Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 2014
There is growing interest in promoting metacognition among college and university students, as th... more There is growing interest in promoting metacognition among college and university students, as this has been linked with positive student learning outcomes. This study explores the relationship between student writing anxiety and self-efficacy on undergraduate students’ self-reported use of metacognitive writing strategies. Using undergraduate student survey data from a large, research-intensive university in Ontario, Canada, we found reductions in writing anxiety and increased self-efficacy had a statistically significant association with students’ perceptions of using metacognitive writing strategies. These findings have implications for both theory and practice. They demonstrate that writing metacognition is influenced by emotional factors, such as the level of anxiety and the extent of self-beliefs around writing. It also suggests that writing interventions that seek to reduce anxiety and increase undergraduate students’ self-efficacy with respect to writing may positively enhan...
Higher education has become connected to the political debate around independence in Scotland, pl... more Higher education has become connected to the political debate around independence in Scotland, playing a significant role in both regular elections for the Scottish Parliament and in the debate around the 2014 Independence Referendum. Using the nationalism-social policy nexus as a framework for analysis, this thesis explores how contemporary higher education policy has been deliberately connected to a historical conception of a distinct tradition of higher education in Scotland to position nationalist political actors as the protectors of Scotland’s political values and identity, and independence as the only way to ensure the continuity of these values in the face of England’s differing approach to higher education and social service provision. Using document review, a content analysis, key informant interviews and several international comparative case studies, this dissertation validates the existence of a belief in a distinct Scottish tradition, and how appeals to that tradition can be motivating in certain political contexts, such as normal parliamentary elections. It also find that the nationalism-social policy nexus helps explain both the sharp policy divergence, particularly on tuition fees, between Scotland and the United Kingdom, and why higher education came to play a role in the 2014 Independence debate. Interestingly, higher education was deployed by both the “Yes” and “No” campaigns to support their respective arguments. This fact enriches our understanding of the nexus, in that it is effective in explaining why a nationalist sub-state government may make certain policy choices, but is unable to predict whether these choices become politically motivating for voters. The dissertation furthers our understanding of the relationship between higher education and the state, notably how political forces such as sub-state nationalism drive policymaking in postsecondary education systems. State power is often theorized as unitary, where one central political authority exerts influence on higher education institutions to further specific nation-building or ideological goals. The case of Scotland suggests that higher education policy is not only driven by what is useful to the state, but also by those who seek to re-negotiate or dismantle it.
There is growing interest in promoting metacognition among college and university students, as th... more There is growing interest in promoting metacognition among college and university students, as this has been linked with positive student learning outcomes. This study explores the relationship between student writing anxiety and self-efficacy on undergraduate students’ self-reported use of metacognitive writing strategies. Using undergraduate student survey data from a large, research-intensive university in Ontario, Canada, we found reductions in writing anxiety and increased self-efficacy had a statistically significant association with students’ perceptions of using metacognitive writing strategies. These findings have implications for both theory and practice. They demonstrate that writing metacognition is influenced by emotional factors, such as the level of anxiety and the extent of self-beliefs around writing. It also suggests that writing interventions that seek to reduce anxiety and increase undergraduate students’ self-efficacy with respect to writing may positively enhance students’ use of metacognitive writing strategies, and ultimately improve student writing outcomes.
Developing Teaching Assistants as Members of the University Teaching Team examined two TA trainin... more Developing Teaching Assistants as Members of the University Teaching Team examined two TA training programs at the University of Toronto. The study found that both programs fostered teaching practices that were conducive to deep student learning – less focused on information transfer and more focused on students’ conceptual understanding of course content. According to the study, TAs value their development as teachers and they believe the skills they acquire, such as planning and time management, will benefit their future careers.
Higher education has become connected to the political debate around independence in Scotland, pl... more Higher education has become connected to the political debate around independence in Scotland, playing a significant role in both regular elections for the Scottish Parliament and in the debate around the 2014 Independence Referendum. Using the nationalism-social policy nexus as a framework for analysis, this thesis explores how contemporary higher education policy has been deliberately connected to a historical conception of a distinct tradition of higher education in Scotland to position nationalist political actors as the protectors of Scotland’s political values and identity, and independence as the only way to ensure the continuity of these values in the face of England’s differing approach to higher education and social service provision. Using document review, a content analysis, key informant interviews and several international comparative case studies, this dissertation validates the existence of a belief in a distinct Scottish tradition, and how appeals to that tradition can be motivating in certain political contexts, such as normal parliamentary elections. It also find that the nationalism-social policy nexus helps explain both the sharp policy divergence, particularly on tuition fees, between Scotland and the United Kingdom, and why higher education came to play a role in the 2014 Independence debate. Interestingly, higher education was deployed by both the “Yes” and “No” campaigns to support their respective arguments. This fact enriches our understanding of the nexus, in that it is effective in explaining why a nationalist sub-state government may make certain policy choices, but is unable to predict whether these choices become politically motivating for voters. The dissertation furthers our understanding of the relationship between higher education and the state, notably how political forces such as sub-state nationalism drive policymaking in postsecondary education systems. State power is often theorized as unitary, where one central political authority exerts influence on higher education institutions to further specific nation-building or ideological goals. The case of Scotland suggests that higher education policy is not only driven by what is useful to the state, but also by those who seek to re-negotiate or dismantle it.
Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 2014
There is growing interest in promoting metacognition among college and university students, as th... more There is growing interest in promoting metacognition among college and university students, as this has been linked with positive student learning outcomes. This study explores the relationship between student writing anxiety and self-efficacy on undergraduate students’ self-reported use of metacognitive writing strategies. Using undergraduate student survey data from a large, research-intensive university in Ontario, Canada, we found reductions in writing anxiety and increased self-efficacy had a statistically significant association with students’ perceptions of using metacognitive writing strategies. These findings have implications for both theory and practice. They demonstrate that writing metacognition is influenced by emotional factors, such as the level of anxiety and the extent of self-beliefs around writing. It also suggests that writing interventions that seek to reduce anxiety and increase undergraduate students’ self-efficacy with respect to writing may positively enhan...
Higher education has become connected to the political debate around independence in Scotland, pl... more Higher education has become connected to the political debate around independence in Scotland, playing a significant role in both regular elections for the Scottish Parliament and in the debate around the 2014 Independence Referendum. Using the nationalism-social policy nexus as a framework for analysis, this thesis explores how contemporary higher education policy has been deliberately connected to a historical conception of a distinct tradition of higher education in Scotland to position nationalist political actors as the protectors of Scotland’s political values and identity, and independence as the only way to ensure the continuity of these values in the face of England’s differing approach to higher education and social service provision. Using document review, a content analysis, key informant interviews and several international comparative case studies, this dissertation validates the existence of a belief in a distinct Scottish tradition, and how appeals to that tradition can be motivating in certain political contexts, such as normal parliamentary elections. It also find that the nationalism-social policy nexus helps explain both the sharp policy divergence, particularly on tuition fees, between Scotland and the United Kingdom, and why higher education came to play a role in the 2014 Independence debate. Interestingly, higher education was deployed by both the “Yes” and “No” campaigns to support their respective arguments. This fact enriches our understanding of the nexus, in that it is effective in explaining why a nationalist sub-state government may make certain policy choices, but is unable to predict whether these choices become politically motivating for voters. The dissertation furthers our understanding of the relationship between higher education and the state, notably how political forces such as sub-state nationalism drive policymaking in postsecondary education systems. State power is often theorized as unitary, where one central political authority exerts influence on higher education institutions to further specific nation-building or ideological goals. The case of Scotland suggests that higher education policy is not only driven by what is useful to the state, but also by those who seek to re-negotiate or dismantle it.
There is growing interest in promoting metacognition among college and university students, as th... more There is growing interest in promoting metacognition among college and university students, as this has been linked with positive student learning outcomes. This study explores the relationship between student writing anxiety and self-efficacy on undergraduate students’ self-reported use of metacognitive writing strategies. Using undergraduate student survey data from a large, research-intensive university in Ontario, Canada, we found reductions in writing anxiety and increased self-efficacy had a statistically significant association with students’ perceptions of using metacognitive writing strategies. These findings have implications for both theory and practice. They demonstrate that writing metacognition is influenced by emotional factors, such as the level of anxiety and the extent of self-beliefs around writing. It also suggests that writing interventions that seek to reduce anxiety and increase undergraduate students’ self-efficacy with respect to writing may positively enhance students’ use of metacognitive writing strategies, and ultimately improve student writing outcomes.
Developing Teaching Assistants as Members of the University Teaching Team examined two TA trainin... more Developing Teaching Assistants as Members of the University Teaching Team examined two TA training programs at the University of Toronto. The study found that both programs fostered teaching practices that were conducive to deep student learning – less focused on information transfer and more focused on students’ conceptual understanding of course content. According to the study, TAs value their development as teachers and they believe the skills they acquire, such as planning and time management, will benefit their future careers.
Higher education has become connected to the political debate around independence in Scotland, pl... more Higher education has become connected to the political debate around independence in Scotland, playing a significant role in both regular elections for the Scottish Parliament and in the debate around the 2014 Independence Referendum. Using the nationalism-social policy nexus as a framework for analysis, this thesis explores how contemporary higher education policy has been deliberately connected to a historical conception of a distinct tradition of higher education in Scotland to position nationalist political actors as the protectors of Scotland’s political values and identity, and independence as the only way to ensure the continuity of these values in the face of England’s differing approach to higher education and social service provision. Using document review, a content analysis, key informant interviews and several international comparative case studies, this dissertation validates the existence of a belief in a distinct Scottish tradition, and how appeals to that tradition can be motivating in certain political contexts, such as normal parliamentary elections. It also find that the nationalism-social policy nexus helps explain both the sharp policy divergence, particularly on tuition fees, between Scotland and the United Kingdom, and why higher education came to play a role in the 2014 Independence debate. Interestingly, higher education was deployed by both the “Yes” and “No” campaigns to support their respective arguments. This fact enriches our understanding of the nexus, in that it is effective in explaining why a nationalist sub-state government may make certain policy choices, but is unable to predict whether these choices become politically motivating for voters. The dissertation furthers our understanding of the relationship between higher education and the state, notably how political forces such as sub-state nationalism drive policymaking in postsecondary education systems. State power is often theorized as unitary, where one central political authority exerts influence on higher education institutions to further specific nation-building or ideological goals. The case of Scotland suggests that higher education policy is not only driven by what is useful to the state, but also by those who seek to re-negotiate or dismantle it.
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