Published on Brock University (http://www.brocku.ca)
Program Description
Program Goals and Objectives
The Joint PhD program aims to accomplish the following goals:
- provide greater access to advanced study in education for qualified candidates across a wider geographic range in the province
- promote the growth of research activity and professional development through collaboration among practitioners, scholars, educational institutions and Faculties of Education
- foster inter-university links and promote partnerships among Ontario universities
- further the expansion of research culture and service throughout the province; and
- contribute to the renewal of the professoriate and educational leadership in Ontario during the upcoming period of heavy retirement in the universities and school systems.
The objectives of the program are to produce graduates who will:
- contribute to the development of knowledge and expertise in teaching/learning at all levels on the education continuum
- contribute to the solution of problems/issues in Canadian education
- promote scholarly enquiry and the development of methodological advances in the study of education
- integrate theory and practice in education; and assume positions of leadership in Faculties of Education, school systems, and other public-and private- sector institutions concerned with education
Plan of Study
When an applicant meets the basic requirements for admission the Program Director and a potential supervisor will assist the applicant in developing a plan of study which will be presented to the Program Committee for approval. If approved, the applicant will proceed to register as a doctoral student at the home university of the dissertation supervisor and will be subject to the general degree regulations of that university. The offer of admission will be made to the applicant by the home university. Please review the current list of Brock's Faculty Advisors and Committee Members (doc.).
Dissertation supervisors will be required to report candidates' progress annually to the Program Committee and to appropriate authorities at the participating universities. Normally, candidates will be expected to complete course requirements and the comprehensive portfolio, and to submit a research proposal within three years of their initial registration.
Changes to the approved plan of study must be approved in advance by the supervisor and the Program Director.
Fields of Study
Policy and Leadership
This field focuses upon the study of policy and leadership within educational systems. It draws upon organizational and administrative studies to construct critical perspectives on actions and structures at the macropolitical and micropolitical levels and examines how these influence the climate and the quality of curriculum and learning.
Sociocultural Contexts of Education
This field draws upon diverse disciplines such as comparative education, cultural psychology, history, philosophy, sociology and traditional curriculum areas to advance understanding of the sociocultural contexts which influence curriculum, teaching and learning, to generate theory and to plan, develop, implement and evaluate programs, teaching and learning.
Cognition and Learning
This field draws primarily upon psychology and educational psychology to examine critically the cognitive processes of teachers and learners as they engage in teaching and learning. Integral components of this field are assessment and the adaptation of instruction to the needs of the individual learners.
Applicants to the program must declare a field of study prior to admission to the program.
