My name is Dr. Christine Ho Younghusband. I am a second generation Chinese Canadian cis-gendered woman. My mom and dad immigrated to Canada in the late 1960’s when my older sister was 2-years old. They immigrated soon after the immigration laws were changed to include a merit-based point system. My twin brother and I were born and raised in Prince Rupert, BC. I graduated from Prince Rupert Senior Secondary and went to UBC to complete my B.Sc. in Chemistry and B.Ed. in Secondary Education. I taught secondary mathematics, science, and chemistry in BC public schools for 16-years. During that time, I completed my M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction at SFU. In 2010, I left the teaching profession to complete my EdD in Educational Leadership at SFU. My research interests included out-of-field teaching, professional learning, subject matter acquisition, and mathematics education. My dissertation titled “The Professional Learning Experiences of Non-Mathematics Subject Specialist Teachers: A Descriptive Study” was successfully defended in 2017. See below.
During my doctoral studies, I served as an elected school trustee for 7-years and director for the BC School Trustees Association Board of Directors for 3-years. I also worked on the Math K-9 Curriculum Development Team for the Ministry of Education on BC’s Curriculum, the Math Teaching Guide for the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC), and the BC Open Ed Math Competencies online resource/webpage. In 2018, I joined the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) as an Assistant Professor and I teach in the Teacher Education Program (TEP), and undergraduate and graduate courses. My love for teaching/learning has rekindled and I enjoy developing my practice with the land based learning, in situ learning, and reflective practice using e-Portfolios. I started this portfolio in 2019 when I was teaching EDUC 431 (EdTech). I wanted to explore how a portfolio forms a digital narrative that is formative and summative.
I am fortunate to find ways to use WordPress in context to teaching and learning as part of my reflective practice. I’ve used portfolios in EDUC 490, EDUC 491, EDUC 405, and EDUC 394 at UNBC in the TEP. I want to extend my thank you and appreciation for the teacher candidates and former students from my undergraduate and graduate courses that inspire and challenge me in ways that continues to hone and develop my practice but also contribute to the content of this portfolio as a reflection of my practice, pedagogy, and values and beliefs. I savour these moments and love to challenge myself to try new things and learn. My Pedagogical Journey continues on the unceded ancestral territory of the Lheidli T’enneh and I have no regrets. Life has taken many twists and turns to be where I am today. I am grateful and humbled to be a guest on this territory.
My research interests include: out-of-field teaching, professional learning, subject matter acquisition, mathematics education, climate change education, identity development, policy and practice, culture and mathematics, formative assessment, action research, BC education, and teacher education.
UNBC Profile: https://www2.unbc.ca/people/ho-younghusband-dr-christine
Doctor of Education – Defended: August 2017
Simon Fraser University in Educational Leadership
“The Professional Learning Experiences of Non-Mathematics Subject Specialist Teachers – A Descriptive Study” is focused on what professional learning activities Non-Mathematics Subject Specialist Teachers (NMSSTs) participated in to gain subject matter content knowledge in mathematics to teach mathematics in BC schools.
Abstract:
Certified teachers in British Columbia (BC) schools can be assigned to teach secondary mathematics without having a major, minor, or formal background in mathematics. This is known as out-of-field teaching. These non-mathematics subject specialist teachers (NMSSTs) must learn or relearn the subject matter of mathematics to teach secondary mathematics. This study investigates what professional learning activities NMSSTs participate in to gain subject matter content knowledge in mathematics, which activities these teachers believed best facilitated the acquisition of subject matter, and which they believed helped them to teach secondary mathematics better. This was a descriptive study using survey methods. Sixteen professional learning activities were considered. The survey questionnaire was distributed and completed online. Sixty-two NMSSTs completed the survey in full. Most learned the subject matter autodidactically from teaching secondary mathematics, referring to textbooks, or going online. However, formal learning activities such as completing a graduate degree in mathematics or a mathematics-related field best facilitated the acquisition of the subject matter and helped in teaching mathematics better. Other findings include the following: learning from an expert in the field was highly valued; professional learning days were not highly valued but frequently participated-in; the perceived level of subject matter content knowledge of those who completed a graduate degree and those who did not were the same; the NMSST characteristic of perceived level of subject matter content knowledge did not influence participants in this study to self-identify as mathematics subject specialists. Recommendations for practitioners included not learning the subject matter in isolation and to find a mentor. Recommendations for school leaders were to redesign professional development days and to consider purposeful teaching assignments. Recommendations for future research were to develop a self-assessment tool and to implement a study on subject matter acquisition of NMSSTs in a master of mathematics education program. Recommendations for policy-makers included providing alternative professional development opportunities for teachers and setting standards for NMSSTs to help them self-assess their subject matter content knowledge in mathematics.
Keywords: content knowledge; out-of-field teaching; professional learning; experiential learning; self-directed learning; subject matter
SFU Library Link: http://summit.sfu.ca/item/17485
