The purpose of the study was to determine the global competence of 115 Canadian teacher candidate... more The purpose of the study was to determine the global competence of 115 Canadian teacher candidates using a new measurement tool. Non-parametric tests indicated several differences in self-reported global competence within individual indicators across the three areas of Exploring, Engaging, and Acting with global competence. Two indicators showed that male teacher candidates reported higher levels of global competence than did females in the Exploring and Acting areas. Teacher candidates intending to teach in middle and senior high school reported higher levels in one indicator within the Acting area. Moreover, Canadian-born teacher candidates reported higher levels of Engaging and Acting than did non-Canadian-born students across six indicators total. While there were no differences across the three areas by age, results showed that higher levels of experience in their teacher education program were associated with greater global competence across all three areas as indicated by fiv...
Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 2012
Many school counsellors have identified “cyber-bullying” among adolescent girls as a growing conc... more Many school counsellors have identified “cyber-bullying” among adolescent girls as a growing concern. In order to respond to this issue, this article begins with a new model of cyber-communications from the unique perspective of adolescent girls. Next, it explores the limitations of responding to this model, based on current understandings of cyberbullying. Finally, based on the current literature, recommendations are made to school counsellors regarding the essential components of programming that show promise in addressing online cruelty among this group.
Global increases in mental illness in children and youth have precipitated a wide range of therap... more Global increases in mental illness in children and youth have precipitated a wide range of therapies to address this concern. An alternative to this reactive approach is based on models of mental wellness that enhance children’s and youths’ perceptions of well-being and health. The current project examined the effects of a universal animal-assisted activity (AAA) program on a group of minority students who attended a boarding school in Germany. The intent of the current study was to determine whether the duration and types of AAA the students experienced were associated with higher levels of perceived mental well-being. Short-term gains in calmness were demonstrated under some AAA conditions, and long-term gains in well-being resulted from minority children’s participation in rabbit club. LES EFFETS DES ACTIVITES ASSISTEES PAR L’ANIMAL (AAA) SUR LE BIEN-ETRE D’ELEVES ISSUS DE LA MINORITE EN ALLEMAGNE L’augmentation mondiale des problemes de sante mentale chez les enfants et les jeun...
While mental health issues in children are a growing concern internationally, little is known abo... more While mental health issues in children are a growing concern internationally, little is known about universal, preventative interventions that foster mental health and well-being in minority children and children of immigrants, especially those who have experienced anti-Muslim discrimination in schools. Building on an ongoing practicum partnership established 10 years ago between the Canadian teacher education program and a Turkish-German school, we investigate the effects of animal assisted activities (AAA) on Muslim minority students
ABSTRACT This study examined whether the gender stereotypes used for comparison in a popular test... more ABSTRACT This study examined whether the gender stereotypes used for comparison in a popular test of gender development--the Sex Role Learning Index (SERLI)--are relevant to contemporary children in Canada. Findings indicated that the SERLI's feminine stereotypes were no longer normative, while the SERLI's masculine stereotypes were still temporally valid. Findings highlight implications of technology and sports on gender roles and implications for researchers studying gender development. (Author/KB)
The development of inclusive educational practices and their current practices differ significant... more The development of inclusive educational practices and their current practices differ significantly between the North American nations of Canada and the United States. Although these countries do share similarities in both theoretical underpinnings and educational programming, the current differences in policy oversight nationally and at the provincial and state levels promote a wider range of policy and programmatic differences across Canada than in the United States. Governance structures, the resulting policies, and their similarities and differences between and within these countries serve as foundations that underpin innovative inclusive educational programming in each country. The interplay between legislation and activism has both reflected and provoked the movement away from special education and toward inclusive education to varying degrees in both Canada and the United States.
Recent large-scale testing of reading achievement indicates significant gender differences favori... more Recent large-scale testing of reading achievement indicates significant gender differences favoring girls in all countries tested, a situation that some researchers believe is the result of boys viewing reading as a feminine activity. Given that Canada has one of the world’s smallest gender gaps in reading whereas Thailand has one of the largest, a matched sample of 168 boys from Canada and Thailand were studied to examine potential differences in prevalence of viewing reading as feminine. Findings show no significant differences between boys in Canada and Thailand, which suggests that viewing reading as feminine is not at the root of gender differences in reading achievement. Other potential contributing factors, including culture, socioeconomic status, and interest are discussed.
Teacher preparation in Canada benefits from innovative programming that supports vibrant, inclusi... more Teacher preparation in Canada benefits from innovative programming that supports vibrant, inclusive classrooms. We examine two Canadian-made programmes: The Three-Block Model of Universal Design fo...
Post-secondary institutions across North America have adopted animal-assisted activities as a way... more Post-secondary institutions across North America have adopted animal-assisted activities as a way to promote better mental health in their students. The current research study of 242 Canadian college and university students sought to contribute to our collective understanding of the aspects of the programs and characteristics of students that are related to promotion of better mental health in post-secondary students including decreased stress, and increased happiness and well-being. Results of a repeated measures design showed that students demonstrated greater positive effects on stress, happiness, and well-being when they touched dogs as compared to when they observed them. Furthermore, positive mental health outcomes were correlated with greater durations of contact as well as with higher levels of animal affiliation in students. Implications for post-secondary institutions are discussed.
Two hundred forty-two students, including 76 college students and 166 university students from Ca... more Two hundred forty-two students, including 76 college students and 166 university students from Canadian post-secondary schools, participated in a pre-post study of the effects of animal-assisted activities on their stress, happiness, and well-being. Findings showed that those students who had recently experienced a negative event showed significantly greater positive effects of the animal-assisted activities on all three dependent variables when compared with other students, although all students benefitted from participating in terms of desired effects on their stress, happiness, and well-being. In keeping with Keyes’ model of mental wellness, these school-based, animal-assisted activities are supported as low-cost, low-stigma, universal approaches to mental health promotion.
The study examined concerns, attitudes, and teacher efficacy of 131 in-service, Kindergarten to G... more The study examined concerns, attitudes, and teacher efficacy of 131 in-service, Kindergarten to Grade 8 teachers in three school divisions in Manitoba, Canada. Analyses were conducted to identify the relationships between teachers’ back-ground variables, their attitudes and concerns about teaching in inclusive classrooms, and their efficacy for inclusive teaching. In addition, potential effects of training in special education on teachers’ concern level were examined. Partic-ipants who had undertaken some training in special education had lower degrees of concerns about teaching in inclusive classrooms. We discuss the implications of these findings and how addressing in-service teachers’ concerns could enhance their attitudes about inclusive teaching and their overall teacher efficacy.
While the importance of secure relationships between children and caregivers has been well establ... more While the importance of secure relationships between children and caregivers has been well established in the literature as an essential feature of healthy child development, the influence of animal-human relationships on healthy development and attachment is also beginning to gain attention. A burgeoning literature supports the developmental and sustainability benefits of such relationships to children. One hundred seventeen directors of childcare centres in Manitoba, Canada (16.5%) caring for 24% of children in licensed care responded to a survey about animals in childcare facilities. Findings showed that only 51% of facilities currently had animals, with fish and caged rodents being the most common. Although centre directors agreed that the benefits of centre-based animals included children learning responsibility as well as increased calmness and happiness in children, the drawbacks in terms of children’s allergies, the costs, and the inconvenience outweighed these benefits in almost half the centres. Given the benefits of animals in young children’s lives, a list of variables for consideration is provided to aid directors in decision-making about animals in childcare centres.
Australasian Journal of Special and Inclusive Education
Directors of Student Teaching from the Western Canadian provinces participated in focus groups ab... more Directors of Student Teaching from the Western Canadian provinces participated in focus groups about the realities and decision-making processes around practicum for preservice teachers with disabilities. Results showed current standards, when applied rigidly, served to reify a static, homogenous, and unrealistic definition of ‘teacher’ that marginalises preservice teachers with disabilities. However, the effort of directors to challenge this notion of ‘teacher’, framed within the constructionist model of disability, gives hope for a more inclusive future teaching force.
Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
In response to the lack of Canadian research about the practicum experiences of pre-service teach... more In response to the lack of Canadian research about the practicum experiences of pre-service teachers with disabilities, a survey of ten Directors of Student Teaching in Western Canadian universities was conducted and revealed both strengths and challenges in current practices. Recommendations for teacher education are explored, and several future research directions are highlighted. En réponse à l’absence de recherche sur les expériences de stage des enseignants en formation souffrant d’invalidité, un sondage a été effectué auprès de dix directeurs de stagiaires dans des universités de l’Ouest du Canada. Le sondage a révélé à la fois les points forts et les défis présentés par les pratiques actuelles. Des recommandations pour la formation des enseignants sont explorées et plusieurs futurs axes de recherche sont présentés.
The purpose of the study was to determine the global competence of 115 Canadian teacher candidate... more The purpose of the study was to determine the global competence of 115 Canadian teacher candidates using a new measurement tool. Non-parametric tests indicated several differences in self-reported global competence within individual indicators across the three areas of Exploring, Engaging, and Acting with global competence. Two indicators showed that male teacher candidates reported higher levels of global competence than did females in the Exploring and Acting areas. Teacher candidates intending to teach in middle and senior high school reported higher levels in one indicator within the Acting area. Moreover, Canadian-born teacher candidates reported higher levels of Engaging and Acting than did non-Canadian-born students across six indicators total. While there were no differences across the three areas by age, results showed that higher levels of experience in their teacher education program were associated with greater global competence across all three areas as indicated by fiv...
Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 2012
Many school counsellors have identified “cyber-bullying” among adolescent girls as a growing conc... more Many school counsellors have identified “cyber-bullying” among adolescent girls as a growing concern. In order to respond to this issue, this article begins with a new model of cyber-communications from the unique perspective of adolescent girls. Next, it explores the limitations of responding to this model, based on current understandings of cyberbullying. Finally, based on the current literature, recommendations are made to school counsellors regarding the essential components of programming that show promise in addressing online cruelty among this group.
Global increases in mental illness in children and youth have precipitated a wide range of therap... more Global increases in mental illness in children and youth have precipitated a wide range of therapies to address this concern. An alternative to this reactive approach is based on models of mental wellness that enhance children’s and youths’ perceptions of well-being and health. The current project examined the effects of a universal animal-assisted activity (AAA) program on a group of minority students who attended a boarding school in Germany. The intent of the current study was to determine whether the duration and types of AAA the students experienced were associated with higher levels of perceived mental well-being. Short-term gains in calmness were demonstrated under some AAA conditions, and long-term gains in well-being resulted from minority children’s participation in rabbit club. LES EFFETS DES ACTIVITES ASSISTEES PAR L’ANIMAL (AAA) SUR LE BIEN-ETRE D’ELEVES ISSUS DE LA MINORITE EN ALLEMAGNE L’augmentation mondiale des problemes de sante mentale chez les enfants et les jeun...
While mental health issues in children are a growing concern internationally, little is known abo... more While mental health issues in children are a growing concern internationally, little is known about universal, preventative interventions that foster mental health and well-being in minority children and children of immigrants, especially those who have experienced anti-Muslim discrimination in schools. Building on an ongoing practicum partnership established 10 years ago between the Canadian teacher education program and a Turkish-German school, we investigate the effects of animal assisted activities (AAA) on Muslim minority students
ABSTRACT This study examined whether the gender stereotypes used for comparison in a popular test... more ABSTRACT This study examined whether the gender stereotypes used for comparison in a popular test of gender development--the Sex Role Learning Index (SERLI)--are relevant to contemporary children in Canada. Findings indicated that the SERLI's feminine stereotypes were no longer normative, while the SERLI's masculine stereotypes were still temporally valid. Findings highlight implications of technology and sports on gender roles and implications for researchers studying gender development. (Author/KB)
The development of inclusive educational practices and their current practices differ significant... more The development of inclusive educational practices and their current practices differ significantly between the North American nations of Canada and the United States. Although these countries do share similarities in both theoretical underpinnings and educational programming, the current differences in policy oversight nationally and at the provincial and state levels promote a wider range of policy and programmatic differences across Canada than in the United States. Governance structures, the resulting policies, and their similarities and differences between and within these countries serve as foundations that underpin innovative inclusive educational programming in each country. The interplay between legislation and activism has both reflected and provoked the movement away from special education and toward inclusive education to varying degrees in both Canada and the United States.
Recent large-scale testing of reading achievement indicates significant gender differences favori... more Recent large-scale testing of reading achievement indicates significant gender differences favoring girls in all countries tested, a situation that some researchers believe is the result of boys viewing reading as a feminine activity. Given that Canada has one of the world’s smallest gender gaps in reading whereas Thailand has one of the largest, a matched sample of 168 boys from Canada and Thailand were studied to examine potential differences in prevalence of viewing reading as feminine. Findings show no significant differences between boys in Canada and Thailand, which suggests that viewing reading as feminine is not at the root of gender differences in reading achievement. Other potential contributing factors, including culture, socioeconomic status, and interest are discussed.
Teacher preparation in Canada benefits from innovative programming that supports vibrant, inclusi... more Teacher preparation in Canada benefits from innovative programming that supports vibrant, inclusive classrooms. We examine two Canadian-made programmes: The Three-Block Model of Universal Design fo...
Post-secondary institutions across North America have adopted animal-assisted activities as a way... more Post-secondary institutions across North America have adopted animal-assisted activities as a way to promote better mental health in their students. The current research study of 242 Canadian college and university students sought to contribute to our collective understanding of the aspects of the programs and characteristics of students that are related to promotion of better mental health in post-secondary students including decreased stress, and increased happiness and well-being. Results of a repeated measures design showed that students demonstrated greater positive effects on stress, happiness, and well-being when they touched dogs as compared to when they observed them. Furthermore, positive mental health outcomes were correlated with greater durations of contact as well as with higher levels of animal affiliation in students. Implications for post-secondary institutions are discussed.
Two hundred forty-two students, including 76 college students and 166 university students from Ca... more Two hundred forty-two students, including 76 college students and 166 university students from Canadian post-secondary schools, participated in a pre-post study of the effects of animal-assisted activities on their stress, happiness, and well-being. Findings showed that those students who had recently experienced a negative event showed significantly greater positive effects of the animal-assisted activities on all three dependent variables when compared with other students, although all students benefitted from participating in terms of desired effects on their stress, happiness, and well-being. In keeping with Keyes’ model of mental wellness, these school-based, animal-assisted activities are supported as low-cost, low-stigma, universal approaches to mental health promotion.
The study examined concerns, attitudes, and teacher efficacy of 131 in-service, Kindergarten to G... more The study examined concerns, attitudes, and teacher efficacy of 131 in-service, Kindergarten to Grade 8 teachers in three school divisions in Manitoba, Canada. Analyses were conducted to identify the relationships between teachers’ back-ground variables, their attitudes and concerns about teaching in inclusive classrooms, and their efficacy for inclusive teaching. In addition, potential effects of training in special education on teachers’ concern level were examined. Partic-ipants who had undertaken some training in special education had lower degrees of concerns about teaching in inclusive classrooms. We discuss the implications of these findings and how addressing in-service teachers’ concerns could enhance their attitudes about inclusive teaching and their overall teacher efficacy.
While the importance of secure relationships between children and caregivers has been well establ... more While the importance of secure relationships between children and caregivers has been well established in the literature as an essential feature of healthy child development, the influence of animal-human relationships on healthy development and attachment is also beginning to gain attention. A burgeoning literature supports the developmental and sustainability benefits of such relationships to children. One hundred seventeen directors of childcare centres in Manitoba, Canada (16.5%) caring for 24% of children in licensed care responded to a survey about animals in childcare facilities. Findings showed that only 51% of facilities currently had animals, with fish and caged rodents being the most common. Although centre directors agreed that the benefits of centre-based animals included children learning responsibility as well as increased calmness and happiness in children, the drawbacks in terms of children’s allergies, the costs, and the inconvenience outweighed these benefits in almost half the centres. Given the benefits of animals in young children’s lives, a list of variables for consideration is provided to aid directors in decision-making about animals in childcare centres.
Australasian Journal of Special and Inclusive Education
Directors of Student Teaching from the Western Canadian provinces participated in focus groups ab... more Directors of Student Teaching from the Western Canadian provinces participated in focus groups about the realities and decision-making processes around practicum for preservice teachers with disabilities. Results showed current standards, when applied rigidly, served to reify a static, homogenous, and unrealistic definition of ‘teacher’ that marginalises preservice teachers with disabilities. However, the effort of directors to challenge this notion of ‘teacher’, framed within the constructionist model of disability, gives hope for a more inclusive future teaching force.
Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
In response to the lack of Canadian research about the practicum experiences of pre-service teach... more In response to the lack of Canadian research about the practicum experiences of pre-service teachers with disabilities, a survey of ten Directors of Student Teaching in Western Canadian universities was conducted and revealed both strengths and challenges in current practices. Recommendations for teacher education are explored, and several future research directions are highlighted. En réponse à l’absence de recherche sur les expériences de stage des enseignants en formation souffrant d’invalidité, un sondage a été effectué auprès de dix directeurs de stagiaires dans des universités de l’Ouest du Canada. Le sondage a révélé à la fois les points forts et les défis présentés par les pratiques actuelles. Des recommandations pour la formation des enseignants sont explorées et plusieurs futurs axes de recherche sont présentés.
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Papers by Laura Sokal