McGill Journal of Education / Revue des sciences de l'éducation de McGill

Teaching History thematically and non-chronologically: An experiment

Sylvain Larose — 2026-09-04

This Note is a description and discussion of the results of three years of teaching history by theme, focusing on 20^th-century history, at a secondary school in Montreal. Students chose the topics they studied, selected their exam question, and did so democratically. This approach enhances students’ autonomy and makes it possible to address topics that are more current and more relevant to them, but it does not necessarily improve academic motivation, at least among students at risk of dropping out. On the other hand, it requires the teacher to be more attentive to students, avoid falling into routine, and continually renew their approach.

Book review of BARKAI, S., & PARISER, D. (Eds). Art education in Israel: Navigating diversity and change. (2025).

Nina Howe — 2026-09-18

Barkai, S., & Pariser, D. (Eds). Art education in Israel: Navigating diversity and change. Springer Nature (2025). 266pp. $39.99USD (soft cover). (ISBN 978-3-031-88204-3).

Integrating experimentation and the investigative approach into science curricula in initial elementary school teacher training in Haiti

Irvings Julien — 2026-09-18

This article aims to document the science curricula currently in use in Haitian elementary teacher training programs and to understand how experimentation and the investigative approach are integrated into this training. The study was conducted with ten elementary school teachers and four teacher educators. It employed a qualitative, exploratory methodology. We used semi-structured interviews and a logbook to collect data from respondents. The results show variability in science programs. There is a noticeable lack or absence of hands-on experience in elementary school teacher training. Pedagogical approaches focus primarily on knowledge transmission. The inquiry-based approach is not integrated into the training program.

The role of special education teachers in secondary education according to employment sector (public vs. private)

Noémia Ruberto — 2026-09-18

The special education teacher is a school professional whose role is to support the educational success of all students in both public and private schools. Most studies describing the work of special education teachers have been conducted at the elementary level and have not considered the specific characteristics of different employment sectors (Ruberto et Beaulieu, 2025; Ruberto et al., 2025). This article aims to compare the working conditions, roles and responsibilities, and service delivery models implemented by 135 secondary school special education teachers according to their employment sector. To do so, participants completed an online questionnaire. The results indicate that there are few differences in the duties of special education teachers across employment sectors.

Language contact awareness in a multilingual environment: The perception of cross-linguistic similarities by pre-service English EFL teachers

Guilène Révauger — 2026-09-18

Acknowledging and discussing language contacts in a multilingual environment such as Reunion Island could empower language learners and facilitate language teaching. Yet, cross-linguistic similarities cannot be nurtured without being first perceived by teachers. Considering English as a bridge language, this study aims to identify the connections recognized by 19 pre-service English teachers, mainly between English and French, German, Korean, Reunionese Creole, Shimaore, or Spanish. The data gathered stems from elements of language biographies and the completion of four contrastive exercises. A qualitative study conveyed through manual coding allowed for the analysis of the cross- linguistic contacts identified. The results emphasize the rich diversity of connections recognized, but they also suggest that perception may sometimes give way to less grounded assumptions.

Exploring the use of portable classrooms in Canadian schools: Insights from newspaper reports

Marzieh Forozantabar — 2026-09-18

This study investigates the use and proliferation of portable
classrooms in Canadian school districts through an analysis of periodical
news sources. We analyzed 234 news reports from Canadian news outlets
between 2010 and 2022. A two-cycle qualitative analysis revealed three
themes: (a) drivers behind school districts' use of portable classrooms, (b)
safety and comfort in portable classrooms, and (c) alternative strategies to
alleviate accommodation issues aside from portable classrooms. Portables
are often utilized to manage overcrowding, but they are often met with
apprehension from local communities. This initial exploration of the
situation of portables in Canada provides insights that could inform future
research, policy, and practice.

Autophenomenological attunements and listening through embodied encounters

Mindy R. Carter — 2026-09-03

This paper explores the experiences of the co-authors engaging with the question: What are our autophenomenological reflexive embodied attunements in engaging with listening and slowing down? Using an autophenomenological process (Carter, 2016, 2022) to structure the inquiry, Carter and Klein reflect on how nature, breath, and movement are themes that reach across both of their embodied engagements, helping them to understand how radical listening and awareness are internal resources that foster encounters of affect (Massumi, 2015). Through attunement, the authors discovered a heightened embodied awareness and a universal connection to both human and non-human entities. Findings from this arts-based, collaborative process led to the development of an improvisation-based in-class activity and a model for future research.

The relationship between graphonological mapping skills and written word recognition and production in students with developmental language disorder (DLD)

Oxana Leonti — 2026-09-18

This study aimed to examine the relationships between reading and written word production skills and graphophonological skills in elementary school students with developmental language disorder (DLD). Their performance was compared with that of students matched for reading level (RL) and chronological age (CA). The results indicate that the reading and written word production performance of students with DLD was similar to that of the RL group but lower than that of the CA group. The relationships observed between graphophonological processes and reading and written word production performance suggest that phonological skills may contribute to delays in the development of orthographic knowledge among students with DLD.

Conceptualizing geographical empathy through the lens of experiential Geography

Chantal Déry — 2026-09-18

The use of empathy has received little theoretical or formal attention within the specific context of teaching and learning geography. This article offers an exploratory theoretical reflection on the role of empathy in geography education, specifically within the framework of experiential geography. The focus on experiential geography is grounded in its epistemological and pedagogical foundations, which challenge learners’ sense of identity, their understanding of Otherness, and their relationship with the world—themes explored in the first part of the text. Subsequently, we examine the connections between empathy and experiential geography, leading us, in the final section, to consider experiential geography as a means of fostering geographical empathy.

Demystifying the concept of authenticity in evaluation in the learning paradigm

Lakshmee Ramoo — 2026-09-07

The foundations and principles of constructivism and socioconstructivism have ramifications for evaluation in the learning paradigm. Generally speaking, playing an active role in one’s evaluation, and executing complex tasks in line with the real context are expected from the learner. However, its implementation might be challenging in class. Even if authenticity is the central concept of evaluation in the new paradigm, it remains conceptually unclear. In this article, we analyse the different components of this concept through a systematic review on the subject.

Responding to diverse students’ needs in New Zealand schools: Ethical problem-solving approaches used by school principals

Lise-Anne St.Vincent — 2026-09-18

Inclusive schools have brought ethical challenges to school
teams, in part due to the fact that there are now more stakeholders, each with their own set of values and principles, interacting in response to diverse students’ needs. When conflicts involving ethical problems arise,
school principals act as mediators in the problem-solving process, and must consider the issues in their full complexity. In this article, we present examples of ethical problems encountered by New Zealand school principals when responding to diverse students’ needs, and the approaches taken to resolve those problems. We also highlight some singularities of New Zealand’s education system that impact ethical problem-solving in relation to addressing diverse students’ needs.

Support needs for differentiated instructional practices among teachers

Geneviève Carpentier — 2026-09-08

Differentiation of instructional practices is necessary in today's school environment to maximize learning for all students. This article describes and examines the support needs for differentiated instructional practices among teachers at different levels of education. It shows that the management of learning difficulties represents the dimension for which the respondents' support needs are the highest. Furthermore, differences appear between the support needs expressed by novices and those of experienced teachers. Focus groups allow a better understanding of the contexts in which these needs emerge as well as the solutions envisaged by the respondents.

Who thrives, who struggles? School-to-work transition among vocational training students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Ibtissem Ben Alaya — 2026-09-18

The COVID-19 pandemic may have increased the challenges faced by vocational training (VT) students. Thus, we examined the moderating effect of support-seeking tendencies on the association between context (pre-pandemic or pandemic) and VT students’ adjustment in the school-to-work transition. Participants (n = 109, M age = 21.59 years) completed a survey during their training (T1, pre-pandemic) and after ending their training (T2). For some, T2 occurred pre-pandemic (n = 77), while others completed T2 during the pandemic (n = 32). Among participants who were reluctant to seek support at T1, those who experienced a school-to-work transition before the pandemic encountered more difficulties in adjusting to the transition, while those who experienced this transition during the pandemic were better adjusted.

Editorial

Teresa Strong-Wilson — 2026-09-18

Éditorial

Teresa Strong-Wilson — 2026-09-18