Chantal Meda
The University of Ottawa’s Excellence in Education prizes recognize educators of exceptional quality, who provide outstanding teaching while maintaining a solid research program. Profiles of each of the nine prize winners in 2007 will appear in the Gazette over the coming months.
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As principal investigator and co-investigator of a number of research projects that focus on various aspects of basic education, Professor Richard Maclure of the Faculty of Education has witnessed first-hand the important role that education plays in shaping the lives of children and youth.
“My research centres on the role of NGOs and civil society in basic education, and on the capacity of child-rights oriented education to alleviate the plight of marginalized children and youth, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America,” explains Maclure.
Having worked extensively in various professional and academic capacities, as a teacher in Nigeria and the Northwest Territories, as a field director with Plan International in Burkina Faso, and as an educational program officer with the International Development Research Centre, Maclure espouses the significance of international development education as a field of study.
He believes that recent shifts in the ways in which educators are trained is indicative of increased global awareness in schools and among Canadian educators. “We have become increasingly attuned to socio-cultural differences in schools, and to the varied linguistic and experiential backgrounds of students, many of them recent immigrants,” says Maclure.
He sees an awareness among students that education is far more than simply teaching a subject in a classroom. According to Maclure, students have a more holistic view of education and an appreciation of the challenge in meeting the diverse learning needs and styles of heterogeneous school populations. “As well, many of our Teacher Education students aspire to enhance children’s awareness of global issues and to explore ways to inspire young people to become actively engaged as global citizens.”
As one of the recipients of the University of Ottawa’s Excellence in Education awards, Maclure sees this accolade as an acknowledgment not just for himself, but also for many others with whom he works in the Faculty of Education.
“This award is a boost for those of us in the faculty who are studying issues of international education, particularly in developing countries. I may have been singled out, but working in the field of international education involves a lot of collaboration with other colleagues, both academics and practitioners,” says Maclure. He continues, “Above all, I have been very fortunate to work with a number of excellent students in international education. Their enthusiasm and critical insights are a constant source of stimulation.”
