PCERA 2003
Learning Outcomes

In 2002, CESC entered into a joint initiative with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) for the promotion of policy relevant education research. The CESC-SSHRC Education Research Initiative (CSERI) provides $3.2 million over four years for education research in Canada, allowing research issues on the PCERA agenda to be more fully explored than was possible in the past.

CSERI was launched at the SSHRC – CESC Seminar Policy-Relevant Research and Dissemination: A Planning Session, held September 16–17, 2002 in Toronto.

The objectives of the initiative are to:

•  foster policy-relevant education research in Canada through the
   promotion of the education research priorities of CMEC, CESC and
   SSHRC’s Initiative on the New Economy;
  
  
•  encourage dialogue between researchers, policy makers, and
   practitioners through dissemination activities such as the PCERA
   symposia;
  
  
•  promote the awareness and use of existing education databases for
   research, such as the School Achievement Indicators Program (SAIP)
   database and other such empirical databases collected during
   pan-Canadian and internationl research, survey, and assessment
   programs;
  
  
•  support the dissemination and utilization of education research,
   particularly within ministries and departments of education, and
   encourage research partnerships between staff of ministries and
   departments of education and researchers in the social sciences and
   humanities.

A complete program description of the CESC-SSHRC Education Research Initiative is available on the SSHRC website.

The first round of research under the joint initiative focuses on the PCERA priority research theme Learning Outcomes. A resource paper on this topic entitled "Learning Outcomes: A critical review of the state of the field in Canada " has been prepared by Dr. Robert Crocker of Memorial University.

A symposium providing an opportunity for participants to learn more about the research being funded under CSERI, CESC-SSHRC Spring 2003 Research Symposium, Learning Outcomes and Transitions
was held in Ottawa on May 1–2, 2003.