue and critical evaluation of the importance of good health (physical, mental and emotional) for learning, researching and teaching. The resurgence of alternative health and healing practices is crucial at this time when different communities both from mainstream and Indigenous communities are searching for holistic methods of health and healing. Indigenous healing practices are unique because all physical, mental and spiritual phenomena are studied, understood, and practiced and taught to its whole community (Afrika, 2004, Battiste, 2000; Dei, Hall & Rosenburg, 2000; Waterfall, 2002; Wane, 2005). Some of the questions that will be addressed through discussion, readings and guest speakers are: What is healing? What are the different modes of healing outside contemporary healing practices and what are their implication to knowledge production and dissemination? Why do we deal with inbuilt tensions between and among different modes of healing and their implication to education? Healing is more than just keeping and restoring one's health. It is also about the relationship with others, other creatures (animate/inanimate, visible/invisible), and the universe; what has this got to do with sociology of education?
This course addresses manifestations of sexual, gender-based and racial violence against participants in higher education on university and college campuses as global, historical and interlocked occurrences in high, low and middle-income countries in the global North and South. The course explores root causes, modes, prevalence of such forms of violence impacting disproportionally women, transgender, queer, Indigenous, racialized and disabled students from the perspective of transnational and feminist theories relating violence to 'gender' and 'sex' constructs, power inequalities, patriarchal structures, state ideologies, colonization, organization of institutions, and socialization of individuals and social groups. The course connects feminist knowledges pertaining to violence to the material and cultural realities of higher education in countries around the world, including Canada, the United States, Japan, Australia, Russia, Nigeria, Chile, South Africa, and Spain. The course examines further the cultural, political and ideological properties of widely-implemented violence prevention programs on college and university campuses worldwide, inviting students to assess critically the successes and limitations of these programs against student and faculty needs and in relation to the root causes of sexual, racial and gender-based violence. The course further introduces students to under-studied and undertheorized forms of institutional violence in higher education such as lack of supports for mothers, emotional labour of social workers investigating incidents of violence and supporting survivors, as well as the debated issue
of universities' responsibility for students subjected to domestic violence.
Along the way, the course explores positive practices in research on sexual and gender-based violence in education linking research on prevalence and prevention to international bodies and practices such as the United Nations and the World Health Organization.
The course readings and assignments will position graduate students specializing in social justice education for successful research and writing in this area of study, encouraging especially studies of novel and evidence-based violence prevention paradigms that support safe higher education where all learners prosper.
How have former and present socialist countries treated women, Indigenous groups and ethnic, racial and sexual minorities within their borders? How have socialist economies shaped culture, education and social relations in these countries? The course explores these questions historically in former socialist countries in the Soviet Union, Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans, as well as socialist political formations in Africa and Latin America, and contemporary socialist states such as China and Cuba. The course readings chart a heterogeneous globalized milieu of socialist ideologies, state instrumentalities, social relations, cultural productions, and individual and group identities underlining the failures and/or prosperity of socialist societies and states.
The course will position students for historical, critical and comparative research and theorizing of the realities, limitations and possibilities of both state socialism(s) and capitalism(s). It introduces students to these formations from the perspective of the emerging international field of Postsocialist Studies, focusing especially on race, gender, (post)coloniality, education, global capitalism, culture, and nation-building in former and current socialist states and societies.
This course is open to master-level students enrolled in course-based programs. The course is designed to provide these students with practical skills in research design and quantitative and qualitative data collection methods focusing especially on interviews, focus groups and surveys. Considering the diverse professional trajectories of MEd students, the course highlights these three methods because they are widely used across disciplines such as educational studies, health care, business, social work, community services, media and communication studies and other professional fields that MEd students pursue. The course will further introduce students to the ethical implications of research, including relationship-building between researcher and study participants, differentiating between institutions who sponsor research and institutions as sites of research, and continually reflecting on the role of the researcher in relation to the research questions being asked.
This course examines the impact of the changing situation of women in society on educational processes and curriculum. Gender is understood to operate together with a range of other 'diverse' identities such as race, class and age. Among topics covered are gender, biography, and educational experience; patterns of educational access and achievement; gender as an organizing principle in school and classroom practices and peer relations; teachers' careers; feminist pedagogies and strategies for change.
Various discourses, theoretical frameworks and ideological proclamations have been employed to analyze, criticize and interrogate everyday lived experiences of black peoples. This course examines the multiple oppressions and social representations of black women using a black feminist theoretical framework. Part of the course will be devoted to black feminist theory -- a theory developed out of black women's experiences and rooted in their communities. The course will also examine the following issues among others: strands of feminisms with particular emphasis on feminisms as advocated by the visible minorities; the divergences and similarities of black feminisms; and the heterogeneous nature of black women's experiences. The course will be sociological and historical in nature and will examine the intersections of race, class, gender and homophobia.
Militarism is and has been an ongoing part of civilization and state formation throughout much of recorded history. The devastating effects of war on the environment, individual human and group life, and the disruption of any sense of normal lawful or civil society are well documented. It is difficult to find any political group who advocates or see war as a preferred means of conflict or social resolution. Yet war, militarism, and the quest for dispute resolution and ordination of one group over another is a central part of human history. In many accounts of history and what G. H. Mead called human group life war and militarism is all but a code word for what we label as history.
This course theorizes the meaning of “human.” It does so by developing conversations between disability studies and key theorists who have raised the question of the human imaginary, herein regarded as culturally structured images that govern people’s interactions. As a way to guide our understanding of the restricted character of the human imaginary resulting from colonial/settler power, we turn to various scholars (including Sylvia Wynter, Thomas King, Frantz Fanon, W.E.B. DuBois, Audre Lorde, Paul Gilroy, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Harold Vizenor, Hannah Arendt, Edward Said, Ralph Ellison, Austin Clarke, Octavia Butler). Bringing disability studies praxis into conversation with these writers, the course will trace the meaning made of the human through two questions. First, what consequences has a restricted human imaginary imposed on the practices and institutions enacting disability in everyday life? Second, what place does disability occupy in the work of those who have theorized a restricted human imaginary? Working with these two questions, the overall aim of the course is to consider how social justice education might better attune itself to Fanon’s (1967) provocation, “Oh my body, make of me always a [hu]man who questions!”
This course explores the question: What relations between disability and disability studies are possible within social justice education? We will encounter disability and disability studies in universities and schools, government policy, workplaces including hospitals and policing, as well as in street life, personal and political relations. The course will consider disability in relation to injury, illness, healing, as well as life and death. Through these various encounters, we will learn to attend to the distinct ways that aspects of disability are interpreted and made to appear and disappear, especially when a call for social justice arises. There will be seminar discussions, presentations, and guest lectures where we will explore the place, production, and meaning of disability and disability studies in relation to social justice education.
Making use of narrative inquiry as a disability studies orientation, this seminar course will examine the life of disability as it is written and narrated in contemporary Western culture. We will explore the narratives of disability found in various professions such as medicine, rehabilitation, special education and disability studies itself. These professional narratives act as the dominant cultural background upon which personal, political and other stories of disability emerge. Ironically, these dominant narratives provide the ground through, and against which, radical and critical disability stories become possible. This course will address stories written and narrated by disabled people. The overall aim of this course is to demonstrate that disability appears to all of us, disabled and non-disabled people, as a story to be told and lived. Thus, this course demonstrates and exemplifies, through seminar discussions, presentations, and guest lectures, Thomas King’s (2003) “insight” that “the truth about stories is that that’s all we are” (p. 2) as a way to orient narrative inquiry to disability studies.
The social act of interpretation is the abiding concern of this course. It pursues methods of examining the material fact of interpretation as it forms the meaning of disability in contemporary times. We will learn phenomenologically oriented methods from Black, Indigenous, Queer, Feminist and Disability Studies scholars. The purpose of this course is to learn how to engage interpretations of physical, sensory, mental, emotional variations to critical inquiry. We will pursue interpretive methods of reading and writing that explore the complex social significance of embodied diversity within various social arenas, such as medicine and education. The course will pursue interpretive methods while engaging the question. “How is studying the act of interpretation important to social change?”
This course provides a theoretical examination of how social inequities are being (re)produced in everyday life, namely through education. It will focus on the work and influence of sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. It will also introduce students to scholars who have since used his concepts and methodology and/or have critiqued Bourdieu. Questions of inequities are being in vivo, unveiling complex processes of inequalities taking shape through the structuring of formal education as well as through race, class, gender and other interlocking systems of oppression.
Specialized study, under the direction of a staff member, focusing on topics of particular interest to the student that are not included in available courses. This study may take the form of a reading course combined with fieldwork in community groups and organizations, or independent study of any type. While credit is not given for a thesis investigation proper, the study may be closely related to a thesis topic.
Courses that will examine in depth topics of particular relevance not already covered in regular course offerings in the department. The topics will be announced and described in the schedule of courses.
This course provides an overview of contemporary and historical debates about diverse social justice and radical pedagogies including “feminist” and “critical” pedagogies. Students will become familiar with the different theoretical and philosophical conceptions that shape diverse educational aims, philosophies, practices and visions of education. The focus on liberatory educational theory and praxis will specifically center debates regarding gender, class, and racial equity and justice, engaging the work of such thinkers as Paolo Freire and bell hooks. Seminar readings, lectures, and discussions will raise questions such as: Who decides what counts as “progressive” or “radical” educational aims? Can pedagogy ever be neutral? What theoretical notions support such educational aims as growth, social justice, transformation, or critical consciousness? Who evaluates “liberation” and “growth” of students given progressive educational aims? How have new social movements and historical debates surrounding feminism, critical race, and identity politics influenced social justice education?
This course will provide students with an introduction to diverse disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to conducting educational research in the humanities and social sciences. The course will simultaneously examine 1) methodological issues in disciplinary and interdisciplinary research, 2) content that is of common interest to multiple disciplines and reflects the scholarship of the SJE faculty, and 3) the relationship between research and praxis in various disciplines. The individual disciplines reflected in the course will include sociology, philosophy, history, anthropology, geography, and political science. Some of the topics to be examined may include the sociology of knowledge, the politics of truth claims, the impact of technology and media, and debates regarding knowledge production and authority. We will approach these questions through different lenses and frameworks that transcend individual disciplines, such as critical race, postcolonial, feminist, and postmodern theories. While engaging with the methods and assumptions of various fields of research, the overriding inquiry in this course will be epistemological, derived from the philosophical study of how knowledge is acquired, verified, produced, and transmitted.
With the advent of colonialism, non-European traditional societies were disrupted. A starting point is an appreciation of the vast array of cultural diversity in the world. The course interrogates how various media have taken up these knowledge systems, presented to the world in the form of texts, films, and educational practices, and examines how colonial education sustains the process of cultural knowledges fragmentation. Our analysis will serve to deepen insights and to develop intellectual skills to cultivate a greater understanding of the dynamics generated through representations and the role of colonial education in sustaining and delineating particular cultural knowledge. We will also explore the various forms of resistance encountered in the process of fragmentation and examine how certain groups of people in various parts of the world have maintained their cultural base, and how this has been commodified, commercialized and romanticized. The course makes use of forms of cultural expressions such as films and critical theories on race, gender, sexuality, and class.
As a qualitative research course for masters and doctoral students who already possess some familiarity with postmodern, feminist and critical race theories, the course will consist of readings that explore the following question: how is knowledge production racialized? A related question is: how can we understand the operation of multiple systems of domination in the production of racialized knowledge? How can intellectuals challenge imperialist and racist systems through their research and writing? This course is built around the idea that responsible research and writing begins with a critical examination of how relations of power shape knowledge production. What explanatory frameworks do we as scholars rely on when we undertake research? How do we go about critically examining our own explanations and others when the issue is race? To examine these themes in depth, historically as well as in the present, the course will focus on colonialism, imperialism, racism and knowledge production. Specifically, the course explores three defining imperial constructs: indianism, orientalism and africanism. We consider how the legacy of imperial ideas shaped racial knowledge and the disciplines, positioning us as scholars as active participants in the imperial enterprise. In part two of the course, we explore interlocking systems of oppression: how imperial knowledge simultaneously upholds and is upheld by capitalism and patriarchy. For the third part of the course, we examine how we understand the immigrant's body, the citizen, the migrant and what it means to produce knowledge as a post-colonial scholar.
This advanced seminar will examine the anti-colonial framework as an approach to theorizing issues emerging from colonial and colonized relations. It will use radical/subversive pedagogy and instruction as important entry points to critical social praxis. Focussing on the writings and commentaries of revolutionary/radical thinkers like Memmi, Fanon, Cesaire, Cabral, Gandhi, Machel, Che Guevera, Mao Tse-Tung, Nyerere, Toure and Nkrumah, the course will interrogate the theoretical distinctions and connections between anti-colonial thought and post-colonial theory, and identify the particular implications/lessons for critical educational practice. Among the issues explored will be: the challenge of articulating anti-colonial theory as an epistemology of the colonized anchored in the indigenous sense of collective and common colonial consciousness; the conceptualization of power configurations embedded in ideas, cultures and histories of marginalized communities; the understanding of Indigeneity as pedagogical practice; the pursuit of agency, resistance and subjective politics through anti-colonial learning; the investigation of the power and meaning of local social practice/action in surviving colonial and colonized encounters; and the identification of the historical and institutional structures and contexts which sustain intellectual pursuits. Students and instructor will engage in critical dialogues around intellectual assertions that the anti-colonial is intimately connected to decolonization, and by extension, decolonization cannot happen solely through Western scholarship. We will ask: How can educators provide anti-colonial education that develop in learners a strong sense of identity, self and collective respect, agency, and the kind of individual empowerment that is accountable to community empowerment? How do we subvert colonial hierarchies embedded in conventional schooling? And, how do we re-envision schooling and education to espouse at its centre such values as social justice, equity, fairness, resistance and decolonial responsibility?
What accounts for the ''Fanon Renaissance''? Why and how is Fanon important to schooling and education today? This upper level graduate seminar will examine the intellectual contributions of Franz Fanon as a leading anti-colonial theorist to the search for genuine educational options and transformative change in contemporary society. The complexity, richness and implications of his ideas for critical learners pursuing a subversive pedagogy for social change are discussed. The course begins with a critical look at Fanon as a philosopher, pedagogue and anti-colonial practitioner. We draw on his myriad intellectual contributions to understanding colonialism and imperial power relations, social movements and the politics of social liberation. Our interest in Fanon will also engage how his ideas about colonialism and its impact on the human psyche help us to understand the process of liberation within the context of contestations over questions of identity and difference, and our pursuit of race, gender, class and sexual politics today. Class discussions will broach such issues as the contexts in which Fanon developed his ideas and thoughts and how these developments subsequently came to shape anti-colonial theory and practice, the limits and possibilities of political ideologies, as well as the theorization of imperialism and spiritual 'dis-embodiment', particularly in Southern contexts. Specific subject matters include Fanon's understanding of violence, nationalism and politics of identity, national liberation and resistance, the 'dialectic of experience', the psychiatry of racism and the psychology of oppression, the limits of revolutionary class politics, and the power of 'dramaturgical vocabulary', and how his ideas continue to make him a major scholarly figure. The course will also situate Fanon in such intellectual currents as Marxism and Neo-marxism, existentialism and psychoanalysis, Negritude, African philosophy and anti-colonialism, drawing out the specific implications for education and schooling.
Exploring women in leadership positions within the context of education will create new pathways of understanding intersectionalities and leadership practices. By weaving women’s leadership practices into learning, knowledge creation discourse, educators as well as learners will have a better understanding of how gender plays out in leadership. The main objective of this course will be to explore different leadership models from a feminist & anti-colonial thought framework in order to create an educational space that develops learners and educators' consciousness in relation to: What is leadership? Does one need to be in a position of authority to be a leader? What does it mean to be a leader from marginalized communities? We shall also examine strategies that different women employ when they find themselves in positions of leadership. In this course, we will explore the questions and issues of women and leadership and how that intersects with schooling from diverse perspectives. Ngunjiri (2010), suggests that women can transform their communities and organizations from within by choosing to work with all stakeholders by navigating through the cultural and organizational challenges, in order to bring a shift of consciousness in communities or organizations. This course seeks to further these analyses and offers insights into how spiritual discourse informs women educators’ everyday leadership practices. The course will concentrate on literature that examines women & leadership; gender and leadership; women in positions of authority etc and knowledge production from historical and contemporary perspectives as well as from a local and global perspective.
This course attends to research approaches coming out of two distinct literatures: Indigenous land education or pedagogy, and Black feminist geographies. Texts and assignments will focus on empirical and conceptual research projects which can be informed by critical Indigenous studies and Black studies engaging place and land.
This course seeks to critically interrogate notions of the transnational found in recent feminist theorizing. 'Transnational' has been invested with a variety of meanings and political attributes, from descriptions of global capital to the politics of alliance and coalition-building, from the creation of subjectivities through to the reconfiguration of imperialist ideologies and practices in the contemporary conjuncture. It is about linkages and unequal connections. By engaging a broad and necessarily interdisciplinary spectrum of work, this course seeks to trace the variety of methods and investments that feminists have brought to bear on their engagement with transnationality. What are some of the implications for theory, for activism, for imaginative and pedagogical practices?
This course engages Indigenous feminist approaches to research, and the application of theories of refusal to academic knowledge production.
The continent of Africa has a fundamentally rich and dynamic history, dating at least as far back as the Nubian civilization, pre-dynastic Egyptian systems of thought through to the many diverse philosophical traditions found around the continent today. Contemporarily, many Pan-Africanist thought scholars have made the argument that the West’s exclusive claims on knowledge have complicated the rationality of non-Western peoples, most especially those of African descent. “African Classics: Decolonial Thought in Education” will engage students in critically examining the relevance and importance of comprehending the African Philosophy, gender, economics, governance, politics, spirituality, phenomenology, ontology, and epistemology. This course involves the development of a framework to map the geographical beginnings in the context of African decolonial thought in education. These connections are aimed at providing context for students’ engagement in the philosophical foundations of African ways of theorizing and practise. Through this, students will be able to engage in critical self-reflection. Students in this course will make sense of the role played by discourses around the construction and reconstruction of African decolonial systems of thought.
Practical experience in an area of the humanities, social sciences and/or social justice education fieldwork is a vital element of the development of skills in the application of knowledge from theory and research. In consultation with the SJE departmental Practicum Liaison person, the student shall establish a practicum supervisor and a suitable placement in consultation with her/his practicum supervisor, signaled by completion of an EdD 'Practicum Agreement Form' (SJE website, 'Students', 'Dept. Specific Forms'). For successful completion of this course, the student is required to: a) spend 72 hours in active educational fieldwork; b) have regular contact with their individual practicum supervisor; c) submit an interim report of approximately 1500 words to the Practicum Supervisor; and submit a final paper of approximately 8000 words to the Practicum Supervisor offering a final synthesis of specific field experiences & their relationship to a relevant body of academic and sociological literature which shall be graded on a Pass/Fail basis. Examples of relevant educational placements include but are not limited to school boards, community organizations, social service organizations, unions, cultural organizations and other organizations with relevant educational functions, broadly conceived.
Course description same as SJE2998H.
Courses that will examine in depth topics of particular relevance not already covered in regular course offerings in the department. The topics will be announced and described in the schedule of courses.
Course description same as SJE5000H, but at the doctoral level.
This course will introduce students to work and learning trends in Canada and internationally, with a focus on the relationships between workplace learning and social change. There are three intellectual objectives of this course. The first objective is to situate workplace learning within broader social trends such as globalization, neo-liberalism and organizational restructuring. Second, the course allows for an exploration of the connections between learning as an individual phenomenon and learning as a social/organizational and social policy phenomenon. Finally, a third objective of the course is to highlight the learning strategies that seek to foster social change through greater equality of power, inclusivity, participatory decision-making and economic democracy.
The goal of this course is to develop a working dialogue across two separate bodies of research -- learning theory & social movement theory that to date have encountered one another only rarely and when so, virtually always inadequately. The focus is on building capacity in students to carry out research on various aspects of social movement learning. In doing so, our goals are to understand knowledge production, distribution, storage, transmission as well as the learning dynamics endemic to social movement building, action, outcomes and change. The course will emphasize learning as a unified composite of individual and collective human change in relation to socio-cultural and material perspectives primarily, the participatory structures of social movements as well as traditional changes in consciousness, skill and knowledge amongst participants. We will draw on both advanced theories of education/learning understood in the context of the long- established sociological sub-tradition known as 'social movement studies' and 'social movement theory'. The course will take a critical approach to social movement studies introducing the inter-disciplinary history of social movement studies over the 20th century followed by reviews of canonical theories of political process and the polity model approach, resource mobilization, frame analysis, neo-frame analysis, contentious politics, dynamics of contention and contentious performances. A significant proportion of the course will involve detailed secondary analysis of a specific social movement of the student's choosing, and will demand regular research reports that are meant to serve as a resource for our collective learning as well as to support the production of individual final papers directly. The course is highly recommended to advanced masters as well as doctoral students. No prerequisites are required.
How do working people collaborate to put their skills, capacities, and creativity to practice at and for work? How do we participate at work? What are the practitioner communities that bring together our creativity and productive capacities? How do communities of practice form and how can they be fostered in for-profit, public and quasi-public, and non-profit and social economy organizations? This participatory, presentations-based, and experiential learning course will see students and practitioners from the field delve into the different ways communities of practice and practitioner communities form in different workplace settings, how they may thrive, how we learn in them, and the issues that might challenge them.
This course will allow students to engage in advanced learning and research on the central national and international debates in the field. The focus is on building capacity in students to carry out research on various aspects of work, learning and social change. In doing so, students will develop extensive analytic and conceptual knowledge in the areas of the historical development of the notion of ''workplace learning'' and its links to diverse agendas of social change. The course will require the critical assessment and research applications of theories of workplace learning and social change, as well as practice and policy in the area. The course will include exploration of advanced case study research as well as national and international survey research, and encourage the linkages with students doctoral thesis work. Weekly seminars will be held.