Precis
Sustainable, Holistic, and Equal Education in Canada
Ch- 29 – Learning as a Cultural Process- Achieving Equity through Diversity (Sawyer, 2022)
I see the connection between Chapter 29, "Learning as a Cultural Process: Achieving Equity through Diversity" (Nasir, N.S. et al., 2022), and my passion for holistic, sustainable education. This chapter discusses the importance of language in the learning sciences and how the cognitive process works for bilingual individuals. Additionally, it highlights the significance of interdisciplinary knowledge and how this can be further explored in the learning sciences by transforming the inequitable structures of schooling and promoting diversity. In a multicultural society like Canada, further research can be conducted on ethnic minorities, languages, and schooling.
I was also intrigued by the authors' discussion on how policies are sometimes incomplete and politically controversial. This has been evident in the past decade through movements like Black Lives Matter, MeToo, and 2SLGBTQ+. From a holistic perspective, authors emphasize that learning occurs both in and out of the classroom and consider a youth as a whole person. We can see this in how instructors and facilitators nowadays bring their wholesomeness into the classroom. From my personal experience, last year I received feedback from my students highlighting how I talk about my family and work and relate these concepts to the class. This approach makes them feel more connected and encourages greater participation.
Chapter 28 also discusses shared community perspectives and basic needs. From Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, we learn that needs progress from one level to the next step by step. At the very basic level, we have physiological needs such as food, water, shelter, and clothing. The second level is safety, followed by love and belonging. These third-level needs connect us with the community. As social beings, we have a fundamental need to connect with others, which ties back to being holistic and giving back to the community. The last two levels of Maslow’s hierarchy are esteem and self-actualization. At these levels, we strive to become the best versions of ourselves and help others, exemplified by lifelong learning and volunteer work.
Additionally, while reading the ijCSCL Journal, The Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences (Sawyer, 2022), and The Learning Sciences in Conversation: Theories, Methodologies, and Boundary Spaces (Shannon, 2023), I was surprised to find that although learning sciences are discussed as an interdisciplinary field, there is limited research on holistic, sustainable education practices. While there has been research on gender equality, equality extends beyond gender to encompass race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and more.
References
HU, M., Daley, A., & Warman, C. (2019). Literacy, Numeracy, Technology Skill, and Labour Market Outcomes among Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Canadian Public Policy, 45(1), 48–73. https://doi.org/10.3138/cpp.2017-068
Nasir, N.S. et. al (2022) Learning as a Cultural Process. In R.K. Sawyer (Ed), The Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences (pp. 581-601). chapter, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Sawyer. (2022). An Introduction to the Learning Sciences. In The Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences. Cambridge University Press.
Shanahan, M.-C., Kim, B., Takeuchi, M. A., Koh, K. H., Preciado Babb, A. P., & Sengupta, P. (Eds.). (2023). The learning sciences in conversation : theories, methodologies, and boundary spaces. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
In the past decade, we have seen the development and increasing awareness of equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives. Although Canadian policies and laws have been designed around these concepts to remove barriers and protect visible minority groups—such as Indigenous people, individuals with disabilities, people of color, and Black women—there is still much to be done. During this time, there has also been a significant increase in the number of international students in Canada. Recent caps on international student enrollment have garnered both positive and negative viewpoints from Canadians and the international community. Over the years, scholars have conducted studies on international education, immigration trends, international students, and the Canadian economy. In recent years, post-secondary institutions have struggled to maintain balanced budgets, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, and have sought assistance from federal and provincial governments. Many post-secondary institutions are also recruiting international students as a means of financial support. Moreover, recent restrictions on international student enrollment have created tensions among some post-secondary institutions. We have seen a shortage of professional workers in Canada during the pandemic and a struggle to meet the increasing demand for nurses, healthcare workers, and doctors. The focus of this paper is on international students, employment, and their sustainable impact on the Canadian economy. For this purpose, research has been conducted using data from Statistics Canada and provincial authorities.
Keywords: sustainable, international, education, employment
Torres-Arends, I., & Jacobsen, M. (2024). “I Am Not Complaining”: Listening to International Students’ Requests and Complaints as Expressions of Diverse Learning Needs. Journal of International Students, 14(3), 385–407. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v14i3.6298
Ferrer, A. M., & Riddell, W. C. (2002). The role of credentials in the Canadian labour market. The Canadian journal of economics, 35(4), 879–905. https://doi.org/10.1111/0008-4085.00158
Ferrer, A. M., & Riddell, W. C. (2002). The role of credentials in the Canadian labour market. The Canadian journal of economics, 35(4), 879–905. https://doi.org/10.1111/0008-4085.00158