This article highlights Dr. David Zandvliet, a UNESCO Chair and professor at the Faculty of Education, who redefines the concept of a field school at Indonesia’s Universitas Sam Ratulangi (UNSRAT). Dr. Zandvliet integrates a hands-on, inquiry-based educational method, immersing students in local culture and environmental issues. His unique vision for the field school emphasizes bio-cultural diversity and collaborative international learning, with the aim of deeply engaging faculty and enhancing global educational practices. Through this initiative, Dr. Zandvliet not only fosters academic and professional development but also champions innovative environmental learning strategies.

Dr. Lilach Marom highlights the biases and challenges faced by internationally educated teachers (IETs) in Western countries during teacher recertification. Her collaborative project, involving researchers from Canada and Europe, delves into how recertification policies may hinder the diversification of the teaching workforce. Highlighting the gap between policy and practice, Dr. Marom examines the intersection of migration, job market demands, and teacher professionalism and explores the potential of IETs to enrich the educational landscape with their diverse backgrounds.

Drs. Cary Campbell and Michael Ling are redefining the landscape of higher education through their FIRE-funded project “Transdisciplinary Pathways in Higher Education Research and Education,” which introduces innovative educational frameworks integrating multiple disciplines. Deeply rooted in the challenges and opportunities of digital and environmental shifts, their research seeks to create meaningful educational experiences that transcend traditional boundaries. By focusing not only on enhancing academic inquiry but also on expanding opportunities for graduate students internationally, Drs. Campbell and Ling are committed to developing future scholars equipped to tackle global challenges through a transdisciplinary approach.

The data visualization (DV) project enables us to comprehend, process, and cultivate relationships and stories about the scholarly work undertaken within our non-departmentalized, interdisciplinary faculty. Such visualization provokes new thinking and sparks insights into our collaborative efforts and the potential for faculty development. This research was driven by an approach known as data feminism, which foregrounds two data principles: “embrace pluralism” and “make labor visible.” These principles foster an inclusive educational research culture while also effectively presenting and valuing greater interdisciplinarity. Through this DV project, we also gained insights into faculty members’ sense of belonging within the faculty, particularly in relation to opportunities for collaborative research.

We celebrate Dr. Phil Winne's 2023 Career Achievement Award for Distinguished Psychological Contributions to Education by Division 15 – Educational Psychology of the American Psychological Association, which is among the most prestigious awards given to living educational psychologists for their substantial, career-long achievements and contributions to the field. Dr. Winne’s research legacy—embodied in the pioneering nStudy tool for self-regulated learning as well in as his impactful publications—continues to shape the future of education, while his philosophy and mentorship have guided and encouraged new generations of scholars to achieve excellence in their own academic and personal lives.

As principal investigator for Re-storying Community: Arts-Based Digital Storytelling for Community Inquiry (awarded $493,608 by the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS)—New Frontiers in Research Fund – Special Call: Research for Post-Pandemic Recovery), Dr. Lin is positioned as a high-ranking researcher, recognized for her scholarly work of connecting art education knowledge with community practices. Her scholarship enhances our comprehension of the critical role social interaction plays in arts education, amplifies awareness of inequalities in global challenges, and offers arts-based solutions grounded in research theories and outcomes. Her research transforms theoretical ideals into tangible impacts that reverberate across global landscapes.

Dr. Robert Williamson is principal investigator for an SSHRC Partnership Development project: Pathways to Education: An International Study to Understand the Educational Experiences of Refugee Children with Dis/Abilities. By placing equal value on individual-level impacts and broader societal impacts, he is actively contributing to positive changes in inclusive education. His commitment not only underscores the potential for efficient collaboration but encourages knowledge dissemination, advancing interdisciplinary research methods and informing future efforts and directions for refugee studies. Dr. Williamson’s work continues to influence educational practices, policies, and societies, fostering a more inclusive and equitable world for all.

Dr. Huamei Han’s publication Making Second Generation explores how linguistic nationalism contributes to linguistic injuries and differentiation between first and second-generation members of a Mainland Chinese Church in Canada. Framed by Canada’s model of “multiculturalism within a bilingual framework”, she posits that Canadian identities are entrenched in the linguistic and cultural hierarchy of the “two founding nations” of Canada. As such, sociopolitical structures maintain a sociolinguistic hierarchy where dominant language ideologies contribute to linguistic subordination and inequalities for racialized minorities. Dr. Han’s research aims to raise awareness of linguistic injuries and their impact on relationships between intergenerational racialized minorities.

For Simon Fraser University Faculty of Education professor, Stephen Smith, becoming educated physically is more than just being well exercised and proficient in health-enhancing activities. Exploring movement sensations during the activity of swimming, Smith shows how being aware of flow motion—in this case, the passage of a swimmer through water – potentially brings an ecological dimension to bear upon individualistic preoccupations with health and wellness.

Faculty of Education research has been in the news this year. Here we round up the list of who has been featured, for what and where. Media mentions include research papers, ongoing studies and commentary, and there is an even a book release. Topics covered range from learning and education, through dealing with the effects of the pandemic, to documenting Armenian history and promoting equity while recognising diversity.

Faculty of Education Professor, Dr. Heesoon Bai (she, her, hers), explores the theme of dis/connection and interdependence in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing inspiration from processual philosophy, trauma studies, and Zen practice, Bai proposes holism as a way forward and suggests appling the principle of interconnectedness and ethics of healing to all aspects of education and leadership. Holism heals.

A walk on the trails during lockdown becomes a research opportunity for SFU Education professor, Dr. Steve Marshall. Using his daily walk to connect and engage with his neighbourhood helped Steve map the linguistic landscape, revealing how ‘bottom-up’ grassroots literacy artifacts merged with official ‘top-down’ signage in support and education for local people during the pandemic.

Faculty of Education researchers pivot their ongoing research to highlight inequities exaggerated by the pandemic on vulnerable populations, gaining valuable insight into the impact of public health measures on teachers, students and their families. For the past year, people have been forced to deal with public health measures and restrictions brought about by the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The effect on education is highly visible, with school closures, remote learning, and social distancing. However, impact hits further than empty classrooms and busy computer screens. Faculty of Education researchers dig deeper, pivoting their ongoing research to draw attention to these hidden impacts.

What is education? What is the purpose of education? Can the current education system help sustainable co-living with nature? These are some of the questions that have been floating around in the academic discourse of educational philosophy for some time. Dr. Mark Fettes and Dr. Sean Blenkinsop address these issues in their research and envision the education system to be inclusive of nature, community, people, and to be guided by the principles of imagination, inquiry, and justice.

Dr. Phil Winne (PhD, Stanford) is Distinguished SFU Professor of Education and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the American Educational Research Association, the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, and the Canadian Psychological Association. Formerly a 2-term Tier I Canada Research Chair, he researches self-regulated learning, metacognition and learning analytics; and develops software technologies to support learners and gather big data for learning science.

Dr. Elizabeth Marshall’s research interests include children’s and young adult literature, life writing, picture books, comics, and popular culture. Marshall’s interdisciplinary scholarship has appeared in numerous academic journals. Her current book project focuses on representations of alcohol and childhood in American visual culture.

Dr. Elina Birmingham's research examines how children, adolescents, and adults attend to and interpret social information. In addition, she examines how mechanisms of social attention and perception operate differently in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Her recent work is examining how atypical sensory processing associated with ASD, like hypersensitivity to sound, interferes with social and learning opportunities for children with ASD, and to find new technological solutions to address sound sensitivity.

Dr. Lynn Fels’ research addresses arts for social change, performative inquiry, arts across the curriculum, and inquiry through performative writing. Lynn is co-editor of several books including Arresting Hope (2014), Releasing Hope (forthcoming) and Exploring Curriculum: Performative Inquiry, Role Drama and Learning (2008). As a co-investigator for the ASC! Art for Social Change research project (2013-2019), Lynn is passionate about enabling communities of learners to collaboratively address social issues by engaging in creative, arts-based processes. She has recently received a SSHRC Insight Development Grant for her research in Performing Mentorship: Investigating Mentorship in 4 Arts for Social Change Contexts (2019 – 2021).

Dr. John Nesbit and Professor Joan Sharp speak about the origins of Dialectical Map (DMap), an intuitive, online argumentation tool that aims to raise students' level of critical thinking skills. They also share the collaborative spirit behind the project and the tool’s success across disciplines.

Dr. Margaret MacDonald is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education specializing in Early Childhood Education. She teaches a number of undergraduate and graduate courses in Early Childhood Education and is an active mentor and co-inquirer at UniverCity Childcare Centre. Her most recent research looks at children’s understanding around stewardship and sustainability through the lens of philosophical inquiry and new materiality.

Dr. Mark Fettes is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education, the Academic Director of the Centre for Imagination, Research, and Culture in Education (CIRCE), and president of the Universal Esperanto Association (UEA) also known as World Esperanto Association. From the foothills of northern Italy to Gabriola Island, the work of Dr. Mark Fettes continues to connect the world. Dr. Fettes is fluent in Esperanto – the international language that led him to later work in First Nations language maintenance and revitalization, and from there to education.

Dr. Wanda Cassidy is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education and Director of the Centre for Education, Law and Society (CELS). She is also the Faculty's leading expert on cyberbullying. Dr. Cassidy has been at Simon Fraser University for several years, first as an undergraduate student and later she completed the Professional Development Program. She also served as a Faculty Associate working with student teachers before taking up a tenure track position in SFU’s Faculty of Education.

Dr. Kaufman's research interests centre on educational technologies, and he works on the use of digital games and digital storytelling to enhance older adult’s social connectedness and cognitive skills. As one of the co-leaders in the AGE-WELL NCE project, Kaufman tells us more about the project and his collaboration with other researchers.

Dr. Lucy Le Mare’s background is in developmental psychology. In the Faculty of Education, her main interests are in school adjustment and the social and emotional well-being of children and how they function socially in school. In this interview, Le Mare gives insight into the Romanian Adoption Project and its importance for research, education and adoption communities.