This qualitative study examines professors‘ teaching practices and students‘ experiences in graduate classrooms that exhibit critical pedagogy in order to educate for democracy. The university has been criticized as markets values have commodified teaching and learning to serve private interests. This threat challenges students being educated for democracy with respect to concern for equity issues and thus opposes the public good. The study embraces radical democracy that acknowledges both issues of power and difference in order to understand social relations. Freire (1973) conceptualized critical pedagogy in order for students to explore knowledge critically similar to their roles as probing citizens. The study engages Shor‘s (1992) agenda of values, a model of critical pedagogy, along with equity discourses of anti-racist and feminist thinkers. The study addresses three questions: (1) What are the professors‘ teaching practices and the students‘ experiences in the critical classrooms? (2) What is the pedagogical climate of the critical classroom that contributes to educating for democracy? (3) What is the purpose of actualizing critical pedagogy in order to educate for democracy? The data is collected through classroom observations and interviews with 15 students and 3 professors in three, 12-week graduate courses at a Canadian Faculty of Education. The critical classrooms were described through: experiences of standardized teaching and learning, student-centered teaching as a means to empowerment, role of teacher authority, silences among students and creating a language of possibility or projecting a grand vision of democracy. The pedagogical climate that contributed to the critical classrooms was: implementing student voice, constructing a political discourse, striving for social change and using teacher authority. Constructing multiples publics and developing the teacher-student relationship defined the purpose of critical pedagogy. It has been concluded that a pivotal point for critical classrooms is examining the intersection of power and difference among teachers and students. As exploratory research, limitations of the study, implications for theory and practice as well as future research are addressed.

The number of students choosing to engage in international education is increasing. Typically, the United States has been the number one destination for international students but that has declined in recent years (2002 to 2006). This implies that international students choose to study in other English speaking countries or in countries that may be more similar in culture. The purpose of this study was to explore the thoughts, opinions, and experiences of undergraduate Mainland Chinese international students who were studying at a university in Singapore. The focus was to understand their perceptions of the adjustments issues they faced as international students. Twenty-one (21) students were interviewed using a semi-structured face-to-face technique. A review of the literature was conducted. The three major areas of difficulty identified were learning to speak English, weather, and food. The most helpful support reported by the Chinese international students was the ‘English Bridging course’. Overall, general adaptation to life and study in Singapore presented no major obstacles for the Chinese international students and this resulted in low utilization of and need for existing support services. The respondents reported that learning to speak English was the most difficult adaptation they encountered due to the widespread use of Mandarin and Singlish by the local population. Interestingly the issues identified in other research studies such as difficulty with general living adjustment, personal psychological adjustment, social adjustment, and culture shock were not supported in this research. Also, loneliness, homesickness, anxiety, lack of social support, and difficulty with finances were not identified as major issues for this group of Chinese international students. This led the researcher to conclude that the more similar a host country is to the home country in culture and language, the easier the general adjustment of the international student. Also, the researcher concluded that the similarity in language (Mandarin) from the home country (China) to the host country (Singapore) is both a negative and a positive – it can greatly and positively facilitate general adjustment of an international student but it can hinder the English language adjustment and learning. Suggestions for future research were included in this study.

Working in a university setting, I have learned a great deal from the diverse experiences and knowledge that students bring. I have often wondered whether students learn as much from each other. In this study, I explore the interactions between domestic and international university students as an “internationalization at-home” (IaH) strategy that has the potential to impact most students on a given campus, as opposed to “mobility” focused strategies (where students travel abroad to study) that benefit only a minority of the student population. Guided by student involvement theories and using a qualitative, grounded theory approach to explore the experiences of domestic students at a Canadian university, I conducted six focus group discussions followed by 12 individual, in-depth interviews with two members from each focus group at the three University of Toronto campuses. The research findings revealed that the university embodies substantial structural cultural diversity, making the campus environment a fertile ground for cross-cultural interactions among students. As a result of studying in a richly diverse environment, the respondents were aware of the cultural complexities of campus life and demonstrated a global mindset, which is a prerequisite for internationalization. The study established that domestic students’ redefined the identity of international students to include domestic students with diverse international experience. Interactions between domestic iii and international students have positive, negative and neutral impacts with positive impacts outweighing the others. Respondents reported that they had gained more intercultural skills and knowledge than family and friends since joining the university because there are more opportunities for interaction at various learning sites inside than outside the university. However they pointed to the need for more university facilitated opportunities. The findings point to the need for the university to amplify its capacity to measure diversity and support cross-cultural interactions through policy driven, planned and sustained programmatic interventions. Findings justify the need to use domestic students with diverse international experiences as a resource to internationalize the campus as well as to establish multicultural policies and practices inline with increasing diversity on campus. Recommendations focus on the majority of the students who remain at-home.

The number of students choosing to engage in international education is increasing. Typically, the United States has been the number one destination for international students but that has declined in recent years (2002 to 2006). This implies that international students choose to study in other English speaking countries or in countries that may be more similar in culture. The purpose of this study was to explore the thoughts, opinions, and experiences of undergraduate Mainland Chinese international students who were studying at a university in Singapore. The focus was to understand their perceptions of the adjustments issues they faced as international students. Twenty-one (21) students were interviewed using a semi-structured face-to-face technique. A review of the literature was conducted. The three major areas of difficulty identified were learning to speak English, weather, and food. The most helpful support reported by the Chinese international students was the ‘English Bridging course’. Overall, general adaptation to life and study in Singapore presented no major obstacles for the Chinese international students and this resulted in low utilization of and need for existing support services. The respondents reported that learning to speak English was the most difficult adaptation they encountered due to the widespread use of Mandarin and Singlish by the local population. Interestingly the issues identified in other research studies such as difficulty with general living adjustment, personal psychological adjustment, social adjustment, and culture shock were not supported in this research. Also, loneliness, homesickness, anxiety, lack of social support, and difficulty with finances were not identified as major issues for this group of Chinese international students. This led the researcher to conclude that the more similar a host country is to the home country in culture and language, the easier the general adjustment of the international student. Also, the researcher concluded that the similarity in language (Mandarin) from the home country (China) to the host country (Singapore) is both a negative and a positive – it can greatly and positively facilitate general adjustment of an international student but it can hinder the English language adjustment and learning. Suggestions for future research were included in this study.

Working in a university setting, I have learned a great deal from the diverse experiences and knowledge that students bring. I have often wondered whether students learn as much from each other. In this study, I explore the interactions between domestic and international university students as an “internationalization at-home” (IaH) strategy that has the potential to impact most students on a given campus, as opposed to “mobility” focused strategies (where students travel abroad to study) that benefit only a minority of the student population. Guided by student involvement theories and using a qualitative, grounded theory approach to explore the experiences of domestic students at a Canadian university, I conducted six focus group discussions followed by 12 individual, in-depth interviews with two members from each focus group at the three University of Toronto campuses. The research findings revealed that the university embodies substantial structural cultural diversity, making the campus environment a fertile ground for cross-cultural interactions among students. As a result of studying in a richly diverse environment, the respondents were aware of the cultural complexities of campus life and demonstrated a global mindset, which is a prerequisite for internationalization. The study established that domestic students’ redefined the identity of international students to include domestic students with diverse international experience. Interactions between domestic iii and international students have positive, negative and neutral impacts with positive impacts outweighing the others. Respondents reported that they had gained more intercultural skills and knowledge than family and friends since joining the university because there are more opportunities for interaction at various learning sites inside than outside the university. However they pointed to the need for more university facilitated opportunities. The findings point to the need for the university to amplify its capacity to measure diversity and support cross-cultural interactions through policy driven, planned and sustained programmatic interventions. Findings justify the need to use domestic students with diverse international experiences as a resource to internationalize the campus as well as to establish multicultural policies and practices inline with increasing diversity on campus. Recommendations focus on the majority of the students who remain at-home.

This qualitative study examines professors‘ teaching practices and students‘ experiences in graduate classrooms that exhibit critical pedagogy in order to educate for democracy. The university has been criticized as markets values have commodified teaching and learning to serve private interests. This threat challenges students being educated for democracy with respect to concern for equity issues and thus opposes the public good. The study embraces radical democracy that acknowledges both issues of power and difference in order to understand social relations. Freire (1973) conceptualized critical pedagogy in order for students to explore knowledge critically similar to their roles as probing citizens. The study engages Shor‘s (1992) agenda of values, a model of critical pedagogy, along with equity discourses of anti-racist and feminist thinkers. The study addresses three questions: (1) What are the professors‘ teaching practices and the students‘ experiences in the critical classrooms? (2) What is the pedagogical climate of the critical classroom that contributes to educating for democracy? (3) What is the purpose of actualizing critical pedagogy in order to educate for democracy? The data is collected through classroom observations and interviews with 15 students and 3 professors in three, 12-week graduate courses at a Canadian Faculty of Education. The critical classrooms were described through: experiences of standardized teaching and learning, student-centered teaching as a means to empowerment, role of teacher authority, silences among students and creating a language of possibility or projecting a grand vision of democracy. The pedagogical climate that contributed to the critical classrooms was: implementing student voice, constructing a political discourse, striving for social change and using teacher authority. Constructing multiples publics and developing the teacher-student relationship defined the purpose of critical pedagogy. It has been concluded that a pivotal point for critical classrooms is examining the intersection of power and difference among teachers and students. As exploratory research, limitations of the study, implications for theory and practice as well as future research are addressed.

Doctor of Philosophy / Special Education, Counseling, and Student Affairs / Stephen L. Benton / This study examined some factors that are related to college students’ desire to take a course from a specific instructor. College students’ ratings of their instructor’s teaching methods, the course circumstances, and the course requirements were correlated with students’ desire to take the course from that instructor. Data came from archival data of 184,017 classes of faculty and students who responded to two instruments within the IDEA Student Ratings system: the Faculty Information Form (FIF), completed by the instructor, and the Student Ratings Diagnostic Form, completed by students. Descriptive statistics, correlational statistics, multiple regression analyses were conducted to test the research hypotheses. Students had a stronger desire to take the course if the instructor practiced methods that stimulated interest, fostered collaboration, established rapport, encouraged involvement, and structured the classroom experience. Stimulating student interest and establishing rapport had the strongest effects on students’ desire to take the course. Students’ desire to take the course also increased if the instructor used a variety of methods to evaluate student progress, expected students to take their share of responsibility for learning, and used educational technology to promote learning. The findings from this study provide higher education institutions with information about which instructor and course characteristics correlate with students’ desire to take a course.

Master of Science / Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology / Brandonn S. Harris / Academic clustering is the occurrence of twenty-five percent or more of a single athletic team enrolled into a major (Fountain & Finley, 2009). Although clustering appears to have the possibility to occur among all college students, it seems to be more prevalent within intercollegiate athletics. There are several different factors that influence the prevalence of this experience. For the collegiate student-athlete, these factors include the National Collegiate Athletic Association, university athletic departments, individual differences among student-athletes, and characteristics associated with the university. While these are likely not the only contributors of academic clustering, they seem to be very prominent. Further, given that attention has been given to identifying the negative consequences of academic clustering in intercollegiate athletics, clustering also may result in positive implications. The purpose of this report is to provide information and increase the awareness towards academic clustering. Additionally, this report provides information as to the causes, but also offers recommendations that have the potential to lessen academic clustering within intercollegiate athletics.

For a developing nation like Kenya, an effective higher education system is essential for its national development. Often intermediary bodies, such as the Commission for Higher Education in Kenya, are established and mandated to oversee higher education systems. As a “buffer” agency between the state and the universities, the Commission is strategically placed to ensure an effective and productive higher education system that serves the Kenyan society and advances the development of the nation. The purpose of this research is to investigate and describe the contribution of an intermediary body responsible for the coordination of the higher education system in a developing nation. The research describes the legal framework for the establishment of the Commission for Higher Education in Kenya and focuses on the three main functions of this intermediary agency: planning, program review and budget review. The research uses a historical case-study design that includes extensive documentation analysis coupled with interviews in order to understand the experience of the Commission for Higher Education in Kenya from its establishment in 1985 up to the present. The main objectives of the research are: a) To describe the legal framework for the establishment of the Commission for Higher Education for Kenya and analyze its mandate and terms of reference; b) To investigate and describe the experience of the Commission for Higher Education for Kenya with reference to the following primary functions of intermediary bodies: planning, budget review and program review. In addition to describing the legal framework that established the Commission and its work in planning, program review and budget review, the research provides recommendations for improved effectiveness as a buffer agency. Chief among these is the need for legislative change that would create an empowering legal framework. Specific recommendations for improvements in core function service areas (planning, program review and budget review) are also provided. The study is important because it addresses service improvement issues in a context where the development agenda demands effective and efficient leadership in the higher education sector.

This study sought to understand how individuals come to be educational developers, specifically, their individual and collective journeys toward entry to the profession, the drivers and conditions that shape developer pathways, a sense of how practitioners characterize their developer role and conceive the field overall, and, finally, the point at which they come to associate with the field and identify with what they do. To explore and examine these questions, a qualitative study was undertaken with a subset of the development community. Eighteen Canadian university educational developers, all formally associated with a campus-wide or discipline-based teaching and learning unit, were invited to share their stories. Drawing upon the metaphor of journey to conceptualize the research and storytelling process, and framing the analysis and discussion from a career development and community of practice perspective, the process of becoming an educational developer was revealed. Two trajectories to educational development were identified: (1) those coming from outside higher education and (2) those transitioning from within their academic institution. Various conditions, situational factors, social encounters, or drivers, often serendipitous in form, influenced their journeys, with some participants experiencing more direct paths to the profession and others encountering more twists and turns. Select types of individuals (gatekeepers, distractors, mentors, enablers) also significantly impacted their pathways. Participants characterized their developer role broadly (facilitator, connector, consultant, champion, change agent) and conceived educational development along service, professional, and academic lines. Commitment to the profession and their role solidified within two to four years upon entry. Currently, the field of educational development operates without any formalized career structures to guide entry to or facilitate advancement within the profession. As the community continues to grow and situate itself within the higher education landscape, identifying what attracts developers to the field, their individual pathways, as well as how and when they come to associate with the profession, especially in the absence of socialization and induction strategies, is crucial. With limited research examining the process of becoming a developer and the attraction of working in the field, this study provides a basis from which to continue to examine questions associated with growing and sustaining an emergent profession.