Variability is underemphasized in domains such as engineering. Statistics and data science education research offers a variety of frameworks for understanding variability, but new frameworks for domain applications are necessary. This study investigated the professional practices of working engineers to develop such a framework. The Neglected,…

The Education Council of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) commissioned a review of the current approach to the presentation of the National Assessment Program -- Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) data including information published on the "My School" website. The review was framed by four Terms of Reference, namely: (1)…

The purpose of this phenomenological dissertation-in-practice was to identify which pedagogical tactics facilitated practical and professional administrative office skill development among graduates from Ontario, Canada's "Bachelor of Business Administration" (B.B.A.) program. The research questions that guided this study defined a goal…

This study explored the perspectives of elementary school children with disabilities in inclusive dance education classrooms in two large school districts in Western Canada. A qualitative interpretivist approach facilitated understanding of the experiences of eight children with different disabilities between the ages 6 and 10 who participated in…

Background: Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience high rates of physical and mental health problems; yet their health care is often inadequate. Information about their characteristics and health services needs is critical for planning efficient and equitable services. A logical source of such information is…

Aggregate survey responses collected from students are commonly used by universities to compare effective educational practices across program majors, and to make high-stakes decisions about the effectiveness of programs. Yet if there is too much heterogeneity among student responses within programs, the program-level averages may not…

The authors describe the process whereby a student with a background in economics was guided to understand the central role in qualitative research of the researcher as instrument. The instructor designed a three-part mock research project designed to provide experiential knowledge of the enterprise of qualitative research. Students, as neophyte…

Background/Context: Two key uses of international assessments of achievement have been (a) comparing country performances for identifying the countries with the best education systems and (2) generating insights about effective policy and practice strategies that are associated with higher learning outcomes. Do country rankings really reflect the…

We present a data-based perspective concerning recent (e.g., 2008) "Maclean's" magazine rankings of Canadian universities, including cluster analysis of the 2008 data. Canadian universities empirically resemble and relate to each other in a manner different from their formal classification and final rank ordering in the…

Introduction: Evaluation of poorly performing physicians is a worldwide concern for licensing bodies. The College des Medecins du Quebec currently assesses the clinical competence of physicians previously identified with potential clinical competence difficulties through a day-long procedure called the Structured Oral Interview (SOI). Two peer…

The study examined the role of classroom assessment and its relationships to student characteristics and mathematics performance by comparing the USA, Canada and Finland using Program of International Student Assessment (PISA) 2003 data. The results indicated that student individual characteristics such as gender, family social-cultural status,…

Using student achievement data from British Columbia, Canada, this study is an exploration of the differences that lie within the private school sector using hierarchical linear modeling to analyze the data. The analysis showed that when controlling for language, parents' level of educational attainment, and prior achievement, the private school…

Improving Schools--Investing in Our Future provides a foundation for improving student learning and performance, and improving aspects of schooling. Chapter (1) provides information about Alberta's well--established K-12 education system. Alberta's school-aged population is becoming more diverse with growing numbers of Aboriginal and immigrant…

Fournier, coordinator of the School Achievement Indicators Program (SAIP), claims that score differences are associated with linguistic and gender differences. These results have long been substantiated. The expectation-setting process has little reliability or validity. SAIP does not help teachers, and should not determine what students learn.…

This book is a collection of 19 essays that broadly treat the use of evidence in informing educational policy and practice in Canada: (1) "Knowledge and Action in Educational Policy and Politics" (Benjamin Levin); (2) "Data, Data Everywhere (and We Don't Know What to Do): Using Data for Wise Decisions in Schools" (Lorna M.…