Best Practices in Canadian Education

Lenna Glade1

Instructor, Faculty of Education, The University of Winnipeg, Canada

[email protected], [email protected]

Abstract

The purpose of this research study was to investigate and examine the

curriculum, curricular strategies and conditions of the Education system in Canada

that have resulted in Canada’s success in the last three PISA test results. In Canada

the teachers are faced with second language issues, cultural issues, aboriginal issues

and inclusion of all students on a daily basis. The task of meeting the needs of such a

diversity of students is daunting and yet the results on the international testing reflect

a strong education system that is meeting many of the needs of Canadian students in

the 21st Century.

Keywords: PISA, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Activity Based Learning,

Inclusion, Differentiated instruction, 21st Century Skills

1. Introduction

Educational methodologies and strategies have been a major research focus in

the past thirty years in Canadian Education as globalization becomes more

predominant and has an impact on how countries are pursuing education. Assessments

like the international Pisa testing have provided comparisons that put pressure on

countries to rise to the challenge of providing an education that is highly rated in the

world. Canada has attained high ratings in these tests for the past 10 years in Reading,

Mathematics and Science.

Despite the fact that, in Canada, education is a provincial responsibility, there

are many similarities between the provinces. Organizations such as the Council of

Ministers, the Canadian Education Association and the Canadian School Boards

Association regularly share information, conduct research and establish best practices

and priorities in education.

PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) is an assessment

conducted in 65 countries and economies of 15 year old students in the areas of

countries of the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development).

It is designed to provide indicators of the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old

students that contribute to successful students, schools, education systems, and

learning environments (Brochu et al.2013). PISA measures skills that participating

countries agree are key outcomes of the educational process. The assessment focuses

on young people’s ability to use their knowledge and skills to meet real life. In the

2012 PISA tests Canada’s scores ranked in the top ten of the 65 countries and

economies.

The Canadian Curriculum places an emphasis on reading, mathematics,

science and problem solving. Learning experts are generally united in their view that

students require a firm foundation in literacy, numeracy and science to succeed in

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other subjects. Higher order thinking skills and problem solving are considered

necessary skills in the 21st century (Henderson. 2008).

2. Research Objectives

2.1. To determine what curriculum processes and strategies contribute to the

success of Canadian students in the PISA tests.

2.2 To investigate other factors that might contribute to this success.

3. Research Methodology

A review of the literature was conducted. The researcher reviewed Canadian

curriculum documents and other publications of the provincial governments. The

researcher also visited many classrooms.

4. Research Results

The education system in Canada strives to provide and to facilitate a widerange of experiences and
opportunities (Province of Nova Scotia: Gifted Education

and Talent Development. 2010:51). Curriculum development in Canada is a dynamic

process. Curriculum documents are constantly updated to incorporate current theory

and tested best practices (Manitoba Education Curriculum Development Process). The

Canadian curriculum employs a variety of strategies and models for teaching. A

the students so that the students will make connections and find their learning

meaningful (Dufour et al.2014:7)

Traditional learning theory is extensive. Canadian education curricular

strategies and formats utilize the theories of a variety of theorists including

Montessori and Vygotsky. Although the different theoretical positions are often

presented separately, the Canadian approach is to synthesize theories. This has been

referred to as creating a “decade for synergy” (Missingham 2009). The Canadian

curriculum is based on makng connections, constructing knowledge by building on

prior knowledge, and involving students in meaningful tasks that relate to real life.

The Canadian curriculum incorporates strategies that require higher level

thinking skills such as inference, prediction, analysis and critical thinking. With the

use of critical thinking strategies, students develop skills such as reasoning,

questioning and investigating, observing and describing, comparing and connecting,

finding complexity, and exploring viewpoints. These skills help students to make

connections and to make sense of and be able to use what they have learned

(Anderson & Krathwohl. 2001:63). Problem solving requires higher level thinking

skills to reach a desired outcome or goal or recognize a path to a solution (Nitko &

Brookhart.2007:245). Problem solving is an important element of all content areas in

the Canadian curriculum.

Educators believe that all students can learn and in Canada there is inclusion

of all learners in the classroom. To accommodate the philosophy of inclusion of all

students with all learning needs, differentiated instruction is used by Canadian

teachers. It recognizes that there are many ways to reach student learning outcomes

and that each student needs a unique mixture of basic instruction and practice to reach

his or her potential. (Manitoba Education and Training, Success.1.5)

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Teachers in Canada understand that children develop differently. They make

sure that students have experiences that support their physical, emotional, social,

cognitive and linguistic development (Berger 2013:1)

Teachers provide students with a variety of activities to pursue an educational goal.

Students have time to process the information and make sense of it. Teachers use also

a variety of resources, visuals, music, and manipulatives. (Government of

Newfoundland and Labrador. .2004)

Teachers in Canada engage students by modeling and interacting with

children. They are encouraged to build trusting relationships with children. This trust

leads children to be intellectual risk takers, knowing that their ideas and discussion

will be valued. (Boyle. 2011:4)

Knowledge is created through collaboration. Students in Canada often work in

partners or in groups. To help students learn how to work in groups effectively,

teachers scaffold skills such consensus building, effective communication, and the

ability to critique. Educators teach and assess collaboration, a critical 21st-century

skill, (Miller. 2014)

Students in Canada are encouraged to become independent learners and to

take responsibility for their learning. Students learn to reflect on their work and set

goals to enhance or move their learning forward. They are given the opportunity to

make choices in their learning, for example, students may have choice in the

strategies they use to reach a goal. Students learn to make decisions that promote their

own learning. (Henderson. 2008:1)

In Canada assessment informs learning. Canadians regard assessment as

having three purposes: assessment of learning, for learning and as learning (Manitoba

Education Assessment and Evaluation 2010). Teachers gather assessment information

continuously to provide students with on-going feedback and to inform their own

teaching. They use authentic assessment strategies with a variety of assessment tools

to ensure that students can demonstrate their learning. The

assessment for and of learning is an international movement. Across Canada this

philosophy is embedded in the Western and Northern Protocol for Collaboration in

Education, which attempts to guide best practices of assessment in Canadian

classrooms (Beckett et al. 2014:2).

A critical component of the Canadian methodology is to provide purpose for

performances to share with an audience (Stiggins, 1994, p. 86). Students are

encouraged to develop products that challenge existing ideas and produce “new”

ideas. (Province of Nova Scotia: Gifted Education and Talent Development.

2010:110).

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5. Discussion

Canada has maintained a high standard of public education that has been

respected and sought after worldwide. The Canadian curriculum is written by teachers

using current research and the expertise of classroom teachers. It is constantly being

revised to meet the needs of the students and of the community. The curriculum is

very detailed in that it discusses the pedagogy and philosophy of the use of the

curricular and assessment strategies in detail as well as providing detailed activities

for meeting the goals of the curriculum. The attention to the curriculum is a real

strength of Canadian Education (Manitoba Education Curriculum Development

Process).

While there is a thorough curriculum guide for teachers to follow, there is

allowance in the teaching process in Canada for flexibility (British Colombia Ministry

of Education. 201:.8). Teachers have flexibility in selecting resources when planning

their lessons. To meet the needs of their students they may choose from a variety of

strategies that have been developed from best practices tested by excellent teachers.

Teaching and Learning Strategies

“The process of identifying the best instructional practices is technically

simple but socially complex,” (Mastery Learning 2012)

The Canadian curriculum employs many different strategies and models for

teaching. Instructional strategies such as modeling, explicit instruction, guided

practice, descriptive feedback, etc., are used with a variety of student groupings

(whole class, interest groupings, co-operative groupings, flexible groupings, and

individual students). Building on prior knowledge and scaffolding is fundamental to

the instructional activities to help students to succeed in their learning.

Studies show that traditional learning and teaching models lead to

disengagement of students. Advancements in brain science are providing insights into

how people learn. Educators in Canada endeavour to engage students fully in the

learning process (Parsons and Taylor 2011). A feature of the Canadian curriculum is

the emphasis on relevance of the learning to the students. Activity based learning is

often project based and/or performance based giving purpose to the work of the

students. Students see themselves as writers, artists, or scientists. They are involved in

activities that are related to the real world and to their own interests. Children learn

by doing. Canadian teachers involve students in their learning through a variety of

hands-on activities. Participation in games, art, drama, role plays, small groups and

other activities creates opportunities for learning by doing and active engagement

through critical and transformative educational strategies.

Higher Level Thinking Skills

Higher level thinking skills such as anticipation, inference, prediction (Critical

Literacy skills) are utilized regularly in the teaching process. The teacher facilitates

and encourages reflection and critical thinking through inquiry, problem solving and

decision making. Through these processes students become involved in such activities

as judging the credibility of sources of information and making and judging the

credibility of observations, making value judgments and checking consistency with

known facts. In Science, for example, students investigate, design experiments, plan

controls variables, and seek evidence and counter-evidence. The design process,

which is a part of the Science curriculum, involves students in the processes of

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proposing, creating, and testing of prototypes, products, and techniques in an attempt

to reach an optimal solution to a given problem. (Manitoba Education 1999)

Problem Solving is an important aspect of the Canadian curriculum. Students

not only become problem solvers but also they help to construct the problems.

(Manitoba Mathematics Curriculum Framework of Outcomes 2013).

Differentiation of Learning Strategies

Differentiation of learning strategies is used to meet the needs of all students,

recognizing that students have different levels of knowledge and experience. Effective

educators believe that all students can learn. Teachers cannot assume students enter

their classrooms with the same interests, abilities or educational background.

Respecting learners means believing they can all learn but not that they all learn in the

same way. Teaching must be responsive to the differences and similarities among

learners. The use of a variety of processes and resources simultaneously or over time

allows for greater success in reaching all learners.

Learning to differentiate instruction has strengthened the Education system in

Canada as it has encouraged teachers to research and utilize a wider variety of

teaching and learning strategies.

Students Learn to be Independent and Responsible Learners

Students learn to reflect on their work and set goals to enhance or move their

learning forward, with the goal of becoming independent learners. Teaching students

learning strategies is an essential component to helping allstudents to be independent

learners. Learning strategies can be developed around student interest or different

intelligences. For example, teachers present a variety of graphic organizers, any of

which will help the student to organize for optimum learning. Students see themselves

as learners and feel competent. (Thomas. 1996: 5)

Students Make Choices

Students need to learn about their own learning so they can begin to make

informed choices. Teachers ensure that students understand exactly what the choices

are and the implications behind the choices. This leads to student ownership of the

learning. The more students understand about their own learning, the more successful

they will be (Arter and Spandel. 1992:37).

Decision Making

Students, as individuals and global citizens, are required to make decisions,

and increasingly, the types of issues they face demand an ability to apply scientific

processes and products. The decision making process involves identifying the issue,

gathering data, generating possible courses of action, evaluating alternatives, and

are actively involved in decision-making situations as they progress through their

education. (Manitoba Education: A foundation for Implementation K-4 Science.

2009)

Intellectual Risk Taking

Teachers in Canada encourage students to take positive risks by establishing a

non-threatening environment. Students will be more apt to participate in the learning

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and take risks in sharing their ideas and trying new things if they know that it is an

acceptable part of the learning process to make mistakes. (Willms et al, 2009: 12).

Assessment

In Canada teachers use a variety of assessment strategies to ensure that

students have the opportunity to demonstrate what they know and what they can do.

This facilitates success for every student. The assessment protocols in Canada inform

learning and teaching so that teachers may focus on content and strategies which are

most useful for the students at any point in time. (Beckett et al. 2014)

Authentic assessment is a goal of education in Canada. From the earliest

grades students will produce stories and books for the classroom and school libraries,

perform puppet shows or readers theatre for their parents, design inventions and

Science projects, etc. Canadian curriculum strategies encourage the development of

products that challenge existing ideas and produce “new” ideas. (Province of Nova

Scotia: Gifted Education and Talent Development. 2010:110).

TH

6. Conclusion

The foundation of the Canadian curriculum is literacy, mathematics, science

and problem solving. The Canadian curriculum is designed to provide students with

skills and competencies that are required to be successful on the PISA tests. Canadian

Education helps students to build higher level thinking and problem solving skills.

Teachers try to engage students in their learning. They encourage them to be creative

and to be actively involved in achieving the goals for their learning. They engage,
empower and position learners for success and help students to be confident and

secure in their learning. The goal is success for every student. Students are

encouraged to be responsible, independent learners. Students are able to choose and

design their own paths of academic exploration are more engaged and successful.

In order to retain high ratings in the PISA tests and to continue to provide

students with the skills needed in our global economy, Canadian educators will need

to continue to pursue excellence through curriculum updates and innovative

strategies. In Canada our teachers are faced with second language issues, cultural

issue, aboriginal issues, and inclusion of students with special needs on a daily basis.

They must use many different strategies to be able to meet the needs of such a variety

of children. Outcomes based education can be achieved in a variety of different ways

and educators are experimenting with and using practices that they feel inspire the

students, will provide the students with more responsibility and independence and will

lead them to success.

Current 21st century literature indicates that our future citizens need to be

multi-literate, creative and innovative (Shifting Minds. 2012:4). Learning is a

complex system of interactive processes. There is no recipe. Global research in

learning has identified competencies our youth will require for success in the modern

world of ever increasing change. Writing, speaking, and computing are just a few of

the necessary skills for students. Leadership skills, cooperation techniques and

analysis are also important ingredients for student success. Confidence in speaking,

discussion, debate, writing, and problem solving provide a good start to providing a

foundation for acquiring the skills. The Canadian curriculum focuses on these

essential items giving students the tools for success in the PISA tests and hopefully in

our global economy.

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international assessment that
measures 15-year-old students' reading, mathematics, and science literacy every 3 years. First
conducted in 2000, the major domain of study rotates between reading, mathematics, and science
in each cycle. PISA also includes measures of general or cross-curricular competencies, such as
collaborative problem solving. By design, PISA emphasizes functional skills that students have
acquired as they near the end of compulsory schooling. PISA is coordinated by the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an intergovernmental organization of
industrialized countries, and is conducted in the United States by NCES.