LE3 .A278 2007

2007

Thomson, Tony

Acadia University

Master of Arts

Masters

Sociology

Sociology

The purpose of this thesis is to discover the possibilities for implementing progressive ideologies and a just education in the Nova Scotia public school system. I used a mixed qualitative approach to conduct the research. The use of the term 'Polyphonic', meaning many sounds, implies the use of multiple voices in this work. In-depth interviews were conducted with public school teachers, principals and teacher educators, a focus group was conducted with nine students from an alternative public high school, two classroom observations were done and document interpretation was used, creating a rich and detailed qualitative study. The data was analyzed using a Freirian educational theory based on ideas of critical pedagogy and transformative education. Liberal and progressive ideologies provide the foundation for an education promoting social and global justice. Though the province has begun to recognize the need for progressive schooling, many official policies and practices work in opposition to this goal. Individual teachers are implanting progressive practices in the classroom but this is only individual-level change. Large scale reform requires implementing progressive ideas at the system level. As long as the province continues to work both for and against this need, a system level, progressive education, promoting global justice, can never be established.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:2954