School success and educational reforms: Why is it so difficult to increase the performance of our educational systems?Clermont Gauthier

By Dr. Clermont Gauthier

Abstract

We are currently witnessing the globalization of educational reforms. In the wake of major international comparative studies on the performance of educational systems, and given the strong desire of nations to remain or become educational front-runners, reform movements appear to be taking hold from North to South, and East to West.

Ideological battles are often fiercely waged in such a charged context. Both advocates and adversaries tend to adopt radical positions that render the balanced discussion and informed analysis of different educational reform’ contributions to school success a difficult, even an impossible task. This is, in fact, what seems to be happening both here at home and in many countries where left-wing positions oppose right-wing positions, progressives oppose conservatives, disciplinarians attack those they pejoratively describe as “pedagogists”, and traditionalists go up against constructivists.

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School success and educational reforms: Why is it so difficult to increase the performance of our educational systems? (PDF, 870 KB)

Lecture: School success and educational reforms: Why is it so difficult to increase the performance of our educational systems? (PDF, 1442 KB)
During my presentation, I will focus on the issues of educational reforms and school success and will examine these through the lens of research on the effectiveness and impacts of these reforms. Approaching these significant issues in this fashion is important because research on different teaching practices that appear to positively impact student learning should form the basis of any effort at educational reform. I will use my lecture to try to answer the following question: What are the pedagogical approaches that seem to promote student learning? It could also be formulated as follows: How do teachers teach in schools that promote student success?

The answers I’ll provide to these questions will help shed light on why the reforms put forth in the Western world have failed to noticeably increase the performance of our educational systems. Educational reform is a topic that should interest all Canadians, given its role in shaping the trends and practices that will determine how today and tomorrow’s students are educated in this country.

Biography

Clermont Gauthier is Professor of Educational Psychology in the Faculty of Education at Université Laval, located in Quebec City. He holds the Canada Research Chair in the Study of Teacher Training.

A noted expert in the areas of teacher education, educational foundations, and instructional practice, Dr. Gauthier has extensively studied the impacts of major changes on teachers’ practices in contemporary educational systems. Over the course of a career spanning nearly three decades, he has published 30 books, some 100 articles and book chapters, and delivered more than 200 presentations at various national and international conferences on the foundations and history of education, particularly those of Quebec, as well as on pedagogy and teacher training.

He was the university representative on the Québec government's advisory committee on teacher education and an expert member of the committee mandated in 2000 by Québec's Ministry of Education to develop new skills and directions for instructional training. He also served as Secretary of the Committee of the Estates-General on Education of 1996 for the greater Québec City area.

Internationally, Dr. Gauthier has conducted studies on teaching and teacher training for UNESCO, the OECD, and the World Bank. He has also taught in various countries, including a number of developing countries, a reflection of his commitment to education the world over.

 

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