M.Ed.

The purpose of the study is to investigate the picture book preferences of grade four Aboriginal students, to discover what books have the greatest appeal and to determine which specific factors influence their choices. The study took place at an inner city elementary school with a high population of Aboriginal students located in the heart of the Canadian prairies. Experienced educators know that the majority of Aboriginal chidlren come to school with little or no exposure to books. Studies have shown that the ability or lack of ability to read at grade level is a strong indicator of future academic success. Teachers and librarians have little information available to assist them in choosing literature that will be of interest to Aboriginal students and motivate them to read and through practice improve their reading skills. Provincial governments are looking for research that addresses the needs of this growing population. Twelve grade four Aboriginal students participated in the study, seven boys and five girls. The students viewed forty-five books that were divided into three sets of fifteen and chose one book from each set to read and respond to through writing and/or drawing. After the book selection and response sessions were complete, the researcher interviewed each child to determine the one book they would most want to take home. The study concludes that: 1) Students preferred to read picture books portraying Aboriginal characters that reflected their own image; 2) Students transposed the urban and rural settings in the Aboriginal books to make relevant connections with their lives; 3) Aboriginal books portraying Aboriginal characters was the genre with the greatest appeal; 4) Students preferred vivid realistic illustrations; 5) Students background experience frequently determined their preferences in books and also increased their motivation to read; 5) Realistic pictures with minimal amounts of text held great appeal for boys selecting information books. It is hoped that the study will assist teachers and librarians in selecting literature that will be of interest to Aboriginal students encouraging them to read more and by improving their reading skills raise the level of their general academic achievement. / Education, Faculty of / Language and Literacy Education (LLED), Department of / Graduate

This thesis discusses the relatively new approach of art education, by paralleling it to Marxist ideology on art. The Dallas Arts District is one example of a city where museum art education is in conflict: being adopted more vigorously by some and with less acceptance by others. In order to provide a glimpse into the museum ideology of downtown Dallas, previous schools of thought regarding the role of curators and the introduction of educators into museums will be detailed, as well as conflicts between these two factions. The following questions will be addressed: Is museum art education truly a movement which strives to infuse the American culture with a greater appreciation of art? Is there a link to overcoming Marx's key issue of class? How is the movement affecting the Dallas Arts District and to what extent is museum art education being utilized within this forum? Is the emphasis toward museum art education greater in Dallas than in other large cities across the United States, and if so, how has that affected the cities' patrons?

As a museum educator who embraces social education and reflects on the postmodern condition, I found working within a traditional museum context to present challenges. As a result, I conducted an action research project focusing on ways to improve my own practice and affect change based on my engagement with visual culture discourse and the docents I teach. Having chosen action research, I implemented various teaching approaches and collected data over the course of several months. These data collection methods included interviews, museum documents, observational notes, recorded teaching practice, and daily journal entries. Narrative analysis was then used to interpret the collected data, specifically focusing how participants, including myself, make sense out of our experiences and how we value them.

No description available.

Science education has maintained a longstanding goal of enhancing societal interest, values, and understandings of science. Despite a series of public education reforms and efforts by scientific researchers, scientific literacy and passion remain sparse across the American public. In fact, many students demonstrate a lack of interest in the sciences as early as first grade, with major drop-offs occurring by the age of 14. This is further exacerbated for youth of color, as science is deeply rooted in pervasive and institutionalized racism. When accessible, out-of-school science experiences are uniquely positioned to promote youth agency, leverage students’ current values, and challenge structural inequities. Therefore, this work sought to highlight the narratives of three young science learners who identify as youth of color and graduated from an eight-year-long museum science program. A narrative inquiry was implemented, guided by Critical Race Theory and Cultural Learning Pathways as frameworks. Data from semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and drawings provided insight into the students’ orientations towards science and the development of those orientations. The study took place during the Covid-19 outbreak. Implications of the pandemic on the study are discussed. Findings from the study suggest that students positively identify with science and feel at home in The Museum. It was also noticed, however, that the students maintained ideologies consistent with Western perspectives. Recommendations include creating homeplaces, making out-of-school learning more easily accessible, and creating justice-centered curricula.

Bibliography: pages 107-117. / The following thesis focuses on the relationship between archaeologists, museologists and the broader community, in terms of educational programmes. It consists of a case-study comprising an educational project based on theoretical ideas of People's Archaeology as influenced by theories of Freirean education. The process of the educational project is illustrated through the description of interviews and workshops. The case-study indicates that there is a gap between academic and community percpetions of the role of archaeology and museums. Results from interpretations indicate that much more research emphasising the constitution, situation and perceptions of specific communities, especially those which have previously been marginalised by broader society, is needed in order to improve the educational services which museums and archaeologists offer to the community.

No description available.

This project explores the role of state-sponsored memory sites, such as museums and memorials, in transmitting memories of conflict and educating for peacebuilding in Colombia. Memory sites are examples of non-formal spaces of education where memories are intentionally constructed and transmitted. In the context of school visits, these sites are used as pedagogical tools in connection to the formal education system. Building on sociological approaches to memory-building and the role of the state to analyze how memories are institutionalized and used for pedagogical purposes beyond the school, this project contributes to a broader view of education for peacebuilding. I highlight the voices of students who visit memory sites to better understand how youth interpret memory pedagogies and how processes of memory-building shape youth’s expectations for the future. To understand the role of memory sites in disseminating memories of conflict, shaping interactions with the state, and mediating youth’s expectations about peace, I conducted a mixed-methods, embedded multiple-case study of two memory sites and four high schools, two embedded in each site. I incorporate observations, surveys, focus groups, and interviews with students, as well as interviews with teachers, site staff, and key informants in Bogotá and Medellín. Bringing together data from multiple stakeholders and across regions and timeframes, this project offers a uniquely comprehensive view of the intersection between formal and non-formal education in a transitional context. I argue that memory sites offer a window into the memorias, violencias, and paces [memories, violences, and peaces – all plural] that coexist in a transitional context. I build this argument through four interconnected pieces. First, memory sites materialize the dispute over the construction of “the collective” – that is, the narratives, discourses, and spaces about a collective past and future. Second, memory sites do not simply transmit memories of the past; they also engage youth in memory-making practices, implicitly teaching them how to participate in memory work. Third, memory-making in the liminal space between conflict and peace goes beyond the transmission of knowledge to include the transmission of emotions, silences, and activism. Finally, youth grapple with situating themselves within a past and present of violence and a future of (im)possible peace. In the end, memory sites have the potential to help youth situate themselves as historical and social actors whose personal and familial histories are embedded in a broader history of conflict and peacebuilding in Colombia.

M.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract