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102. Can Online Learning Reproduce the Full College Experience? Center for Policy Innovation Discussion Paper. Number 3
- Author
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Heritage Foundation and McKeown, Karen D.
- Abstract
With the tuition cost of traditional colleges and universities soaring and education technology advancing, online courses and degree programs are becoming more common. Some critics argue that an online degree cannot provide all the important features of a traditional college education, from extracurricular activities to new professional networks, but the evidence disputes much of that criticism, especially for certain groups of students. Indeed, some aspects of online education may provide a better experience than a traditional brick-and-mortar college for some students. (Contains 49 footnotes.)
- Published
- 2012
103. Loans for Vocational Education and Training in Europe. Research Paper. Number 20
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Cedefop - European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training
- Abstract
This report reviews the use of loans for learning in 33 European countries and analyses the schemes in eight selected Member States: France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Finland, Sweden and the UK. The analysis shows that loan schemes vary considerably across Europe in terms of types and levels of learning covered, conditions of access, repayment and governance. Some loans aim to increase participation in learning in general, while others are designed to promote equity. The report attempts to assess the selected loans and discusses their strengths and weaknesses and determinants of performance, while considering if a given scheme operates on a large scale or targets niche groups. The evaluation results provide a basis for identifying good practice principles for designing and implementing loans. Policy recommendations are formulated based on these findings. Annexed are: (1) Methodology; (2) Key terms and definitions; (3) Information on countries/schemes selected for in-depth analysis; (4) Proposed typologies of VET loan schemes; (5) Tables and figures; (6) Tosmana truth tables; (7) Questionnaires; (8) Basic characteristics of non-European loan schemes. (Contains 37 tables, 5 figures, 20 boxes and 33 footnotes.)
- Published
- 2012
104. Birthplace Diversity, Income Inequality and Education Gradients in Generalised Trust: The Relevance of Cognitive Skills in 29 Countries. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 164
- Author
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France), Borgonovi, Francesca, and Pokropek, Artur
- Abstract
The paper examines between-country differences in the mechanisms through which education could promote generalised trust using data from 29 countries participating in the OECD's Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). Results indicate that education is strongly associated with generalised trust and that a large part of this association is mediated by individuals' literacy skills, income and occupational prestige. However, education gradients in levels of generalised trust and in the extent to which they are due to social stratification mechanisms or cognitive skills mechanisms vary across countries. Differences across countries in birthplace diversity and income inequality are correlated with how strongly education is associated with trust in different countries, as well as in the relative magnitude of direct and indirect associations. In particular, the relationship between literacy skills and generalised trust is stronger in the presence of greater birthplace diversity but is weaker in the presence of greater income inequality.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
105. Towards an Adult Literacy Policy for Ontario. A Discussion Paper.
- Author
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Ontario Dept. of Education, Toronto. and Thomas, Audrey
- Abstract
Although Ontario's Ministry of Education currently funds a variety of literacy programs, the province of Ontario (Canada) currently has no overall policy, evaluation process, or agreed-upon definition of adult literacy to guide further development in the field. When developing a comprehensive government policy regarding adult literacy in Ontario, policymakers must recognize that adult literacy exists in the broader context of adult basic education and adult education. Policymakers must address the following contextual issues: lifelong learning, equity of outcome, integrated services, and the financial implications of policy decisions. The policy developed must recognize that literacy is first and foremost a human service whose delivery must be tailored to give consideration to Ontario's multicultural character. Policy decisions regarding adult literacy must be developed with consideration for the following issues: access, language rights, diverse and flexible programs, support services, field development and support, and shared responsibility. (Appended are lists of the following: literacy and skills training programs funding by Canada's ministries of education and colleges and universities; Ministry of Education-funded adult literacy programs; people consulted during the project; and issues identified during the consultations.) (MN)
- Published
- 1991
106. Linkages: Connecting Literacy and English as a Second Language. Discussion Paper: What Do We Know about the Connections between Literacy and English as a Second Language in Canada?
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Movement for Canadian Literacy and Folinsbee, Sue
- Abstract
This discussion paper is part of a larger Movement for Canadian Literacy (MCL) project entitled "Linkages: Connecting Literacy and English as a Second Language" (ESL). The goal of the overall project is for MCL to work with national organizations that support the ESL/Settlement and literacy fields to identify common issues and concerns and to document areas for mutual cooperation in the future. The purpose of the discussion paper is to highlight and summarize current Canadian research over the last five to seven years in terms of key themes, issues, gaps and needed strategies on connections between literacy and ESL. The paper will also reflect the perspectives of a small number of key informants from the literacy, ESL, and settlement fields on key themes. Appendices include: (1) Key Informants; and (2) Interview Questions. (Contains 2 tables and 41 footnotes.)
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- 2007
107. Higher Education in TAFE: An Issues Paper
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National Centre for Vocational Education Research, Moodie, Gavin, Wheelahan, Leesa, Billett, Stephen, and Kelly, Ann
- Abstract
Growth in mixed-sector institutions offering both vocational and higher education qualifications is expected to increase given recent and predicted policy changes. This issues paper focuses on the provision and management of higher education in technical and further education (TAFE) institutes. Issues raised for discussion include the governance of mixed-sector institutions as well as ensuring access and maintaining progression to higher education without sectoral division in the institution. Implications arising from the Bradley review of higher education are canvassed and the authors are inviting discussion on a range of questions related to the nature of policies and practices influencing the provision of higher education in TAFE. A section listing the TAFE institutes that have been registered to offer higher education qualifications and their accredited higher education qualifications, at February 2009 is appended. (Contains 5 tables and 3 footnotes.) [Funding for this document was provided through the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.]
- Published
- 2009
108. A Companion to the Film, 'Putting Mathematics Education in Its Place'. Working Paper No. 41
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Appalachian Collaborative Center for Learning, Assessment, and Instruction in Mathematics (ACCLAIM) and Corbett, Michael
- Abstract
A challenge for contemporary rural educators (especially teachers) is how to imagine rural education in a way that is not entirely focused on defining the rural as a problems space or as something simultaneously left behind by history and outmigration. Problems of community economic development come into the picture when we attempt to imagine rural schools that support and contribute to their communities rather than mostly serving as way-stations for outward bound youth. These are the kinds of questions raised by the ACCLAIM project, organized by the University of Tennessee Knoxville, Ohio University, West Virginia University, the University of Louisville, and the University of Kentucky. ACCLAIM is doing ground-breaking work in the United States simply by asking a number of key questions about the relationship between math education and rurality that concern what difference place might make in math education. Because this is a relatively new area and one which has not been researched in the Canadian context the author decided to take up an invitation from Craig Howley of ACCLAIM by raising a series of questions with math educators in rural Nova Scotia addressing five key questions (the final three of which are central to the ACCLAIM mission): (1) What difference does place make in mathematics and what difference does it make in mathematics education?; (2) Mathematics has been presented as a decontextualized, metalanguage that sits outside politics, culture and place. It is also constructed as a representation of pure intelligence because it is not linguistically anchored. Finally, because it is lifted out of context, math is often used as a sorting and selection mechanism both in school and for occupational and academic placements outside school. What has been the impact on this way of seeing and using mathematics on contextualized teaching; (3) What kinds of mathematical knowledge sustains place?; (4) What sorts of mathematical knowledge accommodates place well?; and (5) What kinds of mathematical preparation suits a rural world of greater scarcity? In the film "Putting Mathematics in its place: In conversation with David Reid and Christine Knipping," developed for ACCLAIM, they take up the questions above. The author takes up a baker's dozen of issues that seem to him to arise from the conversation. (Contains 1 footnote.)
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- 2011
109. Experiences and Coping Strategies of College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Working Paper 28803
- Author
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National Bureau of Economic Research, Logel, Christine, Oreopoulos, Philip, and Petronijevic, Uros
- Abstract
An emerging literature documents the many challenges faced by college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Little is known, however, about how students responded to the adversity. Focusing on two large Canadian universities, we provide some of the first evidence on the coping strategies students reported and the relationships between their endorsement of specific coping strategies and their subsequent well-being. Students focused on compensating for a lack of structure by creating new routines, maintaining social connections, and trying new activities. Conditional on baseline problems indexes, students who initially endorsed social connectedness as a strategy score significantly higher on a comprehensive well-being index five to twelve weeks later. [Additional funding for this research was provided by the Jamal Poverty Action Lab.]
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- 2021
110. Association between Literacy and Self-Rated Poor Health in 33 High- and Upper-Middle-Income Countries. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 165
- Author
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France), Kakarmath, Sujay, Denis, Vanessa, Encinas-Martin, Marta, Borgonovi, Francesca, and Subramanian, S. V.
- Abstract
We assess the relationship between general literacy skills and health status by analysing data from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), an international survey of about 250,000 adults aged 16-65 years conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) from 2011-15 in 33 countries/national sub-regions. Across countries, there seems to be a strong and consistent association between general literacy proficiency and self-rated poor health, independent of prior socio-economic status and income. General literacy proficiency also appears to be a mediator of the association between self-education and self-rated poor health. While the literacy-health association is robust over time, it varies in magnitude across countries. It is strongest for those with a tertiary or higher degree and does not appear to exist among young adults (ages 25 to 34 years). Future studies are required to understand the contextual factors that modify the general literacy proficiency-health association.
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- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
111. Guidelines for Effective Literacy Programs in Ontario. A Discussion Paper for Programs [and] Accountability Framework: Summary of Elements Developed for Consultation.
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Ontario Dept. of Education, Toronto.
- Abstract
This document examines the major issues and implications related to the development of quality guidelines for adult literacy programs in Ontario (Canada) and presents a framework for discussing issues related to quality guidelines and their formulation. Discussed in the first section are the following topics: the place of quality issues/guidelines in the Ontario government's 1986 Plan for Adult Basic Literacy and the Ontario Ministry of Education's Adult Literacy Policy and Evaluation Project; the role of learners, service providers, and funders in the provision of adult literacy programs in Ontario; the purpose and scope of quality guidelines; and trends in the development and use of quality guidelines in the United Kingdom, other Canadian provinces, and the United States. The remaining 60% of the document is a discussion guide for stimulating thought and discussion about quality guidelines in adult literacy programming. It includes a discussion format and seven elements of quality in literacy programs (community focus, access to services, learner-centeredness, appropriate and effective service delivery, equity of outcomes, integration, and accountability). An accountability framework summarizing the elements of the quality guidelines consultation is included. (MN)
- Published
- 1993
112. Honouring the History of Academic Freedom: An Investigation into the Evolution of the Canadian and American Definitions of Academic Freedom. AIR 2002 Forum Paper.
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Risbey, Kelly
- Abstract
The purpose of this research paper is to look at the definition of academic freedom and how it has evolved over time. Canada's definition of academic freedom grew out of the influences of Britain, Germany, and the United States. The paper begins with a historic look at these three sources. It then focuses on the Canadian definition of academic freedom in relation to Canadian history. Important academic freedom cases are described, and their influences on the definition of academic freedom are discussed. An overview of current trends, including tenure, unions, political correctness, private funding, and accountability mandates, threatening academic freedom are discussed. History has revealed that the concept of academic freedom has been modified and refined as it journeyed through each generation. Each generation has fought for different pieces of the academic freedom puzzle, from religious freedom, to political freedom, to cultural freedom, and it is only by looking back over history one can finally understand what academic freedom truly defends. The fight for academic freedom has been waged so that all academics could enjoy freedom to pursue their research and teaching free from public sanctions. (Contains 34 references.) (Author/SLD)
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- 2002
113. Adult ESL and Literacy: Issues and Options. Working Paper Summer Institute 2008
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Centre for Literacy and Wrigley, Heide Spruck
- Abstract
In this paper, the author would like to put forward a number of issues to think about and discuss. At the same time, she argues for a better articulated system that more closely matches the needs and goals of various subgroups of English language learners. Adult ESL programs serve diverse immigrant populations with different needs and goals. A One-Size-Fits-All approach limits the effectiveness of services and "cheats" groups at either end of the educational spectrum--those without literacy in their native language at one end, and those with higher levels of education in their native country at the other. If education adapts and varies adult ESL services to differentiate instructional programs according to literacy needs and previous schooling experience, they will have a more educationally sound system. Efforts to change the system and create separate pathways for different groups of immigrants will not happen without investment and planning on all levels--program, state or province and federal--and without focused attention to the specific needs and goals of each subgroup. Creating a better articulated and more focused system will require more resources, but much time and effort is currently wasted in an undifferentiated system that purports to be all things to all people, yet does not serve any given group as well as it could. A bibliography is included.
- Published
- 2008
114. Principal Quality Practice in Alberta: Education 900 Introduction Paper
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Ennest, Robert
- Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of Alberta's Principal Quality Practice Standard as a framework for the roles and responsibilities of school principals. Methodology: Three principals participated in the study, and each principal had more than 25 years of teaching and school administration experience. Each principal was interviewed about preparation for their role as school administrator, and asked about job-embedded supports for each of the dimensions included in the Principal Quality Practice Standard. Participants in the study self-reported in two questionnaires framed on a five-point Likert scale, and each was personally interviewed to preserve their "voice" intact toward reporting. Results: Results indicate that principals regard site-based leadership as practical for engaging leadership candidates toward administrative roles. Site-based leadership programs that offer university credit are also highly regarded to satisfy qualifications for principals to continue their professional educational growth in academics. Master's-level university courses provide a necessary understanding of leadership change, growth and development for principals to be effective instructional leaders. Conclusions: Results show that principals with classroom teaching experience present a "grassroots" approach to school leadership, that transforms their administrative role into a more active role as Instructional/Learning Leader(s). Recommendations: Educators who assume school administrator roles are responsible for developing leadership capacity in their staff members. The Alberta Principal Quality Practice Standard is a benchmark that highlights several dimensions of principalship that elucidate areas of professional responsibility in which leadership candidates must be engaged.
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- 2010
115. Building Citizenship: Governance and Service Provision in Canada. CPRN Discussion Paper.
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Canadian Policy Research Networks Inc., Ottawa (Ontario)., Jenson, Jane, Harvey, Jean, Kymlicka, Will, Maioni, Antonia, Shragge, Eric, Graefe, Peter, Fontan, Jean-Marc, Jenson, Jane, Harvey, Jean, Kymlicka, Will, Maioni, Antonia, Shragge, Eric, Graefe, Peter, Fontan, Jean-Marc, and Canadian Policy Research Networks Inc., Ottawa (Ontario).
- Abstract
Citizenship is about more than the passport an individual holds; it goes far beyond nationality. The terms of citizenship determine in part who has access to goods, services, and resources and how they are distributed within a community. Rules of citizenship determine who can participate, who can decide about matters of diversity, distribution, inclusion, and exclusion. While citizenship is a useful concept, sometimes it is also a confusing one. The paper provides a brief overview of the concept of governance. It turns to a consideration of the appropriateness of this social initiative by the International Development and Research Centre (IDRC). It examines some of the reasons why Canada's historic and current experience of citizenship might advance IDRC's thinking about a citizenship entry point for its research agenda, and its attempt to answer the key question: "To what extent does the Canadian experience past and present have anything to say about options for Africans?" It provides a brief overview of the four commissioned papers and what they have revealed the links among citizenship, governance, and service delivery in Canada. The paper concludes with an overview of lessons drawn from the Canadian experience. (BT)
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- 2001
116. The Global Competition for Talent: The Rapidly Changing Market for International Students and the Need for a Strategic Approach in the US. Research & Occasional Paper Series. CSHE.8.09
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University of California, Berkeley, Center for Studies in Higher Education, Douglass, John Aubrey, and Edelstein, Richard
- Abstract
There is growing evidence that students throughout the world no longer see the US as the primary place to study; that in some form this correlates with a rise in perceived quality and prestige in the EU and elsewhere; and further, that this may mean a continued decline in the US's market share of international students. There clearly are a complex set of variables that will influence international education and global labor markets, including the current global economic recession. Ultimately, however, we think these factors will not alter the fundamental dynamics of the new global market, which include these facts: the international flow of talent, scientific or otherwise, is being fundamentally altered as nations invest more in educational attainment and human capital; the US will continue to lose some of its market share over time--the only question is how quickly and by how much; and without a proactive strategy, nations such as the US that are highly dependent on global in-migration of talented students and professionals are most vulnerable to downward access to global talent, with a potentially significant impact on future economic growth. This study provides data on past and recent global trends in international enrollment, and offers a set of policy recommendations for the US at the federal, state, and institutional level. This includes our recommendation of a national goal to double the number of international students in the US over the next decade to match numbers in a group of competitor nations, and requires recognition that the US will need to strategically expand its enrollment capacity and graduation rates to accommodate needed increases in the educational attainment rate of US citizens, and to welcome more international students. Attracting talent in a global market and increasing degree attainment rates of the domestic population are not mutually exclusive goals. Indeed, they will be the hallmarks of the most competitive economies. (Contains 6 figures and 41 endnotes.)
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- 2009
117. Child Care and Canadian Federalism in the 1990s: Canary in a Coal Mine. Occasional Paper No. 11.
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Toronto Univ. (Ontario). Centre for Urban and Community Studies. and Friendly, Martha
- Abstract
There is broad recognition in Canada that offering both early childhood education to strengthen healthy development for all children and child care to support mothers' workforce participation is in the public interest. Noting that Canada does not currently provide adequate early childhood care and education, this paper examines federal/provincial jurisdictional obstacles to a national child care strategy, especially those that arose in the 1990s. The paper first examines how a national child care program has been envisioned over the years, and clarifies the proposed roles and responsibilities of the various levels of government. This part examines three failed attempts to secure a national child care strategy in the context of the shifting federalism between 1984 and 1995. The paper also analyzes child care within the concept of the social union that began to be debated as the federal role in social programs waned in the 1990s. Finally, the Social Union Framework Agreement of February 1999 and its possibilities for a national child care program are appraised. The paper maintains that the Agreement's principles and state objectives not only create a new imperative for a national child care strategy but also provide new opportunities for implementation. The paper also argues that federal leadership is necessary for any national child care strategy's success, and proposes that an effective national strategy be used as a benchmark from which to evaluate nation-shaping political arrangements such as the Social Union Framework Agreement. Appended is a list of the presentations from the conference at which this paper was originally presented. (Contains 63 references.) (KB)
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- 2000
118. Policy Developments in VET: Analysis for Selected Countries. Working Paper No. 54
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Monash University, Centre for the Economics of Education and Training, Noonan, Peter, Burke, Gerald, and White, Paul
- Abstract
This paper is concerned with the strategies being adopted for vocational education and training (VET) in Australia and the lessons that could be learned for them from policies in other countries. Six issues are considered in the paper, each relates to or more of the objectives and particular strategies in the Australia's National Strategy for Vocational Education and Training 2004-2010: (1) Workforce/adult training and retraining in the light of ageing and shifting occupational structures; (2) Equity issues for indigenous and other groups; (3) Managing demand and funding so that priorities are met; (4) Developments in qualification structures and quality assurance; (5) Enhancing provider capacity to ensure quality and responsiveness; and (6) Regional and community capacity building. The approach taken was to analyse national strategies, policies, objectives and priorities of government agencies to provide a point of comparison with Australia's National Strategy for VET. Analysis was most focused on the United Kingdom and New Zealand, and limited for Canada, due to the decentralised nature of that system. Implications for Australia are set out by strategy. (Contains 6 footnotes and 2 boxes.)
- Published
- 2004
119. Scoping Paper--Shaping a Career Development Culture: Quality Standards, Quality Practice, Quality Outcomes
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Australian Department of Education, Science and Training and McMahon, Mary
- Abstract
This project on national standards and accreditation of career practitioners is set against a background of unprecedented interest by governments nationally and internationally in the provision of career guidance services. Currently more is known about the policy and delivery of career guidance than at any other time in history. There is growing interest in the relationship between career guidance and public policy because the benefits of career guidance to individuals, society and the economy have been recognised. In this regard, strategic alliances are being formed between career guidance practitioners and policy makers in order that policy commitments relating to the provision of quality career services are enhanced. Such an alliance is evidenced in the collaboration between the Department of Education, Science and Training and the Career Industry Council of Australia on this project. This project constitutes a very necessary step in a move towards a quality industry. The purpose of this scoping paper is to: (1) identify current standards guiding career practitioners in Australia; (2) review international work on standards including examples of best practice and advise on how this work might be relevant to the development of national standards and accreditation in the Australian context; (3) be informed by outcomes of national workshops, forums, and conferences 2000-2004; (4) identify the current membership requirements of professional career associations and bodies both nationally and internationally; (5) assess how prior learning or qualifications might be recognised and developed to fit within and meet the requirements of the quality standards; and (6) identify the issues that need to be addressed in the development of national standards. To achieve this purpose, this paper is structured around four main sections--international quality standards, national quality standards, standards guiding Australian professions, and the Australian career industry. Following this a number of themes related to the development and implementation of quality standards will be elaborated. A number of issues relating to the development and implementation of quality standards and accreditation in the Australian career industry will then be raised. Appended are: (1) Glossary of terms; (2) Table of Comparative Competencies; (3) Entry-level Qualifications of Australian Career Practitioner Associations; (4) Standards of Australian Career Practitioner Associations; and (5) Comparison of Quality Standards Across Career Case Studies.
- Published
- 2004
120. Being Young and Visible: Labour Market Access among Immigrant and Visible Minority Youth. Final Report. Working Paper Series
- Author
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Human Resources Development Canada, Applied Research Branch and Kunz, Jean Lock
- Abstract
Youth represent one of the most culturally diverse groups in Canada. It has been shown that labour market participation among immigrant youth, especially those who are members of a visible minority, has been lower than the Canadian-born. Using the 1996 Census, this paper provides an overview of labour market attachment of immigrant and visible minority youth in Canada. Specifically, we examine the patterns of labour force participation among youth aged 15-29. Comparisons are made between youth who are foreign-born and Canadian-born, as well as between visible minority and non-visible minority youth. In general, immigrant youth are less likely to have work experience than Canadian-born youth. Recent immigrant youth are less likely to participate in the labour market than the Canadian-born as well as immigrant youth who have been in the country longer. Employment outlooks for immigrants who came as children are better than that for those who came as teens or young adults, especially among women. Visible minority immigrant youth are more likely to be unemployed than those who do not belong to a visible minority group. These findings are interpreted in light of the policy implications with respect to youth employment strategies. (Contains 1 footnote, 4 figures, and 5 tables.) [This paper is available in French under the title: "Jeunes et visibles: Acces des jeunes immigrants et membres de minorites visibles au marche du travail."]
- Published
- 2003
121. For-Profit Child Care: Past, Present and Future. Occasional Paper # 21
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Toronto Univ. (Ontario). Childcare Resource and Research Unit. and Prentice, Susan
- Abstract
Noting that there has been no national policy on child care, Canada has relied on non-profit organizations and privately owned businesses to provide most of its child care services. Historically, federal funding policies and provincial choices have produced wide differences across the country in the distribution of non-profit, for-profit and government-operated services. After many years of relative political inattention in Canada, the federal and provincial governments committed to developing a national early learning and child care program by agreeing to bilateral agreements. As Canadian child care was poised for growth in 2005, important policy decisions about how best to deliver child care services needed to be made. This paper presents new evidence as well as reviews existing evidence that supports reasons to look to the non-profit and public sectors as the optimum sites for the expected growth of Canadian child care services. It makes the case that if Canada is to avoid "big-box" child care (and more for-profit child care generally--both international and home--grown), then careful attention must be paid to the research and policy evidence about what happens when public funds and public policy support for-profit child care. (Contains 11 footnotes, 4 tables, and 2 figures.)
- Published
- 2005
122. Adults' Informal Learning: Definitions, Findings, Gaps, and Future Research. NALL Working Paper #21.
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Ontario Inst. for Studies in Education, Toronto. and Livingstone, D. W.
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This paper on adult informal learning is divided into four sections. Section 1 examines different conceptions of informal learning and the issues and limitations associated with alternative definitions of informal learning. Section 2 is a review of empirical research on the estimated extent, role, and outcomes of informal learning and posited linkages between informal and formal methods of learning. It reports that, according to the New Approaches to Lifelong Learning (NALL) 2000 national survey, over 95 percent of Canadian adults are involved in some form of informal learning activities that they identify as significant. Section 3 critically assesses current research approaches to studying informal learning and identifies policy-relevant knowledge gaps concerning the general level and nature of informal learning, distribution of informal learning across the adult population, impact of informal learning on individual and firm performance, and relationship of informal learning to formal skills development. Section 4 recommends optimal approaches to future research on informal learning practices with a particular focus on survey research in Canada and finds it imperative to establish benchmarks of the general incidence, basic contents and modes, and any differential patterns of intentional informal learning and training, and to continue to track trends in relation to other dimensions of adult learning. (Appendixes include NALL questions and 69 references.) (YLB)
- Published
- 2001
123. The Storage and Transmission of Men's Non-Formal Skills in Working Class Communities: A Working Paper. NALL Working Paper.
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Ontario Inst. for Studies in Education, Toronto. New Approaches to Lifelong Learning. and Smith, Dorothy E.
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A descriptive study observed the transmission of manual job skills from older to younger men in working class communities in Ontario and the effects of massive downsizing in industrial plants on this process. Current as well as previous ethnographic research was used. Some of the outcomes of the continual downsizing included the following: (1) the restructuring that destroyed many working-class communities also destroyed the social organization that stored and transmitted manual skills among men in working class communities; (2) within the workplace, the development of managerial technologies expropriated workers' skills and supported greater control of management over the work process and training; (3) the informal relationships among working-class men that were part of the community as well as the workplace were weakened by increasing technology, decreasing workforce, and managerial control; and (4) this process was gender-specific to men and included the transmission of values, such as anti-intellectualism and disdain for academic occupations. (Contains 13 references.) (KC)
- Published
- 2001
124. Using Course Load Matrix Analysis To Support Departmental Planning for Enrollment Expansion. AIR 2002 Forum Paper.
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Harter, Elizabeth A. and England, Martin D.
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The planning office of a large urban university produced an induced course load matrix (ICLM) analysis to support the university's plans for undergraduate enrollment growth at its three campuses. The ICLM tables, based on the complete course histories of the 1993 entering cohort, summarize the program and course selections of a cohort of students as they progressed through their studies. While the analysis involved some technical challenges, the results are useful in a number of ways. In particular, the results show how program enrollments create instructional demands across academic divisions and how some departments play an important part in service teaching at the university. Because the course load analysis involves detailed quantitative data, senior administrators were consulted during the initial planning of the project, and care was taken to present the results clearly and succinctly. Ultimately, the results were well received and have been incorporated into several planning exercises. (Author)
- Published
- 2002
125. Co-Participatory Practices at Work. NALL Working Paper.
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Ontario Inst. for Studies in Education, Toronto. New Approaches to Lifelong Learning., Billett, Stephen, Barker, Michelle, and Hernon-Tinning, Bernie
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The reciprocal process of engaging in and learning through work was examined. Reciprocity between how workplaces invite individuals to participate in and learn through work (its invitational qualities) and individuals' engagement in the workplace was proposed as a means of understanding how learning through work proceeds. Workplaces' invitational qualities were shown to be shaped by workplace norms and practice and by affiliations (for example, cliques, associations, occupational groupings, and employment status) and to be frequently characterized by inequitable distribution. The distribution of and access to opportunities for practice were shown to be directed toward sustaining the work practice and/or the interests of particular individuals and groups who participate in it. These reciprocal processes of participation in workplace were illustrated through an analysis of the participatory practices of three workers--a union worker, a grief counselor, and a school-based information technology consultant--over a 6-month period. The work of all three individuals was examined through the lens of an analytical framework comprising categories of activities and interdependencies. In all three cases, there was evidence of exercise of individuals' agency in shaping the organization of their work and evidence of new learning opportunities arising from events that were structured by workplace practices and leading to significant new learning. (Contains 34 references.) (MN)
- Published
- 2002
126. Reforming Quebec's Early Childhood Care and Education: The First Five Years. Occasional Paper.
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Toronto Univ. (Ontario). Childcare Resource and Research Unit. and Tougas, Jocelyne
- Abstract
This paper describes the early care and educational services for children in Quebec since reforms of 1997 intended to place the interests and well-being of children and families at the center of its family policy. Chapter 1 describes early childhood care and education (ECCE) system prior to and since the reforms. The chapter describes the components of this system as including: (1) center-based child care for children birth to 4 years and family child care for children birth to 12 years, both overseen by early childhood agencies (CPEs); (2) school-age child care programs; and (3) full-day kindergarten for 5-year-olds. Funding for restructuring the ECCE system is detailed, including the gradual introduction of a universal regulated $5-a-day child care program and a massive increase in public funding. Specific measures related to the educational program and child care staff training are described. Chapter 2 focuses on the center-based component of the system and presents issues raised by directors in a 1998 study of child care centers, including financial stability of centers, clientele with special needs, staff compensation and working conditions, complying with regulations, facility-related concerns, and staff morale. Chapter 3 considers the family child care component, examining the reasons behind the government decision to make it the cornerstone of the ECCE system, identifying some pitfalls related to this policy, and discussing ways to ensure that family care services are given a prominent role. Chapter 4 describes school-age child care programs, focusing on their evolution since the introduction of reform and examining their strengths and weakness. Chapter 5 explores additional questions, including issues related to family care provider training, standards for CPEs and commercial child care centers, the lack of males in the ECCE system, the status of family child care providers, and the CPE as a business enterprise. The paper's three appendices discuss parents' expressed preference for family child care, the link between the size of the child care group and the providers' income, and the definition of "family environment." (Contains 41 references.) (KB)
- Published
- 2002
127. Policy Research Issues for Canadian Youth: Transition Experiences of Young Women. Research Paper Series
- Author
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Human Resources Development Canada, Applied Research Branch and Andres, Lesley
- Abstract
This paper is part of a research paper series that the Applied Research Branch of Human Resources Development Canada commissioned in 2001 to contribute to the development of a research strategy for young Canadians completing their education and starting their careers. The series focuses on various elements of the school-work transitions of Canadian youth. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the literature on the transitional experiences of young women. Research has documented that gender differences exist in educational and occupational choices, experiences, and attainments and that these differences have special characteristics. The additional dimensions of marriage and family can also generate differences in transition pathways between women and men. Two key impressions emerge from this review: how much we know and how little has changed. Female inequality, whether in reference to participation in mathematics and science, different fields of study at post-secondary institutions, employment status, family responsibilities in relation to work, or the income earnings gap, has been remarkably stable over time in the research literature. However, the accounts of persistent stability mask the educational and occupational, and earnings outcomes for certain groups. The least advantaged continue to be female lone parents and low income families. Several recommendations for further research emerge from the studies reviewed in this paper. Further research is needed, especially using longitudinal research designs, to document changes in attitudes, course selection, post-secondary field chosen and eventual occupational attainment. In addition, policies for access to and participation in education and labour market require monitoring. (Contains 17 figures and 5 footnotes.)
- Published
- 2002
128. Post-Secondary Education Attainment in Canada and the United States in the 1990s. Technical Paper Series. T-02-2E
- Author
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Human Resources Development Canada, Applied Research Branch and Bowlby, Jeffrey W.
- Abstract
With the North American Free Trade Agreement and today's knowledge-based economy, there is a premium placed on post-secondary education and the need to retain graduates in Canada. The share of graduates in the Canadian and the United States labour pools are key to competitiveness. This paper examines Canada's performance relative to the U.S. in terms of post-secondary education (PSE) attainment in the population in the latter half of the 1990s. In particular, it responds to two questions: (1) Does Canada have a higher rate of overall PSE attainment compared to the United States? and (2) Does the United States have a higher rate of university attainment compared to Canada? Findings show that as of 1999, Canada did have a higher rate of PSE attainment compared to the United States. Yet, the gap in attainment between the two countries was not as large as it appeared to be prior to 1997 when a different system of classifying international educational program data was used. Additionally, findings show that by the end of the decade the U.S. had a higher rate of university attainment in the population compared to Canada. However, the difference between the two countries in university attainment is smaller for younger individuals than older. Thus, while a larger percentage of the U.S. population had obtained a university degree, the gap between the two countries may be narrowing. (Contains 1 footnote, 2 tables, and 3 figures.) [This paper is available in French under the title: "Niveau d'etudes postsecondaires au Canada et aux Etats-Unis dans les annees 90."]
- Published
- 2002
129. School Choice by Default? Understanding the Growing Demand for Private Tutoring in Canada. NALL Working Paper.
- Author
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Ontario Inst. for Studies in Education, Toronto. New Approaches to Lifelong Learning. and Davies, Scott
- Abstract
This paper describes a study that examined the demand for tutoring within a context of heightened credential competition and a growing private-education sector consisting of private schools, charter schools, homeschoolers, and a burgeoning entrepreneurial education industry. The number of private-tutoring businesses is rapidly growing in Canada, even though the Canadian educational system lacks the characteristics that normally fuel the demand for such businesses. Which kinds of parents hire and desire private tutors, and how is the demand linked to other educational preferences? Using data from a national survey, the study found that parents who desire affordable tutoring do not differ greatly from other parents in their demographic or political ideology. However, tutoring parents are less satisfied with public education, are more involved in their children's schools, and are greatly more desiring of private schooling and other educational alternatives. The paper concludes that for many parents, private tutoring represents a school choice by default, and is an affordable educational option in lieu of the ability to pay for private schools. (Contains 16 references.) (Author)
- Published
- 2002
130. Training for Whom? For What? Reflection on the Lack of Training Opportunities for Immigrant Garment Workers. NALL Working Paper.
- Author
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Ontario Inst. for Studies in Education, Toronto. New Approaches to Lifelong Learning. and Ng, Roxana
- Abstract
Unlike many recent immigrants who entered Canada as highly trained professionals in their countries of origin, most of Canada's immigrant garment workers are working-class women with little education. The Apparel Textile Action Committee (ATAC) and Homeworker's Association (HWA) are among the bodies that were established to assist immigrant garment workers in Canada who lost their jobs to industrial restructuring and became home workers. The experiences of both bodies has made it clear that the training available to these women does not meet their needs as immigrants with a limited command of English. A study of the informal learning outcomes of HWA's members yielded the following findings: (1) most immigrant garment workers have little expectation that taking classes will lead to better jobs and higher pay; (2) although most immigrant garment workers do not expect that English-as-a-second language (ESL) classes will make them fluent in English, their ESL classes serve important social and educational purposes by giving participants a place to develop a sense of sociability with other workers and learn strategies for negotiating their lives as non-English speaking immigrants and their rights as workers; and (3) although classes are obvious places to look for informal learning, the HWA's executive meetings provide environments for explicit "political learning." (MN)
- Published
- 2002
131. Mapping the Iceberg. NALL Working Paper.
- Author
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Ontario Inst. for Studies in Education, Toronto. New Approaches to Lifelong Learning. and Livingstone, David
- Abstract
A survey of 1,500 Canadian adults looked at the full range of adults' learning activities, including informal learning related to employment, community volunteer work, household work, and other general interest. Findings indicated those in the labor force, or expecting to be in soon, participated in informal learning related to current or prospective future employment such as the following: informal learning projects to keep up with new general job or career knowledge, informal employment-related computer learning, and learning new job tasks, problem-solving and communication skills, occupational safety and health, and new technologies. Those involved in community volunteer work participated in related informal learning on interpersonal, communication, and organizational or managerial skills, and social issues. Those involved in household work participated in related informal learning on home renovations and gardening, home cooking, and home maintenance. Most people participated in informal learning related to their general interests, such as health and well being, environmental issues, finances, hobby skills, social skills, public issues, computers, and sports and recreation. Participation in all forms of schooling and continuing education increased dramatically over the past two generations; educational attainment of the active labor force increased accordingly. Major barriers to course participation were inconvenient times or places; no time; family responsibilities; and expense. (YLB)
- Published
- 2002
132. A Vision for the Future: Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training--A Discussion Paper [and] Current Context and Selected Trends: A Profile of Apprenticeship and Industry Training in Alberta [and] A Vision for the Future: Responses to a Discussion Paper from the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board and the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Division. Keeping You Informed....
- Author
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Alberta Learning, Edmonton. Apprenticeship and Industry Training.
- Abstract
These three publications examine the current state and future of apprenticeship and industry training in Alberta, Canada. The "Current Context" publication, released in October 1996, examines the following topics: the structure of apprenticeship and industry training in Alberta; enrollment and industry participation; Alberta's contribution to apprenticeship training and the interprovincial standards (Red Seal) program; funding apprenticeship and industry training; the emerging economic environment and skill requirements; and recent government initiatives. A "Vision for the Future," also published in October 1996, is a discussion paper and outlines the vision and principles of apprenticeship and industry training in Alberta. The "Keeping you Informed" publication, released in March 1997, presents the responses from stakeholders to the discussion paper. Both the "Vision for the Future" and the "Keeping You Informed" responses are structured around 14 specific goals and strategies related to responsiveness, accessibility, affordability, and accountability. The following are among the recommendations discussed in both papers: (1) redesign the advisory committee network; (2) consider opportunities for flexible certification; (3) increase flexibility in methods of formal instruction; (4) review the regulatory framework; (5) communicate alternative ways of accessing apprenticeship training; and (6) provide apprentices with appropriate financial supports. The three documents include a total of 21 tables/charts and a questionnaire examining the vision and principles of apprenticeship and industry training in Alberta and strategies for achieving them. (MN)
- Published
- 1997
133. Targeting Early Childhood Care and Education: Myths and Realities. Occasional Paper.
- Author
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Toronto Univ. (Ontario). Centre for Urban and Community Studies. and Doherty, Gillian
- Abstract
There is growing acknowledgement that optimal early childhood development is crucial not only for health, well-being, and competence but also for society at large. This second paper in a series focuses on the period from birth to age 6 and draws on research from Canada and other countries to address several questions of children's development, including the following: (1) What are the known threats to young children's optimal development?; (2) Which types of targeted programs promote the development of vulnerable children and under what circumstances?; and (3) To what extend is the current approach to targeting early childhood programs consistent with what we know about what is required to promote young children's development? The paper discusses research evidence from evaluations of three categories of programs intended to promote development of at-risk children: child-focused programs, parent-focused programs, and two-generation programs. The research evidence examined clearly demonstrates that the most effective way of enhancing the development of at-risk children is through center-based, group programs. The research evidence shows that the development of at-risk children is not promoted by programs that are solely parent-focused or by two-generation programs. Following an executive summary, the paper's chapters are: (1) "Supporting the Development of Canada's Children; (2) "Identification of Vulnerable Children"; (3) "Targeted Child-Focused Programs"; (4) "Targeted Parent-Focused Programs"; (5) "Two-Generation Programs"; (6) "Universal Programs"; and (7) "Policy Implications." (Contains 232 references.) (HTH)
- Published
- 2001
134. Educational Finance and School Choice in the United States and Canada. Occasional Paper.
- Author
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Columbia Univ., New York, NY. National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education. and Lawton, Stephen B.
- Abstract
Both the United States and Canadian provinces have moved to enhance educational choice within their educational systems to improve educational productivity. In spite of this similarity of purpose and means, the two nations are taking very different approaches. Most Canadian provinces have moved to full provincial financing of schools and to the allocation of school choice based on group rights assigned to French-speaking and English-speaking citizens. In contrast, the United States has decentralized authority via charter schools, vouchers, or tax deductions, thereby enhancing individual rights. Both nations also have adopted federal and state/provincial assessment systems. The consequences of these actions are still unfolding and merit continuing assessment of outcomes. Eventual assessment may involve the educational, financial, and political success of two distinctive models, one driven by centralized institutions designed to facilitate the delivery of educational services to groups that possess constitutionally protected educational rights, and the other driven by markets that provide local educational services at public expense. (Contains 23 references and 8 figures.) (RT)
- Published
- 2001
135. Learning To Walk between Worlds--Informal Learning in Psychiatric Survivor-Run Businesses: A Retrospective Re-Reading of Research Process and Results from 1993-1999. NALL Working Paper.
- Author
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Ontario Inst. for Studies in Education, Toronto. New Approaches to Lifelong Learning. and Church, Kathryn
- Abstract
This working paper is intended to enrich an initial description of alternative businesses and A-Way Express Couriers, in particular. (A-Way, a 12-year-old community organization, is a psychiatric survivor-run alternative business.) The paper begins with a brief commentary on the psychiatric survivor movement and research on it. The paper traces the emergence and entrenchment of learning as a key feature of psychiatric survivor-run or alternative businesses. The methodology used is to re-read previous research projects and results through the lens of informal learning. Early research on psychiatric survivor-run businesses is reviewed in view of a definition of social learning with these three dimensions: solidarity learning, reshaping the definition of self, and organizational learning. A more detailed examination of informal learning processes at A-Way builds on a previously generated profile and is organized according to the three dimensions of social learning. Comments are based on face-to-face interviews with five employees from each of these three groupings within A-Way: couriers on commission, part-time office staff on salaries, and full-time management on salaries. The final section constructs a narrative account of one woman's learning at A-Way--how over nine years she moved from courier to executive director of the business on a journey that evokes the richness and complexity of informal learning in this context. (YLB)
- Published
- 2001
136. Minority Languages Learned Informally: The Social Construction of Language Skills through the Discourse of Ontario Employers. NALL Working Paper.
- Author
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Ontario Inst. for Studies in Education, Toronto. New Approaches to Lifelong Learning., Goldberg, Michelle, and Corson, David
- Abstract
Many immigrants, refugees, and aboriginal Canadians learn their own languages in the normal, informal way. These minority languages learned informally are not valued as a skill that yields returns in the labor market in the same way the official languages or formally learned languages do. What counts as a skill in a society, in a given point in time, is the product of complex phenomenological, social, economic, ideological, and political processes. Discourse is key to this process of social and cultural reproduction. The discourse of Ontario employers socially constructs the definition of what counts as a skill in Ontario workplaces and thus what warrants value in the labor market. The notion of skill is a construction that is socially created and hence changeable. If we want to change the unjust situation that affects the speakers of minority languages, we need to change the discourse surrounding minority languages to one that truly values minority languages as skills worth conserving, maintaining, and putting to use. (Contains 18 references.) (YLB)
- Published
- 2001
137. Pathways to Equality: Hearings on Access to Public Education for Aboriginal People. Discussion Paper.
- Author
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British Columbia Human Rights Commission, Vancouver.
- Abstract
Aboriginal people are not benefiting from the British Columbia school system, as evidenced by their poor performance on basic skills tests, overrepresentation in special education, and low high school completion rates. The British Columbia Human Rights Commission feels that Aboriginal students do not receive an equal education. Through research, public hearings, and follow-up actions, the Commission will identify ways to use its human rights mandate and legislative authority to remove barriers for Aboriginal students in the school system. The intention of the public hearings is to work cooperatively with all education stakeholders to identify and implement solutions to ensure educational equality for Aboriginal students. Educational equity will be achieved when Aboriginal children see themselves and their people reflected in the curriculum, feel a sense of belonging in the school system, and no longer face discrimination; Aboriginal parents are a part of their children's education; Aboriginal communities share control over their children's education; a holistic approach to education is adopted; and non-Aboriginal Canadians understand their country's history regarding Aboriginal people and respect the unique status of Aboriginal people. Key questions for public hearings include: How can the Commission work with education and Aboriginal communities to create an equal education system for Aboriginal students? How can identified barriers be eliminated? What educational barriers have yet to be identified? and Which programs and activities are successful? (Contains 28 endnotes.) (TD)
- Published
- 2001
138. Workers' Knowledge: An Untapped Resource in the Labour Movement. NALL Working Paper.
- Author
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Ontario Inst. for Studies in Education, Toronto. New Approaches to Lifelong Learning., Livingstone, D. W., and Roth, Reuben
- Abstract
A study analyzed the schooling, further adult course participation, and informal learning of organized and unorganized workers in different occupational classes across Canada. Data were obtained from the first Canadian national survey of 1,562 adults' informal learning practices, conducted in 1998, and field notes and interview transcripts drawn from participants in the auto plant case study of the Working Class Learning Strategies project conducted at five union locals in southern Ontario in 1995-2000. The study found that unionized and non-unionized industrial and service workers in Canada are increasingly highly educated, increasingly participating in adult education courses and devoting substantial amounts of their time to informal learning activities outside organized education and training programs. In addition, the study found that working people are generally engaged collectively and individually in an extensive array of employment-related and other informal learning activities that are neither fully recognized by most employers or union leaders nor given prior learning credit by educational institutions. The study concluded that underestimation of the current range and depth of workers' knowledge and skills by union leaders represents a significant barrier to further growth of the labor movement. Recommendations for strategies to facilitate union growth are suggested, based on what has worked most effectively in these locals of differing general organizational strength and demographic profiles. (KC)
- Published
- 2001
139. New Forms of Work Organization, Skills and Training. Final Report. Working Paper Series
- Author
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Human Resources Development Canada, Applied Research Branch and Eschuk, Craig
- Abstract
This study addresses the issue of how new forms of work organization (NFWO) are affecting job skill requirements. Practices such as job rotation, problem-solving teams and self-directed workgroups are thought to increase job skill requirements because they tend to broaden job responsibilities. The study uses the 1999 and 2000 waves of the Workplace Employee Survey (WES) to examine how participation in these three new forms of work organization affects skills needs. As with studies from other countries, this study suggests that these new forms of work organization do lead to new job skill requirements. Moreover, to some extent firms use training to meet the increased skill needs associated with these practices. It is also likely that firms make greater use of existing skills possessed by their employees or to some extent forsake training, because it is too costly. It is also found that employees reporting increased technological complexity since the start of the job are much more likely to have increased skill requirements. This suggests that "more complex," often computer-based, technologies tend to eliminate routine tasks from jobs and introduce more cognitively demanding tasks. Given this tendency, the principal issues for public policy are to what extent the use and benefits of NFWO are limited by skill deficiencies amongst segments of the working population and to what extent the introduction of NFWO may limit the labour market prospects of individuals without a post-secondary education. Appendices include: (1) Employer and Employee Questions on Job Rotation, Problem-Solving Teams and Self-Directed Work-Groups; (2) Employee Questions on Job-Related Training Provided or Paid by the Employer; (3) Definitions of Selected Independent Variables Used in this Study; and (4) Variable Means, 1999 and 2000. A bibliography is also provided. (Contains 9 tables and 21 footnotes.) [This paper is available in French under the title: "Nouvelles formes d'organisation du travail, competences et formation."]
- Published
- 2003
140. Some Thoughts on Protocol in University/Community Partnerships. NALL Working Paper.
- Author
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Ontario Inst. for Studies in Education, Toronto. New Approaches to Lifelong Learning. and Haig-Brown, Celia
- Abstract
The pilot project, "A Pedagogy of the Land" (POL), provides an opportunity to ponder the relations between aboriginal community/university knowledges in this case, the relations between an Anishinaape land-based pedagogy and the developing theorizing around formal and informal learning. Traditional aboriginal education is not limited to elders teaching children. While elders are responsible for passing knowledge to the appropriate people when they are ready, any person older or more experienced in a particular knowledge than another has the potential to be that person's teacher. Education is a community responsibility taken seriously by each and every community member who at any moment can be in the position of teaching. The learning in POL does not fit any category of the "Basic Types of Intentional Learning." It involves traditional indigenous knowledge keepers with some fluency in their language whose knowledge arises from traditional Anishinaape world view in a program that allows them to build on one another's knowledge and prepare to pass it on to others who know less. Located on an isolated island in a large northern lake, POL has the goal to recreate indigenous knowledge in a contemporary context. Over a year, students attend two summer courses with an intervening research component. As participants work through their days in traditional activities, they incorporate sacred knowledge into their every action. Comments from Anishinaape teacher, Kaaren Dannenmann follow. (YLB)
- Published
- 2000
141. A Comparative Investigation of Safer Sex Practices among Canadian and New Zealand Prostitutes. NALL Working Paper.
- Author
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Ontario Inst. for Studies in Education, Toronto. New Approaches to Lifelong Learning. and Meaghan, Diane
- Abstract
This project examined attitudes, expectations, and behaviors that make prostitutes successful in learning to establish their autonomy and work safely. Ethnographic studies were conducted of 47 prostitutes in Canada and 60 in New Zealand through semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and open-ended discussions supplemented by researchers' observations and participation in the culture of sex trade work. Women new to the streets and experienced women involved in various genres of sex work were surveyed as to how they came to acquire a working knowledge about safer sex practices and what specific practices resulted from that knowledge. Findings suggested that, in the course of their daily work, most prostitutes learn to deal with issues of intimacy, decision making, communication, negotiation, and assertiveness. Prostitute practices acquired outside of formal educational systems constituted an alternative body of educational knowledge that could efficiently use community resources to inform and teach about issues concerning safer sexual interactions. Staffed by workers who were in or formerly part of the sex industry, the New Zealand Prostitutes' Collective was the first cooperative effort between the government and sex workers to promote safer sex practices in the sex industry. Sex workers wanted to create an organization that would empower them and advance their political and legal cause. (Contains 27 references.) (YLB)
- Published
- 2000
142. More Than the Sum of the Parts: An Early Childhood Development System for Canada. Occasional Paper No. 12.
- Author
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Toronto Univ. (Ontario). Centre for Urban and Community Studies., Beach, Jane, and Bertrand, Jane
- Abstract
This paper is one of several intended to consider early childhood care and education within the context of Canada's National Children's Agenda. The paper takes the position that a blended, coherent system of early childhood development programs incorporating child care, early childhood education, and family support services should be available in every community. The current array of policies and programs in Canada is examined, and options are considered for developing the proposed system of early child development programs. The paper is organized into five sections: (1) an introduction to early child development programs; (2) the roots of early child development programs in Canada; (3) a description of existing early child development programs; (4) a discussion of dominant public policy directions; and (5) a proposed agenda for creating a system of early child development in Canada. (Contains 53 references.) (EV)
- Published
- 2000
143. Standards of Professional Practice for Accomplished Teaching in Australian Classrooms. A National Discussion Paper.
- Author
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Australian Coll. of Education, Curtin., Australian Curriculum Studies Association, Deakin West., and Australian Association for Research in Education, Melbourne.
- Abstract
This discussion paper provides a rationale for the development of professional teaching standards in Australia. It is the result of a 2000 national forum on professional teaching standards held in Melbourne, Australia, which included 150 educators who explored contemporary issues associated with such standards and constructed a framework for collaborative and strategic action. The paper is designed to stimulate discussion about the need to identify and deploy standards of professional practice for accomplished school teachers. Nine sections examine: (1) "Purpose of This Discussion Paper"; (2) "The Broader Professional Teaching Standards Agendas"; (3) "Some Threshold Questions and Issues"; (4) "What Constitutes a 'Profession' and What Does it Mean To Be a 'Professional'?"; (5)"Why Does the Teaching Profession Need Standards of Accomplished Professional Practice?"; (6) "Who Would Benefit From the Identification and Use of Standards of Accomplished Professional Practice?"; (7) "How Have Some Other Countries Addressed the Issue of Professional Teaching Standards?" (8) "Upon What Premises and Principles Ought the Identification and Use of Standards of Professional Practice for Accomplished Teaching in Australian Classrooms Be Based?"; and (9) "What Should the Accomplished Australian Classroom Teacher Know, Understand, Do, and Value?" (Contains 33 references.) (SM)
- Published
- 2000
144. Taking Down the Walls: Communities and Educational Research in Canada's 21st Century. NALL Working Paper.
- Author
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Ontario Inst. for Studies in Education, Toronto. New Approaches to Lifelong Learning. and Haig-Brown, Celia
- Abstract
To take community seriously in the conduct of educational research, the researcher should consider taking down epistemological walls and the "real" ones that confine the processes and products of academic labor to artificially isolated settings. Epistemologically, the question of walls relates to the kinds of knowledge competed over, most often disciplinary knowledge. Within and around disciplinary walls are the walls of theory. Community in the context of the discussion means the creation of spaces that allow difference to be a constant, unpredictable part of who we are together. A pilot project, A Pedagogy of the Land (POL), is an example of current research in an attempt to take down the walls. POL involves traditional indigenous knowledge keepers with some fluency in their language whose knowledge arises from traditional Anishinaape world view in a program that allows them to build on one another's knowledge and prepare to pass it on to others who know less. POL addresses walls by taking the university a faculty member out of the walls of the campus. It begins from the premise that traditional knowledge has most often been pushed outside the epistemological walls of academe by being given inequitable status and prestige. What happens on the island in the north where POL is located is discourse that has been inaccessible to the English language, arises from the land, and is constructed by the people who have lived there since time immemorial. (Contains 13 references.) (YLB)
- Published
- 2000
145. Preparing Globally Minded Students and Employees. NATCON Papers, 2000.
- Author
-
Arthur, Nancy
- Abstract
The changing world of work requires an evaluation of the ways of thinking about career development and the ways of preparing people for future roles. Canada's participation in a global economy is a reality that must be recognized and translated into career-planning strategies. There are three major global trends that career practitioners must be aware of: the increasingly technological world, the increasingly borderless world, and the increasingly polarized world. Competencies that workers need in order to be successful in the global marketplace are discussed as well as the barriers to their success. In order for career practitioners and workers to be globally minded, they need the following: access to information about the impact of global trends; assistance in seeing themselves as global workers; opportunities for international travel and study; knowledge about cross-cultural competencies; and role models. Both individual and organizational efforts are needed to prepare students and employees for future work roles. (Author/JDM)
- Published
- 2000
146. How Much Language Is Enough? Some Immigrant Language Lessons from Canada and Germany. Discussion Paper.
- Author
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Institute for the Study of Labor, Bonn (Germany)., DeVoretz, Don J., Hinte, Holger, and Werner, Christiane
- Abstract
Germany and Canada are at opposite ends of the debate over language integration and ascension to citizenship. German naturalization contains an explicit language criterion for naturalization. The first German immigration act will not only concentrate on control aspects but also focus on language as a criterion for legal immigration. Canada does not base entry or citizenship on knowledge of either of its official languages. Acquisition of a second language in Canada is voluntary and largely dependent on labor market incentives. This paper offers a comparative review of Canadian and German legal and educational programs. Nine sections focus on the following: "Canadian Immigration Policy: Post 1945"; "Canada's Citizenship Act and Language Requirements"; "Historical Development of Germany's Immigration Policy"; "Confirmation of German Citizenship"; "'Aussiedler' Language Tests"; "Canada's Market-Based Language Tests and Instruction"; "Canada's Language Benchmarks"; "German Language Training"; and "Evaluation of Second Language Acquisition in Canada and Germany." Five appendixes contain excerpts from the German and Canadian law and data on the language support program for ethnic Germans and foreigners in Germany, status 2000. (Contains 3 figures, 11 tables, and 64 references.) (SM)
- Published
- 2002
147. Is Post-Secondary Education in Canada a Cost-Effective Proposition? Working Paper Series. W-01-9E
- Author
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Human Resources Development Canada, Applied Research Branch, Appleby, John, Fougere, Maxime, and Rouleau, Manon
- Abstract
This study provides an overview of the return on investment to post-secondary education in Canada, by gender. In it, three time series are developed respectively on the cost-effectiveness of non-university post-secondary diplomas (1981-1996), bachelor's degrees (1989-1996) and university degrees (1981-1996), including bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. The method used is based on a calculation of internal rate of return (cost-benefit approach) and is applied to the data from the Consumer Finance Survey. The results as a whole indicate that rates of return to post-secondary education are positive and vary by gender and level of education. The results are also consistent with those of Canadian studies on rate of return to education over a single year. In addition, the analysis indicates that rates of return are sensitive to the state of economic activity, and there is a positive correlation between rates of return and unemployment rates. Lastly, after screening the data to adjust for the effects of the economic cycle, the authors identified a slightly positive trend in rates of return to university degrees. According to their estimates, the trend rates of return increased by approximately one percentage point between 1981 and 1996. The structure of this paper is as follows. Part 2 examines the conceptual questions related to the rate of return to education and considers various definitions. Part 3 discusses the main methods used to measure the rate of return to education. Part 4 provides a brief review of empirical studies on the question. Then the methodological approach, assumptions and basic concepts used are discussed in Part 5, and the authors' findings are set out in Part 6. Lastly, in the conclusion, the authors summarize study highlights and make some suggestions for future research. Two appendixes include: (1) Table of Main Findings; and (2) Technical Aspects. (Contains 12 footnotes, 4 tables, 6 charts, and a bibliography.)
- Published
- 2002
148. The Effect of Changes in Maternal Employment and Family Composition on Children's Behaviour. Working Paper Series. W-02-3-2E
- Author
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Human Resources Development Canada, Applied Research Branch and Roberts, Paul
- Abstract
Recent research suggests that changing maternal employment and family composition are associated with children's behavioural development. This report assesses whether, and if so to what extent, changes in these areas may affect the behavioural development of children, using information from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY). The study investigates how maternal employment, employment transitions, and spells of unemployment, are related to children's behavioural development from 1994 to 1998. The analysis focuses on the quality of maternal jobs using, for example, number of hours worked per week. As well, the report also investigates how changes in family composition such as becoming a lone parent family or entering into new two parent families, may affect children's behavioural development. Three behavioural scales are used in the paper as dependent variables: indirect aggression, emotional disorder-anxiety and conduct disorder-physical aggression. Using cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, evidence is found to support the existing literature, although it is relatively weak. Maternal employment, in particular the number of employment transitions (expressed as periods of unemployment), is found to be associated with higher levels of behaviour problems in children, particularly for indirect aggression behaviour. As well, stable family composition is associated with relatively better behaviour scores. Family composition which changes over time tends to be associated with relatively worse behaviour scores for children. More research and analysis of this area is necessary to uncover the complex interplay of the variables. A bibliography is included. (Contains 13 tables and 3 endnotes.)
- Published
- 2002
149. The Complementarity of Language and Other Human Capital: Immigrant Earnings in Canada. Discussion Paper.
- Author
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Institute for the Study of Labor, Bonn (Germany)., Chiswick, Barry R., and Miller, Paul W.
- Abstract
This paper analyzes the effects of language practice on earnings among adult male immigrants in Canada using data from the 1991 Census of Canada. It examines whether destination language skills are complements to or substitutes in generating earnings with respect to other kinds of human capital (schooling and pre- and post-migration labor market experience). Results show that earnings increase with schooling, pre-immigration experience, duration in Canada, and proficiency in the official languages (English and French). There is complementarity between language skills and both schooling and pre-immigration experience. Greater proficiency in the official languages enhances the effects on earnings of schooling and pre-immigration labor market experience. Language proficiency and post-migration experience appear to be substitutes, in that among people with greater language proficiency, the impact of time in Canada on earnings is smaller. (Contains 15 references.) (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education) (SM)
- Published
- 2002
150. Poverty, Social Capital, Parenting and Child Outcomes in Canada. Final Report. Working Paper Series
- Author
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Human Resources Development Canada, Applied Research Branch, Jones, Charles, Clark, Linn, Grusec, Joan, Hart, Randle, Plickert, Gabriele, and Tepperman, Lorne
- Abstract
The experience of long-term poverty affects many child outcomes, in part through a family stress process in which poverty is considered to be one of the major factors causing family dysfunction, depression among caregivers and inadequate parenting. Recent scholarship extends the classical Family Stress Model by researching the ways in which neighbourhood contexts might mediate or modify these relationships. Neighbourhoods vary from the affluent to the economically deprived and since the long-term poor rarely live in well-off neighbourhoods, measures of neighbourhood disadvantage add little to family poverty in the prediction of child health and behaviour problems. But neighbourhoods also differ in the degree to which they are socially organized, cohesive and supportive to the enterprise of raising children. Sociologists refer to this as the "social capital" of neighbourhoods and propose that such social capital may ameliorate the effects of poverty and help parents raise children to achieve their full potential. This study reports the construction of measures related to social capital (Collective Efficacy and Social Support) at the neighbourhood, rather than the individual level, and the use of these along with a battery of census characteristics and other explanatory variables in the prediction of outcomes for longitudinal children aged 4 to 15 in the NLSCY [National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth]. The authors used statistical modeling to study the impact of higher or lower amounts of social capital in a national sample and in a smaller sample of some 200 neighbourhoods (as defined by census enumeration areas). The results support some aspects of an expanded family stress theory in that the effects of long-term poverty upon child outcomes are mediated, but also moderated by neighbourhood social capital, and by family "burnout" (dysfunction and parental depression). The study confirms previous research showing that certain parenting styles are strongly associated with children's health and behaviour problems, and that neighbourhoods account for small but significant proportions of the variation in child outcomes. An innovative result is that the degree to which long-term poverty impacts child outcomes varies according to the characteristics of neighbourhoods. The authors caution that their study cannot provide national estimates of the impact of neighbourhood social capital on child outcomes. A bibliography is included. (Contains 3 figures, 12 tables, and 30 footnotes.) [This paper is available in French under the title: "La pauvrete, le capital social, les competences parentales et les resultats des enfants au Canada."
- Published
- 2002
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