This release is available in French.
MONTREAL/ December 22, 2008 - Concordia University is pleased to announce that Dr. M. Ayaz Naseem, Assistant Professor with the Department of Education, is one of the winners of the prestigious American Educational Studies Association (AESA) 2008 Critics Choice Book Awards for his book Scientism and Education: Empirical Research as Neo-Liberal Ideology, co-authored with Dr. Emery Hyslop Margison. Each year, a committee of AESA members selects a number of titles it regards as both outstanding and of interest to those in educational studies.
The book offers a critical examination of the growing pressure to apply scientific principles as a means to improve educational research. For example, the authors question the use of standardized testing along the lines of the No Child Left Behind project. They believe that by focusing on the quantitative aspects as to whether or not a child passes a standardized test overlooks the qualitative realities such as gender, race, ethnicity, poverty etc. which often affect why a child passes or not. Scientism and Education was recognized for its relevance to foundations of education and the mission of AESA: originality of research; scholarly/intellectual impact on the field; and the significance of the topic.
Naseem's research interests include philosophy and methodologies of educational research, feminist theory and philosophy, peace education, education in diverse societies, and democratic and citizenship education. His research projects are funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la société et la culture (FQRSC) and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany.
Source:
Tanya Churchmuch
Senior Media Relations Advisor
Concordia University
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Email: Tanya.Churchmuch@concordia.ca