Repository logo

Department of Child and Youth Care

Permanent link for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14078/27

Browse

Browsing Department of Child and Youth Care by Author "Bellefeuille, Gerard"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    21st century child and youth care education: an ontological relational turn in teaching and learning
    (2020) Bellefeuille, Gerard; Berikoff, Ahna
    The pedagogical challenges in preparing child and youth care (CYC) education for 21st century CYC practice, global citizenship and life cannot be rightfully addressed by an antiquated higher education system predicated on a Newtonian/Cartesian ontology that assumes a mechanistic view of the materialistic world and a solitary view of the “self” as completely autonomous, ego-based, and self-enclosed. In this article, we propose an alternative ontological stance for teaching and learning in higher education, one that is informed by the growing body of relational ontology scholarship in theology, philosophy, psychology, nursing, political theory, educational theory, and even information science. The basic contention of a relational ontology is that all relations between entities are ontologically more fundamental than the entities themselves. Within this perspective, the “self” is not so much a personal possession as it is a process of relatedness and a reflection of one’s relational experiences. This view of the self has enormous implications for teaching and learning. A relational ontological approach to education will employ more holistic, collaborative, and experiential methods of teaching and learning in which the learner’s (i.e., the self’s) mind, body, emotions, spirit, and environment are all considered essential components of the learning process. The conversation presented in this article is an invitation to rethink the ontological foundations upon which CYC education is currently constructed and to explore the potential of an ontological revolution in CYC teaching and learning pedagogy. In CYC, as in other disciplines, it is the visionaries operating at the edges of the discipline’s philosophical, theoretical, and practice boundaries who provide the critical reflection and creativity of thought to nudge the field forward. The educationists are suggested to join this adventure.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The academic turn of child and youth care practicum coordination at MacEwan University
    (2023) Pope, Christine; McGrath, Jenny; Stiller, Rebecca; Bellefeuille, Gerard
    The established agency-based approach to child and youth care (CYC) practicum coordination in post-secondary education is no longer sustainable. It has been impacted by the persistent expansion of professional programs requiring practicum placements for increasing student populations and must be rethought to address the changing needs of stakeholder service providers. This article discusses the creation of a non-administrative, academic CYC practicum coordination position at MacEwan University. The primary focus of this newly created position is to lead the transition from an all-inclusive agency-based placement model of field education to a multifaceted approach to coordination, which will include both research-focused and project-based practicum opportunities.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    A stakeholder needs assessment to gauge the interest in and demand for a child and youth care postgraduate specialization certificate program
    (2017) Bellefeuille, Gerard; McGrath, Jenny; Hedlin, Catherine; Jamieson, Donna
    The purpose of this needs assessment was to explore child and youth care (CYC) learning needs and interest of stakeholders in the development of a CYC postgraduate specialization certificate. A purposive sample strategy was used to recruit CYC practitioners and senior CYC administrators. The data collection strategy consisted of an online survey, an online discussion forum, a key-informant focus group, and a round-table discussion. Findings indicated that participants had a strong interest in a variety of professional development topics, including advanced mental health practice/expressive therapies, addictions, child protection, and family work.