Recent Publications

Differentiated instruction in digital video games: STEM teacher candidates using technology to meet learners’ needs.

Differentiated instruction (DI) is a teaching approach that aims to achieve learning for diverse students. This study reports on promoting STEM teacher candidates’ (TCs’) implementation of technology-enhanced DI in teacher education courses. The research questions are: (1) How do TCs develop digital video games (DVGs) to be inclusive of DI?, and (2) If, and to what extent are DVGs effective tools to implement DI in secondary science classes? The analysis of eight DVGs, developed by the TCs, shows that most TCs were able to proficiently integrate DI practices in their DVGs. Furthermore, DVGs are effective tools to differentiate instruction by facilitating pacing variation for different students, differentiating difficulty levels, scaffolding, integrating multimodalities to present the content in different formats, utilizing engaging features, representing different learners of various backgrounds, promoting conceptual understanding, and enabling different assessment forms especially formative and diagnostic assessments. This research is significant as it highlights how digital resources such as DVGs can be used to address individual learners’ needs, interests, profiles, and academic achievement levels. Additionally, this research informs instructional designers, game developers, and curriculum specialists on ways to incorporate equity, diversity, and inclusion pedagogies such as DI in digital educational resources.

Empowering STEM teacher candidates to implement differentiated instruction in teacher education courses.

Differentiated instruction (DI) is an inclusive method of instruction by which teachers provide multiple possibilities for learning based on students’ backgrounds, readiness, interests, and profiles. Acknowledging student diversity in Canadian classrooms, this study explores STEM teacher candidates’ (TCs’) preparation to implement DI in a STEM curriculum and pedagogy course in a teacher education program. The course is enriched with DI resources and training focused on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). The course efficacy in enhancing TCs’ implementation of DI is explored through the following research questions: (1) What is the impact of the course on TCs’ implementation of DI, (2) How do TCs develop curricula to be inclusive of DI strategies, and (3) What successes and challenges do TCs encounter when developing DI-focused curricula? The study adopts a mixed-method approach, in which data sources include pre-post questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Participants are 19 TCs enrolled in the second year of the teacher education program at a Canadian university. Findings suggest that the course empowered TCs to integrate DI principles and strategies in their coursework. This success reiterates the importance of opportunities aimed at enhancing teachers’ preparation to incorporate DI in their practices. The findings call for adopting similar approaches in pre-service and in-service teachers’ training to ensure that DI principles and strategies are deeply rooted in teachers’ practices. The study informs teacher educators about integrating EDI in teacher education programs’ curriculum and overall planning.

Setting students up for success: Developing interdisciplinary skills in a medical sciences graduate program.

Acknowledging the importance of skill development in graduate programs, Western University in Canada developed an innovative master’s program in interdisciplinary medical sciences. The program aims to promote students’ academic, professional, and personal skills by engaging them in experiential and interdisciplinary learning that adopts an explicit and reflective approach in focusing on seven core skills: problem-solving, communication, leadership, critical reflection, working in diverse teams, project management, and decision making. This paper draws on the experiences and reflections of the inaugural cohort of students enrolled in the program to address the following research questions: 1) How does the MSc IMS program impact students’ skill development? and 2) How did students practise the seven core interdisciplinary skills outlined in the program? The study utilizes a mixed methods approach by collecting quantitative and qualitative data using pre- and post-online surveys administered to the students. The findings highlight the program's positive impact in terms of students’ reflection on their level of competence in the seven core skills, especially in complex problem-solving, oral and written communication skills, and critical reflection. Results also show that students specifically appreciated the contribution of experiential learning components of the program in advancing their skills. The paper emphasizes the importance of addressing students’ skill development in higher education in an explicit and intentional approach and engaging students in reflective practise on their skill development. Implications for the design and review of graduate programs are also discussed.

The long-term impact of training on equity, diversity, and inclusion practices: Teacher candidates’ knowledge retention and future aspirations.

K-12 schools around the world are striving to practice equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) principles to provide effective learning opportunities for all students. At the classroom level, differentiated instruction (DI) is a teaching approach that addresses student diversities. This research focuses on important aspects of teacher training on equitable and inclusive strategies, being its long-term impact and teacher candidates’ (TCs’) retention of acquired knowledge and skills. This paper addresses the following research questions: 1) How do TCs implement DI in their school practicum after the training in the teacher education courses ends? 2) What challenges do TCs encounter upon implementing DI? 3) What are TCs’ long-term goals and aspirations of DI? and 4) What are effective strategies in EDI training in teacher education courses? The paper adopts a qualitative approach in which the data sources include a survey and semi-structured interviews conducted eight weeks after the end of a DI-focused course in the Teacher Education program. TCs’ responses highlighted how they implemented DI in their practicum, indicating retention of the acquired knowledge and skills. TCs also detailed how they plan on implementing EDI strategies in their future classrooms. This paper proposes a general framework for successful training of educators on EDI principles and practices such as DI. The framework’s essential elements are: 1) explicit and intentional training approach, 2) engaging trainees in reflective practice, 3) contextualization, specificity, and relevance of the training tasks, 4) providing ongoing feedback, and 5) collaboration and resource sharing among participants.

Fostering an Entrepreneurial Mindset Through Project-Based Learning and Digital Technologies in STEM Teacher Education

This chapter explores the potential of STEM project-based learning (PBL) and digital video game (DVG) creation to support and integrate STEM and entrepreneurial competencies in teacher education. Specifically, the authors present and describe three STEM projects and three DVGs, with a focus on entrepreneurial and STEM skill development and growth mindsets in a curriculum and pedagogy methods course in STEM education. The authors maintain that in order for teacher candidates (TCs) to develop entrepreneurial and STEM literacies, they need to integrate entrepreneurial and STEM content and pedagogical knowledge to be able to effectively instruct, assess and design STEM curricula that can foster entrepreneurial skills and support future generations of learners. TCs engaged in several tasks utilizing principles of inquiry, design-based and experiential learning, and reflective practice that fostered entrepreneurial awareness and enhanced entrepreneurial competencies. Entrepreneurial growth is evident in the projects, as TCs provided extensions, thus creating value-added content beyond the scope of the initial assignment. These value-added extensions were also catalytic in developing an entrepreneurial growth mindset. The authors contend that teacher education programs, professional development initiatives, and key stakeholders have a pivotal role to play in developing and supporting students’ STEM and entrepreneurship competencies.

Outbreak Science: Implications for Teaching and Learning in STEM Classrooms

History is replete with countless lessons about pandemics in terms of their societal, scientific, and medical dimensions. COVID-19 is only the latest of these that has plagued the globe. As a result of COVID-19, emergency response teaching was implemented globally. Educational institutions temporarily closed and pivoted their learning to virtual environments, affecting almost 70% of the world’s student population. The transition to virtual environments challenged both teachers and students. Given the global pandemic, it is imperative that we reflect on what and how we teach. In this chapter, the authors discuss a number of pedagogical strategies, including digital games, mathematical modeling, case studies, problem-based and project-based learning, and science communication. These strategies can effectively integrate socioscientific issues into an outbreak science curriculum; one focused on the concerns of epidemics and global pandemics with the ultimate goal of enhancing students’ scientific literacy. Recommendations target teacher preparation and professional development initiatives and include opportunities for educators to engage with digital tools to enhance teacher competencies and subsequent self-efficacies through a technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework. The authors in this chapter advocate for the professional development of educators in teacher education programs, so they become proficient in the use of the pedagogical strategies in science and elementary science/STEM classrooms.

STEMifying teacher education – A Canadian context

Teacher education should be instrumental in imparting best pedagogical strategies and providing opportunities for teachers to develop integrated STEM knowledge and skills. The lack of preparation is reflected in a lack of comfort by teachers in teaching the required STEM content. The author reports on her development of Canada’s first STEM teacher preparation program and discusses the STEM Specialty Focus and accompanying courses which highlight the nature and integration of the disciplines of STEM. Teacher candidates are provided with opportunities to deepen their understanding of STEM concepts and enhance STEM skills while developing STEM projects, digital video games, digital scientific timelines, interactive case studies focusing on contemporary socioscientific issues, and curriculum resource websites. Several affordances and challenges are outlined, including self-efficacy, explicit and meaningful integration of STEM disciplines, and a lack of a robust technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). The latter has implication for digital literacies in teacher education, as spotlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Effects of school-level and area-level socio-economic factors on elementary school student COVID-19 infections: a population-based observational study

Aims: We examine the relationship between socio-economic factors of schools and those of the areas within which schools are located on COVID-19 elementary school student infections. We examine: (1) whether the proportion of students from marginalised socio-economic backgrounds in an individual school had an effect on the cumulative incidence of elementary school student infections in that school; (2) whether the proportion of households from marginalised backgrounds in a defined area had an effect on the cumulative incidence of elementary school student infections across schools in that area. Results: We used a multilevel modelling approach to estimate the effects of socio-economic factors at the school and area levels on the cumulative incidence of elementary school student laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections in Ontario for the 2020-21 school year. At the school level (level 1), the proportion of the student body from low-income households was positively associated with cumulative incidence (β=0.083, p<0.001). At the area level (level 2), all dimensions of marginalisation were significantly related to cumulative incidence. Ethnic concentration (β=0.454, p<0.001), residential instability (β=0.356, p<0.001) and material deprivation (β=0.212, p<0.001) were positively related, while dependency (β=-0.204, p<0.001) was negatively related. Area-related marginalisation variables explained 57.6% of area variability in cumulative incidence. School-related variables explained 1.2% of school variability in cumulative incidence. Conclusions: The socio-economic characteristics of the geographic area of schools were more important in accounting for the cumulative incidence of elementary school student infections than individual school characteristics. Schools in marginalised areas should be prioritised for infection prevention measures and education continuity and recovery plans.

The Overreliance on Portable Classrooms in Ontario Schools: New Evidence for the Study of Austerity and Disinvestment in Canadian Public Education

This study investigates the extent of portable classroom use in the province of Ontario between the years 2010 and 2020. The findings reveal that portable classrooms are used as long-term solutions to address enrolment pressures in schools, which is symptomatic of the austerity-driven policies in the funding of Ontario’s public education. In addition to providing new evidence of the effects of funding cuts in education, this study repositions infrastructure planning as a critical concern for education policy research.

Exploring the Significance of ‘Place’ for Culturally Sensitive Research

We adopt a culturally sensitive approach to investigate the participation of immigrant parents in schools. We analyse how a group of immigrant mothers negotiated new spaces for participating in their children’s education while continually reshaping their sense of place.

First Nations & Indigenous identities in education

This chapter discusses the history and experiences of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. It looks at the ways in which Indigenous nations taught their youth, and how Indigenous Peoples and their pedagogy was suppressed by the imposition of Eurocentric educational systems and practices. Despite these historical and continued acts of structural violence which have been forced on Indigenous people in the settler-colonial Canadian state, Indigenous People continue to develop and build their own education and intellectual systems, and exercise leadership and governance to enhance the well-being of their youth and of their communities.

Indigeneity

Indigenous People live in many countries throughout the world and have their own specific and distinct names which they use to refer to themselves. Often, the names by which Indigenous Peoples' call themselves reflect their Land, identity, cultures, and worldviews. This chapter introduces the concept of Indigeneity and its relatedness to being Indigenous. While the term Indigeneity carries and reflects multiple meanings to different people across the globe, this chapter focuses on three connected and interlinked frameworks, including Indigenous Peoples' relationship to their Lands, their education systems, and Indigenous philosophy of Reciprocity. Together, these help to frame a broader understanding of Indigeneity.

Behavior Analysts’ Relationship to Relating Relations: A Survey on Perceptions, Acceptability, Knowledge, and Capacity for Derived Stimulus Relations Research and Practice

The study and application of procedures that result in stimulus relations via relational frame theory (RFT) and stimulus equivalence (applied as equivalence-based instruction; EBI), have made tremendous strides in contemporary behavior analysis. However, applications at scale lag basic and translational research. We turn our attention to investigate potential causes. We replicated and extended Enoch and Nicholson (2020) by conducting a survey of behavior analysts (n = 129) to determine their perceptions, experiences, and barriers in carrying out research and practice based on RFT and EBI. Participants indicated an interest in RFT and EBI, and mostly perceive both within the scope of behavior analysis. A majority of behavior analysts reported formal education in EBI (78.3%), in contrast to a minority in RFT (15.5%). Adoption of procedures derived from RFT and EBI may be in proportion to formal education. Compounded with a lack of accuracy on basic knowledge questions, there is a potential gap in capacity in the field in addressing behavior related to complex verbal behavior.

The role of self-efficacy beliefs and inclusive education beliefs on teacher burnout

Our study investigated whether teachers’ beliefs about teaching & learning and their beliefs about their own self-efficacy predicted burnout. Data from 62 Ontario teachers found that while self-efficacy was associated with lower burnout, greater teacher-controlled beliefs, emphasizing grades and beliefs that learning ability is fixed were associated with higher burnout. Additionally, teachers who had higher self-efficacy and endorsed student-centered approaches reported less burnout. This study identified teacher belief profiles that are associated with level of burnout.

Indigenous refusals in educational leadership practices in Canadian universities.

Since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada released 94 calls to action in 2015, Canadian universities have responded in numerous ways. A particularly significant response has been the creation of Indigenous Initiatives Offices and the appointment of senior leaders to help lead transformative institutional change efforts. Many of these new administrative appointments report directly to presidents and provosts, and have been taken up by Indigenous women. In this article, I present five key findings from research that explored the experiences of 12 Indigenous women administrators working in Canadian universities. The study highlighted how these Indigenous women enact Indigenous refusals as part of a transformative decolonial leadership praxis in universities

A History of Islamic Schooling in North America: Mapping Growth and Evolution

I am a Ph.D. candidate, and my research focus is on the work and well-being of Islamic school principals in Ontario. In this paper, I review Memon’s (2019) book, "A History of Islamic Schooling in North America: Mapping Growth and Evolution", which I recommend for religious school researchers, practitioners, and community members. Readers can acquire a historical understanding of adapting a religious worldview to the theoretical sphere that contributes to academic knowledge within K-12 education.

Young People and Thinking Technologies for the Anthropocene

Faculty Authors include PhD student Adrianne Bacelar de Castro, Instructor Sarah Hennessy, PhD and Faculty member Veronica Pacini-Ketchabaw. This collection, which is a companion volume to Young People and Stories for the Anthropocene (Kelly et al., 2022), aims to find, to explore, and to co-produce ways of ‘staying with the trouble’ (Haraway 2016) that are disruptive of orthodoxies in childhood and youth studies, and productive of new ways of thinking, and of being and becoming, in the circumstances that we (young and old) find ourselves in. Circumstances that have, problematically, been identified as the Anthropocene, and which have been characterised as being situated at the convergence of the climate crisis, the 6th mass extinction, and the ongoing crises of global capitalism as ‘earth system’ (Braidotti 2019, Moore 2015).

Educational Fabulations: Teaching and Learning for a World Yet to Come

Includes a collaborative publication by four Faculty PhD students. Co-authors: Sarah Hennessy, PhD; Malvika Agarwal; Adrianne Bacelar de Castro; Carla Ruthes. This highly original collection presents speculative fiction as fiction-based research to re-imagine education in the future. Given the particular convergence of economic and governmental pressures in educational institutions today, schools represent imaginative sites especially well-suited to interrogation through an SF lens. The relevance for education of the exploration and interrogation of themes related to technology, human nature, and social organization is evident; yet the speculative fiction approach is unique in its harnessing of creative capacities to envision alternatives. The contributions in this collection are generated from educational experience and research, drawing on scholarship in curriculum studies and teacher education and on the authors' experiences and imaginations as teachers, teacher educators, educational scholars, and human beings.

Ruth Nielsen Book Review: How school principals use their time

I am a PhD candidate in CPELS and my research focus is on educational leadership. In this book review, I assess the applicability of Lee, Pollock, and Tulowitzki’s (2021) edited book, "How school principals use their time: implications for school improvement, administration, and leadership", for education leadership researchers, policy makers, and practitioners. In addition to showing its usefulness, I also problematize the book’s format for perpetuating the false dichotomy between “Western” and “Other” contexts.

K’iche’, Mam, and Nahua Migrant Youth Navigating Colonial Codes of Power

This study examines how three recently arrived Indigenous male migrantyouth from Guatemala and Mexico in an urban high school in the Pacific Northwest understood and employed Spanish and English to navigate racial-ized and languaged interactions. Utilizing a Critical Latinx Indigeneities frame-work, findings from this study show that Spanish is a racialized and languaged system of power that traveled with youth.

Dr. Paul Tarc studies Chinese international secondary school students as flexible citizens

Researchers have been drawing on Aihwa Ong’s notion of flexible citizenship to illuminate the trajectories and strategies of transnational class-making of international students (and families) seeking a Western education. This paper engages these dominant understandings but troubles the transactional qualities of such ‘study abroad’ from the perspectives of secondary school international students from mainland China. With the ideal of ‘cosmopolitan learning,’ it seeks to elevate the potential educative possibilities of study abroad beyond transactional logics.

Dr. Isha Decoito publishes two chapters in co-edited book

Dr. Isha Decoito has published two chapters in her co-edited book "Research Approaches in Urban Agricultural and Community Contexts": "Urban agricultural experiences: Focusing on 21st century learning skills and integrating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education" and "Fertile ground for scientific research questions: The school garden as a context for student-directed inquiry"

Dr. Paul Tarc on the governing strategies of the OECD and the IBO

In the coalescing global movement to internationalize school curricula, two influential actors are the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). In 2018, the OECD included ‘global competence’ within its Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) regime, expanding beyond its focus on more traditional academic literacies; the IBO as a non-state entity has been steering international curricula through testing and professional development since its creation in the late 1960s. This paper critically compares the governing strategies of these two transnational actors.

Dr. Barillas Chón co-authors chapter in "Handbook of Latinos and Education: Theory, Research and Practice" 2nd Ed.

This chapter aims to disrupt the invisibilization of Indigenous Latinxs in education by providing an overview of the diversity that Indigenous peoples represent within the larger Latinx demographic. Specifically, the chapter addresses issues of race and racialization, education and schooling experiences, and language that impact these communities.

Dr. Paul Tarc on "Education post ‘Covid-19’: Re-visioning the face-to-face classroom"

The Covid-19 pandemic sent vast numbers of educators into online environments provoking a whole set of challenges. The pros and cons of online learning have been increasingly debated in these new and changing conditions of the crisis. This article frames the swift move to the online environment as an opportunity to view from a new ‘vantage.’ It suggests that such a new vantage represents an opportunity to pause and re-vision the aims and approaches of face-to-face teaching. The author, in turn, presents an aspect of his own re- visioning or valuing in the context of his graduate education face-to-face classes.

Dr. Isha Decoito is lead editor of new book "Teaching and Learning in Urban Agricultural Community Contexts"

This book will cover such topics as how urban youth learn science while engaged in urban agriculture programs, how such programs support youth in becoming interested about healthy eating and science more generally, and how to design urban agriculture programs in support of STEM education. The chapters in this book are written by educational researchers and each chapter has been reviewed by researchers and practitioners. (excerpt from the publisher's webpage).

Dr. Wayne Martino examines the educative significance of YouTube as a space for transgender and non-binary youth

In this paper we examine the educative significance of YouTube as a space for transgender and non-binary youth to express themselves in ways that are unhindered by the more systematic forces at play in schools. We focus on one specific online project called "The Gender Tag Project", created by and for youth, which we argue serves as a space for fostering self-determination for trans youth. The pedagogical implications for teachers in schools are highlighted.

PhD student Shadan Attia reviews "The Sociopolitics of English Language Testing"

This publication is a book review of an edited book by Seyyed-Abdolhamid Mirhosseini and Peter De Costa which is published in the Linguist List. The book reviewed is titled "The Sociopolitics of English Language Testing". The book was published in 2020 by Bloomsbury Publishing (formerly The Continuum International Publishing Group).

Dr. Wayne Martino on policies and practices designed to support transgender and gender diverse students in schools

This article reports on research into policies and practices designed to support transgender and gender diverse students in schools. It focuses on a case study of one particular school in Ontario and includes the perspectives of teachers and their principal on how trans inclusion is understood and enacted in their school community. The study highlights the problem of focusing on individual rights rather addressing the systemic forces that contribute to educational inequalities for transgender students.

Dr. Barillas Chón on contexts shaping young Maya migrants’ lived realities

My research focuses on the racialization of Maya migrant youth and Indigenous youth from Southern Mexico in the U.S. I am interested in how the linguistic, race, labor, and migration experiences shape these youth’s indigeneities.

PhD student Shaden Attia reviews "The Transformative Power of Language, subtitle, From Postcolonial to Knowledge Societies in Africa"

This publication is a book review of an edited book by Russell H. Kaschula and H. Ekkehard Wolff which is published in the Linguist List. The book reviewed is titled "The Transformative Power of Language, subtitle, From Postcolonial to Knowledge Societies in Africa". The book was published in 2020 by Cambridge University Press.

Ed.D. student Megan Edgelow on return to work (RTW) programs for people with trauma-related mental health conditions

I am a 3rd year EdD student focusing on leadership in public safety organizations. This environmental scan of return to work (RTW) programs for people with trauma-related mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), maps the availability of targeted services for populations including veterans and public safety personnel. The scan found evidence of the partnership between Occupational Therapy and Psychology in RTW interventions for PTSD.

PhD student Mohammad Azzam on embedding IPE language into accreditation standards

I am a PhD student in Curriculum Studies and my research focus is interprofessional education (IPE). To enhance IPE in Canada, the Accreditation of Interprofessional Health Education (AIPHE) project (2007-2011) initiated efforts among accreditors of six health professions to embed IPE language into their accreditation standards. To understand AIPHE’s impact, this study examined the accountability of IPE language currently embedded in 13 Canadian professions’ documents and whether such language spanned AIPHE’s five accreditation standards domains.

PhD student Val Semovski on the negative consequences of inconsistent use of assessments across pediatric mental health service sectors

In Ontario, inconsistent use of assessments across pediatric mental health service sectors has contributed to the paucity of information surrounding factors that heighten a child’s need for urgent mental health services. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated such factors from 61,448 children and youth.

PhD student Mohammad Azzam on the use of retrieval practice on student performance

I am a PhD student in Curriculum Studies and my research focus is health professions education. This quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of retrieval practice (RP) on student performance on the final exam in an undergraduate Gross Anatomy course. RP occurs when students practice retrieving their consolidated semantic memories by testing themselves. Results indicated that RP effectively enhances learning and long-term retention of semantic memory. Thus, teachers are encouraged to implement RP in their classrooms.

Dr. Shannon Stewart's team develops and assesses the reliability and validity of the externalizing subscale on the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health (ChYMH)

Using data from 3,464 children and youth across Ontario, a scale to assess children with aggression and behavioural problems (e.g., externalizing subscale) for the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health instrument was developed. The final externalizing subscale exhibited strong precision and accuracy in assessing these children and youth.

Dr. Gus Riveros co-authored a chapter in "Understanding educational leadership: Critical perspectives and approaches"

We wrote a chapter for this edited book. The book provides a critical introduction to key topics, questions, and debates in educational administration and leadership. In the chapter, we discuss the relations between theory, methods, and methodology. We examine the consequences of assuming that theory operates independently of methods. We argue that this assumption relies on a misunderstanding about the role and importance of the generative principles of research in the articulation of a study.

Dr. Shannon Stewart's team addresses the care planning needs of traumatized children and youth experiencing interpersonal polyvictimization

Children and youth experiencing polyvictimization (e.g., exposure to multiple interpersonal traumas), compared to those who did not, are more likely to report attachment difficulties, lack of informal support, interpersonal conflict, substance use and harm to self or others. Additionally, sex differences had a significant impact on attachment and interpersonal conflict.

PhD student Shannon McKechnie reviews Archer & Schuetze's book "Preparing Students for Life and Work"

Book review of "Preparing Students for Life and Work: Policies and Reforms Affecting Higher Education's Principal Mission". I engage with scholarly work from Canada and internationally about the purpose of higher education and how students engage with higher education.

Dr. Shannon Stewart's team studies risk factors predicting school disruption in children and youth living in Ontario

School disruption places students at risk for early school departure and maladaptive mental health outcomes. The current study investigated risk factors associated with school disruption in a sample of 1,241 school-aged students. This study demonstrated that substance use, family functioning, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and experiencing bullying significantly predicted school disruption.

Dr. Deanna Friesen compares verbal fluency between monolinguals and bilinguals

In our previous work, we found that bilinguals can list more items in a verbal fluency task (e.g., name as many animals as you can in 60 seconds) than expected given their level of second language vocabulary knowledge. In our current study, we investigated the reason why this occurs by examining which abilities students rely on when they retrieve words from memory. We found that monolinguals relied only on vocabulary knowledge, whereas bilinguals utilized both their vocabulary knowledge and reasoning ability. Such findings indicate that bilinguals are drawing on cognitive resources in addition to language ability to retrieve words from memory.

PhD student Zhouhan Jin investigates the effects of word learning through listening to teacher talk

I am a PhD student in Applied Linguistics and my research focus is on teaching and learning vocabulary in second language acquisition. This study investigated the effects of word learning through listening to teacher talk. Because words consist of both single words and multi-word items, both types of items were tested. In order to make learners pay attention to keywords, teachers often use their first language (L1) to translate word meanings or repeat the words several times during the class. Thus, the effect of L1 translation and word repetition on word learning were also examined.

PhD student Shaden Attia reviews Khiara M. Bridges' book "Critical Race Theory: A Primer"

This publication is a book review of Khiara M. Bridges' book Critical Race Theory: A Primer. The review provides a summary of the book which discusses Critical Race Theory, its history and core concepts of the theory and offers an evaluation of the book as well

Dr. Jun Li on self-mastery and the Confucian concept of zhong-yong

Dr. Jun Li concludes that self-mastery in the Chinese context provides an additional form of autonomy which is rooted in the pragmatic Confucian concept of zhong-yong. With multilayered and multidirectional power relationships, this model of governance has enabled Chinese universities to radically transform themselves in a short period of time and will allow them to eventually become global leaders, although they may have to sacrifice autonomous freedom in some ways.

Dr. Deanna Friesen on reading comprehension in English-French adult bilinguals

Often when people struggle with second language reading comprehension, their performance is attributed to second language ability. We wanted to know if effective reading strategy use could compensate for lower language ability in reading. For English-French bilingual adults, specific strategies (e.g., generating inferences and utilizing text structure) explained reading comprehension success that was not explained by language knowledge. Our results suggest that combined emphasis on both language instruction and reading strategy instruction should produce gains in reading comprehension.

Dr. Barbara Fenesi on the positive link between physical activity and and academic achievment

Using data from 31,124 elementary and secondary school students across Ontario, we found that elementary students engaging in 7 days/week of physical activity had highest academic achievement, and secondary students engaging in at least 3-4 days/week had highest academic achievement. Interesting, these benefits occurred through reductions in attention and hyperactivity.

MA student Katie Hart assesses the support needs of caregivers of children with Down Syndrome

The study addressed the gap in the research field specific to assessing the support needs of caregivers of children with Down Syndrome (DS). Individual interviews with caregivers of children with DS were conducted and Concept Mapping analysis was employed generating eight thematic concept maps. Recommendations were provided to community services.

Dr. Isha DeCoito on the benefits of developing digital scientific timelines

Findings of this study indicate beneficial effects of developing digital scientific timelines including flexibility in achieving a variety of learning goals (including multi-scale analyses, visualizing different spatial and temporal arrangements, developing historical contexts, etc.), flexibility in application and actualization, and enhanced motivation and engagement.

Dr. Barbara Fenesi on the pros and cons of virtual reality anatomy instruction

This study demonstrated that learning anatomy using virtual reality models compared to standard physical models was detrimental to learning for those with lower visuospatial ability. This work underscores the need for more evidence-based research evaluating virtual reality anatomy instruction prior to widespread uptake in an increasingly technology-oriented education culture.

Dr. Anton Puvirajah on how a summer youth program supports self-perceived communication competence

Informed by previous qualitative research that revealed the importance of learner’s communication competence as a key focus and driver to gaining confidence, understanding, and supporting their STEM identification, the research drew on a survey strategy to examine the extent to which the summer youth program supported participants’ self-perceived communication competence.

Dr. Isha DeCoito uses digital scientific timelines and a video game to address several key nature of science targets

The author addresses several key nature of science targets (e.g., shared methods, law/theory distinction, tentative, durable, and self-correcting, limitations of science, creativity, subjectivity, and social and cultural influences) through digital scientific timelines and a digital video game.

Dr. Lynn Dare on the experience of students who skipped a grade

In this phenomenological study, we describe the experiences of young people between 17 and 28 years of age, who skipped a grade in Canadian schools. Participants shared their attitudes towards grade-based acceleration and offered their insights on factors to consider when deciding on acceleration.

Dr. Isha DeCoito on digital video games as a learning environment

The authors discuss the use of digital video games (DVGs) as a learning environment; one that engages learners through technology, provides opportunity for creative output, and promotes the intrinsic motivation for learning necessary to advance the development of twenty-first century skills and interaction with STEM content.

Dr. Nicole Neil compares methocs for teaching children with autism spectrum disorders to label objects

This study compared two methods for teaching children with autism spectrum disorders to label objects during behavioural intervention; The use of "what is it?" compared to presentation of the object alone. Children learned to label objects using both methods and demonstrated the skill during play.

PhD student Lisa-Marie Gagliardi conducts a detailed overview of inquiry-based curriculum in early childhood education

Dr. Melody Viczko's invited chapter about how national organizations influence internationalization policies in Canadian higher education

In this book chapter, I was invited to write about national organizations that influence internationalization policies in Canadian higher education. Using research I conducted with digital methods, I examine the politics of universities' engagement with Mitacs, Universities Canada and an emerging innovation hub involved in the federal Innovation Superclusters Initiative. This book was recognized by the Canadian Bureau of International Education (CBIE) for bringing cutting-edge knowledge to the field of international education and the editors of the book (Tamtik, Trilokekar and Jones) received the Catalyst Award 2020 (https://cbie.ca/what-we-do/cbie-excellence-awards/2020-recipients/). https://cbie.ca/what-we-do/cbie-excellence-awards/2020-recipients/

Dr. Katina Pollock on how COVID-19 has changed school leaders' work

This edition of International Studies in Education Administration focuses on worldwide responses to the pandemic. In my article, I argue that school leaders' work has changed within the context of COVID-19 and that their work now has two prongs: (1) safe schooling and future schooling and (2) digital instructional leadership.

Dr. Pejman Habibie's edited the new book "Novice Writers and Scholarly Publication"

Drawing on the perspectives and experiences of authors, supervisors, reviewers, and editors, this book seeks to present a rich and nuanced picture of the practices and challenges faced by both Anglophone and English as an additional language (EAL) junior scholars in writing for publication.

PhD student Sarah Hennessy talks about Idea Station

Idea Station, the student portion of a research project to revitalize one urban Canadian school’s outdated playground helps to re-envision new approaches to education, environment and climate change, shifting the education ‘of children’ in favour of learning ‘with children’ – a shift that mirrors the language of common world pedagogies.

MA student Amira Hmidan examins how gender, sociosexuality and erotophilia influence sexual dreams

The study examined how gender, sociosexuality and erotophilia influenced sexual dreams. Men scored higher on sociosexuality and sex dream valence than women. Individuals who scored higher on sociosexuality and erotophilia reported experiencing more frequent sex dreams and evaluated them more positively. Additionally, erotophilia and sociosexuality significantly predicted sex dream valence.

PhD Student Shannon McKechnie presents her findings from her MA research with student affairs and services practitioners in higher education

In this article I present findings from my MA research with student affairs and services practitioners in higher education. I examine the issue of skills development and student employability through policy discourses and student affairs programs and services in the university.

PhD student Sarah Hennessy explores pedagogies of indeterminacy

What might pedagogies of indeterminacy do? As researchers and educators, we ask that question, inspired by common worlds pedagogies, exploring pedagogies of indeterminacy. Drawing on pedagogical inquiries using charcoal and cardboard in an early childhood centre we challenge dominant neoliberal constructs of productivity in early childhood education.

Dr. Gus Riveros advances the scope of research methods in educational administration and leadership

In this conceptual paper, we propose that a theorization of space can advance the scope of research methods in educational administration and leadership. We argue for the incorporation of the notion of ‘spatial justice’ to the research, analysis, and practice of educational administration and leadership in educational organizations and communities.

Dr. Karen Bax helps families living with epilepsy build resilience

This article describes the study protocol of a randomized control trial delivering a live online program intervention, Making Mindfulness Matter, (M3) to children living with epilepsy and their parents. M3 teaches mindful awareness, the neuropsychology of emotion and the benefits of positive psychology to help build resilience within the family.

Kelly-Ann MacAlpine studies how human and non-human relationships affect the development of children

With particular attention to early childhood education, my area of interest focuses on exploring how complicated human and non-human relationships affect how children develop an emerging understanding of the world around. This article explores the interplay of alternative perspectives in a critical look at Ontario, Canada’s newly released policy document Growing Success, The Kindergarten Addendum: Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2016).

Wei Wei explores the introduction of professional standards for principals in China

I am a PhD candidate in the Critical Policy, Equity, and Leadership Studies stream. Using policy borrowing as an analytical framework, this study explores the introduction of the Professional Standards for Principals (Ministry of Education of the PRC, 2013) in China. Internationally, this study elaborates on the global leadership discourses that are evident in both leadership standards across jurisdictions and documents from international organizations. Nationally, it illustrates the ways in which the Chinese leadership standards have responded to this global policy convergence based on its local contexts.

Claire Crooks examines the effectiveness of culturally-relevant programming for Indigenous youth

Although there is increasing interest in strength-based, culturally relevant programming for Indigenous youth, there are relatively few published evaluations. In this study my team followed an entire cohort of Indigenous students for a two year period and conducted surveys and interviews and collected official school data. Our results showed that youth who participated in two years of our culturally-relevant mentoring program reported improved positive mental health, increased cultural connectedness, and better credit accumulation compared to their peers. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of culturally-relevant programming social, emotional and academic outcomes.

Veronica Pacini-Ketchabaw investigates common world relations of children with places, materials and other species

My current research, within the Common World Childhoods Research Collective, traces the common world relations of children with places, materials, and other species. I currently direct two SSHRC-funded projects: SSHRC Insight - Transforming Waste Pedagogies in Early Childhood Education (2017-2021) and SSHRC PDG - Exploring Climate Change Pedagogies with Children (2017-2021).