Community College Leadership (CCL) Graduates

Nancey Adamson (PhD '14)

Millennial Employees' Expectations of the Workplace: A Case Study of Humber College

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe whether what the Millennial employees (employees born between January 1, 1981 and December 31, 2000) who participated in the study wanted in the workplace aligned with what is currently offered in the Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts Technology (CAAT) system. More specifically, the study examined if the Millennials who currently worked at the CAAT that was the site of this study (Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning), felt the current "terms and conditions" of employment met their needs, and if not, what were their suggestions on changes that might be made to better meet their expectations. I used a convergent parallel mixed methodology research design for this study with the intention to provide Humber leaders with the perspectives of their youngest employees on the current "terms and conditions" of employment and provide recommendations on if and/or how changes could be made to better meet these employees' needs. By including the perspectives from three key sources of information in this study, that is, Millennial employees, Human Resources leaders, and document analysis, the findings provided a deeper understanding of the issues explored.The conclusions and recommendations drawn from this study suggest that there are many opportunities for college leaders to re-examine policies and practices that are currently in place for college employees. Many suggestions and recommendations were made in each of the five main categories measured: Financial Rewards; Recognition; Skill Development; Career Development; and Quality of Work/Life.The study findings may inform policy and practice that will create an environment that is conducive to attracting and retaining the best faculty, support staff and administrators so that the Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology can meet the mandate set out for them by the provincial government.

Rick Anderson (PhD '21)

A Study of Differentiation within the Ontario College Sector and the Impact of Geography

In 1965 Ontario Education Minister, William G. Davis, introduced a new sector of Ontario post-secondary institutions, Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology. A primary purpose of this sector was to create access to education, particularly for those who were not accessing university. Additional primary characteristics of colleges were that they were to be comprehensive institutions offering a variety of primarily occupationally focused programs, and that they were to respond to local education and training needs. Over five decades later, although colleges have evolved in numerous ways, this study demonstrates that these key characteristics are still present. In 2012 the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) indicated it would be pursuing a policy direction of differentiation to, in part, create a more efficient post-secondary system in Ontario. This study explores potential impacts of differentiation policy on the traditional mandate of colleges as institutions designed to promote local student access and to respond to local community needs, and the potential impact on Ontario students and communities. Using theoretical frameworks of institutional diversity and differentiation, social policy theory and the capability approach, this study examines the levels and dimensions of existing diversity and differentiation in the Ontario post-secondary system. It draws on three data sources to undertake this study: document analysis of strategic mandate agreements; geographic attendance data for college and university students in Ontario; and interviews with institutional leaders and senior policy actors. The study’s findings confirm that college students in rural and remote communities tend to attend colleges that are located close to them. Students in the Toronto area demonstrate higher mobility between colleges located in Toronto but overall also display a tendency to attend regionally close institutions. University students also demonstrate in-region attendance patterns within the Toronto area but rural and remote university students overall are more mobile across the province. Through qualitative interviews and document analysis, this study also finds that rural and remote colleges still, five decades after their inception, demonstrate very high community connectedness and characteristics of strong regional responsiveness.

James P. Angel (PhD '08)

Learning portfolios: a phenomenological study of student portfolio development at a community college

Portfolios have been used in higher education for multiple purposes, including assessment, demonstrating professional learning, career development, showcasing accomplishments, enhancing learning and developing reflective professional practitioners in pre- and in-service teacher education programs. This study focused on a unique, college-wide implementation of learning portfolios at a two year vocational community college. A phenomenological approach was used to collect data from seven students who were interviewed using both an open ended and semi-structured approach. The full time student population was surveyed, to determine to what degree the broader student population shared the perspectives of the seven students who were interviewed. Seven themes relating to learning portfolios emerged from the data. Portfolios were used as a: (1) tool to facilitate learning; (2) record of learning, repository for documentation/evidence; (3) learning strategy—a means to identify skills gaps and build knowledge based upon feedback; (4) motivational and self-esteem building tool; (5) organizing tool; (6) career preparation (job search and interview) tool; and (7) context for reflection, and a tool to promote a holistic perspective of their experience and themselves. Students from the skilled trades were more likely to be critical of the learning portfolio although it helped them to organize their documentation, and use the portfolio for showcase purposes. A hybrid theoretical model was developed to suggest how portfolios combined with information technology might be implemented in the vocational context, if the focus is on learning. Areas identified for further study include, the need to research further portfolio processes that support systematic reflection and that link learning processes to portfolio development in the vocational setting; the degree to which employers value a portfolio in their hiring decision-making; the impact of evolving information technology and its possible applications in vocational education; and the significance of age, gender and ethnicity/race in relation to portfolio development processes and the product of these processes.

Gina Antonnaci (PhD '20)

The Transformation of Three Colleges to Institutes of Technology and Advanced Learning in Ontario

This qualitative, exploratory study focuses on the transformation of three of Ontario's public colleges as they became Institutes of Technology and Advanced Learning (ITALs) with the capacity to offer up to 15 percent of their programming as baccalaureate degrees. The data were gathered through interviews with 11 past and present policy and institutional leaders, as well as 21 current ITAL administrators and faculty members. In addition, a document analysis provided insight into the manner in which the transformation was reflected through publications and documents. The theoretical framework that grounds this study includes historical institutionalism, legitimacy theory, as well as Burton R. Clark’s theory related to hierarchy and power in post-secondary institutions. These theories provide a view to understanding the incremental manner in which the ITALs changed and offer insight into the challenges that the ITALs face as they build legitimacy related to their new degree offerings This study found that as the ITALs transformed incrementally, there was a shift in their institutional identities. As they began to offer degrees, in addition to their traditional credentials, the ITALs changed. They introduced new regulations, policies and processes, resulting in a change to the manner in which the institutions operated on a daily basis. In expanding their degree provision, the ITALs were required to create a degree culture, including the introduction of an applied research infrastructure, a staffing policy for the hiring of PhD-prepared faculty and a rigorous degree quality assurance framework. The study found that the ITALs continue to address challenges related to building legitimacy among internal and external stakeholders, critical to the persistence and success of degree offering. As they transformed, the ITALs experienced challenges as the new rules, regulations and responsibilities of degree offering were introduced and layered on to their traditional program offerings. At the same time, the transformation provided meaningful opportunities for the ITALs as their mandate evolved to include degree offerings. This study addresses the transformed mandate of the ITALs and contemplates the possibility of an alternate post-secondary system design in Ontario.

Bob Bernhardt (PhD '09)

The potential for engaging part-time faculty in community colleges in additional roles : perceptions and attitudes of part-time faculty and administrators

Rumeet Billan (PhD '14)

Global Competence: Essential characteristics as perceived by Faculty and Program Heads in International Business Programs at Ontario's five Institutes of Technology and Advanced Learning

The purpose of this study was to understand how global competence was defined by study participants and to identify the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that were perceived as essential to its development as a student learning outcome of International Business Programs. This study focused on faculty teaching in the International Business Programs and the heads who oversee those programs at Ontario's five Institutes of Technology and Advanced Learning (ITALs). This was an exploratory descriptive case study with quantitative and qualitative data collected concurrently from three perspectives: faculty, program heads and relevant documents. The response rate (n=8 of approximately 57 invited) of faculty teaching in these programs, and only one of the five program heads, was disappointingly low. However, the in-depth analysis of a total of 25 course outlines (five of the required courses of each of the five programs), provided a rich source of information on the knowledge, skills and attitudes integral to global competence.Consistent with the literature, I did not find a common definition of global competence, but the term `culture' recurred throughout the definitions presented. The competencies found to be essential to global competence included: discussing/explaining, examining and/or analyzing culture, communication and/or negotiation, describing, assessing and/or analyzing the external environment (political, economic, legal and/or social), developing and evaluating strategies, describing, examining and/or analyzing international trade, comparing, examining and/or evaluating the Canadian perspective, and discussing and describing human rights, ethics and social responsibility, all within the global context. Celebrating diversity was included at the program and institutional level. Three main teaching/learning strategies were employed in the classroom to support the development of global competence: case studies, developing a business and/or marketing plan, and simulations and games. At the program level, study abroad options in various countries were available. Mandatory foreign language study was proposed.Although the findings of this case study are not generalizable, global competence is an area that is of interest to institutions of higher education, and this study may be informative for other colleges and universities interested in exploring global competence as a student learning outcome of internationalization.

Rena Borovilos (PhD '14)

The Impact of Dual Credit Programs on College Students: A Comparative Study of Dual Credit Participants and Non-dual Credit Participants in One Ontario College

Dual Credit Programs were introduced to the province of Ontario in 2005 as part of an educational reform initiative designed to help more students graduate high school and transition to college. The number of Ontario Dual Credit Programs has grown tremendously over the years but research has not kept pace with program expansion. This study was conducted to help fill that research gap. This study investigated the impact of Dual Credit Programs on college students by focusing on a group of students who participated in dual credit courses and activities and subsequent postsecondary programs at Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning (Humber College) in Toronto, Ontario. The study also included a comparison group of non-dual credit participants who attended postsecondary education at the same institution and at the same time as the dual credit participants. Best described as a retrospective longitudinal study, this mixed methods research involved three data sources: college student records, college students, and college faculty. The data used in this study was derived from the student records, an online student survey, student interviews, and faculty interviews. College students who were previously enrolled in dual credit courses and comparators with no dual credit experience were found to differ in college preparation, college engagement, and college success but not college persistence. However, independent analyses of the college records of dual credit participants showed them to differ on college persistence depending on the number of dual credit courses they completed. The findings of this study have implications for policy and practice, theory development, and future research in the dual credit area.

Tim Brunet (PhD '22)

Humanities and Learning Outcomes in Ontario Higher Education

Governments in western liberal economies, such as Ontario, are shifting to outcomes-based systems that ‘tune’ higher education curriculum to stakeholder interests. Globally, governments are using learning outcomes for quality assurance, to modernize curriculum for societal interests, and to apply government and market influence upon the curriculum. This thesis applies new institutionalism and the capability approach to examine how humanities leaders in Ontario higher education perceive and react to the new administrative layer of learning outcomes. According to institutional theory, responses may include superficial strategies for compliance, non-compliance, or the layering of new policies among existing traditions. The research asks, “How do Ontario university leaders in the humanities perceive and implement the shift to learning outcomes?” The study aims to understand to what extent an outcomes-based system aligns with the curricular priorities of the humanities in higher education. Narratives of 19 university humanities leaders were analyzed through qualitative interviews within 10 Ontario universities. The data was reviewed using thematic analysis, inductive and deductive analysis, and compared within the context of the outcomes-based education literature. The overarching narrative of participants indicated that learning outcomes were both an innovative opportunity for pedagogical reflection and a new burdensome administrative layer. The process of tuning the humanities curriculum with administrative pursuits, targeted government funding, and specified career outcomes was not widely accepted by the participants in the study. The approach of passive compliance with learning outcomes became more evident when asking about the consistency, and verifiability of outcomes achieved. Participants shared political challenges and chronological alignments with program restructuring, displaced curriculum, and in some cases program cancellations. Participants said that students were generally unfamiliar with learning outcomes. When discussing opportunities of learning outcomes, participants said that they were an effective discussion tool to envision curricular strategies for enrolment management, experiential learning, interdisciplinary programs, and large elective courses. The study adds to the literature by providing an in-depth view of the agency of department heads to manage the curriculum in the humanities, an understanding of the implementation of Ontario’s learning outcomes policy, and the political positioning of the humanities in Ontario’s higher education system.

Paula Buskard (PhD '19)

A Case Study of Teaching Styles at One Ontario College

The purpose of this case study was to explore, describe, and compare the teaching styles practiced by faculty members at Loyalist College (permission to name received) with those articulated in college documents, and espoused by academic deans and faculty. This exploratory descriptive study focused on the practiced teaching styles as self-reported by participating faculty at Loyalist College, compared to the formally espoused approach to teaching adult learners at this College. Furthermore, this research identified trends of practiced teaching styles of participating faculty regarding their demographic profile, educational philosophy, and level of participation in professional development activities. To explore, describe, analyze and compare the approach to teaching adult learners at Loyalist College, a mixed method design was utilized through college document analysis, the use of interviews and Conti’s (1982) Principles of Adult Learning Scale (PALS) survey. The quantitative data identified that participating faculty at Loyalist College scored an overall teacher-centred practice, but upon deeper analysis, scores indicated a commitment to a practice that is closer to both teacher and learner-centred. The qualitative data analysis identified that college documents, academic deans and participating faculty espouse more of a learner-centred compared to teacher-centred approach to teaching adult learners at Loyalist College. Comparatively, in ranking of scores, an increased teacher-centred practice was the most popular teaching style (n=15); a very strong learner-centred practice was next (n=8); four faculty identified a very strong teacher-centred teaching style and the same number identified an increased learner-centred approach; finally, one faculty identified an extreme learner-centred approach and one faculty identified an eclectic practice. No faculty at Loyalist College identified an extreme teacher-centred practice. Although the majority of participating faculty were teacher-centred, the scores also indicated a commitment to learner-centred practices. Twenty (60.6%) of participating faculty scored within one standard deviation. Although the findings of this research are not generalizable, they may have implications for practice, policy and further research to incorporate best practices in teaching adult learners at Loyalist College and possibly even the Ontario College system.

Maureen E. Callahan (PhD '06)

Achieving government, community and institutional goals through the measurement of performance: accountability and performance indicators in Ontario colleges and universities

In 1998, the Ontario government established performance indicators for its publicly funded colleges and universities to both assess performance and distribute part of the public funds allocated to higher education. This initiative was consistent with the actions of governments throughout the world and has significance for both the systems of higher education and the individual institutions wherever it is in place. This study examined several issues including government motivation for measuring the performance of postsecondary institutions; a critical analysis of the Ontario accountability framework against both public policy goals for postsecondary education and established standards and criteria for performance measurement systems; perceptions of stakeholders regarding public goals and the efficacy of the current accountability system; and recommendations for changes to the Ontario performance indicator system based on research results. The study found that the perceptions of stakeholders regarding government goals for postsecondary education were reasonably consistent with those found in public documents. However, the lack of a clear statement of government goals, together with some misalignment of perceived goals and those the current performance indicators appear to be measuring, caused confusion and could also result in inappropriate steering effects on the behaviour of colleges and universities. The study also found that the current Ontario accountability framework was only moderately consistent with the standards and criteria for postsecondary performance indicators established in the literature. Other significant findings of the study include differences in perceived goals for colleges and universities but similar indicators to measure performance, the lack of provision for mission-related institutional goals contrary to recommendations in the literature, and that transferability from college to university, a clearly stated goal of the government, is neither measured nor rewarded by performance funding. The study relied on a review of government documents and related literature, and the results of a survey of stakeholders regarding government goals for postsecondary education, the relevance and reliability of the current performance indicators for measuring performance and influencing funding, and identification of other indicators relevant to assess the performance of Ontario colleges and universities. Recommendations for changes to the system and suggestions for future research are included.

Laura Capacchione (PhD '19)

Dental Hygiene Curriculum and Core Competency Development: A Case Study of One Ontario College Program

The purpose of this convergent parallel mixed methods case study was to explore the dental hygiene curriculum at one Ontario College, referred to as DH College (pseudonym) to discover educator, student, and graduating student perceptions of teaching and learning strategies related to national core competency development. Dental hygiene programs across Canada use these entry-to-practice National Dental Hygiene Competencies to develop curricula. All full-time educators of the program were invited to participate in an online survey and interview. This study explored how participating educators (n=7) in the DH College program interpreted, integrated, and assessed student achievement of core national competencies in the classroom. Through document analysis the study explored how students (n=144) perceived learning experiences related to core competency development. And, through the use of an online survey, the study further explored how participating graduating students (n=20) self-assessed their abilities related to the core national competencies. The Capabilities Approach theoretical framework grounded this study. The conclusions drawn from the findings of this mixed methods case study suggest that the DH College curriculum supports the development of core national competencies which are: the dental hygienist as a professional, communicator and collaborator, critical thinker, advocate, and coordinator however, educators find it challenging to teach professionalism and advocacy in the classroom. Three of the seven educators interviewed felt that graduates are not attaining all of the 70 core ability-based outcomes at the level of national expectations. And, graduating students reported that they had gained no understanding or a less than a basic understanding from their program curriculum with respect to 21 (30%) of the 70 core national ability-based outcomes required for entry-to-practice into the profession. Furthermore, and most importantly, educators were not unanimous in their explicit understanding of what constituted basic attainment of the national ability-based outcomes. Though the findings are not generalizable beyond the case study program, an understanding of these findings has the potential to inform teaching and learning, policy, and practice, not just in the case study program, but other dental hygiene programs that seek to review their own programs with respect to the core National Dental Hygiene Competencies.

Liang-Hsuan Chen (PhD '05)

Choosing Canadian Graduate Schools from Afar: East-Asian Students’ Perspectives

International graduate students are a very special group of people, belonging to the socalled “creative class” (Florida, 2002), who travel from afar to pursue advanced education for the love of knowledge and for personal/professional advancement. They play an important role in Canadian graduate education by bringing academic, cultural, and economic benefits to our learning environment and society. They are ambassadors of Canadian education to the world. However, little research has been conducted to understand why and how they come here, and what attracts them. The purpose of this research is therefore to explore the factors and process by which graduate study in Canada is undertaken, and to develop a framework to explain their choice of a Canadian graduate school. “College Choice” models appearing in previous research are designed mainly to explain the college choices of domestic undergraduate students. There is a general lack of “College Choice” working hypotheses for graduate students (Kallio, 1993). The research into international students generally does not differentiate level of study. Therefore, for the purpose of this study, a synthesis model was developed to understand the process of undertaking overseas graduate study. A push-pull model was used to understand the strengths of and relationships among various factors that influence the choice of a country, institution, program, and city. The dual purpose of the research suggested a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods be used to explain the factors and process. Data was obtained by means of a survey questionnaire and in-person interviews. The research sample comprised students from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, who enrolled in graduate programs at the University of Toronto and York University in the 2003 – 2004 academic year. Out of a total population of approximately 450 students, one hundred and forty surveys (31%) were returned. Twenty-three of the one hundred and forty respondents submitted to in-depth interviews. The research findings revealed that international graduate students come to these two graduate schools primarily because of the school’s strong Institutional Academic Pulling Factors, followed in importance by Institutional Administrative Pulling Factors, the Canadian Environment, the Economics of Canadian Education, and finally ease of Visa/Immigration. The research showed a three-stage process – “predisposition,” “search/selection/application,” and “choice.” Due to the nature of graduate study, the focus of the programs (i.e. researchoriented programs vs. professional programs) dominates the process as to which country and universities to make applications. The other three sets of factors – country, institution and city – interplay simultaneously at the two later stages. Three recommendations are made to forward the national goal of being “A Magnet for Talent ”(Government of Canada, 2002). The first recommendation calls for strengthening the core competencies of Canadian education by investing in the quality of graduate education and research. Next, for the benefit of both the institutions and the international students, enhanced internationalization efforts at the institutional level are crucial in promoting the profile of Canadian graduate education and research capabilities. Finally, a national marketing strategy should be crafted to enhance awareness and the overall image of Canadian higher education.

Athena D'Amato (PhD '19)

The Role of Experiential Learning Internships in Developing Job Ready Graduates in the Field of Public Relations: A Case Study of the Humber College ITAL Bachelor of Public Relations Program

This research study explored the value of experiential learning toward the development of professional employability skills in students in the Baccalaureate Program in Public Relations at Humber College Institute for Technology and Advanced Learning (ITAL) as perceived by the interns, internship employers and faculty. The study focused on the internship component integrated into the program curriculum, to determine from the perspective of students, employers and faculty, the value of internships for all parties involved. More specifically, in this study I explored the perceptions of participants to determine if there was a skills gap in terms of the graduate’s job readiness and whether they have developed the necessary skill sets needed to facilitate success in their chosen profession. The findings identified personal and professional employability skills that students and employers recognized as being met by students to qualify for graduation and/or what is needed to succeed in a career in public relations. The theoretical framework that grounded this study is based on David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory (Kolb, 1984). My goal was to collect rich informative data through the semi-structured interviews with all the participants. The collection of data consisted of four phases: (1) document analysis, (2) eight student interviews, (3) eight employer interviews and (4) four faculty interviews. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight students from the program, eight internship employers, and four faculty members. The identified impact of experiential learning on the professional and personal development of the students during their internship experience was multi-dimensional; however, it was evident that the internships offered students the opportunity to explore the diversity of the public relations field, gain self-confidence, and enable them to take ownership of their learning. The findings in this study suggest that an internship experiential component is both an essential and an effective curricular model for undergraduate public relations students who wish to better assert and position themselves for success in the field of public relations. The results of the internship allowed students not only the benefit of increasing their employment history, but the benefit of being challenged to grow through experience.

Richard Edward Davey (EdD '03)

Procedural diversity in Ontario's non-degree sector: a study describing educational processes in a private career college and a college of applied arts and technology

Educational processes, as implemented in similar programs at each site, are described and analyzed, focusing on the similarities and the differences within the similarities. The study finds that the student experience is different in a for-profit college and that cross-site themes consistent with the literature about differences in control (public versus for-profit-ness) explain how and why the student experience is different. These themes include differences in faculty and administrative roles and responsibilities, resourcing, the accountability framework and responsiveness. The study concludes that educational processes in FPCs do represent real choice for postsecondary learners and are implemented to increase postsecondary participation and student satisfaction. However, FPCs tend to have standardized processes that must fit in a policy framework to achieve their designed benefits. The study also tests the Educational Processes Model, concluding that it may have general applicability to improve educational practices in postsecondary institutions. Ontario's competitive postsecondary non-degree sector provides the context for this study of for-profit colleges' (FPCs') contribution to procedural diversity. As well as a description of Ontario's private career college sector, the thesis includes a comprehensive review of the literature about FPCs focusing on their functions, governance and administrative practices and linking these attributes of control to procedural diversity. Given the differences in control (public vs. for-profit-ness), it follows that educational processes will be different in for-profit colleges. A best practices model of educational processes based on three research-grounded models provides the conceptual framework to investigate this hypothesis. The Educational Processes Model presents 13 neutral best practices statements categorized under the general categories of curriculum, instruction, out-of-class environment and assessment and continuous improvement. Specific research questions derive from the model, as does the methodology to analyze the data. Two best practices institutions in the sector---a private, for-profit college and a publicly funded community college---provide the sites for this comparative case study.

Henry Decock (PhD '06)

A case study analysis of Ontario CAAT graduates who transfer to a university

Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology were established to educate the Grade 12 graduate who was not destined for university, in an educational sector meant to be separate from universities. Even though the original mandate and focus of Ontario CAATs has been on the employment of their graduates, students have been moving from colleges to universities since inception. However, very little is known about transfer and the characteristics of the transfer student in the province of Ontario. As well, there is limited empirical evidence regarding the extent of success for college transfer students at the universities. The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the demographic and academic characteristics of college-to-university students and to provide information on their performance at university. Using an exploratory case study of Seneca College graduates, the thesis profiles the typical transfer student, documents their performance and persistence at university, and compares them to other college graduates. A questionnaire was developed and mailed to all students who had graduated from Seneca College and who had subsequently enrolled at a university as determined by their responses to the Graduate Satisfaction Survey (GSS) from 1998-99 to 2002-03. The returned questionnaires were linked with the corresponding responses to the GSS and the respondents' records on the college's Administration and Registration Information Exchange System (ARIES). Together the information gathered included data regarding age, gender, language, citizenship, aspirations, and socio-economic status of the transfer student; the college program from which they graduated and the university program into which they enrolled; and, their success at university. The evidence suggests that an increasing number of younger students entered Seneca College directly from high school with a conscious design to use their program and the school itself as a vehicle to enter university. Not all the programs were developed to achieve that end, nor were the pathways explicitly planned; however, the students appeared to understand the college to be a viable route to realize their goal of attending university and entered Seneca College for this purpose, expecting it to provide that opportunity. The research also shows that the route to university could only have been through the college for a large majority of these transfer students because they would not have met the university entrance requirements based on their pre-college credentials. Finally, the university-through-college process appears to be providing access to higher education and university for families with limited post-secondary experience and who come from the middle to lower socio-economic strata. Based on these results and the process for ascertaining the data, a consistent approach to measuring transfer is proposed along with curriculum and program recommendations for increasing transfer provincially.

Beverlie Ann Dietze (PhD '05)

Beyond the faculty contract: Exploring value-added and discretionary work in Ontario's community colleges

Observations of two different colleges – one in which faculty appeared collaborative and creative, and another wherein faculty appeared to provide only their contractual requirement – led the researcher to the idea of investigating discretionary work by faculty. While she initially thought of this as value-added work, this proved a somewhat unwieldy concept for examining the nuances of what faculty did over and above their contractual obligation, what kinds of environment encouraged these voluntary contributions, how these extra efforts contributed to student success and what college policies enhanced these efforts. Nevertheless, when these faculty contributions are viewed as discretionary work vital to college renewal, data critical to labor relations emerged. The sample for the study consisted of 40 faculty and 15 administrators drawn from 7 Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology. All responded to an interview protocol exploring their ideas of value-added work, their examples of this, and the conditions and policies facilitating it. The results were then coded allowing the following observations. Significant differences emerged on several fronts between the faculty and administration respondents. Faculty, as one might expect, had specific anecdotes to tell of going the extra mile, for example, in the area of student relationships and student success, either through the use of new technologies or through their personal investments of time and effort. Administrators seemed to recognize little of this kind of contribution and spoke in more generic terms about faculty roles in teaching and learning. Administrators also failed to acknowledge faculty’s extra efforts in developing community links and partnerships. This disconnect continued as faculty and administrators discussed the workplace conditions that promoted value-added work by faculty. While both groups appeared to see faculty motivation as important, faculty themselves again addressed the underlying contributors with more precision. These included organizational climate, leadership, communications and the availability of the May-June period for preparation of curriculum development and program review contributions. Both faculty and administrator respondents acknowledge the importance of faculty value-added contributions to student-success outcomes, although faculty were inclusive, considering alumni connections as well as current students. Perhaps the area where the greatest differences emerged involved college policies relating to the funding of professional development. Faculty emphasized self-directed opportunities such as more holistic sabbaticals as opposed to the practice in some institutions of restricting how these periods must be spent. Faculty also stressed the need for institutions to fund memberships in professional organizations as a way for faculty to maintain industry/business contacts and currency in their professional field of practice. However, the greatest division was over the need for faculty evaluations, with faculty viewing the process as necessary for ongoing support and improvement and administrators worrying about damaging existing relationships. Overall this study is important for what it shows about the differences between faculty and administrators on a broad range of topics. Some of these differences may be the cause root for faculty grievances or unrest in the workplace. Others inhibit faculty from achieving their full potential and committing to their college’s improvement with enthusiasm and generosity. While this dissertation has exposed a large number of areas in which misunderstandings or contentions occur, further research is needed to document the extent of these difficulties and propose possible remedies. The study concludes with a list of such suggestions.

Marguerite Donohue (PhD '10)

Transfer of Learning from the Classroom to the Cooperative Education Workplace in a Baccalaureate Program in an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology

This research used case study methodology with both qualitative and quantitative research tools to examine the transfer of learning from the classroom to the cooperative education workplace and the relationship of students’ learning styles to this transfer of learning in a Bachelor of Applied Business program at a large comprehensive College of Applied Arts and Technology in Ontario. Kolb’s experiential learning theory was used as the conceptual framework. A purposive convenience sample of six students (28.6%) who had completed the second of three cooperative education work terms in the program participated and completed all components of the study. The research findings led to six conclusions: 1. Foundation skills learned in the classroom, such as communication and technical skills, and in this case general business concepts, are used in all of the cooperative education workplace experiences in this study. 2. The co-op work term experience itself, including the workplace environment and culture, is more important than the student’s learning style in explaining the learning from the classroom that a student is able to transfer to the co-op workplace. 3. Co-op experiences may not challenge students to the level they may be capable of with respect to what they have learned in class. 4. A co-op work term learning plan, opportunity to use previous learning, and a supportive co-op environment are important for students to be able to transfer their learning from the classroom to the cooperative education workplace experience. 5. Perceived barriers to transfer of learning can also provide the opportunity for learning experiences. 6. The program curriculum design plays a role in enabling transfer of learning. Several recommendations related to implications for practice were also identified. These included the need to reinforce the importance of communication and technical skills with students, providing a variety of learning experiences, designing curriculum to link classroom learning with the co-op experience, selecting co-op experiences so as to ensure alignment between the students’ knowledge and abilities and the opportunities available, providing formal orientation and training to cooperative education employer supervisors, and aligning the work term learning plan with the program curriculum.

Catherine Drea (EdD '03)

Ontario Government Policy on Accessibility to the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology 1965-1995

In the post-war period from 1945 to 1960, there was a perceived crisis in postsecondary education in Canada. Based on enrolment projections and a booming economy in Ontario, the Progressive Conservative government of John Robarts created the publicly-funded Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAATs) of Ontario to serve students who were not university bound and who were looking for technical or vocational education. The CAATs were created to meet the demand for skilled labour in Ontario. Between 1965 and 1995, many policies were implemented by the Ontario governments pertaining to access to postsecondary education. This thesis traces the history of policies on access to the CAATs in order to provide an understanding of what policies were implemented and why policy decisions were made. It tells the story of access to the CAATs from the views of those inside government. This study found that all three Ontario political parties viewed accessibility at the aggregate level, as described by Skolnik as Type II Accessibility. Each government attempted to ensure that there was high probability for all people to have access to postsecondary education. In order to meet capacity, one government created the CAATs and it expanded the university sector, thereby creating more accessibility at the aggregate level. All governments supported a publicly-funded system of CAATs and universities. There were instances where policies were changed or halted due to external factors including economic and social factors. A significant finding is that the definition of accessibility, or how each government understood accessibility, changed dramatically over time with economic and societal pressures. As governments’ understanding of accessibility evolved, the definition shifted to the degree to which some specific groups were able to overcome barriers and access postsecondary education. These groups included women, youth, the economically disadvantaged, Aboriginal students and French-language persons. The study found that access for visible minorities and students with disabilities was not considered important.

Gary William Ellis (PhD '05)

Inter-Institutional Collaboration in Ontario Higher Education: A Case Study of the Diploma-Degree Justice Studies Program at the University of Guelph-Humber

This qualitative study examines the factors that led to, and are necessary to sustain into the future, a new option for higher education in Ontario through a joint venture of the University of Guelph and Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. The study looks at the joint venture, known as the University of Guelph-Humber, by primarily focusing on the Justice Studies program to answer a secondary question of its relevance to the future of policing. Collaborative frameworks developed by Boyter, Gates, Schroth, Vornberg, and Thompson (1999), Gray (1989), Austin (2000) and Andrulis and Hirning (2001) are used to frame the study and direct the research. This joint venture involves the creation of an institution with its own building, programs, and curriculum, though dependent on the shared governance, funding, staffing, services, and faculty of the two institutions involved. The melding of these two separate sectors in the higher education system offers students an opportunity to concurrently obtain an honours university degree and a two-year diploma. Interviews were done with key people who were involved in the formation of this joint venture to gain their observations, experience, and insights as to what has happened to bring this collaboration together, and what needs to happen to keep it relevant and sustainable into the future. The study found that a strong emphasis and an ongoing commitment to a process of shared dialogue and building relationships around the expectations of both institutions is believed to be essential. The expectations of each institution and the political pressures they experienced acted as drivers for the collaboration, whereas, the relationships between the institutions and among the people involved has enabled the joint venture. Even though the research has discovered that many of the detailed and formalized administrative issues have not been finalized, the University of Guelph-Humber as an integrated institution opened its doors to students in the fall of 2002 and its first class of graduates will occur in 2006. The study also found that there is unanimous belief that the ultimate test of sustainability and relevance will be student success in satisfaction, employment, and acceptance in post graduate studies. The Ontario government has promoted closer relationships between the university and college sectors. This study provides a better understanding of the issues involved in bringing the two higher education sectors together to work collaboratively and it also offers another option for police education in the Province of Ontario.

Sabrina Faust Zuniga (PhD '09)

The Perceptions of Students in One Ontario College as to the Efficacy of Participating in Applied Research

For Ontario colleges the engagement into applied research activity is fairly new having begun slowly eight years ago. The level of activity has reached a point that policies and procedures are now formalized at many colleges. This formalization of policies includes the involvement of students in the teacher-led applied research activities. Some Ontario colleges have developed clear goals and objectives for the student participation as well as formal recruitment and interview procedures. This study sought to investigate the role that Ontario college students played as they participated in teacher-led applied research projects and how this participation affected their learning in this experiential learning environment. Topics investigated included; the characteristics of the students such as highest level of education, previous experience with research, and personality traits; the role of the students during the research projects; and the perceptions the students and teachers had about the experience conducting research. This study took one Ontario college and investigated the student researcher program by interviewing students, teachers, and a college administrator, and gathering information from college documents such as the research division strategic plan, the student researcher training manual, and the college website. The highest education level of the students was variable, but almost all the students interviewed reported no prior research experience. The students did exhibit and report similar personality traits such as enjoyment of challenges, being self-motivated, being driven, and not being bothered by failure. The student researcher experience presented as an experiential learning experience and the learning that happened for the students was meaningful and personal. Both students and teachers described the research experience as a real-world experience and felt it was valuable to the student.

Renée Ferguson (PhD '19)

Hidden among the Under-represented: Foster Youth Access and Persistence in Ontario Post-secondary Education

The pathway to and through post-secondary education begins in early life. Individuals require academic preparation, to be made aware of post-secondary options, become engaged in the processes and procedures necessary for enrollment, transition to their studies, and persist to graduation. This exploratory study investigated the experiences of Ontario’s foster youth (FY as they navigate this pathway. Viewing the issue of FY post-secondary under-representation, and their overall access and persistence, through theories of social reproduction, The Capabilities Framework, cooling-out, and resilience, it posed the question of whether or not FY experience equitable opportunity to attend and succeed in higher education. Semi-structured interviews asked what barriers and supports foster youth experience throughout their post-secondary educational journeys in Ontario. Four foster youth in addition to three child welfare workers, three child welfare experts, and one child welfare advocate shared insights reflective of findings in the literature. Though this study’s findings are introductory, they align with previous research and point to the need for additional, consistent, and efficacious educational and child welfare supports to encourage, prepare, and help FY access and persist within post-secondary education. This study also asked what the Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAATs) do to address FY under-representation and support greater rates of access and persistence by the demographic. Programs, services, and supports offered by Ontario’s 22 English-speaking CAATs were reviewed to determine how the system directly and indirectly supports FY, and make recommendations for improvement. Once FY are enrolled in post-secondary education, this research points to the need for greater, more tailored and responsive programming, services, and supports in Ontario’s colleges. Overall, this study highlights gaps in data collection on foster youth outcomes after they age-out of child welfare, the need for more research into the post-secondary experiences of youth in the province, and the importance of informed policies and practices in child welfare and post-secondary education in order to advance foster youth post-secondary opportunities and attainment.

Gabor Feurer (PhD '09)

Net Generation Students and their Use of Social Software: Assessing Impacts on Information Literacy Skills and Learning at a Laptop University

Social Software is potentially a disruptive technology in Higher Education, because it proposes changing the instructional paradigm from a formal, structured curriculum based model to a more open, informal, borderless learning model. The purpose of this study was to explore this potential in the context of participating Net Generation students in a technology oriented, laptop based university located in southern Ontario. Net Generation students, are broadly characterized as the first digitally native generation who grew up with information and communication technologies, and that they demand more technology in all aspects of their lives. The study was interested in the efficacy and pedagogical impact of social software technologies to support students’ learning experience. The review of the literature highlighted the paucity of empirical studies examining the utility and value of these software in the higher education environment. This dissertation explored the participating students’ views and attitudes regarding SSW, their behaviours regarding the adoption of these tools in the learning environment, and the effects of SSW in their performance as measured by information literacy test scores and students’ perceptions of their learning. The study used a quantitative method, employing questionnaires and a quasi-experimental design to answer the research questions. A total of eighty students participated, 24 in the treatment group using SSW during the instruction phase, and 56 in the control group, using a Learning Management System (LMS). A pre-test showed a relatively moderate use of SSW technologies among the participants, with the exception of social networking technologies – whose adoption was almost universal. Academic use of these tools was even less pronounced in the pre-test phase. Students showed moderate willingness to employ SSW for the support of their learning. Barriers to the adoption of these technologies were discussed. Study findings could not demonstrate that the use of SSW would lead to different information literacy scores, compared with more established technologies such as the LMS. However, SSW use also formed an undercurrent of student behaviour, and in the aggregate SSW use was associated with different outcomes. The role of factors contributing to these differences, and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Tim Fricker (PhD '21)

Relationships Between Student Characteristics, Academic Advising and College Student Success

This dissertation is about the student success problem: institutional retention rates have remained low for decades and clear evidence about why and how to support more students to persist and graduate is elusive. In Canada, and within Ontario Colleges specifically, there is a dearth of research on this topic. Performance-based funding and the global pandemic has increased the need to improve these outcomes. The three studies that comprise this dissertation investigate the relationships between the characteristics of students at the time they enter college, participation in academic advising, and student success. In the first study, an integrated literature review method was used to analyze two decades of peer-reviewed research related to five constructs – program fit, career clarity, academic self-efficacy, educational commitment, and friend and family support – and the relationships with both advising and student success. Results showed positive relationships. New working definitions for each construct were developed. The second and third studies used a unique administrative dataset from Mohawk College. In the second study, a series of factor analyses identified three latent variables – Career and Program Clarity, Friend and Family Support, and Positive Academic Attitudes – within the Mohawk College student entrance survey. The latent variable measurement model was used as the foundation of a structural equation model (SEM) as part of the third study to analyze the relationships between the latent variables, advising participation, and student success. The SEM did not produce an acceptable fit or find any significant relationships. The concluding chapter used an integrated discussion method to summarize the overall findings. The contributions to the literature include an example of unique methods; new findings related to student success; and evidence of the practical use of college administrative data. Seven implications and next steps for researchers, practitioners and leaders are identified: improving institutional data collection practices; more focused evaluation of academic advising; purposeful outreach to students who do not engage early in admissions or transition processes; continued efforts to work with students to (re)define student success; new investments in research infrastructure; stronger emphasis on good research methods; and new campus commitments to relationship rich education.

Jason Galea (PhD '15)

Ontario Colleges and the Introduction of Degrees: Mission Drift or Sustaining the Mission?

This qualitative, exploratory study focused on the introduction of the bachelor’s degree credential in Ontario colleges and whether or not offering degrees constitutes a change in the mission of Ontario colleges, as outlined in the Basic Documents and according to key college and governmental officials. The data was gathered through interviews with senior leaders at five urban colleges, senior government officials, and was focused on a ten year period (2002-2012). In addition, document analysis and the examination of available statistics were undertaken to ascertain the impact the legislative changes enacted in 2000 and 2002 have had on the college mission in Ontario. This study found that three founding tenets of the colleges – labour market responsiveness, access for students, and an emphasis on the functions of teaching and learning – were generally being adhered to between 2002 and 2012. This study also found that the majority of college and governmental leaders believed that the introduction of degrees was a logical extension of the mission, and the progression of the mission itself was essential if colleges were to be responsive to changing labour and community needs. The leadership of two subject colleges, however, did demonstrate a desire to move beyond the original mission in the service of a perceived need for a more differentiated postsecondary education system in Ontario.

Gary L. Gannon (PhD '13)

Human Resources Programming and its Impact on Leadership within Governing Boards of Ontario Community Colleges

This study investigated the direct experiences and preferences of Ontario community college board members and board secretaries to determine how specific programming related to governor recruitment, selection, training and performance evaluation assisted, or may contribute to, governance and leadership experiences during their term in office. These experiences and viewpoints were referenced against the scholarly literature in the domains of contemporary human resources management as well as board governance and leadership. Particular attention was paid to two recent models developed by Leblanc and Gillies (2005) and Chait, Ryan and Taylor (2005) which focus attention on desired leadership and governance practices in not-for-profit institutional settings. Two principal research groups, including college governors and board secretaries, at twenty-two provincial community colleges were invited to complete separate on-line questionnaires which addressed their experiences in four specific human resources management program areas as well as their preferences for how such activities should be carried out. Trends in survey results for both groups were then explored via telephone interviews with five board leaders at community colleges that had participated in the on-line surveys. The results of the study identified several areas where Ontario community colleges utilized contemporary human resources management processes in dealing with members of their boards of governors. The research results also confirmed opportunities for strengthening certain board management practices, through the sharing of expertise with the college’s human resources staff or with the assistance of third party expertise, to strengthen the individual and collective leadership of those serving in governing roles at these higher education institutions.

Tony Hanlon (PhD '19)

The Perceptions and Practices of Members of Ontario College Boards Regarding Board Self Evaluation

The main purpose of this study was to examine the practices and perspectives of Ontario college board members with respect to board self evaluation. A mixed methodology approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods was employed. Document collection, a survey and interviews were the principal methods used to gather data. This study added to the knowledge provided by the 2005 Deloitte Study of Ontario College Boards by updating the data regarding the current rates of Ontario college boards self evaluation practice and by offering more clarity on the rigour of those boards’ self evaluation practices. The findings of this study provide insights into why some boards do self evaluations while others do not. The findings demonstrate strong support for board self evaluation but also reveal that some boards are still not performing evaluations of their own performance and that more attention must be given to improving the effectiveness of current self evaluation practices. Twelve recommendations to improve board self evaluation practices, grounded in the responses of this study’s participants and the findings in the literature, are offered. This study provides new knowledge about board member beliefs with respect to self evaluation but also raises questions for further research such as exploring possible differences between board members of self evaluating boards versus those from non-self evaluating boards. Personal reflections were presented based on my own experience serving on boards and my readings of the literature. In summary, a case for board self evaluation is made.

Mark Hanna (PhD '16)

Exploring Student Entitlement at an Ontario College

The purpose of this study was to explore the concept of student entitlement specifically within the context of an Ontario College, focusing on conceptualizing student entitlement from the faculty perspective, and then determining the extent to which students report entitled attitudes. The study followed a mixed-methods methodology. Faculty were invited to participate in a concept mapping exercise and the resulting concept map proposed a four-factor model for student entitlement; including, “Tuition Equals Outcomes”; “Knowledge is a right that doesn’t require effort”; “I am a customer, serve me”; and, “Problems are due to others, not me”. A Student Entitlement questionnaire was assembled using highly rated items from each factor. From the results of the questionnaire, confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory principal components analysis were conducted, and the analyses suggested that the model for student entitlement at the Ontario college would be best be described by a three-factor model, with the “Knowledge is a right” factor identified by faculty being removed and the items under that factor fitting well within the three remaining factors. Based on the three-factor model, raw and standardized student entitlement scores were assembled. The distribution of entitlement was normal, with approximately 15% of respondents in the High or Very High categories. When controlling for age, over 18% of respondents in the Traditional age category (18-24) were in the High or Very High categories. The impact of entitlement includes harm to the student’s learning, which could ultimately impact society as a whole, particularly in fields where students are working with vulnerable populations, such as in health care or social services. Student entitlement also impacts faculty in terms of lower job satisfaction and a pressure to succumb to students’ demands, particularly when faculty feel a lack of support from the administration. This study made suggestions for practice; including, changing the way we market to students; focusing on a transition/orientation program that would specifically address the transition from customer to student; using students’ customer orientation strategically by improving services for students; and, a review of student feedback questionnaires and the process surrounding their administration.

Krista Holmes (PhD '16)

Research Ethics in the Ontario College Sector: An Exploratory Descriptive Study of Governance and Administrative Frameworks

The purpose of this study was to explore the existing frameworks for the governance and administration of research ethics policies and practices in place at the Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAATS), and to identify implications for policy and practice related to the future governance and administration of research ethics at Ontario CAATs. This study examined four key areas associated with the management of compliance with ethics principles related to research conducted at the 22 English language Ontario colleges: the history of the establishment of Research Ethics Boards in the Ontario college sector; what currently exists, in terms of relevant policies, processes, funding and infrastructure at participating colleges; what currently works within the sector, to ascertain areas for improvement; and implications for future policy and practice. Lewin's (1947a) Theory of Planned Change formed the basis of the theoretical framework for this study. College employees responsible for the administration of research ethics and REB Chairs at the participating colleges were the key informants; research ethics administrators from all 22 English language colleges in Ontario were invited to complete an online questionnaire, and interviews were conducted with eight REB Chairs or their designate from a stratified purposeful sample of the English language colleges. The conclusions drawn from this study suggest that numerous driving and restraining forces exist to support and challenge the governance and administration of research ethics at participating colleges, and that these forces can be effectively addressed to improve the governance and administration of research ethics across the Ontario college sector. The study findings may inform policy and practice that could enhance the governance and administration of research ethics for the ultimate benefit of enhancing the culture of applied research and innovation, not just at the colleges that participated in this study, but also at other colleges and institutes across Canada and internationally that may face similar challenges.

Steve Hudson (PhD '07)

Student satisfaction as a managed outcome: relationship with other key performance indicators and expenditure and revenue allocations in Ontario's colleges of applied arts and technology

In 1998, the Ontario government established performance indicators for its publicly funded colleges and universities. A sub-set of these became the basis for performance funding in 2000. These actions were consistent with those undertaken by a number of governments, on the basis of increasing accountability and improving performance. The implementation of performance funding in Ontario was a significant event and was expected to have an impact on the behaviour of the institutions. This study examined the initial implementation period of the indicators, from 2000 to 2006. Student satisfaction had been identified as a significant outcome in previous research on performance indicators in Ontario. The study examined the relationship between student satisfaction and the other indicators. It also examined the relationship between student satisfaction and revenue sources and expenditure allocations. The study relied on a review of literature on decision making models, performance indicators and their implementation. It built on previous literature on the introduction of performance indicators into Ontario's college system. The study utilized linear multi-regression analysis to determine correlations between the indicators and revenue and expenditure categories. The study found that student satisfaction results of institutions were auto-correlated and becoming increasingly stable over the period of the study. Institutions experienced less change in results year to year and the previous year's result became a better indicator of the subsequent year's. The study also identified correlations between student satisfaction and some revenue and expenditure categories. A significant negative correlation was identified between student satisfaction and expenditures on bursaries and scholarships and a positive correlation was identified between student satisfaction and expenditures on staffing in student services. There was also a positive correlation identified between student satisfaction and ancillary revenues. There was a positive correlation identified between graduate satisfaction and graduate employment. Potential policy implications resulting from the analysis are discussed and suggestions for future research are identified.

Christa Iacovino (PhD '14)

Aboriginal student persistence and success in Ontario colleges

This study relies on a mixed method research approach with a focus on qualitative research including open-ended, semi-structured interviews at Aboriginal Resource Centres in three colleges in Ontario. Interviews were conducted with 31 participants engaged with Aboriginal Resource Centres, including Aboriginal students, staff and Elders. Participants spoke about their interactions with the Ontario college system including their positive and negative experiences. The research process is also informed by an in-depth analysis of various studies and reports regarding Aboriginal peoples, education and enrolment statistics from the 24 Ontario colleges. The overall data analysis and interpretation includes insight from all of these data sources. The research is guided by a two-eyed seeing approach (Iwama, Marshall, Marshall, & Barlett, 2009) that respects a combination of Western and Aboriginal worldviews; however, a concerted effort has been made to honour Indigenous paradigms thus, at times, this minimizes the inclusion of traditional Euro-centric views and methodology. Nevertheless, parallels were drawn between Euro-centric student development and engagement theories and Indigenous paradigms to provide insight into how postsecondary institutions can support Aboriginal students and create a safe and welcoming environment on campus for all Aboriginal peoples. An Ojibwe Anishinabe Elder recognized by her community provided guidance throughout the research process. She allies with students connecting them to traditional protocols and shares authentic Indigenous teachings. Further, to respect the place of Aboriginal voices, a collection of Elder reflections describes a vision for Aboriginal education, and specifically postsecondary education. The conclusions drawn from the study suggest that many colleges in Canada, and Ontario, are helping Aboriginal students obtain a postsecondary credential. Colleges are creating a supportive and welcoming environment and Aboriginal Resource Centres are helping students connect with their communities, institutions and Aboriginal cultures. In spite of this success, many Aboriginal students do not reach postsecondary education. Many Aboriginal students are not engaging with these centres and Aboriginal peoples continue to experience racism on campus. The findings indicate that true collaboration and meaningful consultation with Aboriginal communities is needed to “Indigenize” the campuses.

Patrick Kelly (PhD '07)

An evaluation of the role of one community college in immigrant settlement

This qualitative study examines the experiences of immigrant graduates from one community college in the areas of recognition of prior experience and credentials, admission, retention, graduate placement, and their perceptions regarding the value of the college experience in assisting them with settlement in Canada. Quantitative data were also collected relating to salary so that comparisons could be made with previous studies in this area. Sociological frameworks developed by Hardiman and Jackman (1996), Rawls (1971), and Mitchell and Shillington (2002) are drawn upon to direct the research and interpret the findings of this study with an emphasis on social justice. In addition, an expert panel was utilized to guide the refinement of the research questions, comment upon the findings and evaluate results. Interviews were conducted with thirty-seven participants to gain their observations and insights as to the role the college played in assisting them with settlement in Canada. The findings suggest that the college participating in this study has met or exceeded participants' expectations in the areas of overall college experience, searching for employment (time and type), potential for career advancement, and marketability of graduates. Further, the findings of this study indicate that the college has had a positive impact on both community participation and settlement as it relates specifically to employment. However, the findings also indicate that the college has done little to facilitate settlement in the community of those interviewed. Finally, not withstanding participants' reported successes in searching for employment, the relatively low wages, precarious nature of the work secured by those interviewed, and an overall deterioration in earnings calls into question employers' apparent willingness to operate in a manner which contributes to maintaining an environment of social and economic justice within Canada. Federal and provincial governments, social organizations and many employers have become aware of the multiple issues immigrants experience upon arrival in Canada. Indeed, many of these groups have begun to work together putting programs and services in place to help. This study contributes to gaining a better understanding of the challenges immigrants may face in the settlement process and offers recommendations to enhance one college's efforts in this area.

Andrea Lalonde (PhD '15)

Impact of Embedded Remediation in Literacy Skills for First Semester Practical Nursing Students in one Ontario College Program

The purpose of this research study was to explore whether first semester Practical Nursing (PN) students who received embedded remediation performed better academically than their colleagues who did not, and the relationship between those students’ demographic characteristics and their performance in the intervention. More specifically, the study examined the relationships between the PN students’ communication skill level and academic performances as reflected in their performance in two core nursing courses and end of semester retention rates. This was a post ex-facto intervention case study of Urban College (pseudonym). Forty-eight students participated for a response rate of 42%. Cohort I consisted of 25 participants (11 remedial and 14 non-remedial) and Cohort II included 23 participants (12 at-risk and 11 non-remedial). It compared the performance of the experimental group which had experienced a remedial intervention with that of the at-risk control group that had not experienced the intervention. Demographic characteristics of these two groups were compared with those of their colleagues who had been designated as non-remedial. The quantitative data analyzed supported the main finding that participation in embedded remediation had a positive impact on the retention of participating students. The qualitative data captured the perceptions of these students and the themes that emerged maintain that academic and social integration is important to student attainment. The findings support the theoretical frameworks that grounded this study: Tinto’s Student Integration Model and Learning Communities in Higher Education. The findings in this study have implications for practice, policy and further research aimed at improving the success rate of those students who enter PN programs with inadequate communication skills. Addressing these issues is crucial so that the learning needs of all students are met; particularly those preparing to enter the health care field where communication skills are critical for providing safe patient care. College of Nurses of Ontario applicants are expected to be proficient in the four language skills of writing, reading, speaking and listening. Although the findings of this case study are not generalizable, I hope the findings will be of interest to other educators wanting to assist underprepared post-secondary students struggling with communication challenges.

Oleg Legusov (PhD '21)

Using Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice to Investigate the Experiences of Ontario College Graduates from Three Former Soviet Republics

With an aging population and a looming shortage of skilled labor, the Canadian government wants to attract more international students in the hope that many will stay on after graduation. For most international graduates, the path to citizenship involves securing suitable employment in Canada. This study used a mixed-methods research design to explore the experience of 30 Ontario community college graduates originally from three former Soviet republics – Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus – as they attempted to transition from school to work and to integrate into Canadian society. Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of practice provided the theoretical framework used to analyze their work and integration experience. The study examined the relationship between structure and agency, as well as the interplay of the three elements of Bourdieu’s theory: field, capital, and habitus. The data collected from in-depth interviews and document analysis revealed that each participant belonged to one of three distinct groups: “Teenagers”, or those who arrived in Canada shortly after graduating from high school; “Young Adults”, or those who were in their 20s and had further life experience on arrival; and “Mature Adults”, or those who were over 30 on arrival, leaving behind established lives. Before coming to Canada, many members of the Teenager group already had attitudes and attributes suited to Canada’s career field. They also possessed considerable cultural and economic capital as a result of opportunities provided by their parents. The participants in the Young Adult group could not come to Canada right after high school and therefore spent several years engaged in various activities in their home countries, gaining experience that gave them a career habitus not well aligned with the Canadian labor market. And the salient feature of the Mature Adult Group was that, even though some were still young when the Soviet Union collapsed, socialism had a profound impact on their habitus in general and career habitus in particular. Accordingly, they had the greatest difficulty adjusting to life in Canada. The study also revealed that, even though the participants experienced prejudice and discrimination as a nonvisible minority, their whiteness served as a form of capital in the job market.

Gary Lima (PhD '15)

Leading Change from the Middle: An Exploration of Leadership Competencies to Assist Ontario College Associate Deans and/or Chairs be Successful in Their Roles

This purpose of this study was to explore the role of the Ontario colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAAT) Associate Dean and/or Chair, and specifically focus on an investigation of leadership competencies that would help them to be successful in their roles. The study is situated within the context of changes currently taking place within the Ontario college system. The study followed a sequential mixed methodology method. Online surveys were used to gather data from Associate Deans and/or Chairs as well as Deans from the 22 English language colleges in the Ontario CAAT system. Follow up interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of seven Associate Deans and/or Chairs. Finally, institutional documentation was gathered from Human Resources departments across the Ontario CAAT system. Data gathered focused on gaining a deeper understanding of the role and responsibilities of the Ontario college Associate Dean/Chair, an exploration of leadership competencies that would help them to be successful, and a review and assessment of leadership development opportunities currently available to them. Conclusions drawn from the study indicate that change occurring in the Ontario college system is re-defining the role of the Associate Dean/Chair, led primarily by the proliferation of degrees, and to a lesser extent, the heightened importance placed on research, expansion of flexible delivery, increases in international students, and effects of the Strategic Mandate Agreements. These changes are exacerbated by budget constraints/reduced funding and all contribute to an ever increasing workload for the Ontario college Associate Dean/Chair. The study also concluded that a substantial number of Ontario college Associate Dean/Chairs would benefit from enhancing their leadership competencies in order to help them be successful. Current leadership development opportunities available to Associate Deans/Chairs are not always well received, and are most effective when they focus on real-life application that addresses the uniqueness and importance of their role. The findings from the study may inform system and institutional policy and practices that would help Ontario college Associate Deans and/or Chairs to be successful, consequently improving the health of the Ontario CAAT system.

Valerie Mary Lopes (PhD '08)

The efficacy of a course management system in learning: Perceptions of students and faculty at one Ontario college

The widespread adoption of course management systems (CMSs) by colleges and universities has occurred in a vacuum of research into their effectiveness for learning. This case study is based on quantitative and qualitative data collected by survey, interview, and document analysis that explored the perceptions of students and faculty, regarding the impact on learning of the use of a CMS in the initial semesters of the business programs at a large, urban, multiculturally diverse college. This college has a long history of CMS use and a stable CMS infrastructure. This study explored the purposes for which the CMS was used, the characteristics of its use that enhance student learning and those that create barriers to learning, as well as the perceptions of students and faculty about what constituted the effective use of the CMS, in campus based courses. While the students are not as technology adept as some of the literature claims, and the perceptions of the students do not always match those of the faculty; the findings of this study provide compelling evidence that, even though the use of the CMS at this college focuses on supporting the transmission of information, this is perceived by the students to be an integral part of their education. The greatest benefits to learning are the ways in which the CMS, when used effectively, facilitates access to and organisation of information, thereby helping the students to keep track of what they need to do to be successful in the courses. Over, under, or misuse of the CMS course sites is viewed by the students as a constraint to learning. Even though on the surface it appears that the systems are being used solely to augment conventional practices, the use of the CMS has, in fact, added useful dimensions to the ways of teaching and learning. Implications for practice are discussed and a model for how the systems may be used to enhance learning by helping students to organise and keep track of information is presented.

Marjorie McColm (EdD '02)

A study of performance funding of the Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology

In 2000, the Province of Ontario implemented performance funding for community college and universities. The stated impetus behind the implementation of performance funding was to ensure that the postsecondary sector would be held accountable for its use of public resources. This thesis provides an examination of how and in what way the introduction of performance funding has affected the Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAATS). This study relied on a review of the literature, case studies of four colleges, and interviews with key informants in the college sector, to examine how performance funding has impacted both the day-to-day decision-making and long-term strategic direction of the CAATS. The study found that the community colleges were using the information gathered for performance funding for program review and improvement plans, program rationalization, budget allocations and institutional planning. The colleges were also supportive of the funding for performance policy initiative. This study also examined the process for the implementation of performance funding in Ontario and found that its implementation process and the characteristics of the funding policy shared some characteristics found in other jurisdictions identified as having stable performance funding programs. The results of this study will inform policy and decision makers about the impact of performance funding on postsecondary institutions.

Joseph Mior (EdD '03)

The Human Face of Technology: An Examination of How and Why Faculty Can Adopt Educational Technology to Promote Learning in Ontario Community Colleges

The continuing development of educational technology is transforming the education system as we know it today. Educational technology is changing why, what, when, where and how learners will learn. The information age in which we live is being driven by learning and knowledge. The effective deployment of educational technology will play a pivotal role in meeting this demand. The primary purpose of this thesis is to investigate the perceptions of Ontario community college faculty about the use of educational technology to promote student learning and the factors that encouraged or discourage their use of it. Further, it will investigate which faculty are most likely to use educational technology as well as the extent and nature of its use. It is hoped that this investigation will yield implications for the appropriate implementation and use of education technology in Ontario’s community colleges. The investigation was carried out through the use of an electronically-based and distributed survey instrument sent to all full-time faculty of six of Ontario community colleges. A total of 210 faculty completed the survey, resulting in a response rate of 14.7%. Based on the statistical analysis of the data the results of this thesis suggest the follow: 1. Faculty see technology as being neither inherently good nor bad, dependant upon how it is used. 2. Faculty believe that educational technology is important for improving both the quality and accessibility of a college education. 3. Faculty believe that educational technology will help meet the needs of the various learning styles of their learners. 4. Faculty believe that educational technology allows for the efficient use of resources. 5. Some faculty show a concern about the loss of traditional jobs. 6. The largest proportion of faculty feel that they should have control over how educational technology is used. 7. Faculty believe that educational technology has helped improve their productivity, makes them more accessible to their students and improves communication amongst faculty and administrators. 8. The majority of faculty believe that more resources should be devoted to the training of faculty in the proper use of technology. 9. The large majority of faculty expect to increase their usage of educational technology. 10. The largest proportion of faculty express a degree of dissatisfaction with the educational technology equipment in the classroom. Based on these findings a number of recommendations are presented.

Bahar Mousavi Hejazi (PhD '21)

Implementation of Outcomes-Based Education in an Interdisciplinary Design Course and Curriculum: An Action Research Study

This is a case study that focuses on the challenges that I, as the action researcher and design educator at the post-secondary level face in the integration of an outcomes-based curriculum model that has been adopted in recent years by the higher education sector in Ontario in order to ensure quality, transparency and compatibility among the credentials. In this thesis, I studied the implementation of the outcomes-based education curriculum in a design program through investigative cycles of action-reflection of my own teaching practice as well as that of my colleagues in the Art and Design Foundation Program at the School of Design, George Brown College. The selection of action research as my strategy of inquiry is my response to the qualitative and critical nature of the challenges that educators are facing in their efforts to integrate learner - centered principles in their teaching practice. My research has been completed in two phases: Phase A – Critical Dialogue with Self and Phase B – Critical Dialogue with the Institution. The participants of my study are my students in Foundation Design II: Colour Theory and Practice, one Critical Expert from the Teaching and Learning Exchange, one Interested Observer (graduate of the program), Art and Design Foundation faculty and a Critical Administrator at the College. These are the synthesis of the insights I gained: Phase A – Critical Dialogue with Self: • A holistic approach to teaching and learning of the foundation of art and design. • Proactivity and reflexivity in my teaching practice with the goal of self-improvement and growth based on personal beliefs and social values. • A flexible learning – centered approach in course planning. • Sense of care towards student learning. • Mentality of success in teaching and learning: we are a team and we are working together to succeed. Phase B – Critical Dialogue with the Institution • A holistic learning-centered approach in the art and design foundation curriculum planning. • Use of new strategies to engage faculty in curriculum development. • Use of design thinking tools in curriculum design. • Empowering students and faculty by giving voice to their individual beliefs and values in art and design education.

Mary Overholt (PhD '22)

Developing and Supporting the Dual Professionalism of CAAT Faculty Members

This qualitative, exploratory study is focused on how teachers in Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAATs) are prepared to teach. Using focus groups and semi-structured interviews, I sought the perspectives of front-line staff within academic development units and academic leaders to create a detailed depiction of how teacher preparation and development currently happen in CAATS. In this study I worked collaboratively with the experts on teaching and learning and teacher training to develop a shared understanding of the present state of CAAT teacher training and gain insight into their perspectives on where CAAT teacher training should go next. The specific research questions I sought to answer through this study were: 1. How do CAATs, through the mechanism of their institutional academic development units, support the development of their faculty members as dual professionals to be both subject-matter experts and excellent teachers, with the goal of improved learning for students through more effective teaching? 2. What are the perceptions of academic development unit staff of current teacher training at CAATs? 3. How can the system of teacher development at CAATs be strengthened? Using Activity Theory as my main theoretical framework as well as the structure for my interview protocol, I worked with participants in this study to collaboratively map the activity system of teacher preparation both at individual institutions and across the CAAT system as a whole. Overall, CAATs provide basic teacher training—on planning and conducting lessons, designing course materials, and setting up courses on Learning Management Systems (LMS)—for faculty members, but lack resources to support faculty members’ subject-matter expertise. CAATs can work together, under the direction of senior leadership, to develop better support both for educational developers and CAAT faculty members. CAAT academic development units can collaborate to create a provincial CAAT teacher training curriculum or credential that can be implemented at the institutional level to ensure consistency as well as the necessary level of institutional focus for faculty development.

Brenda Pander-Scott (PhD '09)

Factors influencing the college choice behaviour of Ontario college applicants

The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of how prospective students engage in the process of examining Ontario college options and the student, environmental and institutional variables that influence college choice. The study examined the demographic/personal characteristics, institutional attributes/activities, and individuals that influence college choice. The research methodology involved analysis of data from a secondary data source of Ontario college applicants. This date source originated from primary research involving 3521 English-speaking respondents from a randomly selected sample of 14,567 college applicants, from a population of 96,000 applicants who completed the College Applicant Survey, which included 43 variables as influencers of college choice. Data reduction using Principal Components Factor Analysis was conducted prior to completing any further statistical tests. These research findings identify program choice and seven broad factors of influence on college choice including: Financial Investment, Social Opportunities, Reputation/Quality, Living Accommodation Opportunities, Comprehensive Information Sources and Friends & Family. T testing was conducted to explore differences between the nonsecondary and secondary market segments with research findings indicating that the Reputation/Quality Factor was more influential for the nonsecondary market than the secondary market, while the Financial Investment, Family/Friends, Living Accommodations and Social Opportunities Factors were more influential for the secondary market. An alternative model of college choice, combining this broad factor perspective with the secondary/nonsecondary delineation was created. This alternative approach provides a perspective that enables enrolment administrators and college leaders from Ontario colleges with varying features, to consider enrolment management with a different lens, with a view to identify specific strategies that will impact these broad categories of influence. As well, of particular interest to Ontario college administrators, given the secondary/nonsecondary student population, is the varying degree of influence of these factors on these two groups. Enhancing our understanding of students attracted to community colleges, factors that influence their college choice, and the varying influence these factors have on different market segments will serve to ensure that enrolment administrators implement effective strategies that will make a difference in the college choice decision-making of potential students.

Maurine Parzen (PhD '16)

Transformational Learning Experience of RPN to BScN Students in One Program in Ontario

The purpose of this study was to explore the learning experience of students who are transitioning from the Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) to the Registered Nurse (RN) role in Ontario. Recent changes in the educational system now provide the opportunity for RPNs to pursue their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) in three years. The challenge is to develop programs that recognize the diversity of the RPNs' pre-existing knowledge and cultivate those into more advanced critical thinking and leadership skills required of an RN. To explore their transitioning and transformative learning experiences, a mixed method design was utilized through the use of interviews and King's (2009) learning activity survey (LAS) that identifies factors that contribute to transformational learning. RPN to BScN students enrolled in the program completed the LAS and participated in interviews. Graduates of the program, and faculty who taught in the program also participated in the interviews. During the interviews, factors that contributed and hindered the RPN learner was explored. The factors that triggered opportunities to reflect critically upon previously held beliefs were key nursing concepts that added value to their existing knowledge. Faculty, peer support and specific learning activities also contributed to their change in thinking. The challenges revealed by the students and graduates were: balancing multiple responsibilities, disappointment with faculty, overall program challenges, being integrated with the generic students, and role confusion. The faculty interviews resulted in two major themes that were: respect and admiration for the RPN, and challenges teaching the RPN learner. This study concluded that the RPN to BScN learner in this study represented the mature students who are older and have greater responsibilities in relationship to family and work than traditional students. Their diverse nursing backgrounds brought a wealth of knowledge to the classroom that needed to be challenged in different ways to facilitate a change in perspective. Exploration of RPN to BScN program curriculum should be reviewed and revised to ensure this learnerâ s needs are being met. Transformative learning provided a viable theoretical lens that educators can use to create optimal learning experiences for the RPN learner.

Daniel J. Patterson (PhD '05)

Inter-organizational Collaboration: The Case of College-Auto Industry Partnerships in Ontario

This study examines the dynamics of college-industry partnerships through the case of a partnership between Niagara College in Ontario and the General Motors, St. Catharines division. While industry partnerships are increasingly important to community colleges, the colleges lack practical models for effectively developing, resourcing and managing such partnerships. James Austin’s (2000) theoretical model of collaboration offers a promising framework in which to view college-industry interorganizational collaboration. The model is based on a continuum of stages in collaborative relationships, from philanthropic to transactional to integrative. It also identifies a set of alliance drivers and enablers which help move partnerships along the continuum. Multiple methods of data collection were used for the case study, including an historical review of the files between 1992 and 2002 respecting the evolution of the partnership between Niagara College and General Motors, St. Catharines division. To enhance the case findings, structured interviews were conducted with a General Motors administrator along with representatives of three other colleges involved in auto industry partnerships. The respondents were asked to provide comments and reactions on the model’s practicality and applicability to college-auto partnerships in Ontario. The analysis found that Austin’s model was a helpful framework to understand more systematically and strategically, how the partnership evolved, the dynamics of its evolution, and how it can be managed and sustained over time. The research underscored the importance of interpersonal relationships in the partnership dynamics, the impact of external factors and organizational adaptation on the partnership, and the complexity of partnership evolution. The study also advances a number of suggestions to help practitioners understand partnership dynamics, and suggests additional tools and recommendations in planning collaborative activities with the automotive industry in particular, and the manufacturing sector in general.

Kersley Peters (EdD '04)

Black students and higher education: dropping out of community college

Given the extent of this phenomenon, the drop out problem represents a major failure of the higher educational system, affecting not just the individual or the Black community in particular but the society at large and indeed the country as a whole. Dropping out represents a major loss of financial and personal investment of time and resources for Black students. Also included are recommendations for drop out prevention. The study utilizes an anti-racist education framework that focuses on the lived experiences of minorities in terms of racism and social oppression. Seventeen Black youth volunteered to participate in the study. Using semi-structured interviews, information was elicited that provides insights into how schooling and education function to disengage some students. Findings reveal that many factors impact the decision to drop out. These factors include finances, socio-economic status, parental involvement, teaching, learning, academic preparedness, and administration of education. Race although not clearly identified by most participants as a factor is still considered a serious issue worth pursuing by the researcher. The students' narratives are presented, providing valuables insights into the thinking of those who drop out. A considerable body of research has been devoted to finding out why students drop out of college and how they can be prevented from doing so. This study explores the reasons why Black students in Toronto drop out of college. The major objectives of this study were to isolate and identify factors related to drop out behavior, to examine the perception that Black students have about dropping out and to develop some preliminary ideas regarding what can be done to minimize attrition behavior, especially among Black students.

Brenda Pipitone (PhD '16)

A Case Study Analysis of Access in One Ontario College: Exploring A Strategic Model for Future Directions in Institutional and Program Design

The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of applying the Beatty-Guenter model as a framework to assess the delivery of access programming at one Ontario college. The application of the framework as an evaluative lens also illuminates the extent to which the current approach to access programming at that college aligns with the categories of the Beatty-Guenter framework. This case study includes a literature review with a focus on both Canadian content and College Impact Models as the basis for exploring current practice at one large urban college. The study employs both document and qualitative interview analysis to examine the extent to which the current approach to access programming aligns with the categories of “sorting, supporting, connecting, transforming students and transforming the institution” in the Beatty-Guenter model. The study addresses areas for institutional investment as well as structural changes needed within institutions to ensure successful access and retention of non-traditional students in the postsecondary environment. The findings of the study revealed support for the efficacy of the Beatty-Guenter model by the majority of participants interviewed. The greatest alignment to the Beatty-Guenter model was seen with four categories “sorting, supporting connecting and transforming students”, and the least alignment with the “institutional transformation” category. While the model identified gaps in service delivery, further refinements to the model would be necessary to ensure how a more accurate assessment of each category could be determined. Additionally, the findings identified themes that also impact the delivery of access programming outside the scope of the model. The emergent themes related to both internal factors such as organizational structure, vision and cultural context, and external factors such as role of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities in funding and policy directives. While this study is not generalizable, it provides a small contribution to knowledge in the area of programming and the use of a systematic model of delivery. This knowledge does not lend itself to developing larger principles for generalization, but rather allows for the examination of access programs within organizations, while shedding light on challenges that impede access goals in postsecondary environments. The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of applying the Beatty-Guenter model as a framework to assess the delivery of access programming at one Ontario college. The application of the framework as an evaluative lens also illuminates the extent to which the current approach to access programming at that college aligns with the categories of the Beatty-Guenter framework. The findings of the study revealed support for the efficacy of the Beatty-Guenter model by the majority of participants interviewed. The greatest alignment to the Beatty-Guenter model was seen with four categories “sorting, supporting connecting and transforming students”, and the least alignment with the “institutional transformation” category. While the model identified gaps in service delivery, further refinements to the model would be necessary to ensure how a more accurate assessment of each category could be determined. Additionally, the findings identified themes that also impact the delivery of access programming outside the scope of the model. The emergent themes related to both internal factors such as organizational structure, vision and cultural context, and external factors such as role of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities in funding and policy directives. While this study is not generalizable, it provides a small contribution to knowledge in the area of programming and the use of a systematic model of delivery. This knowledge does not lend itself to developing larger principles for generalization, but rather allows for the examination of access programs within organizations, while shedding light on challenges that impede access goals in postsecondary environments.

Gary N. Polonsky (EdD '03)

Moving educational leaders from implicit to explicit leadership: an action research study

This study examines whether senior educational leaders from publicly funded school boards, colleges and universities in Ontario make decisions with primarily implicit or explicit models of leadership; and whether implicit leaders might find an explicit framework useful, such as one developed by the researcher (SELF—Success-Evoking Leadership Framework) or one that they construct. Using a customized survey, most leaders indicated they do not rely on explicit models of leadership. They were asked about their experience with explicit leadership models and whether they would agree to be interviewed, as a potential prelude to participating in the action research component—two additional interviews, four telephone conversations, daily e-mails and a daily log. Survey findings concluded that 82.1% of respondents were in their present position for less than seven years, and in educational leadership for eleven to twenty years. On leadership models, empowerment was used most (27.8%) with all the others being used equally (16.7–20.4%). Most used both an explicit and intuitive leadership model (39.9%), principally from experimentation, but 25% from graduate school. The basic analysis of the interviews was done with a word count. Of the leadership “keywords” selected by the researcher, principally from SELF, the most used were “values” and “learning” (eight times each). Many of the keywords unexpectedly appeared only once or twice, possibly indicating lack of a common vocabulary among senior educational leaders in Ontario. The researcher selected three primarily “intuitive” participants by balancing seven criteria. All met as scheduled, processed their e-mails and logs daily, and reflected on the relationship between their tasks and SELF, to which the researcher reflected in turn, with personal observation and experience. All concluded SELF had provided insight into their tasks and provided more “intention” regularly to their leadership, affirming for the researcher that an explicit leadership model can assist educational leaders in their mission, vision, values, culture, processes, decisions and actions. As a result of using SELF as a coaching vehicle, the researcher has amended SELF and recommended areas for further study.

Wayne Poirier (PhD '15)

Deliberate Orientation and Transition Practices as Part of a Broader Student Success Strategy: A Comparative Study of Three Large Urban Ontario Colleges

The purpose of this research is to examine institutional behaviour concerning orientation and transition efforts for first year college students. This case study examines three large urban colleges in Ontario focusing on the orientation and transition approach at each institution and studied the extent to which each is using known best practices in the field of orientation and transition in their effort to generate increased student success. Informed by the related literature with an emphasis on Canadian and Ontario specific content, the study examined findings in relation to the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) thematic framework and the implications and recommendations drawn from the Pan-Canadian Study of First Year College Students to uncover similarities and differences. The case study employed a document analysis and qualitative interview analysis to examine the extent to which orientation and transition efforts are part of college wide strategic planning and ingrained within the institutions. The information is cross referenced between the document analysis and participant interviews and comparisons are drawn from the key themes identified within the literature. The findings shed further light on the efficacy of the CCSSE survey instrument and its themes and identify areas for further study in the Ontario college context. The analysis conducted indicate that there is good model fit with the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) thematic framework of Educational Effective Practices in the three colleges that participated within this case study. While this study is not generalizable, the findings of this study adds further qualitative evidence that the CCSSE thematic framework is applicable to the three large urban Ontario colleges studied and, in combination with the 2010 Mandarino and Mattern HEQCO study, provides evidence that the CCSSE thematic framework is a reasonable tool to plan and assess orientation and transition practices as part of a broader student success strategy for colleges with similar characteristics. The efficacy of the CCSSE tool can be improved by supplementing it with a survey designed to account for the findings of the 2007 Pan Canadian Study of First Year College Students.

Laurie Rancourt (PhD '19)

Who Decides and Why it Matters: Institutions, Differentiation and Northern Rural Higher Education

The purpose of this research was to study the impact of institutional forces on higher education policy processes. The project involved a case study analysis of the alignment between intention and perceived impact, focused specifically on the implementation of higher education differentiation policy within two of Canada’s provincial norths (Northern Alberta and Northern Ontario). These provinces were chosen because they represent two of the largest jurisdictions in Canada by population, and because they have both implemented differentiation policy frameworks within the last decade and a half. The research was undertaken within a theoretical framework that combined elements of new institutionalism (North, 1990; DiMaggio Powell, 1991; Thelen, 1999; Peters, 2012; Lowndes Roberts, 2013; Scott, 2014), strategic reaction theory (Oliver 1991), pragmatism (Allison Pomeroy, 2000; Duemer Zebidi, 2009; Anderson Shattuck, 2012; Kaye, 2013), and power (Foucault, 1980; Mills, 2003). Through examination of the ways in which similar policy goals were implemented in Northern and Rural Central Alberta, and in Northern Ontario, it was possible to identify institutional forces that impacted the policy process in each jurisdiction. The central argument of this study was that, in order to improve alignment between policy intentions and policy outcomes, policy makers (political decision makers) and policy implementers (organizational decision makers) must take these institutional forces into account at every stage in the higher education policy process.

Otte Rosenkrantz (PhD '13)

All in Good Time: The Evolving Role of Faculty in Ontario Colleges

The purpose of this study was to explore how the role of Ontario college faculty has evolved since the advent of the Post-Secondary Education Choice and Excellence Act of 2000 and the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Act of 2002, and to consider whether or not the decision to create a research culture at the colleges included making time available to the professoriate to engage in applied research activities. Web content was analyzed to select four Ontario colleges at various stages of research evolution using D.J. Madder’s typology of college research and innovation. The study compared the current state of the four Ontario colleges focusing on whether the institutions had developed policies or procedures to provide time for faculty-based applied research. Interviews were also conducted with two senior members from the relevant provincial government sector involved in planning the implementation of applied research in the colleges, and with five senior college leaders who were present in the college system when the Acts were introduced. Additional interviews with four senior college leaders examined the current conditions surrounding the development of applied research cultures in Ontario colleges. Findings indicated that regardless of where a college is located on Madder’s typology of research evolution, time for applied research activities is provided to the college faculty in an inconsistent manner. Ontario colleges may want to consider what other jurisdictions have done to develop successful, applied research-focused colleges. The development of a more robust, fully integrated applied research culture in the colleges will require more comprehensive planning by the colleges either by themselves or in concert with agencies of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, than has been experienced to date. As long as the Collective Agreement governing the allotment of time for faculty activities exists in its current iteration, allocating time for faculty to engage in applied research activities outside the classroom will likely continue on an ad hoc basis. In the near term, having curriculum-based applied research activities could partially solve the problem, accommodate program specific needs, and be of enormous benefit to students and faculty alike.

Tracy Ryder (PhD '11)

Accommodating the Ethno-cultural Differences of Students: An Analysis of Ontario Community Colleges

This study relies on qualitative research: open-ended, semi-structured interviews were used to gain insight into the experiences of students of ethnically diverse backgrounds from three Greater Toronto Area (GTA) community colleges. Additional data were collected from college websites and meetings with college student services directors to gain a broader understanding of the context in which the ethnically diverse student is engaged. This research is guided by the psychosocial theories of student development of Chickering (1969), and Chickering & Reisser, (1993) including a brief overview of the cognitive-structural theory of student development; and the typology theory of student development. Student development theory provides insight into how life experiences shape one’s ability to learn and interact with others. An expert panel assisted with the refining of the interview questions and provided feedback on the overall study findings. In the interest of accountability, members of the expert panel were recruited based on their experience with issues around the diversity that exists within our GTA community colleges. Interviews were conducted with 25 students of ethnically diverse backgrounds to explore their overall college experience and their perceptions of the provision of student services at their college. The conclusions drawn from this study suggest that the colleges participating in the study have met the participants’ expectations in the areas of overall college experience and the services each provides. In addition, it was found that the colleges have had a positive impact on student experience resulting in success. The findings also indicate that these colleges have done little to facilitate quiet learning spaces and are not providing for the religious requirements of students. This study contributes to a better understanding of the challenges students from diverse backgrounds may face when seeking out services at their college and it offers recommendations to enhance these colleges’ efforts in this area along with recommendations for further research.

David John Schleich (PhD '05)

From Nature-Cure to Naturopathic Medicine: the Institutionalizing of Naturopatic Medical Education in Ontario

This thesis describes how Ontario naturopaths developed an educational institution in Canada to stimulate the process of professional formation. Given the unfamiliarity of the complementary and alternative medicine terrain among scholars of higher education, the third sector, and of the professions, this study attempts to clarify the nature and location within civil society of naturopathic medicine’s educational foundations in Ontario. CCNM’s evolution as an institution had as its original goal the meeting of educational and clinical skills standards recognized inside and outside its immediate communities. However, some of the institution’s professional stakeholders understood early that it was desirable to have available to it the benefits of mainstream higher education, especially degree-granting authority. The path to that authority proved to be complex and elusive as the college found its way from private ownership into the nonprofit domain. These aspects of the institution’s development are in turn part of the larger story of the continuing evolution of health care in Canada. The attention scholars interested in professional formation give to the educational frameworks of emerging professions is rooted in the wish to describe those often institutionalized training arrangements as part of a larger understanding of how those groups take their place in civil society. I trace key institutional developments ranging from an informal effort in the late 1970s by the leaders of the Ontario College of Naturopathic Medicine [OCNM] to affiliate with the University of Waterloo, to the emergence of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine [CCNM] some fifteen years later as a private post-secondary institution exhibiting many characteristics of the higher education community medical schools which it had attempted to emulate from the outset. 3 This study also reviews the more widely circulated concepts, terminology, definitions and issues revolving around that sector of CAM occupied by “nature-cure” doctors who currently practice naturopathic medicine. With these definitions and understandings as a foundation, and with a typology in hand which helps define and classify the naturopathic college within civil society as a useful framework, this thesis documents the institutionalizing of naturopathic medical education in Ontario in its first quarter century, between 1978 and 2003.

Klaus Schneider (PhD '10)

Ontario Colleges in the Digital Age: Understanding the Student Experience, Perceptions and Attitudes of Online Learning at one Ontario College

The global economy is undergoing drastic upheavals as Canada enters the 21st century. The key driver of this transformation is the emergence of the digital age. The digital age is impacting all facets of Canadian society, including postsecondary education. The integration of educational technologies into curriculum is spawning a new form of learning commonly referred to as online learning. Online learning has the potential to radically alter the manner in which knowledge is taught and learned in Canadian higher education. This mixed-methods study utilized both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. The qualitative phase (n = 16) was developed and built upon the development and analysis of the quantitative phase (n = 279), which is based on Chickering and Gamson’s (1987) Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education, permitting the researcher to probe more deeply into the college students’ attitudes and perceptions of their online learning experience. The participating students represented most of the programs offered by this college. After the data analysis and interpretations of the findings, several themes emerged. The participants in the online questionnaire were satisfied with their online learning experiences at this one Ontario college. The participants cited the convenience, flexibility and the ability to control their learning as major benefits associated with online learning. Although the students who participated in the online questionnaire were satisfied with their online learning experiences, the quantitative and qualitative findings of this study provide compelling evidence that, as a matter of preference, students would chose a face-to-face / hybrid course over an online course. The participants in the semi-structured interviews repeatedly discussed how the interaction and physical contact between faculty and student, and between students enhanced the learning experiences, which contributed to their academic success. The socialization that occurred in the classroom was also a contributing factor for the preference for face-to-face / hybrid instruction. The results of this study may inform and guide college leadership and faculty about the complexities associated with implementing an online learning strategy at their college. Implications of the conclusions are presented and discussed on how they may impact Ontario’s colleges.

Philip Semple (PhD '22)

An Exploratory Descriptive Study of Implicit Bias in Police Recruits and Applicants at the RCMP

This study sought to explore the nature, degree and impact of implicit bias in police recruits and their instructors attending the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) training facility in Regina, Saskatchewan. The bias explored was in relation to Black men and women. Findings were generated using a mixed methods form of research. Quantitative data were obtained using an implicit bias measuring tool and qualitative data were gleaned from key experts external to the police services. The rationale behind choosing the implicit bias test called Implicitly as the main data collection instrument, its characteristics, and established validity are discussed. The issues of bias and racism are explored from a police and social perspective. Implications, ways to mitigate implicit bias and prevent unsuitable candidates from being hired into positions of power such as policing are also discussed. Significant limitations were encountered in the implementation of the initial research protocol. At the original intended test site, the Ontario Police College (OPC), none of the instructors and only two recruits attempted to complete the Implicitly test. Furthermore, at the second site, the RCMP Depot, none of the instructors chose to participate and only 61 out of 800 invited recruits completed the Implicitly test. However, the Implicitly tests were subsequently offered by the RCMP to recruit applicants and a robust sample of 5,282 tests were completed and the aggregated results made available to me for this study as de-identified secondary data. These secondary data provided the focus of the discussions with five key external experts who shared their perceptions stressing the need for the testing to be a mandatory part of the hiring process for policing because of the potential impact of bias in officer’s position of power. They also thought that the implicit bias testing could be useful in helping to determine the efficacy of recruit training. Key findings identified some significant limitations. These overall test results showed low ranges of implicit bias for both RCMP recruits who completed the tests and recruit applicant participants. Exploring the reason(s) for the lack of participation by the instructors and recruits urgently warrants further investigation.

Elise D. Sheridan (EdD '04)

Why do adult learners leave higher education?: a descriptive analysis

In-depth interviews were conducted with 14 part-time adult participants who were enrolled in an undergraduate degree program through Woodsworth College at the University of Toronto, but who left prior to completion of the degree program. The participants' transcribed responses were then descriptively analyzed in terms of commonalities and relationships with respect to three themes identified within the literature, namely returning to, learning in, and leaving from higher education. Higher education institutions negatively perceive adult learners who leave their programs prior to graduation. It is assumed that these adults have incomplete goals and that their exit status is permanent. The institutions frequently rely on statistical analyses to explain why adult learners leave, however such analyses do not reveal the underlying reasons. Adult learners who leave higher education prior to graduation should not be viewed as having failed, either by the individual or by the institution. These participants perceived leaving as being temporary and necessary at the time, as a result of variables tipping the balance in favour of leaving higher education. They acknowledged, however, that they had gained academically and personally, and they planned to reengage in the future. The reasons for leaving reported by the participants in this study were primarily non-academic with financial issues being reported most frequently. Institutional reasons for leaving were reported by the least number of participants. There were, however, several institutional recommendations recommended by the participants in this study. Although it is important for institutions to provide appropriate support by socially and academically integrating adult learners into the learning environment, the implementation of administrative structures that facilitate intermittent learning and recurrence may also be important to adult learners in higher education. All participants in this study reported that they returned to school primarily to prove to themselves that they could get into and succeed at the university level and they did not necessarily have a specified educational goal in mind. A positive and supportive learning experience was reported by all participants in the adult university preparation program at Woodsworth College. As undergraduate students, the participants in this study were not, however, feeling as connected to the university as their traditional-age classmates, nor did they report a sense of cohesion with these colleagues. All participants in this study identified more than one reason for leaving, to a maximum of six, indicating that the decision to leave the undergraduate program arose from a complex and dynamic interplay of variables. This study provides a descriptive analysis of why adult learners choose to leave higher education by examining the types of decisions adult learners face when deciding whether to continue or leave, how adult learners reach their decision to continue or to leave, and the major issues in the decision making process. This study also examines how higher education institutions can better provide appropriate support for adult learners.

Linda Skilton (PhD '13)

High School/College Transitions: A Case Study Examining The Impact of a Dual Credit Program at Fleming College

The purpose of this study was to explore how Dual Credit (DC) programs at Ontario high schools impacted the persistence of students when they are in college and what specific features of these programs affected the participating students’ academic performance. This study focused on the Dual Credit students enrolled full-time at Sir Sandford Fleming College who successfully completed one full-time semester of academic study. Fleming College is one of the 24 Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts & Technology. This was a case study based on both qualitative and quantitative data collected by a number of methods including survey questionnaires, audio-recorded phone and face-to-face interviews, and document analysis. There were a number of findings related to persistence at College. For example, the DC student group persisted at the same rate as did all College students and DC students who enrolled in a College program that was “related” to their DC program were more likely to persist at college. Although there was no attempt to compare the data for the two groups because of uncontrollable variables, this study found that DC students (as a group) did not achieve academically quite at the same level, as did all Fleming College students. However, considering that the DC target group was “at risk” students, the overall academic achievement (64%) of the DC students (2011) was similar to the academic achievement of all College students (68%). The participants in this study recommended that the DC program be as much like college as possible. This study supports previous research, which indicates that the DC courses should be delivered at the college campus (rather than in the high school) and DC students should be integrated with other college students. Although this was a case study of DC students at only one Ontario College and the findings are not generalizable to other sites, the findings of this study will partially address a gap in the research literature and add to the body of knowledge about the impact of DC programs in the areas of student engagement, integration and persistence with respect to DC programs elsewhere.

Wendy Stanyon (EdD '03)

Degree-completion opportunities for ontario college students: a framework for understanding and facilitating college university collaboration: a college perspective

This descriptive, qualitative study examines the contextual, institutional, and leadership factors that influence collaboration between colleges and universities and explores what might be done to facilitate the development of collaborative programs between the colleges and universities in Ontario. Using a collaborative model identified by Couture, Delong and Wideman (1999), this study focused on degree-completion programs as the only type of college university collaborative program that builds on a previously earned community college diploma, does not have university entrance requirements and is common to both the Colleges' of Applied Arts and Technology collaborations with universities inside and outside of the province. Individuals within the Ontario community college system who had been involved in developing degree-completion programs with Canadian universities were interviewed. It is their personal “stories” about their collaborative experiences with universities and a review of the literature on leadership that provided the basis for this research. The study found leadership to be an important factor in college university collaboration and reinforced the need for “missionaries” on both sides. Successful collaboration seemed to have more to do with the leadership skills and abilities of the individuals involved in the process and their desire to create a more seamless system of education that provides students with ongoing opportunities including pursuing degree credentials, than it had to do with formalized management responsibilities or policies within the institutions. A better understanding of college university collaboration in Ontario puts government officials and postsecondary leaders alike, including administrators and educators, in a stronger position to positively impact future college university collaborative efforts in this province.

John L. Steckley (EdD '03)

Aboriginal voices and the politics of representation in Canadian introductory sociology textbooks

In this study 77 Canadian introductory sociology textbooks ranging in date from 1961 to 2002 are analysed for the way that they present Aboriginal peoples. This analysis is informed by critical theorists such as Michel Foucault, Dorothy Smith, Jean Baudrillard and Linda Tuhiwai Smith, as well as by the writings of a good number of Aboriginal writers. In the thesis, special focus is placed on three subjects: the sociological myth of culturally determined Inuit elder suicide; the potlatch and the 1990 Oka confrontation. In this work it is argued that as the discipline of sociology developed in Canada, the writers/editors of these introductory sociology textbooks denied Aboriginal voice in the production of knowledge in these texts. In so doing, they portrayed Aboriginal peoples in limited, often distorted ways.

Kelly Dawn Steele (PhD '08)

Perceptions of Chinese International Students in Singapore: Adjustment Issues and Support

The number of students choosing to engage in international education is increasing. Typically, the United States has been the number one destination for international students but that has declined in recent years (2002 to 2006). This implies that international students choose to study in other English speaking countries or in countries that may be more similar in culture. The purpose of this study was to explore the thoughts, opinions, and experiences of undergraduate Mainland Chinese international students who were studying at a university in Singapore. The focus was to understand their perceptions of the adjustments issues they faced as international students. Twenty-one (21) students were interviewed using a semi-structured face-to-face technique. A review of the literature was conducted. The three major areas of difficulty identified were learning to speak English, weather, and food. The most helpful support reported by the Chinese international students was the ‘English Bridging course’. Overall, general adaptation to life and study in Singapore presented no major obstacles for the Chinese international students and this resulted in low utilization of and need for existing support services. The respondents reported that learning to speak English was the most difficult adaptation they encountered due to the widespread use of Mandarin and Singlish by the local population. Interestingly the issues identified in other research studies such as difficulty with general living adjustment, personal psychological adjustment, social adjustment, and culture shock were not supported in this research. Also, loneliness, homesickness, anxiety, lack of social support, and difficulty with finances were not identified as major issues for this group of Chinese international students. This led the researcher to conclude that the more similar a host country is to the home country in culture and language, the easier the general adjustment of the international student. Also, the researcher concluded that the similarity in language (Mandarin) from the home country (China) to the host country (Singapore) is both a negative and a positive – it can greatly and positively facilitate general adjustment of an international student but it can hinder the English language adjustment and learning. Suggestions for future research were included in this study.

Derek Stockley (PhD '22)

Developing Leadership in the Decanal Role in Ontario Institutes of Technology and Advanced Learning (ITALS): A Case Study of Humber College ITAL

There is growing need for ongoing leadership development in the Ontario college system with very little research and literature on how to achieve this. This case-study explored the pathways to decanal leadership at Humber College Institution of Technology and Advanced Learning (ITAL). This was done by examining theparticipants’ perceptions of the challenges of the decanal role, alongside the competencies or leadership frameworks that are required. This study also examined how those in the role were supported in their professional development. This was an exploratory descriptive case study that used both document analysisof job descriptions, advertisement and LinkedIn profiles, alongside semi-structured interviews with 12 current and previous deans who have held the role since Humber became an ITAL in 2003. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with the Senior Vice-President Academic and the current President. Key findings of this study include a profile of the ideal candidate for these dean positions, including the ideal pathway. The key challenges included defining and defending the ITAL status, alongside the complexities brought about by this focus. The role of collaboration and conflict was also noted, along with isolation and limited resources. The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) competencies were examined alongside Bolman and Deal’s framework for leadership. Supports for professional development were identified, including the role of mentorship, external Professional Development, graduate studies and inhouse training which can all be used pre-service or in-service with a Dean group. The implications for policy and practice include the need to develop intentional training structures that move away from a reliance on informal mentoring, while investing in the development of in-house training. There is also a clear need to develop multi-framework leadership to address the broad range of challenges faced at the decanal position, acknowledging that one approach to leadership does not fit in a position that is meant to deal with a broad range of issues. While this study addresses a gap in the literature, there is a need to expand future research across the Ontario college sector, while addressing the emerging challenges arising from the impact that COVID will have on our industry.

Marilyn Teitelbaum (PhD '15)

What Factors become Priorities in the Decision-making Process that Influence Administrators of Campus Space to Choose one Type of General-use Classroom over Another?

Current best practice education and design research indicated that flexible general-use teaching spaces, not inflexible row-and-column classrooms, improved student success. Research indicated inflexible classrooms inhibited progressive models of pedagogy by discouraging active learner-centered methods. The focus of this study was the inflexible general-use classroom that was the standard method of teacher-centered education. In this qualitative exploratory, descriptive case study I interviewed administrators in three Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology who were in various ways responsible for the `delivery of classrooms'. I extracted factors that influenced the decisions of participants to prioritize the inflexible classroom model and looked for reasons why the transition to supportive flexible space had been slow to emerge. Factors that stalled space changes included issues of space utilization, faculty preference, technology fatigue and effort. I also explored the colleges' historic use of inflexible classrooms, the characteristics that have maintained their use and barriers that have prevented change as well as the historic and current environmental context in which decisions about classrooms are made. The results show that administrators, for the most part reflect their learner-centered Strategic Plans. However, I discovered a gap in their understanding that inflexible teacher-centered classrooms support one pedagogy model where learner-centered pedagogies are supported by physical spaces that promote flexibility and movement. To ensure inflexible classrooms remained, administrators repeated factors containing misinformation that supported the single priority; to make the most of funding through maximization of space and schedule. Slow transition through insufficient momentum was possible because administrators did not have the design experience or skills to know better. They formed alliances and used factors to argue for the continuance of the row-and-column general-use classroom. This continuance was most evident in two of the three subject colleges. One college in the study was contemplating change while the other two were not. Emergent results showed that although best practices in design and education provided evidence that change from inflexible to flexible general-use classrooms could improve student success, environments continued to adhere to the historic standard row-and-column configuration. I hope to create the momentum for change from inflexible to flexible environments required leadership.

Alvina Lucy Tesa (PhD '13)

The Impact of Degree-granting Requirements on Faculty Hiring Policies and Practices: A Case Study of Ontario's ITALs

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of the requirements of the Postsecondary Education Assessment Board (PEQAB) for graduate credentials for faculty teaching in college degree programs and the impact on hiring policies and practices at Ontario’s five Institutes of Technology and Advanced Learning (ITALs) which are part of the 24 Ontario Colleges and Applied Arts and Technology (CAAT). The Innovative Hiring Practices model developed by Jones-Kavalier and Flannigan (2008) served as a framework for identifying relevant concepts, questions, and data collection strategies that were used in this study. This study used the exploratory descriptive case study method to analyze data collected from ITAL websites and from interviews with 16 key informants who are most directly involved in the recruitment and hiring process at the five ITALs. Interviews were conducted with five Human Resource Managers (one from each ITAL) and eleven Deans responsible for programming in business, media studies, applied technology and liberal arts across the five ITALs. The conclusions drawn from this study suggest that there a number of policies and practices that enhance or deter from hiring the most appropriate faculty across all credentials - degrees, diplomas, and certificates - at the participating ITALs. The review of the relevant documents posted on the ITAL websites revealed a lack of clarity for potential applicants around the definition of the institutions referred to variously as ITALs, polytechnics, or colleges. Job descriptions that describe faculty roles did not capture the full essence of the position, the importance of teaching or the role of research. Attracting sufficient numbers of appropriate candidates to meet the Postsecondary Quality Assessment Board (PEQAB) requirements was identified by study participants as a serious concern. The constraints of the Academic Employees Collective Agreement on faculty utilization was perceived by participants as a substantive challenge for recruiting faculty with the appropriate expectations and expertise to facilitate student learning in the unique context of Ontario colleges. The study findings may inform policy and practice that would enhance the quality of work-life for faculty teaching in the degree programs in the five ITALs, for the ultimate benefit of student learning.

Arif Toor (PhD '19)

Ontario’s Graduate Certificate Programs: An Exploration into Colleges’ Perspectives and Students’ Decision-making Processes

This mixed methods study explored the nature and role of one of the credentials offered by the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAATs) – graduate certificates – in school to work transition of Ontarians and it explored students’ decision-making processes when enrolling in these programs. The role of education in human capital theory underpins specific ways qualifications can be used for economic progress; however, in liberal market economies where an education logic dominates, such a role is not clearly defined. The conceptual frameworks that grounded my study included Iannelli and Raffe’s (2007) concept of transition systems, differentiation (cited in Parsons Platt, 1973, Rhoades, 1983), Perna’s (2006) model of student choice, and Reverse Transfer (cited in Clark, 1960; Hossler et. al, 2012). These were used to analyze data from: 335 program websites; statistical data from the Ontario government and Colleges Ontario documents; and, interviews with six institutional leaders, five program coordinators from five selected CAATs (out of 24), four third-party professionals and 17 students. The quantitative data included all graduate certificates offered by 22 English language Ontario CAATs in fall 2017. The conclusions drawn from this study suggest that graduate certificate programs are the only post-diploma credential offered by the CAATs where degrees are one of the key entry requirements. Due to the government’s policies and market pressures, these programs are relatively homogenous which contributes to isomorphism in Ontario CAATs. These programs produce highly positive labour-market outcomes and this study’s participants considered these program curricula to be closely linked with the job market. However, the system-wide data show that more than half of the graduates get jobs outside their fields of study. Participants perceived the level of these programs to be higher than baccalaureate programs and students enrolled in these programs to gain applied skills which were not offered by their previous education. This study contributes to the existing literature on role of qualifications in liberal market economies and may inform policy, improve program design and delivery, and help increase the understanding of role of these credentials in Ontario’s transition and higher education systems.

Marlynn West-Moynes (PhD '12)

A Study of Organizational Culture in Ontario Colleges with High Student Satisfaction

Academic institutions face countless pressures within a context of ongoing globalization, societal change, and increased accountability measures. The use of organizational culture assessment can assist organizations to understand their current culture and, consequently, to inform strategies for change management. This study examined the perceptions held by administrators at four Ontario colleges with above average Student Satisfaction (KPI) about their institution’s current and preferred organizational culture and their own management competencies. A descriptive research method was employed using a modified version of Cameron and Quinn’s (2006) Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) and Management Skills Assessment Instrument (MSAI). Different culture types were found in the current state at the four colleges. Two colleges exhibited a dominant Market or ‘competing’ type culture, one a dominant Hierarchy or ‘controlling’ type culture and, one a dominant Clan or ‘collaborative’ type culture. Evidence of strength and congruence of organizational culture was found at some of the four colleges. Results from all colleges combined exhibited meaningful influence of both Clan and Hierarchy type cultures. Dominant culture type differed by gender and number of years’ experience in the job. Administrators at all four of the colleges reported use of Clan type management skills (i.e., Managing Teams, Interpersonal Relations, and Development of Others) most frequently. This was followed by Adhocracy, Hierarchy and Market type skills. Three colleges ranked Managing Competitiveness as their lowest. OCAI dominant culture type differed from MSAI dominance at three of the colleges and one exhibited the same Clan type OCAI and MSAI. Desire in the preferred state to increase collaboration was evident with dominant Clan type culture and focus on flexibility. Focus was split equally with two internal and two external, and culture strength was found at two colleges. Consistency exists between preferred dominant culture type and management skills of administrators, suggesting administrators’ skills at each of the colleges are aligned with where they desire their college’s organizational culture to be heading. This study identifies implications for leadership of college culture linked to effective performance. The results build on existing evidence that dominant type, strength and/or congruence of culture is linked with performance effectiveness.

Chris Whitaker (PhD '11)

The Impact of Dual Credit on College Access and Participation: An Ontario Case Study

The purpose of the study is to better understand the extent to which dual credit contributes to increased access and participation in college. As an initiative to facilitate the transition from high school to college for many students, dual credit has grown in scale and popularity in Ontario in recent years. By giving participating students credit towards both secondary school and college, dual credit is seen as a particularly effective mechanism in assisting disengaged students and groups under-represented in postsecondary education achieve success in high school and college. Still at an early stage of implementation in Ontario, little formal research has been conducted to explore the elements contributing to the program’s success and the benefits and outcomes for participants. Through the use of mixed methods of research, the study explores from a case study perspective the experience of dual credit at a single Ontario college in collaboration with its local partner school boards. Research methods include examination of student grades, policy and program documentation; student and parent surveys; and interviews with staff involved in planning and delivery. The analysis is informed by conceptual frameworks of student change allowing for consideration of a broad range of variables. Results of the study revealed that dual credit was deemed to be a success by students, parents and staff involved with the programs. Dual credit was viewed as particularly effective in terms of academic benefits and creating a greater awareness of college, contributing to student confidence and leading to increased likelihood of college participation. Dual credit participants were found to be primarily middle achievers academically, tended to perform better in dual credit courses than in high school, and obtained slightly higher grades than college peers in the same courses. Given the program delivery models studied, it was concluded that middle achievers were likely to benefit most. The study also concluded that student characteristics including pre-existing confidence and motivation should be considered an important element of success along with program elements and institutional factors. As an innovative program demonstrating positive results, more research should be done to assist in developing dual credit further.

Pamela Williamson (PhD '11)

Assessing the Influence of First Nation Education Counsellors on First Nation Post-secondary Students and Their Program Choices

The exploratory study focused on First Nation students and First Nation education counsellors within Ontario. Using an interpretative approach, the research sought to determine the relevance of the counsellors as a potentially influencing factor in the students’ post-secondary program choices. The ability of First Nation education counsellors to be influential is a consequence of their role since they administer Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP) funding. A report evaluating the program completed by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada in 2005 found that many First Nation students would not have been able to achieve post-secondary educational levels without PSSSP support. Eight self-selected First Nation Education counsellors and twenty-nine First Nation post-secondary students participated in paper surveys, and five students and one counsellor agreed to complete a follow-up interview. The quantitative and qualitative results revealed differences in the perceptions of the two survey groups as to whether First Nation education counsellors influenced students’ post-secondary program choices. Students perceived themselves to be their greatest influence, while the counsellors felt their influence was greater once students made their program decisions, through encouragement and follow up support. The study raised questions regarding challenges faced by First Nation education counsellors to provide consistent academic, personal and cultural/social supports to their sponsored students. While the study suggested the role of First Nation education counsellors had evolved little from its original financial-administrative role and toward a more rounded offering including interpersonal, academic and cultural supports, in keeping with an educational decolonization process, counsellors face chronic program under funding and are under-staffed. To enhance First Nation students’ academic success, federal and provincial governments and First Nations are encouraged to further support First Nation education counsellors with greater training opportunities (expansion of the Ontario Native Education Counselling Association’s Native Counsellor Training Program), a higher ratio of counsellors to students, and support and promotion of their ability to provide interpersonal and academic counselling. The study challenged First Nation education counsellors to seek more opportunities to maintain consistent engagement with their students, especially with more autonomous or older students. First Nation students were also challenged to seek more from their counsellors than sponsorship.

Robert J. Wilson (PhD '08)