Pamela Osmond-Johnson | University of Regina (original) (raw)
Papers by Pamela Osmond-Johnson
Special Issue - Pivotal Leadership During a Pandemic: Impacts on Educational Administration Policy in Canada
Much of the research and scholarship presented in this issue was conducted on the traditional, an... more Much of the research and scholarship presented in this issue was conducted on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories and homelands of many diverse Indigenous and Metis Nations. The non-Indigenous editors and contributing authors acknowledge both the privilege afforded to us to live and work on these lands and the responsibility required of us as individuals to honour the land through relationship, reciprocity, and respect.
This paper draws on data collected as part of a study of the discourses of teacher professionalis... more This paper draws on data collected as part of a study of the discourses of teacher professionalism amongst union active teachers in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Ontario. Interviews revealed a triad of influences on the professionalism discourses of participants: engagement in teacher associations, the larger policy environment, and teacher agency. The manner in which this triad played out in each case, however, was unique to the particular political and organizational contexts framing the spaces in which such discourses were created. Using cross-case analysis, this paper specifically highlights the complex and contextualized nature of teachers' conceptions of professionalism, paying particular attention to the nuanced enabling and limiting conditions identified between the cases. Cet article s'appuie sur des données recueillies dans le contexte d'une étude portant sur le discours concernant le professionnalisme des enseignants actifs dans leur syndicat et vivant...
Drawing on data from a mixed methods study of the Saskatchewan Professional Development Unit’s (S... more Drawing on data from a mixed methods study of the Saskatchewan Professional Development Unit’s (SPDU) Facilitator Community, this paper highlights the potential of teacher-led professional learning in developing professional capital through engagement in teacher leadership. Analysis of survey, interview, and observational data revealed the Community to be a powerful platform from which teachers extended their own individual skills (human capital), learned from and with each other (social capital), and used their collective expertise to lead the learning of their peers (decisional capital). Teacher leadership within the community is nurtured through a mentored model of gradual release designed to create an environment conducive to supporting organic and meaningful learning and growth experiences for its members. It is this same environment that serves as the platform for the development of professional capital.
Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, 2018
Drawing on data from a larger doctoral study, this paper specifically explores influences on the ... more Drawing on data from a larger doctoral study, this paper specifically explores influences on the discourses of professionalism amongst a sample of highly engaged members of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO). Based on the assumption that discourse takes shape within a highly politicized system of socialization where language plays a significant role in the maintenance of particular power structures and the cultures that support them (Hilferty, 2004), the case suggests that the professionalism discourses of teachers and their unions and those of government are not necessarily as mutually exclusive as they are often presented in the literature.
Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, 2015
This paper explores understandings related to teacher professionalism amongst a sample of highly ... more This paper explores understandings related to teacher professionalism amongst a sample of highly engaged members of the Alberta Teacher’s Association (ATA). Highlighting the many ways in which the Association supported members in their bid to embody roles as leaders, learners, advocates, and policy actors, I argue that the ATA serves as a platform for the development of teacher leaders and advocates who aim to improve the quality of education on a broader scale through their work both inside and outside the classroom.
Cjnse Rcjce, Dec 12, 2014
Over the past 20 years, a host of formalized teacher leadership programs have emerged in response... more Over the past 20 years, a host of formalized teacher leadership programs have emerged in response to numerous calls for the re-culturing (Fullan, 2001) and re-professionalization (Hargreaves, 2000) of teaching. That being said, very little research has explored the manner in which such programs have facilitated real change in the leadership capacity of teachers. As such, the purpose of this study was to explore the nature and sustainability of leadership roles experienced by three participants in the Teacher Learning and Leadership Program (TLLP), a one-year program in Ontario, Canada, where teachers 'take the lead' in developing context specific professional learning opportunities with the aim of impacting both student and teacher learning. Results indicate that the TLLP provided participants with an avenue for the development and enactment of various teacher leadership opportunities both in and beyond their own school. However, extending that leadership beyond the timeframe of their TLLP projects proved to be a difficult endeavour. Understanding the impact of cultural norms, top-down hierarchies, and historical views of the teacher as implementer on the sustainability of teacher leadership is of particular relevance to planning committees who organize and develop such programs as well as progressive school boards who are genuinely interested in promoting authentic change in school leadership development.
Journal of Professional Capital and Community
PurposeThis paper draws on data from a research project that examined the impact of a community o... more PurposeThis paper draws on data from a research project that examined the impact of a community of practice (CoP) model of teaching practicum that engaged teacher candidates in collaborative inquiry projects based on self-identified problems of practice that emerged during their practicum experiences.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach was adopted to better understand the ways in which the CoP served as a support mechanism for teacher candidates to develop social capital during internship. Data collection included anecdotal observation notes, student postings in online discussion forums, and a one-hour post-project focus group. Data analysis was rooted in phenomenology (Lin, 2013) and was guided by the four pronged coding process outlined by Bicudo (2000).FindingsAs the paper illustrates, the CoP created rich opportunities for teacher candidates to cultivate social capital, which positively impacted their human and decisional capital. Relatedly, teacher candidates demo...
Scottish Educational Review
Teachers’ professional development and learning is of high interest in educational reform interna... more Teachers’ professional development and learning is of high interest in educational reform internationally. We present findings from the State of Educators’ Professional Learning in Canada study. We identify ten features proposed for effective professional learning: evidence-informed; subject-specific and pedagogical content knowledge; a focus on student outcomes; a balance of teacher voice and system coherence; active and variable learning; collaborative learning experiences; job-embedded learning; ongoing in duration; resources; and supportive and engaged leadership. Our findings indicate that these features are present in current professional learning experiences within Canada. However, we also found important differences in the details of professional learning within and across Canada. We suggest it is important to research, value and understand the diversity of professional learning needs, activities, experiences and outcomes within and across countries. We discuss potential con...
Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, 2021
Teacher federations are often criticized as “roadblocks” to educational change. It is arguable, h... more Teacher federations are often criticized as “roadblocks” to educational change. It is arguable, however, that their advocacy work has been paramount in securing safer return to school conditions across Canadian Educational jurisdictions. Utilizing Carter et al. (2010) framework of union responses to changing policy environments, this paper draws on publicly available documents and social media posts from March through to October of 2020 to examine the ways in which teacher unions in various Canadian contexts have responded to the issue of school reopening plans amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the paper analyzes the extent to which Canadian teacher unions have been able to move into the realm of union renewal as a means of building internal capacity and developing external networks to strengthen their public advocacy work.
Teacher Unions in Public Education, 2015
A primary function of teacher unions is to bring teachers’ concerns about educational practice to... more A primary function of teacher unions is to bring teachers’ concerns about educational practice to the attention of policy makers (Bascia and Rottmann 2011). But in much of the world, teachers have little formal authority to directly influence policy decisions, and educational policy makers have limited knowledge about the dynamics of schooling. Governmental policy makers and teacher unions operate according to different priorities, the former focused on large-scale effects on educational practice and the latter on the conditions of teaching and learning. Often established after, and even in reaction to, formal educational systems (Murphy 1990; Smaller 1991; Urban 1982), teachers’ organizations are not often viewed as legitimate decision makers. Most of the research on teacher union–governmental relationships characterizes them as perennially conflictual and working at crosspurposes (Bascia and Osmond 2012).
Fundamental Change
This report examines the participation of teacher unions in the education reform process. It anal... more This report examines the participation of teacher unions in the education reform process. It analyzes the many roles that these organizations are playing at the national, state, and local levels through collective bargaining and political action. The focus is upon three major issues: (1) the extent to which teacher unions have attained more professional teaching conditions t. rough collective bargaining; (2) the political response of teacher organizations to national, state, and local reform initiatives; and (3) the way in which the interests and activities of teacher organizations are likely to shape successive generations of educational reform, particularly efforts to restructure the teaching profession. The report is addressed to policymakers, teacher union leaders, education researchers, and others interested in enhancing the professional status of teachers. (JW
Educational Research for Policy and Practice
Journal of Professional Capital and Community
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of a mentored model of gradual release to... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of a mentored model of gradual release to build social capital and support teachers as they adopt new identities as leaders of professional learning. Design/methodology/approach Data for the paper were collected as part of a case study which explored the Provincial Facilitator Community (PFC) in Saskatchewan, Canada as one approach to creating a collaborative culture of teacher-led learning and leadership. Findings The findings suggest that becoming a leader of professional learning is a complex process of gaining confidence, building capacity and transitioning into a new professional identity. In the PFC, this process was markedly supported through a structured and intentional system of modeling and peer-mentorship that promoted the development of social capital across the group. Originality/value The paper provides new insights around the use of a mentored model of gradual release to create opportunities to develop social cap...
Special Issue - Pivotal Leadership During a Pandemic: Impacts on Educational Administration Policy in Canada
Much of the research and scholarship presented in this issue was conducted on the traditional, an... more Much of the research and scholarship presented in this issue was conducted on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories and homelands of many diverse Indigenous and Metis Nations. The non-Indigenous editors and contributing authors acknowledge both the privilege afforded to us to live and work on these lands and the responsibility required of us as individuals to honour the land through relationship, reciprocity, and respect.
This paper draws on data collected as part of a study of the discourses of teacher professionalis... more This paper draws on data collected as part of a study of the discourses of teacher professionalism amongst union active teachers in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Ontario. Interviews revealed a triad of influences on the professionalism discourses of participants: engagement in teacher associations, the larger policy environment, and teacher agency. The manner in which this triad played out in each case, however, was unique to the particular political and organizational contexts framing the spaces in which such discourses were created. Using cross-case analysis, this paper specifically highlights the complex and contextualized nature of teachers' conceptions of professionalism, paying particular attention to the nuanced enabling and limiting conditions identified between the cases. Cet article s'appuie sur des données recueillies dans le contexte d'une étude portant sur le discours concernant le professionnalisme des enseignants actifs dans leur syndicat et vivant...
Drawing on data from a mixed methods study of the Saskatchewan Professional Development Unit’s (S... more Drawing on data from a mixed methods study of the Saskatchewan Professional Development Unit’s (SPDU) Facilitator Community, this paper highlights the potential of teacher-led professional learning in developing professional capital through engagement in teacher leadership. Analysis of survey, interview, and observational data revealed the Community to be a powerful platform from which teachers extended their own individual skills (human capital), learned from and with each other (social capital), and used their collective expertise to lead the learning of their peers (decisional capital). Teacher leadership within the community is nurtured through a mentored model of gradual release designed to create an environment conducive to supporting organic and meaningful learning and growth experiences for its members. It is this same environment that serves as the platform for the development of professional capital.
Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, 2018
Drawing on data from a larger doctoral study, this paper specifically explores influences on the ... more Drawing on data from a larger doctoral study, this paper specifically explores influences on the discourses of professionalism amongst a sample of highly engaged members of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO). Based on the assumption that discourse takes shape within a highly politicized system of socialization where language plays a significant role in the maintenance of particular power structures and the cultures that support them (Hilferty, 2004), the case suggests that the professionalism discourses of teachers and their unions and those of government are not necessarily as mutually exclusive as they are often presented in the literature.
Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, 2015
This paper explores understandings related to teacher professionalism amongst a sample of highly ... more This paper explores understandings related to teacher professionalism amongst a sample of highly engaged members of the Alberta Teacher’s Association (ATA). Highlighting the many ways in which the Association supported members in their bid to embody roles as leaders, learners, advocates, and policy actors, I argue that the ATA serves as a platform for the development of teacher leaders and advocates who aim to improve the quality of education on a broader scale through their work both inside and outside the classroom.
Cjnse Rcjce, Dec 12, 2014
Over the past 20 years, a host of formalized teacher leadership programs have emerged in response... more Over the past 20 years, a host of formalized teacher leadership programs have emerged in response to numerous calls for the re-culturing (Fullan, 2001) and re-professionalization (Hargreaves, 2000) of teaching. That being said, very little research has explored the manner in which such programs have facilitated real change in the leadership capacity of teachers. As such, the purpose of this study was to explore the nature and sustainability of leadership roles experienced by three participants in the Teacher Learning and Leadership Program (TLLP), a one-year program in Ontario, Canada, where teachers 'take the lead' in developing context specific professional learning opportunities with the aim of impacting both student and teacher learning. Results indicate that the TLLP provided participants with an avenue for the development and enactment of various teacher leadership opportunities both in and beyond their own school. However, extending that leadership beyond the timeframe of their TLLP projects proved to be a difficult endeavour. Understanding the impact of cultural norms, top-down hierarchies, and historical views of the teacher as implementer on the sustainability of teacher leadership is of particular relevance to planning committees who organize and develop such programs as well as progressive school boards who are genuinely interested in promoting authentic change in school leadership development.
Journal of Professional Capital and Community
PurposeThis paper draws on data from a research project that examined the impact of a community o... more PurposeThis paper draws on data from a research project that examined the impact of a community of practice (CoP) model of teaching practicum that engaged teacher candidates in collaborative inquiry projects based on self-identified problems of practice that emerged during their practicum experiences.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach was adopted to better understand the ways in which the CoP served as a support mechanism for teacher candidates to develop social capital during internship. Data collection included anecdotal observation notes, student postings in online discussion forums, and a one-hour post-project focus group. Data analysis was rooted in phenomenology (Lin, 2013) and was guided by the four pronged coding process outlined by Bicudo (2000).FindingsAs the paper illustrates, the CoP created rich opportunities for teacher candidates to cultivate social capital, which positively impacted their human and decisional capital. Relatedly, teacher candidates demo...
Scottish Educational Review
Teachers’ professional development and learning is of high interest in educational reform interna... more Teachers’ professional development and learning is of high interest in educational reform internationally. We present findings from the State of Educators’ Professional Learning in Canada study. We identify ten features proposed for effective professional learning: evidence-informed; subject-specific and pedagogical content knowledge; a focus on student outcomes; a balance of teacher voice and system coherence; active and variable learning; collaborative learning experiences; job-embedded learning; ongoing in duration; resources; and supportive and engaged leadership. Our findings indicate that these features are present in current professional learning experiences within Canada. However, we also found important differences in the details of professional learning within and across Canada. We suggest it is important to research, value and understand the diversity of professional learning needs, activities, experiences and outcomes within and across countries. We discuss potential con...
Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, 2021
Teacher federations are often criticized as “roadblocks” to educational change. It is arguable, h... more Teacher federations are often criticized as “roadblocks” to educational change. It is arguable, however, that their advocacy work has been paramount in securing safer return to school conditions across Canadian Educational jurisdictions. Utilizing Carter et al. (2010) framework of union responses to changing policy environments, this paper draws on publicly available documents and social media posts from March through to October of 2020 to examine the ways in which teacher unions in various Canadian contexts have responded to the issue of school reopening plans amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the paper analyzes the extent to which Canadian teacher unions have been able to move into the realm of union renewal as a means of building internal capacity and developing external networks to strengthen their public advocacy work.
Teacher Unions in Public Education, 2015
A primary function of teacher unions is to bring teachers’ concerns about educational practice to... more A primary function of teacher unions is to bring teachers’ concerns about educational practice to the attention of policy makers (Bascia and Rottmann 2011). But in much of the world, teachers have little formal authority to directly influence policy decisions, and educational policy makers have limited knowledge about the dynamics of schooling. Governmental policy makers and teacher unions operate according to different priorities, the former focused on large-scale effects on educational practice and the latter on the conditions of teaching and learning. Often established after, and even in reaction to, formal educational systems (Murphy 1990; Smaller 1991; Urban 1982), teachers’ organizations are not often viewed as legitimate decision makers. Most of the research on teacher union–governmental relationships characterizes them as perennially conflictual and working at crosspurposes (Bascia and Osmond 2012).
Fundamental Change
This report examines the participation of teacher unions in the education reform process. It anal... more This report examines the participation of teacher unions in the education reform process. It analyzes the many roles that these organizations are playing at the national, state, and local levels through collective bargaining and political action. The focus is upon three major issues: (1) the extent to which teacher unions have attained more professional teaching conditions t. rough collective bargaining; (2) the political response of teacher organizations to national, state, and local reform initiatives; and (3) the way in which the interests and activities of teacher organizations are likely to shape successive generations of educational reform, particularly efforts to restructure the teaching profession. The report is addressed to policymakers, teacher union leaders, education researchers, and others interested in enhancing the professional status of teachers. (JW
Educational Research for Policy and Practice
Journal of Professional Capital and Community
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of a mentored model of gradual release to... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of a mentored model of gradual release to build social capital and support teachers as they adopt new identities as leaders of professional learning. Design/methodology/approach Data for the paper were collected as part of a case study which explored the Provincial Facilitator Community (PFC) in Saskatchewan, Canada as one approach to creating a collaborative culture of teacher-led learning and leadership. Findings The findings suggest that becoming a leader of professional learning is a complex process of gaining confidence, building capacity and transitioning into a new professional identity. In the PFC, this process was markedly supported through a structured and intentional system of modeling and peer-mentorship that promoted the development of social capital across the group. Originality/value The paper provides new insights around the use of a mentored model of gradual release to create opportunities to develop social cap...