| The purpose of this study was to trace the cyclical relationship between politics, the media, and the formation of educational policy in Ontario. I began with an investigation into the role of media in promoting a 'curriculum of accountability' among educational stakeholders. I then delineated the myriad educational policies designed in support of accountability goals and explored their impact on students, teachers and administrators, and society. To analyse the media's influence on educational discourse and the semantics involved in marketing a particular style of education, I used frameworks provided by marketing literature, deconstructionism, and theory on the agenda-setting function of media. To further understand the consequences of policies of accountability on educational stakeholders, I turned to studies on the hidden curriculum, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and the purpose of schools in society to conclude the work. |
