Browsing by Author "Gift, Sandra"
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Item A critical look at key components of The University of the West Indies quality assurance system [Panel](2015-07-15) Dottin, Pamela; Gift, Sandra; Perkins, Anna Kasafi; Thompson, KayUsing the Framework for Analysis of Practices in Higher Education (FAPHE) proffered by Harvey (2012), this panel critically assesses components of The University of the West Indies (UWI) academic Quality Management System (QMS), as implemented by the Quality Assurance Unit (QAU). These components are: i) the integration of institutional research data in the self-assessment process; (ii) review team selection; (iii) quality assurance of distance and online education; and (iv) work based/experiential learning. Harvey's key principles for establishing the presence of best practices-efficiency in the use of resources, being well-documented, engagement of key stakeholders, and undertaking monitoring and evaluation-is the framework for the assessment. These principles address the administrative and management concerns of policy, leadership, human resource development, and monitoring and evaluation, which have been identified elsewhere as important in developing quality in higher education. In examining these features critically, evidence is identified for the presence of best practice or gaps that need to be closed for the system to produce superior results. A mixed methodological approach is utilized; it involves undertaking a desk study of quality assurance review team reports from the various UWI campuses completed within the last five years, post-review evaluation instruments completed by review team members and heads of departments, as well as policy, and strategic planning documentation of the university and the Quality Assurance Unit. For the integration of institutional research data, a comparative review is undertaken against QA systems used in two other higher education institutions. Reference is also made to the literature on best practice.Item Multicultural education and conflict studies as elements of peace education in Trinidad and Tobago(1992) Gift, SandraThis paper examines the concept of peace education in its broadest sense, focusing on multicultural education and conflict studies as part of a holistic approach to peace education. It reports on a pilot survey conducted in nine UNESCO Associated Schools in Trinidad in 1990, which sought to determine the attitude of students and parents towards peace and peace education, as well as the degree of students’ appreciation of the concept of culture and their specific interest in the area of culture. Results of the survey indicated that students need greater exposure to the comprehensive concerns of peace education and have a desire to learn more about the culture of other peoples. A proposal is made for the review of the approach to multicultural education in Trinidad and Tobago.Item Selected teachers' pedagogical content knowledge of the transatlantic slave trade (TST)(2008-12-02T13:09:46Z) Gift, SandraItem Selected teachers' pedagogical content knowledge of the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans (TTEA)(School of Education, UWI, St. Augustine, 2008) Gift, SandraThis paper presents teachers as the main source of secondary school students' content knowledge of the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans (TTEA). It investigates what content knowledge teachers in select parts of the Atlantic world communicate to students; what informs the approaches they employ in their teaching; and how students respond to this knowledge at the affective level. The findings serve as a contribution to teachers' professional development for teaching the TTEA at a time when international attention is increasingly focused on the TTEA and its legacies. A thematic approach is used to discuss the historiography of the TTEA. Three geographic sites: the Americas/Caribbean, Africa, and Europe, provide the broad context of the study on which the paper is based. The UNESCO Slave Route Project and Transatlantic Slave Trade (TST) Education Project serve as its programmatic background. The conceptual framework for the interpretation of the findings relies heavily on Shulman's (1987) concept of pedagogical content knowledge, its emotional dimension as elaborated upon by Jerry Rosiek (2003) and Nate McCaughtry (2004); concepts of human development as proposed by the UNESCO International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century, and Lorrie Shepard's (2000) reformed vision of the curriculumItem Teaching about religions: "Playing for change"(2016-05-10) Gift, Sandra; Edwards, Hart; Hodge, Merle; Sirju-Charran, Grace; Shurland, SusanThis paper advocates for the introduction of teaching about religions in schools in Trinidad and Tobago, and presents a preliminary strategy to this end. The background to the paper is a National Commission for UNESCO project, for which one of the major goals was to determine the status and feasibility of Teaching About World Religions (TAWR) in schools. The initiative involved: (a) a survey conducted in a sample of schools in 2008; (b) a symposium (January 2010); (c) a workshop (October 2010); and (d) a presentation at the Ministry of Education consultation on the primary school curriculum in 2011. Some of the consultation feedback revealed societal fears arising from a misunderstanding of the purpose of educating young people about religions other than their own. The paper argues that greater knowledge and understanding of the tenets of our various religions are critical for promoting harmony in diversity. Historically, interfaith relations have been marked by disrespect and persecution of some faiths. While there has been decided improvement at official levels in the 52 years of independence, there exists a legacy of mutual intolerance, prejudice, and mistrust, based largely on lack of information. The formal education system does not adequately address this legacy. The authors considered the nomenclature for such a programme, and propose a preliminary framework and implementation strategy for teacher training and curriculum materials development for interreligious studiesItem Towards a culture of peace: teachers' use of and students' reactions to a curriculum for UNESCO associated schools(2008-12-02T13:10:03Z) Gift, Sandra