published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

No description available.

The following is a case study of grade 12 English as a Second Language (ESL) students enrolled in a British Columbia secondary school during the 2001-2002 academic year. The principal objective of this research was to uncover the following: 1) if ESL students made course choices at grade 12 which differed from those of non-ESL student choice patterns at grade 12; 2) the role of familial preferences, cultural influences and prior learning styles which predispose student choice for post secondary concentrations. This research examined the academic transcripts of 238 (94 ESL, 144 non-ESL) students, analyzed the responses of 145 (65 ESL, 80 non-ESL) student questionnaires, and considered interviews with 26 ESL students and 12 school staff (4 counselors, 8 teachers). The findings suggest that a significant difference exists in the academic courses in which ESL grade 12 students enroll compared to non-ESL students. Cultural and familial influences were found to affect both the types of senior courses ESL students chose and their aims about future educational and career aspirations. The findings suggest that secondary schools examine critically their policies regarding broadening the exposure of ESL students to more expressive courses in Arts to extend equality of opportunity in determining their career choice directions.

No description available.

The following is a case study of grade 12 English as a Second Language (ESL) students enrolled in a British Columbia secondary school during the 2001-2002 academic year. The principal objective of this research was to uncover the following: 1) if ESL students made course choices at grade 12 which differed from those of non-ESL student choice patterns at grade 12; 2) the role of familial preferences, cultural influences and prior learning styles which predispose student choice for post secondary concentrations. This research examined the academic transcripts of 238 (94 ESL, 144 non-ESL) students, analyzed the responses of 145 (65 ESL, 80 non-ESL) student questionnaires, and considered interviews with 26 ESL students and 12 school staff (4 counselors, 8 teachers). The findings suggest that a significant difference exists in the academic courses in which ESL grade 12 students enroll compared to non-ESL students. Cultural and familial influences were found to affect both the types of senior courses ESL students chose and their aims about future educational and career aspirations. The findings suggest that secondary schools examine critically their policies regarding broadening the exposure of ESL students to more expressive courses in Arts to extend equality of opportunity in determining their career choice directions. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

Bibliography: pages 91-96. / The current debates about curriculum policy decision making and the empirical investigation into the teaching of history in South Africa undertaken by the Human Sciences Research Council (1989-1991) have prompted this study. The research undertaken attempts to examine how history teachers' opinions can be collected, interpreted and utilised for curriculum policy formulation. The dissertation initially considers participation m curriculum decision-making and presents the case for the inclusion of teachers in decision making structures and processes. Recent initiatives in South Africa which have attempted to involve teachers in curriculum policy formulation are then examined. A research project was undertaken which surveyed the opinions of history teachers and the Cape Peninsula by means of questionnaires and interviews. Its results demonstrate that the research methodology employed impacts strongly on the information that is gathered and on the way that it can be utilised in curriculum policy formulation. The main conclusions reached were that teacher participation could contribute to a less technicist and more person-centered approach in curriculum development. This approach could improve the quality of the product (syllabus documents) and its subsequent adoption and implementation. The degree to which a school identifies with the syllabuses would be far greater, which would ensure flexibility and willingness to adapt to policies in which teachers have a sense of ownership.

The nationwide effort to improve our schools and student achievement through a rebuilding of our educational system has not come without controversy; however, one element that is consistent throughout the research (Carnegie, Holmes, NEA, and the National Governors Association) is that teachers should participate in setting school goals and be accountable for achieving agreed upon standards of performance. This, of course, means a major shift in the current organizational and managerial structure of the school. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between teachers' involvement in decision-making and their perceptions of the effectiveness of the academic programs in their schools. Also, an investigation was made between the relationship of the teachers' demographic characteristics and desired levels of involvement with the levels they reported. / Ed. D.

This study is designed to set forth the philosophy and indicate trends in the teaching of commercial education in the high schools of the United States.

This research traced the history of mathematics education in Haitian secondary schools from 1935 until 2015. While there is not much explicit historical evidence of how mathematics education evolved in Haiti, its development gave some insight into the history of mathematics education in a Caribbean country with a colonial past. One might ask, “Does the Haitian curriculum reflect its past colonizers, or has it developed an identity of its own?” The purpose of this study was to examine the development of mathematics education in secondary schools in Haiti from 1935 to 2015 under the influence of cultural and sociopolitical changes in the country. To accomplish this purpose, the researcher investigated objectives, content, instructional practices, curricula, and the impact of internal and external influences and ideologies. Haitian parochial and private schools have developed curricula that emulate those of France, the United States, and Canada. This study examined how these colonial countries may have influenced the development of secondary mathematics education in Haiti. Furthermore, the researcher sought to understand whether Haitian mathematics education curricula were more reflective of modernized French curricula or the New Math movement in the United States during this period of the study. This study was based on multiple primary sources, including documents from the Haitian Ministry of Education, the Internet archive Republique D’Haïti Ministère de l’Éducation Nationale et de la Formation Professionnelle (Republic of Haïti Ministry of National Education and Professional Training), textbooks during the respective years, and other sources. The analysis of textbooks and curricula revealed patterns that seem very general. Recent trends towards developing students’ perceptions and conceptual understanding or teaching applications and real-world problems find their way into Haitian textbooks. Even before that, trends towards the study of more advanced and abstract mathematics were also reflected in Haiti. The mathematics course turns out to be focused on European models, primarily on the former—albeit, many years ago, metropolis—France. This is reflected not only the fact that the primary language of instruction is French even though only a small part of the population speaks it, but also in the way the curriculum is structured.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education