Kitchenham, Andrew

The benefits of inclusive classroom practice have been well documented. Proponents of inclusive education continue to encourage teachers to implement universal design practices that will support all learners, not just those with special learning needs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the feelings of self-efficacy of a small group of general education classroom teachers located in Northwestern British Columbia. The study focused on how prepared teachers felt to implement inclusive practices to meet the learning needs of students with severe disabilities in their general education classrooms. Through a qualitative research case study approach, using purposeful sampling, the researcher recruited five general education classroom teachers all working within the same Northwestern British Columbia school district. The researcher aimed to work with the participants to gather suggestions or find common themes where teachers felt they needed more support or training around inclusion. Data was collected through a series of semi-structured, one-on-one interviews with participants chosen from a single Northwestern British Columbia school district. Interviews lasted between 16 and 35 minutes. Data was analyzed using Saldaña’s (2013) general coding process, beginning with First Cycle coding that included Attribute, Descriptive, NVivo, and Values coding. The researcher utilized Pattern Coding during the Second Cycle coding process and compiled the findings using a clear framework for data collection, and the use of multiple participant views. My UNBC thesis supervisor monitored the data collection and interview processes to ensure it was conducted appropriately and that the researcher coded the data with consistency. Findings included the need for more hands-on practice and training in specific Special Education practices, the importance of having support staff trained in Special Education as well as intensive behaviour support, clear communication between school teams, within districts and with parents, as well as possible changes in funding models to address class size, composition, increase access to diagnostic assessments.

In Surrey, British Columbia teachers use play-based learning to support young students under the guidance of the provincial curriculum including language diverse settings. This qualitative phenomenological research study investigated teacher experiences with implementing play-based learning for English language learner support in kindergarten and Grade 1 classrooms. All participants were employed by the Surrey school district during the research study. Six participants completed interviews and another six completed digital surveys that were used for complementarity. Interview and survey transcripts were coded with a Vygotskian theoretical lens and five themes were developed: teaching philosophies and practices, school experiences, literacy, play, and English Language Learning. Conclusions included teachers defined play-based learning in different ways; teachers noticed positive impacts of play on ELL students; teachers used two distinct play-based strategies for supporting ELL students; and the pandemic had negative impacts on teachers, their students, and student caregivers. Recommendations for teachers of ELL students included getting directly involved in play, teaching play strategies explicitly, and employing teaching strategies that incorporated language usage and play including the story workshop method and free play.

In today’s fast-paced world of technology, new innovations are created constantly. Due to the prevalence of these new technologies being regularly introduced into workplaces, making the implementation easier for end-users will help ease the implementation process itself. This research focused on the relationship between University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) employees and the implementation of the Banner 9 upgrade to UNBC’s ERP, specifically by answering the following questions: how do UNBC Banner users feel about the implementation, what themes were prevalent in the implementation, and what suggestions and recommendations can be made to mitigate resistance and lessen the difficulty of future implementations? Surveys and interviews were used to collect data. Via participant responses, the following suggestions were derived from the themes discovered: hold regular and themed training workshops, increase transparency regarding the implementation, provide IT department demonstrations, and have documentation more accessible to users.

The goal of this research study was to investigate listening comprehension and demonstrate how a listening comprehension intervention could lead to improvement. This study intended to contribute to the knowledge base of research with elementary-aged students while providing educators with guidance in teaching listening. Two Grade 5 classes comprised of the participant groups; one class served as the intervention group, while the other class served as the control group. This study followed a quantitative research methodology using a quasi-experimental design that included pretesting and posttesting in listening and reading. Statistical analysis using t-tests compared the groups. The findings of this study did not achieve statistical significance but resulted in several educational significances. The implications of this study indicate that the task of designing an age-appropriate course and measuring improvement is challenging. Subsequent research in the area of listening comprehension course development and test development for this age group is recommended.

The purpose of this project is to provide a handbook for classroom and special education teachers. This handbook is to assist teachers helping their students with ASD to develop reading comprehension skills. This project begins with background information regarding ASD and prevalence rates for ASD along with a discussion about reading comprehension. A literature review outlines the difficulties students with ASD have with reading comprehension and examines the specific areas with which students struggle. An outline of how the project is structured is given and finally a handbook is presented that outlines strategies for teachers to use for each area of deficit which students may encounter. The handbook provides a variety of strategies for each area identified.

This project focused on fostering resilience amongst co-operative higher education students as a necessary skill for success in academia, the workforce, and in life. There are five chapters in this project. Chapter 1 outlines the significance, background, and purpose of the project, as well as my personal location as a researcher. Chapter 2 presents a thematic and study-by-study literature review that explores co-operative education and its models as well as ramifications of student resilience in higher education. The literature review identified major themes of academic, career, stress/emotional, and communication/social resilience common to co-operative higher education students. Chapter 3 discusses the research methods, which were based on an educational qualitative orientation and content and documentary research designs.

Elementary schools in Northern British Columbia with vulnerable populations are facing a decline in the academic achievement rates of their students. School districts facing these challenges are focusing their initiatives on intensive interventions to reduce and eliminate the achievement gap affecting the vulnerable populations. The After-School Academic Proficiency (ASAP) Program was a pilot project introduced to eight elementary schools with populations that were deemed vulnerable. Reading data collected from a school district located in Northern British Columbia determined that 49% of Grade 2 students were not meeting expectations.

Divisive political discourse today reflects a need to address issues of oppression in North American society. Accordingly, teachers can help students confront these problems. Linking critical pedagogy and transformative learning theory, this interdisciplinary research examines whether reading and discussing March Book Two, a historical nonfiction graphic narrative written by civil rights activist John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, led students in a British Columbian Adult Basic Education English class to transform their perspectives on social-justice related issues. Qualitative data were collected from student work, classroom observations, and post-semester interviews in an instructor-led action research case study.