This qualitative pilot study introduces and reflects on early development and implementation of the Zero Fee Tuition (ZFT) program in the rural, oil and gas town of Drayton Valley, Alberta, Canada. This innovative, primarily municipally funded program, implemented in 2019, provides local students with up to $5,000 in free tuition for select…

Attrition and turnover among early career teachers (ECTs) have garnered the attention of policymakers and educational leaders across Canada. However, due to provincial/territorial responsibility for education in Canada, teacher induction efforts to keep novice teachers in the profession depend on school system structures and policies specific to…

Many countries grapple with the tension between commitment to inclusive education reform and the closure of special schools. This tension is particularly problematic for countries, like Australia, that have ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The CRPD is clear that closing special schools is pivotal to…

The earliest School Resource Officer Programs in Canada date back to the 1970s. This study examines how police officers, teachers, school administrators, students, and journalists use a discourse of relationship-building between police and youth to frame School Resource Officers (SROs): who they are, the work they do, their roles in students'…

Purpose: In the wake of interlocking pandemics, educational systems are resetting in important ways, pursuing aims that are not exclusively instructional (e.g., social justice, well-being). As systems (re)build, they may vary in how they manage their institutional and policy environments, which may or may not be reorienting toward these same…

The rapid expansion of digital connectivity has provided youth with wide-ranging access to digital platforms for communication, entertainment, and education. In light of this profound shift, there have been growing concerns about online safety, data privacy, and cybersecurity. A critical factor influencing the ability of youth to responsibly…

Through the use of the Program for International Student Assessment's (PISA) Global Competence results, the Economic Intelligence Unit's (EIU) Democracy Index ratings, and centralization-decentralization spectrum rubrics, this dissertation shows the association between level of democracy and education system, and the association of these variables…

The publicly funded early intervention program for preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Nova Scotia, Canada, uses the pivotal response treatment (PRT) model. Parents are coached in use of PRT strategies during their children's first week of treatment. We explored whether parents of older preschoolers with limited verbal ability…

Given the substantial impact school leaders have on school improvement, the imperative for continuous professional learning for leaders is evident. In this two-year action research study, researchers collaborated with a school division, forming a research-practice partnership, to design and explore a collaborative professional learning and…

In every sector, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of mental health resources for wellbeing. Although scholars have long recognized the interdependent relationship between academic success and positive mental health, research that can be used to guide mental health service design and delivery in post-secondary institutions is…

Undergraduate credit for prior learning (CPL) is an important aspect of today's higher-education landscape. This report presents an in-depth look at the current state of undergraduate CPL in the United States and Canada. The primary objective of the report is to foment dialogue and action toward a more inclusive, effective higher-education system…

Based on the concept of Communities of Practice (CoP), this study describes the design and implementation of an online academic conference, Pedagogy and Practice in Technology Enhanced Language Learning (PPTELL) 2021, as a backdrop for exploring how to effectively promote the development of academic citizenship within the PPTELL CoP. To address…

This article draws upon a critical policy analysis approach to examine the state of inclusive education policy in Global North settings over the past decade. Building on an earlier paper on this topic ten years ago, this updated article seeks to explore whether and how inclusion and inclusive education have been understood in varied international,…

Purpose: This study provides insight into the nature of peer-mentoring opportunities for teacher candidates, including common challenges and benefits that can be used to inform best practices for implementing peer-mentoring programs by higher education institutions. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative interviews were conducted to glean…

This pilot study explored undergraduate students' experiences with goal setting and time management. We embedded a series of mandatory planning and reflection assignments into two undergraduate courses. Assignments were unique to each course, but emphasized goal setting, planning and time management, and reflection. Qualitative analyses revealed…