Optimistic Fiction as a Tool for Ethical Reflection in STEM

Greater emphasis on ethical issues is needed in\ua0science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)\ua0education. The fiction for specific purposes (FSP) approach, using optimistic science fiction texts, offers a way to focus on ethical reflection that capitalizes on role models rather than negative examples. This article discusses the benefits of using FSP in STEM education more broadly, and then explains how using optimistic fictions in particular encourages students to think in ethically constructive ways. Using examples of science fiction texts with hopeful perspectives, example discussion questions are given to model how to help keep students focused on the ethical issues in a text. Sample writing prompts to elicit ethical reflection are also provided as models of how to guide students to contemplate and analyze ethical issues that are important in their field of study. The article concludes that the use of optimistic fictions, framed through the lens of professional ethics guidelines and reinforced through ethical reflection, can help students to have beneficial ethical models

Guided Reading and How It Affects Reading Comprehension in Struggling, Middle Level, and High Level Readers

This action research study was conducted to determine the effects of guided reading on the reading comprehension of struggling, average, and accelerated readers. Twenty two 5th grade students in an Integrated Co-Taught class were involved. The student’s reading levels were assessed and they were placed into struggling, average, and accelerated reading groups. The three themes that emerged from the data were that educators are aware of the benefits of guided reading instruction but inconsistent application hinders student results, students need to be equal partners in their learning, and guided reading increased the reading comprehension in average readers, but not struggling or accelerated readers. Guided reading should not be the only component of a balanced literacy program within a classroom

Psychosocial Factors and Early Career College Faculty: Teacher Identity, Teaching Self-efficacy, and Sense of Belonging

The purpose of this integrated article dissertation is to present my investigation into the roles played by teacher identity, teaching self-efficacy, and organizational sense of belonging in the early careers of Ontario college faculty. The first study presents a mixed methods investigation of the effects of employment status on these psychosocial factors. Using a quantitative survey developed from a series of instruments in the literature, I collected quantitative data from 424 college faculty who were in their first three years of teaching. I also conducted focus group interviews with 27 participants in eight focus groups. My thematic analysis revealed four themes. The three themes of teacher identity, teaching self-efficacy, sense of belonging were predetermined from the variables of interest in the study. The fourth theme, support for new faculty and all its subthemes were determined through inductive coding. The quantitative data analyses included descriptive statistics, correlations, and MANOVA. The mixed methods results showed that employment status had an effect on teacher identity, teaching self-efficacy, and belonging. The second study presents the development and analysis of a conceptual model of the effect of teacher identity, teaching self-efficacy, and sense of belonging on teacher engagement and approaches to teaching. This quantitative analysis of the same data set included MANOVA, ANOVA, and path analysis. The path analysis showed differences between the full-time and part-time faculty on the predictors of teacher engagement but not for student-focused approaches to teaching. Teacher engagement was predicted by all three variables for full-time faculty. For part-time faculty, teacher identity and teaching self-efficacy predicted teacher engagement, but belonging did not. For both full-time and part-time faculty groups, a student-focused approach to teaching was predicted only by teaching self-efficacy, and not by teacher identity or teaching self-efficacy. Furthermore, employment status did not have an effect on approaches to teaching, but it did have an effect on overall teacher engagement and the domains of engagement. Taken together these studies establish the importance of the psychosocial factors of teacher identity, teaching self-efficacy, and sense of belonging to the teaching practices of faculty in their early careers, and it highlight some differences based on employment status. The implications are that onboarding and orientation programs for both part-time and full-time new college faculty should deliberately include opportunities for developing and enhancing these psychosocial factors

Dancing for Distinction: Pierre Beauchamps and the Social Dynamics of Seventeenth-Century France

While the accomplishments of many seventeenth-century artists (such as the playwright and actor Molière, the composer Lully, and the landscape architect André Le Nôtre) have been recognized, the choreographer Pierre Beauchamps has received little attention. However, this thesis argues that no study of seventeenth-century French court culture is complete without an understanding of Beauchamps, not only because of his role in fashioning the identity of the Sun King, but also because his biography demonstrates that self-fashioning was not limited to aristocratic and royal circles

The Metamorphosis of Katniss Everdeen: The Hunger Games, Myth, and Femininity

This essay articulates the ties between the heroine of\ua0The Hunger Games, the goddess Artemis, and the mythic character Philomela. Both Artemis and Philomela offer Katniss Everdeen different models of femininity, but ultimately she rejects\ua0inherited models\ua0and makes\ua0her own

College instructors’ preparedness to teach students with learning disabilities

An increasing number of students with learning disabilities (LD) are attending community colleges in Ontario. Accessible education depends on educators having the knowledge and attitudes needed to reduce barriers and provide an inclusive learning environment. This study investigated the perceptions of community college instructors regarding their preparedness to teach students with learning disabilities. A mixed-methods approach used an on-line questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to collect data from instructors at a large community college in southwestern Ontario. The “Instructor Preparedness Questionnaire” was developed to measure instructors’ knowledge about and attitudes towards students with LD. Follow-up interviews with twelve participants provided qualitative data to further explore instructors’ perceptions of teaching students with learning disabilities. The results showed that overall instructors’ had moderately positive scores on both the attitude and knowledge scales. However, qualitative data revealed that instructors generally felt unprepared for the task of teaching students with learning disabilities. In addition, they had many misconceptions of what constitutes a learning disability and the needs of students with LD. Instructors expressed the desire and need for professional development on the topics of learning disabilities and inclusive classroom strategies. The importance of preparing college instructors with the knowledge and attitudes for teaching in an inclusive education setting is evident. The relevance of this research is indicated in the recent implementation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) standard which calls for training for all educators regarding accessibility awareness in course design and delivery. Implications for college administrators, instructors and students are discussed

Teachers' preparation and perspectives toward native language use in the classroom

This file was last viewed in Adobe Reader X.This ethnographic case study investigates teacher preparation in educating English language learners (ELLs) and how it relates to perspectives and attitudes toward the use of students' native language (L1) in the classroom for academic and social purposes. The nine participants consisted of preschool through fifth grade teachers including two music teachers. Each completed a survey to report their perspectives toward the maintenance of students' native language. Teachers rated the level of responsibility they feel they have for maintaining students' native language in addition to responding to statements about their practical uses of students' L1 in the classroom. Survey responses were reviewed to look for underlying trends in perspectives. Subsequently, all participants were interviewed individually to discuss their preparation for working with ELLs as well as to elaborate on their survey responses. Results of this case study demonstrate a favorable attitude of mainstream teachers toward using students' native language in the classroom, despite a lack of preparation or training in the education of ELLs and a vague vision from the administration regarding culturally relevant practices. It was found that teachers' attitudes were influenced by family background, self-efficacy, and views on bilingual education as it impacts teacher allocations across the district. Despite participants' support for L1 in the classroom, this study found that most teachers did not put this ideology into practice in their own classroom. This study mirrors other research demonstrating a need for improved professional development for mainstream teachers