The Faculty of Education at UBC is advancing educational research and understanding in ways that celebrate diversity, equity, and innovation, and welcomes international collaboration in an increasingly borderless world.

UBC’s Faculty of Education, one of the world’s leading education faculties, has served the local, national, and international education community through leadership in research, teaching, service and advocacy for more than 60 years. As the largest Faculty of Education in British Columbia, it plays a critical and influential role in the advancement of education in the province, shaping and participating in education’s possibilities and potential as a social good. 

Today, the Faculty of Education creates conditions for transformative teaching, innovative learning, and leading-edge research guided by the highest standards of scholarship and the principles of collaboration, social justice, inclusion and equity. Offering undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional development opportunities, the Faculty of Education enrolls thousands of students each year on two campuses and ranks 10th in the world, according to QS World University Rankings (2021).

UBC’s Faculty of Education prepares more than 45% of the elementary and the majority of secondary educators in British Columbia, and a significant proportion of British Columbia’s school counsellors, administrators, special education professionals, and school psychologists. With more than 57,000 alum located in 100 countries, the UBC Faculty of Education truly is a global entity. 

The Faculty of Education is home to four departments (Curriculum and Pedagogy, Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education, Educational Studies, and Language and Literacy Education) and two schools (the School of Kinesiology and the Okanagan School of Education).

Mission
To advance education's role in the well-being of people and communities.
 

Research Centres

Research Facilities

We provide outstanding research facilities for faculty and graduate students that promote leading-edge research. Our Education Library is a specialized resource with access to all of UBC’s research and special collections, including the X̱wi7x̱wa Library with materials produced by Indigenous organizations, tribal councils, schools, researchers and publishers.

The Faculty’s Education Research and Learning Commons at Ponderosa Commons features technology-enhanced teaching and learning spaces and also informal learning spaces. A number of faculty manage their own research labs, situated throughout campus. 

Many of our PhD students have been selected as UBC Public Scholars and have received other honours.

Research Highlights

https://ivet.educ.ubc.ca/Notable strengths are in literacy education and multilingualism; struggling and marginalized youth; Indigenous education, decolonization, and research; transformational program and curriculum design and inclusive pedagogies for schools, community organizations and higher education; sexual orientation and gender-identity inclusive education; social-emotional learning and well-being; autism; exercise physiology, socio-cultural aspects of health; neuromechanical studies; and multidisciplinary research in diversity, health, early childhood education, and digital media. The School of Kinesiology ranks 1st in Canada and 4th in the world by QS World University Rankings (2021).

UBC’s Faculty of Education is the national leader in the number of education graduate student fellowships received from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Additionally, the Faculty of Education is home to six Canada Research Chairs, one CIHR chair and nine donor-funded research chairs and professorships. 

Schools / Departments

School

Department

Graduate Degree Programs

Research Supervisors in Faculty

or browse the list of faculty members in various academic units. You may click each unit to view faculty members appointed in that unit. View the full faculty member directory for more search and filter options.
Name Academic Unit(s) Research Interests
Abdi, Ali Department of Educational Studies Comparative and cross-cultural education; Decolonizing philosophies of education, Development education, Critical research methodologies,; Human rights education
Ahenakew, Cash Department of Educational Studies Cultural studies, Higher Education, Indigenous Studies, Leadership and Organizations, Post-colonial studies, Race/ethnicity, Research methodologies, Social justice, Sociology of Education
Ahmed, Anwar Department of Language & Literacy Education Languages and literature
Anderson, David Department of Curriculum & Pedagogy Curriculum, pedagogy and didactics; Science, technology and engineering curriculum, pedagogy and didactics; Specialized studies in education; Cultural Institutions (Museums, Libraries, etc.); Informal Learning; Long-term Memory; Metacognition; Museum Education; Nostalgia; Science Education; Visitor Studies
Andres, Lesley Department of Educational Studies Higher education; life course research; international comparative higher education; sociology of higher education
Beauchamp, Mark School of Kinesiology Kinesiology; social determinants of health; Health Promotion; Quality of Life and Aging; Mental Health and Society; Children; Exercise Psychology; Group Processes; Health Psychology; Intervention; Leadership; Older Adults; Physical Activity; Social Cognition; Sport Psychology
Bedi, Robinder Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education Counselling psychology; Investigating counselling and psychotherapy as Western cultural healing practices; Counselling psychology disciplinary and professional issues in Canada; Heterodox issues in counselling psychology that challenge its dominant narratives and sacred ideas; Counselling/psychotherapy/mental health with Punjabi/Sikh individuals; Neglected topics in the Psychology of Men and Masculinity
Belliveau, George Department of Language & Literacy Education Art education, drama education, pedagogy, teacher research
Bennett, Erica School of Kinesiology Sport and exercise psychology; stress, emotion, and coping; Aging; sport; chronic illness; disability; Physical Activity; community and critical perspectives in physical activity psychology
Blouin, Jean-Sebastien School of Kinesiology Kinesiology; sensorimotor integration; Motor System; robotics and automation; Trauma / Injuries; Physiology; Balance robot; Computational approaches; Head and neck; Sensorimotor physiology; Sensory virtualisation; Standing balance; Whiplash injuries
Borgen, William Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education Career Counselling, Career/life transitions, Developmental approaches to counselling, Group counselling
Boushel, Robert School of Kinesiology, Department of Family Practice Kinesiology
Bredin, Shannon School of Kinesiology Education; Psychology and cognitive sciences; Health sciences; Motor Behaviour (Motor Expertise, Learning, and Development); Human Performance; Physical Activity; Knowledge Translation and Mobilization; Indigenous Physical Activity and Health; Long-Term Athlete Development; Childhood Development
Bryson, Mary Department of Language & Literacy Education technology, media, cultural studies, gender, queer theory, deviance studies, post-colonial pedagogies, Sociology, Women's Studies, Education, media and gender, media and education
Bundon, Andrea School of Kinesiology Kinesiology; Social Contexts; critical disability studies; disability; Paralympics; social media; sociology; sport
Cannon, Joanna Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education language and literacy acquisition of students who are d/Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) and struggling readers
Carpenter, Mark School of Kinesiology neural control of movement, fear of falling, Neural control of movement, postural control, fears of falling, balance disorders, Parkinson's disease
Chua, Romeo School of Kinesiology Other natural sciences; Human sensorimotor control; Visual-motor control
Clark, Penney Department of Curriculum & Pedagogy history education, Curriculum Studies Research, History Education and Historical Consciousness, History of Education, Pedagogy, Social Studies Education Research
Cloth, Allison Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education Adolescence, Adolescent development, Child and Family Counseling in School Settings, Interventions, Mentoring, Program Evaluation, Social Justice, Young People Placed
Code, Jillianne Department of Curriculum & Pedagogy Curriculum, pedagogy and didactics; Specialized studies in education; Educational Context; Educational Technologies; Formative assessment; Immersive learning; Learner agency; Learning and Memory; Learning design; Self-efficacy; Self-regulated Learning; Situated and embodied cognition; Virtual augmented and mixed reality for learning; Virtual learning environments
Cole, Peter Department of Curriculum & Pedagogy Indigenous Education Research; Aboriginalizing/indigenizing research methodology; Orality; Narrativity; Environmental thought; Indigenous self-determination and self-governance; Traditional Aboriginal and Indigenous technologies
Corella Morales, Meghan Department of Language & Literacy Education Other languages and literature; Academic Discourse; Children and youth; Discourse Analysis; Language ideology; Sociolinguistics
Cox, Daniel Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education Counselling psychology; Motivations and Emotions; Anxiety; depression; Mental Health and Society; stress; Suicide
Darvin, Ron Department of Language & Literacy Education development of diverse digital practices for learners of unequal resources

Pages

Graduate Student Stories

Laen Hershler

Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD)

Exploring Holocaust Survivor Reflections Through Community-Based Performative Inquiry

Frances Macapagal Maddalozzo

Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD)

Relational Listening: Podcasts as social scholarship to equip pre-service teachers with reconciliatory, decolonial, and committed listening

Stéphanie La France

Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD)

Imagining future assessment practices in mathematics using speculative fiction with phenomenology

Jonathan Easey

Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD)

Harnessing community and adult learning to increase PrEP access and prevent HIV in Vancouver

Daniel Gallardo

Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD)

Dragging education to imagine otherwise: cultivating decolonial learning environments for Indigenous queer futures.

Orkhon Gantogtokh

Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD)

Envisioning doctoral education in Mongolia

Harris Wong

Doctor of Philosophy in School and Applied Child Psychology (PhD)

An arts-based engagement ethnography of Chinese Canadians’ experiences of critical consciousness development

Belinda Chi

Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD)

Co-creating employment pathways with and for individuals with disabilities in rural communities
All Student Stories

Alumni on Success

Brigid Goitse Conteh

Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD) [2020]

Job Title
Lecturer

Employer
University of Botswana

Olen Gunnlaugson

Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD) [2009]

Job Title
Associate Professor in Leadership and Organizational Development

Employer
Université Laval

Andrea Bundon

Doctor of Philosophy in Kinesiology (PhD) [2014]

Job Title
Assistant Professor

Employer
The University of British Columbia - School of Kinesiology

Suzanne Windsor-Liscombe

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy (EdD) [2014]

Job Title
Teacher-Administrator

Employer
Retired Educator from the Burnaby School District

Ashwani Kumar

Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD) [2011]

Job Title
Associate Professor

Employer
Mount Saint Vincent University

Ryan van den Berg

Master of Arts in Educational Studies (MA) [2016]

Job Title
Analyst

Employer
Library of Parliament

Randy Wollf

Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD) [2008]

Job Title
President

Employer
PaperLift Document Editing

Kenneth Tupper

Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD) [2011]

Job Title
Director of Implementation & Partnerships

Employer
BC Centre on Substance Use
All Alumni Stories

Recent Publications

This is an incomplete sample of recent publications in chronological order by UBC faculty members with a primary appointment in the Faculty of Education.

 

Development and evaluation of the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation to deliver Physical Activity in School Scale (COM-PASS)
Publication: International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
UBC Author(s): Mark Beauchamp (School of Kinesiology / Faculty of Education), Guy Faulkner (School of Kinesiology / Faculty of Education)
Volume: 21
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Biopsychosocial and Environmental Correlates of Children’s Motor Competence: An Exploratory Study
Publication: Sports Medicine - Open
UBC Author(s): Guy Faulkner (School of Kinesiology / Faculty of Education)
ISSN: 21991170
Volume: 10
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Examining the Language and Communication Factors of a Deaf Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder from an Immigrant Korean Family
Publication: American Annals of the Deaf
UBC Author(s): Joanna Cannon (Educational & Counselling Psychology & Special Education / Faculty of Education)
ISSN: 0002726X
Volume: 168
Page Range: 274-295
Publication Date: Winter 2024

View Publication
Epilogue: Learners Who Are d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing with Southeast Asian Backgrounds
Publication: American Annals of the Deaf
UBC Author(s): Joanna Cannon (Educational & Counselling Psychology & Special Education / Faculty of Education)
ISSN: 0002726X
Volume: 168
Page Range: 347-348
Publication Date: Winter 2024

View Publication
Learning to stand with sensorimotor delays generalizes across directions and from hand to leg effectors
Publication: Communications Biology
UBC Author(s): Jean-Sebastien Blouin (School of Kinesiology / Faculty of Education)
Volume: 7
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Cluster-specific associations between the gut microbiota and behavioral outcomes in preschool-aged children
Publication: Microbiome
UBC Author(s): Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen (Educational & Counselling Psychology & Special Education / Faculty of Education)
Volume: 12
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Longitudinal changes in brain metabolites following pediatric concussion
Publication: Scientific Reports
UBC Author(s): Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen (Educational & Counselling Psychology & Special Education / Faculty of Education)
Volume: 14
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Changes in breakfast and water consumption among adolescents in Canada: examining the impact of COVID-19 in worsening inequity
Publication: BMC Nutrition
UBC Author(s): Guy Faulkner (School of Kinesiology / Faculty of Education)
Volume: 10
Publication Date: December 2024

View Publication
Unpacking the role of motivation and enjoyment in AI-mediated informal digital learning of English (AI-IDLE): A mixed-method investigation in the Chinese context
Publication: Computers in Human Behavior
UBC Author(s): Ron Darvin (Language & Literacy Education / Faculty of Education)
ISSN: 07475632
Volume: 160
Publication Date: November 2024

View Publication
Weaving many threads: Reflections on data analysis and rigour in arts-based engagement ethnography
Publication: Methods in Psychology
UBC Author(s): Anusha Kassan (Educational & Counselling Psychology & Special Education / Faculty of Education)
Volume: 10
Publication Date: November 2024

View Publication
Sleeping for two: A randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT[sbnd]I) delivered in pregnancy and secondary impacts on symptoms of postpartum depression
Publication: Journal of Affective Disorders
UBC Author(s): Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen (Educational & Counselling Psychology & Special Education / Faculty of Education)
ISSN: 01650327
Volume: 362
Page Range: 670-678
Publication Date: 1 October 2024

View Publication
Exploring the Influence of Facet Orientation and Tropism on Neutral Zone Properties
Publication: Journal of Biomechanical Engineering
UBC Author(s): Kayla Fewster (School of Kinesiology / Faculty of Education)
ISSN: 01480731
Volume: 146
Publication Date: 1 October 2024

View Publication
Methodologies to elicit and record pudendal somatosensory evoked potentials in adult humans: A systematic review
Publication: Clinical Neurophysiology
UBC Author(s): Tania Lam (School of Kinesiology / Faculty of Education)
ISSN: 13882457
Volume: 166
Page Range: 223-231
Publication Date: October 2024

View Publication
Digest
Publication: Journal of sport & exercise psychology
UBC Author(s): Erica Bennett (School of Kinesiology / Faculty of Education)
Volume: 46
Page Range: 301-305
Publication Date: 1 October 2024

View Publication
More than just a roof under their feet: How spatial and structural features of a coastal city predict nest site selection in the urban-nesting Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens)
Publication: Ecological Modelling
UBC Author(s): Edward Kroc (Educational & Counselling Psychology & Special Education / Faculty of Education)
ISSN: 03043800
Volume: 496
Publication Date: October 2024

View Publication
Inequities in sleep duration and quality among adolescents in Canada
Publication: BMC public health
UBC Author(s): Guy Faulkner (School of Kinesiology / Faculty of Education)
Volume: 24
Page Range: 2644
Publication Date: 27 September 2024

View Publication
"We are an active family": a randomized trial protocol to evaluate a family-system social identity intervention to promote child physical activity
Publication: BMC public health
UBC Author(s): Mark Beauchamp (School of Kinesiology / Faculty of Education)
Volume: 24
Page Range: 2605
Publication Date: 27 September 2024

View Publication
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Multilingual Learners
Publication: Journal of deaf studies and deaf education
UBC Author(s): Joanna Cannon (Educational & Counselling Psychology & Special Education / Faculty of Education)
Volume: 29
Page Range: 558-559
Publication Date: 20 September 2024

View Publication
Teacher education and its discontents: Politics, knowledge, and ethics
Publication: Teacher Education and Its Discontents: Politics, Knowledge, and Ethics
UBC Author(s): Anne Phelan (Curriculum & Pedagogy / Faculty of Education)
Page Range: 1-227
Publication Date: 16 September 2024

View Publication
"An Ethic Of Innocence" The fragile contours of teacher education in Canada
Publication: Teacher Education and Its Discontents: Politics, Knowledge, and Ethics
UBC Author(s): Anne Phelan (Curriculum & Pedagogy / Faculty of Education)
Page Range: 62-78
Publication Date: 16 September 2024

View Publication
Teacher education and its discontents: An introduction
Publication: Teacher Education and Its Discontents: Politics, Knowledge, and Ethics
UBC Author(s): Anne Phelan (Curriculum & Pedagogy / Faculty of Education)
Page Range: 1-14
Publication Date: 16 September 2024

View Publication
The contribution of a complex systems-based approach to progressive social resilience
Publication: Health (United Kingdom)
UBC Author(s): Suna Eryigit Madzwamuse (Educational & Counselling Psychology & Special Education / Faculty of Education)
ISSN: 13634593
Volume: 28
Page Range: 754-774
Publication Date: September 2024

View Publication
Enhancing motor imagery practice using synchronous action observation
Publication: Psychological Research
UBC Author(s): Nicola Hodges (School of Kinesiology / Faculty of Education)
ISSN: 03400727
Volume: 88
Page Range: 1891-1907
Publication Date: September 2024

View Publication
The Relationship Between Pitch Discrimination and Acoustic Voice Measures in a Cohort of Female Speakers
Publication: Journal of Voice
UBC Author(s): Nicola Hodges (School of Kinesiology / Faculty of Education)
ISSN: 08921997
Volume: 38
Page Range: 1023-1034
Publication Date: September 2024

View Publication
Effector-specific improvements in action prediction in left-handed individuals after short-term physical practice
Publication: Cortex
UBC Author(s): Nicola Hodges (School of Kinesiology / Faculty of Education)
ISSN: 00109452
Volume: 178
Page Range: 18-31
Publication Date: September 2024

View Publication

Pages

Recent Thesis Submissions

Doctoral Citations

A doctoral citation summarizes the nature of the independent research, provides a high-level overview of the study, states the significance of the work and says who will benefit from the findings in clear, non-specialized language, so that members of a lay audience will understand it.
Year Citation Program
2024 Dr. Aslanimehr conceptualized exile as an internal force carried within, hindering recognition. Her work explored the tension between self-understanding and how others perceive us. Applied within academia, she challenges the theory of recognition by emphasizing attentive listening attuned to the unique experiences that may send the self to exile. Doctor of Philosophy in Human Development, Learning, and Culture (PhD)
2024 Dr. Strich explored students' experiences with place at their school located in the Skagit Valley, Washington State. Students shared stories of meaningful places during walking and stationary interviews. Findings reveal place as a multi-dimensional inquiry, layered perspectives and understandings, and highly contextual to each person and place. Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD)
2024 Dr. Saito investigated students learning mathematics in English at a Canadian school and in Japanese at a weekend Japanese school. He found that multilingual learners recognize the differences in curricula between the two countries. His study helps us to understand that there are curricular and linguistic differences in mathematics across countries. Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD)
2024 Dr. Beattie elicited young children's perspectives on outdoor learning, which revealed the importance of acknowledging children's agency, creating physical connections with sticks and other natural objects, and acknowledging place as an agentic teacher to foster meaningful and effective learning across the curriculum. Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD)
2024 Dr. Baldus' research studies contribute to correspondence and art practices that acknowledge the tension between individual experience and that collective thinking which happens across different kinds of distance and variation. Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD)
2024 Dr. Bailey examined PATH implementation for individuals with disabilities in a BC secondary school. Findings included, PATH features, accountability, barriers, and positive impacts, with recommendations for improvement and theory-practice integration in future studies. Doctor of Philosophy in School and Applied Child Psychology (PhD)
2024 Dr. Kostandy examined a networked movement of Egyptian public school teachers on Facebook. Her research reveals teachers' material, moral and legal conditions. She proposes a framework to understand the notion of justice in the Global South. Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD)
2024 Dr. Zhang studied mathematics problem-solving and self-regulated learning in young students participating in after-school robotics programs. He observed that these children approached problem-solving through iterative processes, engaging in experimentation, assessing their ideas, setting goals, and self-correcting their efforts toward finding solutions. Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD)
2024 Dr. Hardman listens to stories from Indigenizers applying Indigenous Storywork principles and her own Sto:lo teachings to understand deeply and interact with these stories. Storywork Listening shines light on six themes for Indigennizing. We learn that it is not easy but it is possible to Indigenize the Future: One Heart at a Time. Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD)
2024 Dr. Heaslip examined the unsolicited help receiving experiences of persons with visual impairments, targeting what is and isn't helpful during these interactions. The prominent themes identified were consent, assumptions, courtesy, consideration and respect. Findings were used to generate recommendations for navigating these complex interactions. Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD)

Pages

 

Community Update | October 2024

October 2024 | published once each term Message from Dr. Jan Hare, Dean Aanii – Greetings, As the new Dean of the Faculty of Education, following my service as Dean pro tem since 2021, I am committed to building on our strong foundation while ushering in innovative changes that support our mission...

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UBC Faculty of Education Reconciliation and Decolonization Alumni Award 2024 Recipients

September 27, 2024   Dean Jan Hare is pleased to announce the 2024 UBC Faculty of Education Reconciliation and Decolonization Alumni Award recipients: Chas Desjarlais and Meike Wernicke The award acknowledges extraordinary alumni who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, integrity,...

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Recipients of the 2024 Insight Grants and 2024 Insight Development Grants

September 20, 2024 Canada’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) has announced the recipients of its 2024 Insight and 2024 Insight Development Grants These awards provide essential funding for research that deepens our understanding of social, cultural, and economic issues,...

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24 Faculty of Education faculty members recognised among the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists

September 20, 2024 24 Faculty of Education members have been recognised among the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists according to Stanford University’s 2024 database The publicly available database provides standardised information on citations, h-index, co-authorship adjusted hm-...

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Dr. Patricia Duff inducted as a Fellow into the Royal Society of Canada in the Academy of Social Sciences

September 6, 2024 Dr. Patricia Duff has been inducted as a Fellow into the Royal Society of Canada in the Academy of Social Sciences Dr. Patricia (Patsy) Duff, FRSC, has been elected by her peers in recognition of her outstanding scholarly achievements. Dr. Duff is a Distinguished University...

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2024-25 Welcome Message from Dean Hare

September 3, 2024   [PLACEHOLDER FOR YOUTUBE VIDEO]  --> VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION Boozhoo, aanii and greetings. Welcome to all members of the UBC Faculty of Education as we embark on another exciting academic year. I hope your summer was filled with inspiration and relaxation, shared...

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