This course examines how creative practices can be employed to generate innovative research in the humanities and social sciences. Course participants will analyze current debates on representation, rationale, and ethics, and in particular they will examine how arts-based practices/processes can move educational research towards more critical, democratic, and participatory forms of research by attending to issues of social justice and equity.

This course explores different approaches to the arts in urban schools, with a focus on how the arts might play a role in teaching for equity and social justice. Using a critical lens, students will explore the role that the arts might play pedagogically and in the curriculum in urban schools. Among other themes, students will explore how to incorporate the arts for teaching in non-arts classrooms, critical issues in curriculum and instruction in various arts disciplines, as well as non-curricular and community-based approaches to the arts in school related contexts. Students will have an opportunity to explore different artistic disciplines and consider how they might incorporate the arts as a strategy in teaching for social change.

The examination of current topics or problems in play, drama, and arts education as related to curriculum studies. Issues will be identified from all age levels of education as well as from dramatic play, each of the arts disciplines, and aesthetic education as a whole. Students will address one specific topic through self-directed learning and present the results in an appropriate form. Topics vary from year to year depending upon interests of course members.

This course examines the nature of spirituality. After exploring various conceptions of spirituality the course then examines how it can be part of the school curriculum in a non threatening manner. More specifically, the course explores the nature of the soul and how the soul can be nourished in the classroom through approaches such as imagery, dreams, journal writing, and forms of contemplation. The arts and earth education are also examined in this context. Finally the role of the teacher will be explored.

This course will focus on curriculum that facilitates personal growth and social change. Various programs and techniques that reflect a holistic orientation will be analysed: for example, Waldorf education, social action programs, and transpersonal techniques such as visualization and the use of imagery in the classroom. The philosophical, psychological, and social context of the holistic curriculum will also be examined.

It has been well documented that many adults experience mathematics anxiety, possibly due to the traditional way they have been taught math in their own schooling. This course utilizes a holistic approach in helping elementary teachers to reconstruct their foundational math knowledge and overcome their anxieties. Utilizing reform-based approaches, participants will work in small groups on selected mathematics problems and hands-on explorations at an appropriate level of difficulty. Journal writing, group reflection and guided visualization activities will be used to help participants become aware of, and start dealing with their emotional and cognitive blocks in relation to mathematics. Such work opens the door to accessing one's mathematical intuition and creativity. A discussion of how the strategies used in the course, or reported in the literature, can be adapted for mathematics-anxious students will also be included.

During this highly interactive course, graduate students will investigate in depth, current research on effective teaching strategies in elementary mathematics focusing on student communication and its implications for classroom practice. This course will also provide opportunities for graduate students to deepen their understanding of the research literature through hands-on activities, student work samples, and classroom-researched videos. We will examine the research related to student discourse and communication in order to explore not only students' understanding of mathematical concepts, but also the use of mathematical language and the social interactions that take place between students. No experience in teaching mathematics or previous coursework related to mathematics is required.

This course will focus on the holistic nature of wellness, through a phenomenology of practice. Phenomenology of practice is an approach that concentrates on the study of consciousness and the objects of direct experience and relates to the meaning and practice of phenomenology in professional contexts, as well as the practice of phenomenological methods in the context of everyday living. In this course, phenomenological reflection, using aspects of multimedia, will be employed in a concentrated effort to engage with the complexity of the topic of wellness. The course begins with questions relating to the meaning of “wellness,” by exploring philosophical and historical orientations towards wellness. Seminars will survey concepts, issues and approaches associated with wellness and educative practice. Theoretical and practical problems will be examined through themes such as sources of self, reality constructions, human agency and awareness.

This course explores the theory and practice (praxis) of Environmental and Sustainability Education (ESE) in school and community settings. Students will investigate the historical roots, theoretical foundations and pedagogical traditions of ESE from personal and organizational perspectives, contextualizing these in recent developments in research, policy, and practice in Canada and internationally. The praxis of ESE will be situated in relation to equity, social justice, Indigenous ways of knowing, health and wellbeing, and transformative learning. Students will use this as a starting point to explore and develop practices in ESE in classrooms and community settings as a means to better position and integrate ESE in their own work as educators and researchers.

This course examines what mathematics should be taught, how to define and increase students' understanding of mathematics, classroom discourse and student engagement in elementary mathematics. The intent of the course is to provide a grounding in mathematics education.

This course involves a study of theories of learning in the context of science education, a survey of research relating to children's understanding of concepts in science, and an exploration of strategies for more effective science teaching.

A detailed study of issues in the history, philosophy, and sociology of science that have significance for science education, an examination of the philosophy underpinning the STS movement, and a consideration of some of the theoretical and practical problems surrounding the implementation of science curricula intended to focus on environmental, socioeconomic, cultural, and moral-ethical issues.

The course focuses on the design of effective strategies for exploring students' personal frameworks of meaning in science and addresses issues of contemporary international debate about science and technology education, including the ''Science for All'' movement, the ''new'' psychology of learning, the language of science and technology education, politicization of science and technology education, the role of laboratory work, computers in science education, and issues in environmental and health education.

This course will address some key issues in the philosophy and the sociology of science and their implications for science education at the elementary and secondary levels. Attention will also be directed towards (i) a critical appraisal of the role of the history of science in science education , and (ii) a consideration of pseudosciences and their role, and the distortion and misuse of science for sociopolitical goals. Course members will have the opportunity to explore ways in which lab work, computer-mediated learning, language activities and historical case studies can be used to present a more authentic view of science, scientific development and scientific practice.

This course deals with issues of gender bias, Eurocentrism and other forms of bias and distortion in science and science-technology education. It seeks a generalized approach to equity issues and examines ways in which border crossings into the subcultures of science and science education can be eased for all those who currently experience difficulties.

This course will focus on theoretical and practical perspectives and current research on teaching and learning science and technology in school and non-school settings. Consideration will be given to classroom environments, as well as science centres, zoos, aquaria, museums, out-door centres, botanical gardens, science fairs, science hobby clubs, and media experiences. In particular, the course will focus on the nature of teaching and learning in these diverse settings, representations of science and technology, scientific and technological literacy, and socio-cultural interpretations of science and technology.

This course focuses on curriculum issues associated with integrating school science, mathematics and technology. Participants will examine the contemporary literature on curriculum integration. Topics include the history of curriculum integration and school subjects, theoretical and practical models for integration, strategies for teaching in an integrated fashion, student learning in integrated school settings, models for school organization, and curriculum implementation issues. During the course, participants will be required to interview a colleague, and to arrange access to a classroom or instructional setting to conduct some action research on their own integrated teaching practices.

This course explores the fundamentally cultural nature of all learning, but specifically learning of mathematics, science, and technology disciplines. The course is roughly split into three major sections. We begin with a brief overview of cultural-historical approaches to understanding learning and cognition. These theoretical frameworks begin with the assumption that cognition is fundamentally social and cultural, always grounded in activity, practices and communities. Secondly, we will focus on empirical research on mathematical, scientific and technological thinking in various contexts, ranging from elementary school mathematics classes to grocery shopping to carpet laying to theoretical physics. Finally, using the theoretical and empirical work as a foundation, we will study approaches to instruction based on the assumption that all learning is cultural.

Various approaches to making mathematics meaningful for, and accessible to intermediate and senior level students will be examined in the light of recent developments in the field and the Ontario mathematics curriculum guidelines. Throughout the course, we will focus on the question 'making mathematics meaningful for whom,' so an equity focus will pervade each week's readings and discussions. Topics may include: Streaming and school structures, the use of open-ended problems, identity issues, building on community knowledge, classroom discourse, and assessment.

This course is an introduction to sociocultural theories of learning, including both historical and contemporary views on how culture, society and history influence the nature of learning. We will begin with Vygotsky and activity theory, and then consider a broad spectrum of current views that draw on this work.

The role of science education in positively impacting life conditions globally is perhaps the most intriguing and urgent problem for science education. In this regard, a recurring theme in local and international deliberations on science education is the role of school science in social, economic, and cultural conditions, that is, in everyday life. This course will facilitate a systematic analysis of the role of school science in everyday life along five themes: The context for the issues that pertain to science education and social economic development; Emergent constructs for school science; How people learn and knowledge transfer; The realities of science teaching and learning; The notion of knowledge, school science, other sciences, and social economic development; and, Historical reflections and critique of the science education endeavor.

In this course we will explore teaching and learning about environmental education (EE) through science, mathematics and technology education. Environmental education is a particularly timely topic given the recent changes to Ontario curriculum and the renewed interest in environmental issues nationally and internationally. Central to this course is a commitment to a teaching and learning continuum that includes the use of schools, school grounds, the local and broader community, and outdoor education centres. All of these 'places' become contexts in which educators can explore environmental education. In this course, we will attempt to link our discussions to the theory and practice of EE education. Specifically, we will examine the notion of environmental literacy and citizenship, current changes in Ontario curriculum and policy, the relationship between EE and nature, sustainable development and social justice, place-based education, outdoor education, and EE and Indigenous knowledges. The course also examines the philosophical and ideological orientations and competing frameworks that underpin the EE movement in Canada and elsewhere, and identifies some of the theoretical and practical problems surrounding its implementation.

This course, open to Masters and Doctoral students in education, addresses theory and practice regarding relationships among various powerful individuals and groups in societies (e.g., corporations, transnational organizations, banks, financiers, politicians, think tanks, technologies, advertisements) and fields of professional science and technology regarding the extent to which they may contribute to the wellbeing of individuals, societies and environments. Attention also is paid to citizens' roles in conducting research and using findings to inform socio-political actions to influence powerful people/groups and fields of science and technology promoting a better world.

This course aims to illuminate contemporary Canadian and international debate in science education by providing insights into the nature of curriculum change through a critical analysis of episodes in science curriculum history. Students will have an opportunity to explore K-12 school science curricula at global, national, provincial, and classroom levels. The course has a metacognitive focus where students are encouraged to reflect on their own learning processes as well as those of science learners in other contexts. The course is framed by the question: How can an examination of the ways that science education has developed and been mobilised in different classroom contexts inform our focus for the future of science education?

In mathematics education today, policymakers, teachers, and researchers all agree that it is critical to link research to teaching practices in our schools. This means conducting research that is directly relevant to the everyday dilemmas of mathematics teachers and supporting teachers to adopt practices that research has shown to be effective. In this course, we draw from a recent publication by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, that outlines ten key questions that teachers put forward to guide researchers in their work. Topics include: assessment, curriculum, culturally relevant mathematics pedagogy, student thinking, effective algebra teaching, teacher professional development, influence of technology on mathematical learning, effective teaching with technology, interventions for struggling students, and helping students engage in ‘productive struggle.’ We will also investigate various theoretical and conceptual frameworks for mathematics education.

This course explores the perspectives and implications of Artificial Intelligence Ethics for Educators. The course will draw upon perspectives of AIED aligning with K-12 and higher education. The course will examine AI Literacy development for those with and without a technology background. Discussions of AI ethics and literacy will include important considerations of ethics, bias, data collection, privacy and explainability. Proposed guidelines for AI literacy will be critically examined.

The study and concept of ''culture'' has emerged from a number of different disciplines over the past century. ''Cultural studies'' is a recent synthesis and critical re-evaluation of some of these approaches, one with important implications for educators in the area of the humanities. Through a discussion of key texts and issues generated within this tradition, the course examines struc- turalist, ethnographic, feminist, and postmodern versions of cultural studies in order to understand how these approaches reformulate an educational practice concerned with contemporary culture.

The course is designed to introduce students to qualitative methods of research in education. The intention is to examine the nature of qualitative research and its relationship to theory. Students will look at different ways of approaching qualitative research, and special attention will be paid to the concept of critical ethnography. Students will also study five specific research techniques: observation, interview, content analysis, life history, and action research.

The course is designed to examine the contradictory role of the school as an agent of linguistic and social reproduction in a school system where students are from diverse linguistic and cultural origins. In this context, the majority-minorities dichotomy will be critically examined. The course will focus particularly on how school contributes to the students' identity construction process. In this critical examination, identity will be understood as a socially constructed notion. Key-concepts such as identity, ethnicity, minority, race, culture and language will be first analyzed. The process of identity construction will then be examined within the educational context of Ontario.

What social identities and roles are included in the ‘citizenships’ to be taught in various political and social contexts, and why?  How might democratic citizenship be taught and learned?  This course examines contrasting approaches to political (governance), social and cultural (identity and justice), local and transnational education for democracy (democratization), in light of comparative international and Canadian scholarship.  The course addresses implicit and explicit citizenship curriculum/ teaching, primarily in relation to youth and state-funded formal (school) education.  Themes include:  agency in relation to social structures; participation in social institutions and collective decisions; territory and environment; social conflict, dissent and peacebuilding; diversely-positioned identities (gender, culture, nation…), values and motivations, rights, relationships, community and justice.  Participants will learn to analyze and assess educational proposals and experiences in relation to theory, research, and their own democratic education goals.  This course serves as a core course for the Institute's graduate studies specialization in comparative, international, and development education.