The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges faced by first-year students as they negotiated the transition from the wrting environment of high school to the writing environment of university. The research for the dissertation was undertaken using a mixed-method explanatory design. This yielded a description of students' perceptions of the differences between their high school writing and first-year university writing environments. The research questions were as follows: what are high school students' perceptions of their writing environment; and what differences, if any, do students perceive as different in the writing environment between high school and first-year university? A total of one hundred and forty-four Grade 12 students completed a quantitative survey asking for their perceptions of the high school writing environment, and twenty students took part either in qualitative focus groups or individual interviews. A follow-up interview was conducted with fourteen of the original twenty participants while they were in the process of completing their first term at university. The results indicated that students' perceptions were very much influenced by individual teachers and instructors and by their own expectations. Recommendations, implications for further research, and implications for program development are offered as a way to extend the knowledge in this area.

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between active procrastination, self-regulated learning and academic achievement. Participants included 108 undergraduate students enrolled in a first-year elective course at a Canadian university. Students reported their level of active procrastination, cognitive and metacognitive strategy use, self-efficacy for learning and performance, goal quality and self-reported goal attainment over the semester. Measures included the self-report Active Procrastination Scale (APS; Choi & Moran, 2009), the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ; Pintrich Smith, Garcia, & McKeachie, 1991) and weekly reflections. Findings revealed: (a) active procrastination was significantly positively related to academic achievement, (b) the ability to meet deadlines was the component of active procrastination most related to SRL variables, and (c) self-reported goal attainment accounted for the most variance in ability to meet deadlines score. Further research is needed to explore the central role of ability to meet deadlines in active procrastination and the order in which SRL variables, active procrastination and negative influence of procrastination predict academic achievement. / Graduate

Neoliberal ideologies have been adopted through most of the developed world. In North America, they dominate and provide the backdrop for the way decisions are made, organisations are governed, and policies are considered and implemented. Universities have not been exempt from the pressures of neoliberalism and increasingly are becoming what is being referred to as ‘corporatised’. Using a multi-institutional ethnographic case study, drawing on elements of institutional ethnography and using discourse analysis and interviews, this research focused on these topics with four research intensive universities in British Columbia: UBC, UNBC, UVic and SFU. This research sought to answer the question: In what ways is corporatisation visible in the practices and discourses related to university research in British Columbia, and, in turn, what impacts are being felt? The findings from the research indicated that there is, as might be expected, strong support for post-secondary education. The rhetoric in the documents from the universities and governments shows a ‘grand vision’ for education as the cornerstone of a successful society. The findings confirm that universities are viewed internally and externally as important and that, in turn, research and discovery is paramount. However, what the research also showed was that there are differing views among those in power regarding how that vision plays out. Those differences can be summarized as: citizen preparation versus job training; social innovation versus commercial innovation; targeted research (both in the type of research carried out and to what ends); and the level of autonomy of the university. These tensions can be considered through the theoretical frameworks that guided the research: commodification (i.e., of education and research); resource dependence theory; and institutional theory. Universities are increasingly being corporatised and this is visible in: increased oversight and control by governments with regard to the direction of the university, both from an educational and research perspective; an emphasis on the fiscal bottom line; increased accountability requirements (in complexity and frequency) related to funding for educational programs and research; increased demands for, and focus on, demonstrable impacts and quantifiable measures from research; a reduced amount of collegial governance; increased bureaucracy; and pressures to adopt business models, practices, and processes from the private sector. / Graduate

In this dissertation I examine arguments for teaching post-secondary violin students to be versatile musicians rather than specialists in one genre or area of music. In order to do this, I assess the professional and educational opportunities in Toronto based on interviews with nine professional violinists as well as teachers and administrators at four institutions that offer post-secondary instruction in violin performance. To supplement information gathered through interviews, violinists and violists performing with the National Ballet of Canada and the Esprit Orchestra were asked to respond to a questionnaire regarding their training and work experiences. Data collected through fieldwork is contextualized by an analysis of scholarly writing, periodicals and websites on the topic of current post-secondary music curriculum and pedagogy methods. Throughout the dissertation, I build the case that, despite strong opinions and many years of pedagogy that emphasize the contrary, versatility provides many advantages to professional violinists when compared to specialization. In order to maximize the benefits of versatility in a professional career, I draw on Benjamin Brinner’s notion of core competences (Brinner 1995) to posit the skills necessary for professional musicians to pursue successful, enduring careers in Toronto. Applying these core competences to an analysis of violinists’ training, I explore the violin curriculum of post-secondary music schools in Toronto: The University of Toronto, the Glenn Gould School, Humber College, and York University to examine how students are being trained. In particular, I query how students are being prepared to be profession violinists with a focus on whetherthey are being prepared to be versatile musicians or specialists in one style. I conclude by offering recommendations as to how to better teach versatility based on the findings of the previous chapters. I explain that versatility can be nurtured in the school environment through teacher training and curricular changes that emphasize informal learning approaches, shifts in conventionally held assumptions about musical value and career success, and by encouraging exploration and improvisation as a basis of developing creativity.

There has been little research on the government relations function within the post-secondary education sector in Ontario. This study explores this topic by reviewing the literature and collecting data from key informants in the college, university and government sector, and those who can speak about the sector associations. The study describes how the leaders of colleges and universities in Ontario perceive and conduct government relations, both as individual institutions and as a sector, and analyzes trends and potential implications. The study utilizes a pluralist model of interest group behaviour and applied the hollow-core theory to the policy community and the findings provide compelling evidence that this theory is a useful theoretical framework for understanding the nature of this policy community. This study also provides valuable insight into the hollow-core theory of pluralism. The leadership of individual colleges and universities shares a similar understanding of government relations and engage a similar approach. Individual colleges and universities work independently to lobby for capital funding and work together through their respective associations to lobby for system-wide funding and reforms. Although the presidents of individual institutions continue to lead the government relations function, the trend in the post-secondary education sector in Ontario is to invest additional resources and time in these activities. This study is the first of its kind in Ontario and makes an important contribution to our understanding of the way leaders in the post-secondary education sector in Ontario perceive and conduct government relations. Implications of the findings are considered and recommendations are made for further research.

In this dissertation I examine arguments for teaching post-secondary violin students to be versatile musicians rather than specialists in one genre or area of music. In order to do this, I assess the professional and educational opportunities in Toronto based on interviews with nine professional violinists as well as teachers and administrators at four institutions that offer post-secondary instruction in violin performance. To supplement information gathered through interviews, violinists and violists performing with the National Ballet of Canada and the Esprit Orchestra were asked to respond to a questionnaire regarding their training and work experiences. Data collected through fieldwork is contextualized by an analysis of scholarly writing, periodicals and websites on the topic of current post-secondary music curriculum and pedagogy methods. Throughout the dissertation, I build the case that, despite strong opinions and many years of pedagogy that emphasize the contrary, versatility provides many advantages to professional violinists when compared to specialization. In order to maximize the benefits of versatility in a professional career, I draw on Benjamin Brinner’s notion of core competences (Brinner 1995) to posit the skills necessary for professional musicians to pursue successful, enduring careers in Toronto. Applying these core competences to an analysis of violinists’ training, I explore the violin curriculum of post-secondary music schools in Toronto: The University of Toronto, the Glenn Gould School, Humber College, and York University to examine how students are being trained. In particular, I query how students are being prepared to be profession violinists with a focus on whetherthey are being prepared to be versatile musicians or specialists in one style. I conclude by offering recommendations as to how to better teach versatility based on the findings of the previous chapters. I explain that versatility can be nurtured in the school environment through teacher training and curricular changes that emphasize informal learning approaches, shifts in conventionally held assumptions about musical value and career success, and by encouraging exploration and improvisation as a basis of developing creativity.

The objective of the thesis was twofold. Firstly, to map the situation in one-year post- secondary courses of English organised by private language schools in the Czech Republic and to recommend teaching methods and materials suitable for the given age group and the aims of the courses. Secondly, to outline the legislation regulating this form of study and in view of the recent legislative changes to compile a set of arguments for preserving the student status for the course participants. The first part of the thesis summarizes the lingvodidactic principles of teaching English as a foreign language with respect to the specific characteristics of learners between 19 and 22 years of age. It also presents a brief overview of the historical development of teaching methods as a background to the methodology applicable to post-secondary courses and provides a basis for textbook evaluation and selection. In the empirical part of the thesis the organization of post-secondary courses at three private language schools was contrasted and two sets of questionnaires completed by their students were analysed. Based on the conclusions drawn in the theoretical background as well as on the output of the questionnaires the contemporary approach of principled eclecticism was recommended as the most suitable...

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This thesis is a comparative study of competing education and training (ET) policy options in South Africa today. The thesis examines the economic and ET policy proposals of the South African state, and in particular, the recently published National Training Strategy and Education Renewal Strategy. These documents are both critically examined and contrasted with the policy proposals which are currently emerging in the African National Congress (ANC) and Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu). The analysis establishes a continuum of ET systems, with the policy proposals of the South African state representing a <low-skill equilibrium' system and the Framework for Lifelong Learning document of the ANC/ Cosatu reflecting a more highskill equilibrium' orientation. A <macro-institutional' theoretical perspective is employed throughout the thesis, an approach which combines a focus on the e macro' structural features of capitalist society with an analysis of the vast nexus of interlocking social institutions existing at the sub-structural level. This macro-institutional approach is particularly evident in the manner in which two key theoretical themes have been foregrounded throughout the text. The first has to do with the central macro' question of the market/state relation and its relevance for ET. The second has to do with the e institutional' dynamic of" the interaction between the ET system, the labour market and the organisation of work and the manner in which this interaction mediates the impact of ET on society and economic performance. The strength of the <macro-institutional' perspective is that it emphasises that the reform of ET in isolation of other societal changes is insufficient in the pursuit of higher productivity and improved economic performance. What is essential is comprehensive reform: reforms which impact on a whole range of key institutional locations. This requires coherent and long-term planning, a form of governance most often obtained by consensual co-ordinated market economies and seldom under free market conditions. The conclusion to this thesis suggests that the ANC/ Cosatu economic and ET proposals are more likely to obtain comprehensive reform' of the South African social structure than those proposals emanating from the current state.

This collection of works involved examinations of two phenomena that currently impact music education in the United States and constitute challenges for both pre-service and in-service music educators. Article one is an exploration of college aged musicians, their experiences with critical commentary and stressful scenarios encountered in and through applied music studies, and the role that mental toughness might play in these experiences. This study examined the perceptions of college level studio teachers and their students. Results of the study indicated that significant differences in mental toughness scores existed between the studio teacher group and the students (as a whole) and between the studio teacher group and 5 of the 6 student groups. Significant negative correlations were found between students’ mental toughness scores and answers to three questions related to teacher criticism, student anxiety in lessons, and students’ frequency of hurt feelings following feedback about their performing. Article 2 examined the perceptions of in-service music educators regarding aspects of education law. Participants included music educators (N = 152; Mage = 41.7) from each of the 50 states whose teaching assignments occur primarily at the high school (grades 9 – 12) levels. Results indicated that these participants viewed their undergraduate teacher training programs, and graduate studies, as having included very low levels of legal content. Few of the participants indicated receiving additional education and training from a legal specialist, and taking part in sessions on legal topics offered by their school districts and professional associations. The legal issues receiving the greatest numbers of selections as having been experienced by the participants included 5 aspects of copyright law, religious music/lyrics in educational and performance material, and protection of student health (i.e., medical) information. The total number of legal issues selected was significantly correlated with the number of traveling groups (ensembles) with which the teachers were associated. Teachers of marching band indicated a greater number of total legal issues having been dealt with in their professional experience. And teachers of orchestra demonstrated fewer total numbers of legal issues experienced. In spite of the significant correlations, total expressions of relevant legal issues were largely unassociated with teachers of specific ensemble types.

Research has shown that female students experience discrimination and prejudice in male-dominated higher education, which in turn could result in a lower sense of belonging. This study collected data from 53 female students in different majors and countries with the help of two surveys (one in Swedish and one in English). The aim of the study was to highlight the experience of women in male-dominated education. The survey had statements that the participants were asked to rate on a five-point Likert scale and open-ended questions where they were encouraged to write based on their own experience with discrimination and prejudice. The results were analyzed with thematic analysis and with Spearman’s rho correlations. The findings support the hypothesis that women experience discrimination and prejudice in male-dominated education. Both male classmates and male professors have acted in a discriminating way and have questioned women’s abilities. However, the female students rated the instances as “not severe”. The findings found no support for the hypothesis that female students would feel a lack of belonging. Further measures are needed in order to eliminate discriminatory behavior (e.g., hire more female professors, equality education for all professors). / Forskning har visat att kvinnliga studenter upplever diskriminering och fördomar i mansdominerad högre utbildning, vilket kan resultera i en lägre känsla av tillhörighet. Den här studien samlade in data från 53 kvinnliga studenter i olika huvudämnen och länder med hjälp av två enkäter (en på svenska och en på engelska). Syftet med studien var att belysa kvinnors upplevelser i mansdominerad utbildning. Enkäten hade påståenden som deltagarna ombads betygsätta på en femgradig Likert skala och öppna frågor där de uppmuntrades skriva baserat på deras egna upplevelser av diskriminering och fördomar. Resultaten analyserades med tematisk analys och med Spearman’s rho korrelationer. Resultaten ger stöd för hypotesen att kvinnor upplever diskriminering och fördomar i mansdominerad utbildning. Både manliga klasskamrater och manliga professorer hade agerat på ett diskriminerande sätt och ifrågasatt kvinnors förmågor. Däremot värderade de kvinnliga studenterna händelserna som ”inte allvarliga”. Resultaten fann inget stöd för hypotesen att kvinnliga studenter skulle känna brist på tillhörighet. Vidare åtgärder krävs för att eliminera diskriminerande beteende (till exempel anställa mer kvinnliga professorer, jämställdhetsutbildning för alla professorer).