Canadian journal of higher education

Book review of "Supporting Indigenous Students to Succeed at University: A Resource for the Higher Education Sector"

Erin Anderson — 2024-07-10

Book review of "A Handbook for Supporting Today’s Graduate Students"

Kathleen Clarke — 2024-07-10

Book review of "The Future of Sustainability Education at North American Universities"

Anne Caroline Charles — 2024-07-10

Pre-Service Physical Education Teachers’ Perceptions of Anticipated Challenges and Needs during Teacher Education Programs

Audrey-Anne de Guise — 2024-02-07

Given that teacher dropout is an issue for beginning teachers, it is important to be proactive in order to retain teachers within the profession. Physical Education pre-service teachers’ education programs represent a crucial part of their professional development in preparing them to face the challenges that often explain retirement, especially students’ motivation. Authors recognize the importance of considering pre-service teachers’ needs during teacher education programs and their concerns about the challenges to be faced once they start teaching (Richards et al., 2013). Using a qualitative approach, this study aims to: (1) identify pre-service Physical Education teachers’ perceptions of anticipated challenges in general, (2) identify the specific challenges they anticipate about
supporting students’ motivation and (3) describe how they can be prepared to support students’ motivation. Participants consisted of 18 pre-service Physical Education teachers (Mage = 25; SD = 3.61 years) from French-language universities in Quebec (Canada). Four focus groups were conducted, and data were analyzed consistent with the four steps suggested by Boutin (2007). Results indicate that the main challenges anticipated by pre-service Physical Education teachers are classroom management and students’ lack of motivation. In terms of supporting students’ motivation, five specific challenges were highlighted: (1) student heterogeneity, (2) proposal of learning activities to support motivation, (3) student engagement, (4) management of disengaged students, and (5) gender differences. As for their needs during teacher education program, participants wished to learn how to plan motivational strategies, be given more opportunities to practice, and discuss how to implement these strategies. Recommendations for teacher
education programs are discussed in the conclusion.

Meso-Foundations of Experiential Education in Ontario Universities: A Content Analysis of the Province’s Strategic Mandate Agreements

Emerson LaCroix — 2024-02-27

Experiential education, the process of providing students with applied learning opportunities within and outside the classroom, is rife with organizational complexity. This article examines Ontario’s Strategic Mandate Agreements using qualitative content analysis to see how conceptions and communications of experiential learning have changed over time, and how universities have responded to government pressure to foster experiential learning. Drawing on frame analysis, findings reveal that universities have developed a considerable amount of institutional infrastructure and initiatives to support the expansion of experiential learning, and these efforts have been framed in relation to current discourse about graduate skill readiness. However, these outward signalling responses are not necessarily aligned with internal organizational processes (i.e., expansion of co-curricular learning). These mandate agreements represent official accounts of institutional priorities, which leave the door open for future research to examine micro-foundations of experiential learning through the perspectives of the faculty and staff inhabiting these institutions.

“It's Kind of My Responsibility”: An Analysis of the Current EDI Discourse in Canadian STEM Fields and its Potential and Limitations to Contest Intersectional Discrimination

Mirjam Fines-Neuschild — 2024-03-10

Since 2019, equity, diversity, and inclusion have become institutional priorities for Canadian funding agencies and universities under the acronym EDI. Here, we examine for the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) how the current EDI discourse unfolds in scientists’ understandings as EDI construct. This study presents data collected through 18 online interviews
with researchers in STEM fields across Canada. For our analysis we apply critical discourse analysis and the matrix of domination. Four themes emerge from our data regarding STEM researchers’ understanding of and experience with the EDI construct: (a) EDI as
trainable knowledge, (b) EDI as human resources/managerial issue, (c) EDI as assessable performance, and (d) EDI as individual initiative/lonely endeavour. Our findings suggest that the EDI discourse increases the awareness of the underrepresentation of
groups in STEM fields. However, most interview participants demonstrate an essentialist understanding of identity decontextualized from institutional and structural processes of difference making along axes of gender, race, class, and body, amongst others. This critical discourse-analytical work contributes to an intersectional, power-acknowledging understanding of EDI in Canadian higher
education.

The Strategic Role of Social Networks in Academic Leadership Development

Leda Stawnychko — 2024-04-29

University leaders navigate a complex and dynamic environment, balancing the diverse expectations of students, faculty, policy makers, and governmental bodies. Proficiency in these roles requires deep academic understanding, contextual knowledge, and effective management and leadership skills. This study explored how faculty members serving as department chairs developed their leadership capacity when entering the role. The investigation utilized social network theory and a leadership development model to examine department chairs’ experiences at a Canadian research-intensive university. It employed a qualitative research approach combining constructivist philosophy, case study design, and inductive research techniques. Drawing on the key themes of role entry, role understanding, and skill development, the study found that social networks played a central role in the participants’ leadership development. Post-secondary institutions may consider supporting leadership networks and providing equitable access to learning opportunities to increase academic leadership capacity.

Embedding Health and Well-Being in Value Statements of Canada’s Post-Secondary Institutions: A Mixed Methods Study

Abhinand Thaivalappil — 2024-07-10

Many post-secondary institutions contain organizational values, which describe enduring beliefs that support strategic priorities and guide members of an organization. Relatedly, the adoption of health-promoting frameworks calls on embedding health within post-secondary institutions’ core values. The study objective was to map Canada’s post-secondary values to determine how health is integrated within value statements. Mixed methods were used to map institutional values, contextualize well-being, and identify thematic messages of health-related content contained within values. Most institutions espoused values (n = 64, 71%), yet only a small proportion of these institutions espoused health within their value statements (n = 7, 11%). Qualitative analysis revealed three thematic messages: (i) health as a descriptor for other institutional priorities, (ii) wellness broadly acknowledged or embedded within non-health values, and (iii) well-being as a core value or commitment. These novel findings suggest more institutions must embed health as a core value to demonstrate institutional commitment.

Graduate Student Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Individual Development Plans

Emmanuelle Arnaud — 2024-07-10

Individual development plans (IDPs) are increasingly being used in higher education to provide personalized guidance to students that can foster a more purposeful and productive education experience. In this study, we document the graduate student’s perspective on the effectiveness of the IDP based on responses from students in course- and thesis-based masters and doctoral programs in science and social science. Informational interviews and mentor meetings were seen as the most useful components of the IDP. Students also felt that the IDP had helped them with many career development activities, but they also highlighted several challenges. Findings from a content and thematic analysis provide insight for those interested in implementing the IDP at their own institution.

COVID-19 Caregiving Avalanche: The Impact on Emotional Exhaustion on Female Natural Science and Engineering Academics

Arlana Vadnais — 2024-07-10

Gender disparity persists in the personal caregiving of children and older adults, and in professional caregiving duties, with many workplace policies and cultures favoring the “ideal worker” and presenting significant and continuing barriers to female caregivers’ professional success and well-being. The recent pandemic both highlighted and augmented this disparity as schools, daycares, and adult care facilities closed or implemented restrictions. This study interprets results from the July 2021 Canadian Natural Sciences & Engineering (NSE) Faculty Workplace Climate Survey by empirically assessing the impact on emotional exhaustion of the increased caregiving burden during the COVID-19 pandemic on female academics in the highly masculinized NSE fields. Results indicate that women were more likely to experience emotional exhaustion even when other factors were considered. Collegiality and inclusion were found to be protective factors, illustrating important implications for, and the retention and support of, success and well-being of female NSE academics.

Systemic Racism in Canadian Higher Education: A Rapid Scoping Review of 22 Years of Literature

Jerome Cranston — 2024-07-10

Although the ideals of higher education promote learning and personal growth irrespective of an individual’s social identity including their perceived or declared race, systemic racism continues to subject Indigenous, Black, and otherwise racialized students, staff, and faculty to unwelcoming academic cultures and, at times, hostilities. The aim of this rapid scoping review was to identify and analyze some of the available peer-reviewed, published research literature between 2000 and 2022 focused on systemic racism in the Canadian higher education context. The authors analyzed 32 articles included in the scoping review to identify the theoretical frameworks used to situate each study. In addition, the analysis surfaced concepts related to how systemic racism is structured and enacted. Using a thematic analysis, a narrative summary is also presented to describe the experiences of Indigenous and racialized staff, students, and faculty. This study offers insight to those committed to building healthier academic communities through understandings of systemic racism as it is theoretically framed, conceptualized, and experienced.

A New Issue and a New Team

Michelle K. McGinn — 2024-07-10