Editor's Message

The Journal of Educational Thought (JET) has been in print now for the last fifty years (1967 to 2017). It was planned in the first year (1966) the new University of Calgary was in existence and its first issue came out in 1967 under the editorship of the then Dean of the Faculty of Education, H.S. Baker . It described itself as follows: 

“The Journal of Educational Thought provides an outlet for the discussion of educational ideas. In general, it complements empirical research by speculative, critical thought about public education. The Journal draws specifically upon philosophical, social and historical insights, but is receptive to other approaches both theoretical and practical-- including both those of teachers and administrators”.

In its first issue a clear attempt was made to draw on important writers in Canada and abroad. The lead article was by Charles Dobinson, a well known comparative educator from the University of Reading in the UK wrote on “Education Tomorrow”. James Paton from the University of Toronto addressed himself to the perennial problem of “Teaching People to Think ”. Joseph Katz of the University of British Columbia offered a comparative analysis of the educational similarities and differences between Britain and Japan and our own Donald Vandenberg offered a case study of “Ideology and Educational Policy”. Charles Phillips, the onetime Director of Graduate Studies in he Ontario College of Education and generally considered the dean of Canadian educators, offered in a piece entitled “Schooling in an Earlier Era” a lifetime of reminiscences.

Some years later JET also published and continues to publish articles in French as well as English. While the numbers of the French articles have always been relatively few, the articles have always been of a high quality.

What do things look like fifty years later? In the Volume 50, Number 1 issue for 2017 educational ideas are still paramount, though the ideas are both more international and perhaps more unfamiliar. The lead article is by Stephen White from Applachian State University writing on “Globalization and Higher Education: Exploring Holistic Learning Through Sri Aurobindo’s Thought”. Kimberley Homes of the University of Calgary writes on “Mindfulness as a Practice of Professional Life: A Reflective Learning Journey with Second Year Teachers”. The University of Toronto is also represented in this issue with Adam Hill’s “Towards an Understanding of the Value of Dialogic Inquiry into and about Values”. The final article is entitled “John Dewey and Progressive Education” by Erin Hopkins of Virginia Tech. The book reviews treat of two books“ The Thoughtful Leader” and “Understanding School Choice in Canada”. The next two issues of the journal were combined in Volume 50, Numbers 2&3 as a special 50th Anniversary Double Issue on the topic of “Wellness in the Academy” guest edited by Jennifer Lock, Gabrielle Wilcox and Yvonne Kjorlien. We hope to make this issue freely available on line as our first venture into on line publishing before 2017 is out. 

Ian Winchester

Editor