The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges faced by first-year students as they negotiated the transition from the writing environment of high school to the writing environment of university. The research for the dissertation was undertaken using a mixed-method explanatory design. This yielded a description of students'…

The education system is complex, but at its core, it is a learning partnership between the student, the family and teachers. This partnership -- supported by the Ministry -- is ultimately responsible for ensuring every learner receives a high quality education. A high quality education enables learners to realize their full potential and…

Inspired by innovative change already taking place in British Columbia communities and developed through many months of consultation with educators, students, parents and other British Columbians, BC's Education Plan responds to the realities and demands of a world that has already changed dramatically and continues to evolve. The engagement and…

This study used hierarchical linear modeling to compare longitudinal patterns of adolescent religious service attendance and club attendance, and to contrast the longitudinal relations between adolescent adjustment and religious service versus club attendance. Participants included 1050 students (47% girls) encompassing a school district in…

This study uses extant data to examine the roles of ethnicity, social class, and linguistic proficiency in predicting the participation and performance of students for whom English is not a first language (ENFL) from the class of 2002 in a provincially examinable grade 12 subject areas in a large urban British Columbia school district (n = 4,075).…

Over the past ten years, the Department of Chemistry at the University College of the Fraser Valley has sponsored an annual laboratory skills contest for local Grade 12 high-school students as part of its Chemistry Week celebrations. The organizational details of the contest, its objectives, successes, and short-comings are discussed. (Contains 1…

The Ministry of Education "2011/2012 Annual Service Plan Report" outlines achievements during the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012. This report reflects the Ministry's progress over the past year, including the launch of British Columbia's Education Plan, the expansion of StrongStart BC early learning programs, the full implementation…

All children born in Manitoba in 1984 were tracked for 18 years to assess their grade-12 performance on a provincial examination according to a student's socio-economic status. The proportion of youths in families receiving social assistance judged to have passed their language arts exam dropped from 80 per cent to 12 per cent, depending on…

Despite the continuing accumulation of knowledge of the factors influencing participation in post-secondary education, there are still gaps in our understanding. For example, very little is known regarding how perceptions of costs and benefits are implicated in an individual's decision to pursue college or university studies, and whether certain…

This report outlines the Ministry of Education's achievements during the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011. It reflects the Ministry's progress over the past year; in particular their efforts to expand early learning programs, introduce flexibility in their education system through personalized learning, and inspire life-long learning for British…

This manual, "Course Information for the Graduation Program, Grade 10, 11, and 12 Courses: 2009-2010," was approved by the Minister of Education on July 30, 2009 for setting out graduation requirements. The manual provides information for schools about courses that students take in Grades 10, 11, and 12. It is updated annually with…

Despite emphasis and progress in developing collaborative inquiry in computer-supported collaborative learning research, little attention has been given to examining how collective learning can be assessed in computer-supported collaborative learning classrooms, and how students can have agency in assessing their own collaborative process. We…

Youth smoking and physical inactivity are significant public health issues, with implications for both health and education stakeholders, as school-based policies and programs have the potential to reach a broad population of youth to address these issues. Knowledge exchange tools designed around comprehensive school-level data collection systems…

Test-based accountability programs are designed to promote improved standards of teaching and learning within the systems of education that they are connected to. Brenan [Brenan, A. L. (2006). "Perspectives on the evolution and future of educational measurement." In: Robert (Ed.), "Educational measurement" (4th ed., pp. 1-16).…

Some time ago, the author collected data for a study on students' experiences of preparation for assessment of their art portfolios at the high school level in Canada, England, and The Netherlands. Participants with whom the author had conversations in Canada described varied by mostly rewarding experiences. However, one student's description of…