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Engagement

2012 WDYDIST Research Series Report Three

Trends in Intellectual Engagement

by: Penny Milton, Jodene Dunleavy, J. Douglas Willms

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What did you do in school today? is a national initiative of the Canadian Education Association (CEA) designed to capture, assess and inspire new ideas for enhancing the learning experiences of adolescents in classrooms and schools. What did you do in school today? is one of the few initiatives in Canada that focus specifically on the experiences of adolescent students. And it is the only initiative that focuses on the powerful concept of intellectual engagement.

We are pleased to introduce Report Number Three, where we revisit research questions and findings about intellectual engagement from our First National Report (Willms, Friesen, & Milton, 2009). We use three years of data from 83 schools participating in What did you do in school today? to see if levels of intellectual engagement have changed, for better or worse, and to see if classroom practices have continued to affect these levels. In the context of educational change, three years is a short period to see measurable school-level change. Our three-year findings are encouraging: the efforts of principals, teachers and students at schools participating in What did you do in school today? are leading to increases in intellectual engagement, especially in middle schools. The strength of these positive trends varies quite dramatically among schools, providing us with a unique opportunity to understand district, school and classroom structures and practices that may be enabling or making it difficult for schools to create intellectually engaging learning environments.

Meet the Expert(s)

Penny Milton

Penny Milton

Penny Milton is former CEO of the Canadian Education Association and the initiator of What did you do in school today?

Penny Milton a été chef de la direction de l’Association canadienne d’éducation et a lancé l’initiative Qu’as-tu fait à l’école aujourd’hui?

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Jodene Dunleavy

Jodene Dunleavy

Jodene Dunleavy is a Senior Policy Analyst for the Nova Scotia Department of Education.

Jodene Dunleavy est analyste principale des politiques au ministère de l’Éducation de la Nouvelle-Écosse.

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J. Douglas Willms

J. Douglas Willms is a Professor and Director of the Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy at the University of New Brunswick (UNB). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a Fellow of the International Academy of Education, and a Member of the US National Academy of Education.

J. Douglas Willms est professeur et directeur de l’Institut canadien de recherche en politiques sociales à l’Université du Nouveau-Brunswick (UNB). Il est également membre de la Société royale du Canada, de l'Académie Internationale de l'Éducation et de l'Académie nationale américaine de l'éducation.

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