Research & Development Projects
Comparing TOEFL iBBTM Speaking Tasks With Performance on Real-Life Academic Speaking Activities
Diversity in Teaching (DiT) Website
Diverse Teachers for Diverse Learners (DTDL): A Nordforsk Research Network
Diverse Teachers for Diverse Learners - UU Economic and Social Research Council Seminar Series
ECEP (Encouraging The Culture Of Evaluation Among Professionals) Canadian Component
Electronic Interlanguage Pragmatics (EILP)
Engaging Literacies
English Instruction in Catalunya Primary Schools
Enhancing Internationally Educated Nurses’ Language Competencies
Evaluation of The HWDSB Mandarin Program: Phase 3
EWIS (Expressive Writing and International Students)
Examining Preschool Early Literacy Programs in Ontario Public Libraries
Improving Student Writing through Peer Feedback
Interactions Between Type of L2 Instruction, Type of Language Feature and Type of Knowledge
Internationally Educated Professionals Project (IEPro)
Knowledge Mobilization Through Collective Pedagogical Inquiry
Learning about Self and the World Beyond
New Literacies Perspectives and Practices in Teaching and Learning
PLP (Personal Language Portfolio)
Reciprocal Learning in Teacher Education and School Education
RESLE (The Role of Empathy in Second Language Education)
Writing for Language Education Research
COMPARING TOEFL IBTTM SPEAKING TASKS WITH PERFORMANCE ON REAL-LIFE ACADEMIC SPEAKING ACTIVITIES
Principal Investigator(s): Merrill Swain
In this project we compared test-takers’ performances on TOEFL iBT speaking tasks and their performances during real-life academic speaking activities. Thirty international graduate students from mixed language backgrounds, and different disciplinary backgrounds, participated in the study. We recorded participants’ performances in the speaking section of the TOEFL iBT and their performances in one in-class activity and in one out-of-class activity. We obtained stimulated recalls from half the students about their speaking performances in these three contexts, and interviewed all our participants about their perceptions of speaking.
In our analyses of the participants’ speaking (examining grammatical, discourse and lexical features), reported strategy use and in analyzing their perceptions, we have demonstrated that there are distinct differences in their performances and their perceptions of their performances across contexts. Our findings, therefore, raise questions about extrapolating from the TOEFL Speaking test tasks to real-life academic speaking contexts. Additional analyses will be conducted during 2013-14. At present, one article has been accepted for publication (see publication section).
DIVERSITY IN TEACHING (DiT) WEBSITE
Principal Investigator(s): Antoinette Gagné, Clea Schmidt (University of Manitoba)
The main goal of Diversity in Teaching is to promote discussions, sharing of resources and collaboration among educators, teachers and administrators all over the world who share the belief that ethnic, linguistic, religious, cultural and gender diversity in classrooms will enhance the learning for all students. The DiT site includes information about events, projects, and resources related to teaching diverse learners and diversifying the teaching force with numerous ways to become involved. It is possible to submit a profile to the DiT Community, let others know about an upcoming conference or workshop, share resources, react to some of the videos, or respond to one of the surveys.
DIVERSE TEACHERS FOR DIVERSE LEARNERS (DTDL): A NORDFORSK RESEARCH NETWORK
Principal Investigator(s): Antoinette Gagné, Clea Schmidt (University of Manitoba)and Hanna Ragnarsdottir (University of Iceland)
Senior researchers and graduate students from Finland, Iceland, Norway, the UK, and Canada whose research touches on aspects of diversity in teaching will meet six times between October 2011 and May 2014 to allow team members to create a research agenda, carry out a number of comparative projects and prepare joint publications on interrelated topics ranging from the diversification of the teaching force and inclusive teaching strategies to the experiences of immigrant children and youth and leadership for diversity. The meetings will take place in Iceland, Norway, the UK, and Canada.
DIVERSE TEACHERS FOR DIVERSE LEARNERS - UK ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH COUNCIL SEMINAR SERIES
Principal Investigator(s): Antoinette Gagné, Clea Schmidt (University of Manitoba)and Geri Smyth (University of Strathclyde)
This seminar series built on work initiated with the support of Antoinette Gagne’s SSHRC International Opportunities Fund Grant in 2008 and 2009. The focus of the research network has broadened and now focuses on the diversification of the teaching force to support the needs of students from diverse backgrounds. We have been developing and expanding the Diversity in Teaching website by posting the papers and workshop materials shared at each seminar. Partners involved in this seminar series include representatives of public sector and academic institutions in the UK, Norway, and Canada. The seminars, scheduled every 4 to 5 months, beginning in February 2011 have included: International Perspectives on Teacher Diversity (University of Strathclyde); Defining the Issues (University of Southampton); Diverse teachers sharing experiences of their professional lives (GTCS); Young people sharing perceptions of teacher diversity (University of Strathclyde); Exploring the Issues (University of Birmingham); and Learning from the issues for a different future (University of Glasgow)
ECEP (ENCOURAGING THE CULTURE OF EVALUATION AMONG PROFESSIONALS) CANADIAN COMPONENT
Principal Investigator(s): Enrica Piccardo
This project is a Canadian extension of the ECEP project funded by the Council of Europe, which came to its end in 2011 with the publication of two books, one in English and one in French, each accompanied by a CD ROM, and both downloadable from the website http://ecep.ecml.at The aim is to explore the culture of evaluation among Canadian teachers, to study issues related to everyday implementation of assessment practices, and to explore potential benefits of the Common European Framework of Reference in deepening awareness of the multidimensionality of assessment and possible reframing of assessment practices.
After completing the first exploratory phase on teachers’ needs and concerns in the area of assessment, we moved to the second phase to explore the potential of CEFR-based assessment tools for fostering teachers’ reflection and scaffolding teachers’ practices in this domain. A study was conducted to see the impact of targeted professional development and of selected CEFR-based assessment tools on teachers’ reflection process. A presentation was given at the CASLT conference “Vers le plurilinguisme: 20 ans après” in Winnipeg in the Spring 2013. An article has been written for the Canadian Modern Language Review.
ELECTRONIC INTERLANGUAGE PRAGMATICS (EILP)
Principal Investigator(s): Julie Kerekes
Empirical research has examined email communications for indicators of how students learn English or other foreign/second languages, by looking at them communicating either with each other, or with their language instructors. Few such studies, however, have looked beyond single turns (individual emails); that is, they have not used email communications to look at interactions between language learners and their interlocutors. Furthermore, to date, we still know little about the range of purposes for which student-professor email communications are carried out, whether this mode of communication enhances students’ learning, and what professors’ feedback through email looks like. In this project, we are currently preparing manuscripts that analyze emails between students and their professors in terms of both pedagogical and interlanguage pragmatic findings, with a focus on the role of status and power in such interactions.
ENGAGING LITERACIES: IDENTITY TEXTS AS CATALYST AND MEDIUM FOR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
Principal Investigator(s): Jim Cummins
Working collaboratively with teachers, students, and parents, members of the project teamhave assisted students to use technology tools to write creatively about their experiences and ideas and to “publish” this writing for a wider audience through the Internet. Students are encouraged to work with parents and/or community members to create home language (L1) versions of their writing and to publish their work as dual language texts. In other words, although instruction is in English within the classroom, students’ knowledge of other languages is explicitly recognized and they are encouraged to use the full repertoire of their bilingual cognitive tools in pursuing their literacy objectives. Students’ work will be displayed on the project’s Language-as-Resource website (http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/lar/Home/ index.html).
ENGLISH INSTRUCTION IN CATALUNYA PRIMARY SCHOOLS: AN ENRICHMENT PROGRAM OF SELF-DIRECTED READING/LISTENING
Principal Investigator(s): C. Muñoz and E. Tragant; Nina Spada (Consultant)
This research project is intended to increase the opportunities for more ‘quality’ input by providing primary students of English as a foreign language in Spain with extended periods of self-directed silent reading and listening in English. The progress of learners in an experimental input enrichment group will be compared with learners in a control group who will receive traditional teacher-led instruction. The motivation for this research is based on the observation that in primary schools in Spain, English instruction is based on textbooks that offer limited input and are sequenced in terms of grammatical forms. There is also a tendency to expose students to activities that are highly controlled with few opportunities for learner language production. In addition, many students tend to have little contact with English outside the instructional context. As a result foreign language learning tends to be a very slow process. The goal of this research is to investigate whether opportunities for greater input via self-directed reading and listening will lead to higher levels of English language ability for this group of learners and if so, to determine how English language input enrichment programs can be best implemented on a large scale in primary schools in Spain.
ENHANCING INTERNATIONALLY EDUCATED NURSES’ LANGUAGE COMPETENCIES: FAIR AND EFFECTIVE SYSTEMS CHANGE
Principal Investigator(s): Lillie Lum, RN, Ph.D., and Pat Bradley, RN, Ph.D.; Julie Kerekes (Co-Investigator)
The objective of this research project is to contribute to the labour market integration of Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) through implementing institutional change, focusing on systemic barriers preventing access to quality language education. Data collection this year, including interviews with IENs and their professors, focus groups with IENs, classroom observations, and videorecorded speaking tests, enabled the research team to examine CELBAN test results (Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses), biographical data, and areas of difficulty both IENs and their professors face in trying to enhance IENs’ pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic competencies.
EVALUATION OF THE HAMILTON-WENTWORTH DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD MANDARIN PROGRAM OF CHOICE AT PRINCE PHILIP JUNIOR PUBLIC SCHOOL: PHASE 3
Principal Investigator(s): Jim Cummins, Becky Chen Bumgardner and Jia Li
This project continues the evaluation of the Mandarin-English bilingual program initiated by the HWDSB with specific focus on the relationship between students’ progress in Mandarin and English literacy and their Grade 3 EQAO results. In previous phases of this project, it was reported that students in the bilingual program were progressing well in both English and Chinese literacy and this phase will relate these findings to mandated provincial assessments at the Grade 3 level.
EWIS (EXPRESSIVE WRITING AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS)
Principal Investigator(s): Enrica Piccardo
This project aims at studying the potential of expressive/creative writing to promote effective language proficiency among international tertiary students. After a first phase focusing on University of Toronto students, the project has extended internationally by surveying international students in different contexts. Data analysis is in progress and an article is in preparation.
EXAMINING PRESCHOOL EARLY LITERACY PROGRAMS IN ONTARIO PUBLIC LIBRARIES
Principal Investigator(s): Shelley Stagg Peterson; Eunice Jang (Co-investigator)
This research study examined the features of preschool literacy programs in Ontario public libraries contributing to participating children’s early literacy development. It also examined the features that have a positive influence on family interactions that support the children’s literacy learning. The research team observed library staff and six children’s participation in 10 preschool literacy programs across Ontario during the second and final sessions of the 4-10 week programs.
IMPROVING STUDENT WRITING THROUGH PEER FEEDBACK
Principal Investigator(s): Shelley Stagg Peterson
Through observations in 8 grades 1 to 6 classrooms and analysis of peer feedback in the Writers in Electronic Residence forum, this research examined: (a) the potential of peer feedback to support the writing development of elementary and middle-grade students and (b) the nature of the scaffolding and the environment that teachers might provide students across these grades to maximize the impact of peer feedback on students’ writing development. Research implications will provide an understanding of conditions for using peer feedback as an instructional tool that leads to the improvement of students’ writing.
INTERACTIONS BETWEEN TYPE OF L2 INSTRUCTION, TYPE OF LANGUAGE FEATURE AND TYPE OF KNOWLEDGE
Principal Investigator(s): Nina Spada
This research project investigates the contributions of different types of second language (L2) instruction to the development of implicit and explicit L2 knowledge and whether there are differences depending on the type of language feature. Two quasi-experimental studies have examined the effects of isolated and integrated form-focused instruction (FFI) on the development of the passive voice with adult learners of English. The findings indicate positive contributions for both types of instruction overall as well as advantages for integrated FFI when it comes to learners’ performance on a communicative task and advantages for isolated FFI when it comes to learners’ performance on a grammar test. We are also engaged in a series of construct validation studies of different language tests as measures of implicit and implicit L2 knowledge. This includes elicited imitation tasks and grammaticality judgment tasks to investigate the extent to which task design features (e.g., aural/written; timed/untimed; grammatical /ungrammatical items; type of language feature) are more likely to elicit implicit or explicit L2 knowledge). Finally, a series of small-scale studies have emerged from the extensive database collected over two consecutive SSHRC grants on instructed SLA. This includes a study to investigate learners’ development of complexity, accuracy and fluency in their use of the passive voice and an investigation of the use ‘priming’ in task development and diagnostic assessment.
INTERNATIONALLY EDUCATED PROFESSIONALS PROJECT (IEPRO)
Principal Investigator(s): Julie Kerekes
This project investigates the role of second language ability and second language learning in the employment trajectories of internationally educated professionals (IEPs) in the Greater Toronto Area. Having focused during the previous year on longitudinal data collected from internationally educated engineers who had participated in a language mentoring program, in 2012 my research assistants and I compared one-time interview data from 40 engineers and 20 teachers. The interviews address participants’ experiences immigrating to and living in Canada as pertains to their employment and employment-seeking experiences. These experiences are compared to those of the Canadian-educated participants’ employment and employment-seeking experiences in Canada. Interview questions prompt the participants to reveal their contrasting experiences, resultant ideologies, and emergent perspectives on whether or not Canada – its government, its employment infrastructure, and its people – is to be trusted. Findings from this study reveal the negative impact that current immigration and employment policies and practices have on many highly educated, experienced professionals who immigrate to Canada.
KNOWLEDGE MOBILIZATION THROUGH COLLECTIVE PEDAGOGICAL INQUIRY IN SCHOOLS SERVING CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY DIVERSE STUDENTS
Principal Investigator(s): Jim Cummins, Leslie Stewart Rose and Shelley Taylor
The goal of this project is to document the instructional practices in two schools that have been pioneering in their approach to working with culturally and linguistically diverse students and communities. Regular meetings with teachers have focused on (a) integrating initiatives already undertaken in these schools with conceptual frameworks that represent the knowledge base derived from empirical research on academic achievement among culturally and linguistically diverse students; (b) documenting the outcomes of new pedagogical directions undertaken by teachers in response to their understanding of the empirical evidence; and (c) compiling the instructional initiatives undertaken by the teachers, and pedagogical tools that have been identified or developed by the project in the OISE Language-as-Resource website.
LEARNING ABOUT SELF AND THE WORLD BEYOND: CULTURAL, RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE CLUBS IN HIGH SCHOOLS
Principal Investigator(s): Antoinette Gagné
The research study builds on the successes of the five DVDs and resources guides in the Growing New Roots Series as well as a Ministry-funded Speak Up Project at WL Mackenzie CI focusing on the impact of club involvement for English languages learners. This study focuses on the role of cultural, religious and social justice clubs in terms of student participation and identity development in 4 TDSB secondary schools as well as among members of the Student SuperCouncil. The study explores (a) the impact of cultural, religious or social justice club involvement on students, (b) the type of relationships students develop as a result of their membership in cultural, religious or social justice clubs, and (c) what students learn from their peers in these clubs and how this relates to their understanding of themselves and the world beyond. An online survey and videotaped focus group interviews are our two main sources of data. Study findings and video clips highlighting key themes will be posted on the DiT - Diversity in Teaching website http://wordpress.oise.utoronto.ca/diversityinteaching/ along with related resources on cultural, religious and social justice clubs.
NEW LITERACIES PERSPECTIVES AND PRACTICES IN TEACHING AND LEARNING: AN ACTION RESEARCH STUDY PROGRAM OF RESEARCH
Principal Investigator(s): Jill McClay, University of Alberta; Shelley Stagg Peterson (Co-investigator)
We are investigating grades 4 to 8 teachers’ transition to using digital affordances and multimedia in the teaching of composition. We examine issues and tensions that teachers experience in their development of such practices. This study investigates three aspects of new literacies pedagogy: (a) ways in which teachers of writing address current and evolving literacy practices, particularly opportunities for social participation and knowledge creation; (b) ways in which teachers’ classroom assessment and response take account of the contemporary literacy environment and the diverse interests and abilities of their students; and (c) development of a theoretical framework for portraying new literacies teaching.
PLP (PERSONAL LANGUAGE PORTFOLIO)
Principal Investigator(s): Enrica Piccardo
This research aims at facilitating plurilingualism and explicit language focus in Canadian classrooms. Based on results from current research on plurilingualism linked with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and the European Language Portfolio, this research studies the conditions and potential benefits of a newly conceived Personal Language Portfolio (PLP) n the Canadian context. We have analyzed institutional documents and studies as well as relevant scientific literature. During the second phase we will create a prototype of the PLP specially adapted to the Canadian context, including both official languages and a different combination of aboriginal and/or international languages. A testing phase will follow to guide the development of the tool and also an analysis of its potential impact on language learning. This is a small-scale study in preparation for developing a larger, more ambitious project. The first phase of this project has informed a proposal for a larger pan-Canadian and international research involving several languages and technologies.
RECIPROCAL LEARNING IN TEACHER EDUCATION AND SCHOOL EDUCATION BETWEEN CANADA AND CHINA
Principal Investigator(s): Shijing Xu and Michael Connolly (Project Leaders); Jim Cummins (Co-applicant)
This Partnership grant was awarded to Shijing Xu (University of Windsor) and Michael Connelly (OISE/University of Toronto), with several OISE faculty as co-applicants. Professor Cummins’ role is this project is to guide investigation of how issues related to language and culture are addressed in Canadian and Chinese school contexts.
RESLE (THE ROLE OF EMPATHY IN SECOND LANGUAGE EDUCATION)
Principal Investigator(s): Enrica Piccardo
This interdisciplinary and international project investigates the role of literary narratives in second language education (SLE) through the emotional lens of empathy. Particularly, the study aims at investigating reading comprehension in SL through the targeted use of emotionally relevant literary narratives. Situated within an interdisciplinary context, the research focuses on how empathy and emotional resonance can positively affect L2 learning through a deep understanding of characters and situations in literary narratives. To understand a situation in a SL, one needs to be aware that perception is a multifaceted notion, which involves predicting, remembering and imagining, and which interrelates with emotion. During this past year narrative texts have been selected and presented to teenage SL learners to explore their emotional reactions to them and to test their level of empathy towards specific characters. Following this phase, new passages are being used for deepening the exploration of SL narrative appreciation through the emotional implication of the readers. The research is being conducted in Canada and in France following the same protocol for ESL and FSL students. On the topic of empathy and its role in SL acquisition in link with plurilingualism, a book chapter has been written and is under press with Multilingual Matters.
WRITING FOR LANGUAGE EDUCATION RESEARCH: KNOWLEDGE CONSTRUCTION, PROFESSIONAL IDENTITIES, ACTIVITY SYSTEMS, AND DISCOURSE ENGAGEMENT
Principal Investigator(s): Alister Cumming
We are conducting a preliminary, exploratory study to develop, try out, and refine instruments, procedures, and analytic frameworks in preparation for a proposal for a larger study in the autumn of 2013. While at the same time as doing indepth case studies of three volunteer TESOL students as they each prepare one course paper we (in the research team) are analyzing our own processes of conducting this research as two parallel situations of knowledge construction, collaboration, identity development, and discourse engagement. We are focusing on two research questions: (a) What tasks, sources, collaborations, goals, knowledge, discourse practices, aspects of professional and multilingual identities, and unique challenges do three students each experience in preparing for and writing a paper for a course in a TESOL Certificate program? (b) Self-Reflexive Analysis: What tasks, sources, collaborations, goals, knowledge, discourse practices, aspects of professional and multilingual identities, and unique challenges do a professor and three PhD students of language and literacy education experience in preparing, conducting, and reporting on an educational research project?