Awarded Research Grants in 2020

Raising Nisga’a Language, Sovereignty, and Land Based Education Through Traditional Carving Knowledge

This is the first known study to focus on the philosophy and pedagogical practices of the Nisga’a carving tradition as a form of knowledge production and transmission through the repatriation and carving of new pst’aan (totem pole) in the Nisga’a language. The project will improve access to traditional land-based knowledge in the Nisga’a language through the development and use of innovative virtual reality (VR) technology.

Dr. Amy Parent (Principal Investigator)
Ms. Quincy Wang (Collaborator)

SSHRC New Frontiers in Research Fund - Exploration

Developing Place and Nature-Based Experiential Education Practices in Public Schools and Teacher Education

The overarching goal of this project is to study place and nature-based experiential education teachers, their students and their classrooms in order to better understand the formation and transformation of teachers' practices.

Dr. Sean Blenkinsop (Principal Investigator)
Dr. Mark Fettes, Dr. Cher Hill and Dr. Paula Rosehart (Co-Investigators)

SSHRC Insight Grant

Development of Executive Functions in Multilingual Children: A Follow-up Study

This is a follow-up study of longitudinal research on the development of executive functions (EF) in multilingual children and aims to establish the dimensionality of the EF system that emerges in early adolescence.

Dr. Maureen Hoskyn (Principal Investigator)
Dr. Danièle Moore (Co-Investigator)

SSHRC Insight Grant

Connecting Career Development and Mental Health in Schools

The aim of this project is to establish and expand a broad-based partnership across Canada and beyond, and to apply a collaborative and discovery-oriented method to developing, evaluating and refining career interventions with educational stakeholders that confer the most positive influence on adolescent mental health.

Dr. Kris Magnusson (Principal Investigator)
Dr. Krista Socholotiuk (Co-Investigator)

SSHRC, Partnership Development Grant

Mathematizing Social Issues in Canadian Secondary Schools

This research aims to advance mathematics education in secondary schools by implementing mathematizing to enable social awareness and to help students learn mathematical curricular content.

Dr. Sean Chorney (Principal Investigator)

SSHRC Insight Development Grant

Underground Literacies: The Use of Private Academic Support Services by International EAL Students

This study aims to achieve a better understanding of how international EAL students use and perceive private academic support services (PASS), by probing the beliefs and practices of students at three major western Canadian universities in regard to academic integrity, academic literacy and the private supplementary education industry.

Dr. Joel Heng Hartse (Principal Investigator)

SSHRC Insight Development Grant

Early Relationship Formation in Cross Cultural Counselling: Actions and Processes

This study investigates the early therapeutic relationship formation of cross cultural client–counsellor dyads. The research findings will contribute to the understanding of how the most essential ingredient in effective therapy is established: the client–counsellor relationship.

Dr. Krista Socholotiuk (Principal Investigator)

SSHRC Insight Development Grant

The Play Literacy Innovative Program: A Virtual Play Platform for Learners

The overall goal of this study is to create a partnership with transdisciplinary educational experts in order to co-construct teaching practices to support enhanced play and literacy learning experiences for young learners amidst the global pandemic.

Dr. Angel Lin (Principal Investigator)
Dr. Sean Chorney (Collaborator)

SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant

Storied Lives: An Impact Study of COVID-19 on Seniors and Their Community Support Services

In partnership with MOSAIC, this study aims to bring academic researchers and community practitioners together in rich dialogues about arts-based knowledge co-creation and dissemination for capturing the complex views and experiences of seniors during the pandemic. The project also aims to produce research-action synergy in order to support community service networks for seniors.

Dr. Ching-Chiu Lin (Principal Investigator)
Ms. Quincy Wang (Co-Investigator)

SSHRC Partnership Engage Grants
COVID-19 Special Initiative

Living Within Earth's Carrying Capacity: Towards an Education for Eco-Social Cultural Change

This research project aims to answer the question: What does existing scholarship tell us about how we might reorient the concepts, theories, processes, practices, policies and structures of education in order to effectively shepherd in the massive changes in attitudes, discourse and behaviour that "living within the earth's carrying capacity" requires?

Dr. Sean Blenkinsop (Principal Investigator)
Dr. Mark Fettes (Co-Investigator)

SSHRC, Knowledge Synthesis Grant

Ensuring Full Literacy in a Multicultural and Digital World

Using a collaborative approach among researchers, related industries, local communities and outreach partners, this research project aims to re-examine the current literacy landscape, assess the efficacy of materials currently being developed to improve language and literacy outcomes and mobilize knowledge gained to reach those who would benefit most.

Dr. Maureen Hoskyn (Co-Investigator)
with Dr. Janet Werker (Principal Investigator, UBC) and Dr. Danièle Moore (Collaborator)

SSHRC, Partnership Grant

Pandemic Experiences and Impacts of COVID-19 on the Mental Health of Indigenous Communities

This study responds to the call for practices and platforms to inform population level responses to COVID-19 generated mental health and substance use (MHSU) concerns for Indigenous peoples living in British Columbia.

Dr. Alanaise Goodwill (Principal Investigator)
with Ms. Corinne McKay (Principal Investigator) and Dr. Jeanie Morgan (Principal Investigator)

CIHR, Knowledge Synthesis: COVID-19 in Mental Health & Substance Use

BC Network Environment for Indigenous Health Research

The collective vision of the BC NEIHR is a supportive environment for Indigenous health research and is woven from the values, knowledge systems, priorities and leadership of Indigenous (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) communities, collectives and organizations, as well as academic researchers and students in British Columbia. 

Dr. Alanaise Goodwill (Co-Investigator)
in collaboration with seven Principal Investigators from five BC institutions and organizations.

CIHR, NEIHR - British Columbia

Holistic Indigenous Mental Health and Wellness: Transforming Health Care Strengths and Solutions

Acknowledging the health care barriers that Indigenous peoples with mental health concerns face, this research aims to create an Indigenous research network in order to develop a holistic and Indigenous knowledge-based framework for mental health support and services.

Dr. Alanaise Goodwill (Co-Investigator)
with Dr. Suzanne Lea Stewart (Principal Investigator) and Mr. Clayton Shirt (Principal Investigator)

CIHR, NEIHR – Ontario

A Community-Based Ethnography on Multiculturalism in Practice in a Canadian Context

This ethnographic research aims to explore how women from diverse cultural backgrounds experience and practice multiculturalism in Canada in order to develop an understanding of the factors that impact their integration and settlement. Through its findings, the study hopes to contribute to the policy making of the social integration services.

Dr. Suzanne Smythe (Academic Supervisor)
Jing Li (Intern)

MITACS, Accelerate

Building a National Ocean Literacy Strategy

This project aims to develop a national Ocean Literacy (OL) strategy through a multisectoral regional consultative approach, guided by three questions: 1) What is the current state of OL in Canada? 2) What are the current gaps and barriers, by region and sector? 3) What are key recommendations and implementation plan(s) to advance OL?

Dr. David Zandvliet (Academic Supervisor)
Lilia Yumagulova, Intern
MEOPAR Inc., Partner Organization

MITACS Accelerate

Do Socio-Demographic and Parenting Factors Moderate the Impact of the HIPPY Program on Children’s School Readiness?

The primary purpose of this study is to assess the impact of the Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY), a holistic, home-based early education program, on children’s school readiness. Findings will inform decision-making in support of the goal that all children in Canada start school with the knowledge, dispositions and family support necessary for success.

Dr. Lucy Lemare (Academic Supervisor)
Camilla Enns, Intern
Mothers Matter Centre, Partner Organization

MITACS Accelerate

Community Schools in British Columbia: Past to Future

This project analyzes local data against national and international trends, standards and metrics to calculate a social return on investment of community schools, with respect to social health and vitality of communities. The project will produce a policy document that outlines promising practices in adoption, scaling and sustaining a community school approach in Canada.

Dr. Michelle Nilson (Academic Supervisor)
Kristin Agnello, Intern
United Way of the Lower Mainland, Partner Organization

MITACS Accelerate

Inclusive Resettlement: Integration Pathways of Resettled Families with Disabilities in Germany and Canada

This research aims to explore structural conditions and individual integration pathways of resettled refugee families with inter-sectional risks of exclusion in Canada and Germany.

Dr. Masahiro Minami (Academic Supervisor)
Akiko Ohta (Intern)

MITACS, Globalink

Teach Argumentation with the Dialectical Map

Drawing on previous research on the effective usage of the DMap tool at Simon Fraser University, this research aims to explore the usage of DMap in the classrooms of Beijing Normal University in China. The project will investigate if the pedagogical benefits and values of DMapping are transferable to culturally diverse educational settings.

Dr. John Nesbit (Academic Supervisor)
Qing Liu (Intern)

MITACS, Globalink

The Use of Lesson Play as a Post-Activity of TouchTimes  

This research aims to better understand the use of TouchTimes - a digital technology tool for learning and understanding multiplication. The purpose of this project is to identify the processes of how students reflect on their usage of TouchTimes in order to develop an understanding that supports their learning.

Dr. Nathalie Sinclair (Academic Supervisor)
Aehee Ahn (Intern)

MITACS, Globalink

Relational Practices: Play, Improv and Emergence in Social Spaces

This study investigates how groups and individuals engage in improvisational activities through performative inquiry in order to understand collaborative risk-taking, emergent learning and community building.

Dr. Lynn Fels (Principal Investigator)

SSHRC Small Research Grant

Investigating Instructors’ Perceptions of Good Writing in an Internationalized Economics Department

This study investigates instructors’ perceptions of “good writing” in an Economics Department at a large Canadian university. It aims to answer the questions: “What do instructors in this Economics Department believe about the nature and purpose of writing and writing assignments in the context of an international and multilingual student body, and what do they believe constitutes good writing in economics undergraduate courses?”

Dr. Joel Heng Hartse (Principal Investigator)

SSHRC Small Research Grant

Teacher and Family Experience of COVID-19

This study aims to better understand the issues and concerns of teachers and families, their wellbeing and the educational impacts of programming adjustments due to the COVID pandemic.

Dr. Margaret MacDonald (Principal Investigator)
Dr. Cher Hill (Co-Investigator)

SSHRC Small Research Grant

Investigation of Assessment Practices by Teachers Conducting Maker-Centered Learning in BC Public Schools

The study aims to investigate teachers’ perceptions of assessment for maker-centered learning in order to inform pedagogical and assessment practices in British Columbia public schools.

Dr. Yumiko Murai (Principal Investigator)

SSHRC Small Research Grant

Effectiveness of Argument Visualization as a Pre-Writing Activity in Undergraduate Online Learning

This research investigates the effects of DMapping, an argument visualization tool that facilitates arguing to learn and learning to argue, on learning outcomes in the context of writing assignments in online courses.

Dr. John Nesbit (Principal Investigator)

SSHRC Small Research Grant

Investigating Technology Exclusions and Innovations Among Newcomer Communities During COVID-19

Working with educators and advocates on the ‘front lines’ of the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia, the researchers of this study investigate how digital inequalities play out during the pandemic among low-income, newcomer communities, and how these communities respond through the invention of new pedagogies and new strategies for using information networks.

Dr. Suzanne Smythe (Principal Investigators)
Dr. Nathalie Sinclair (Co-Investigator)

SSHRC Small Research Grant

Frayed Confidence Intervals Temper Confidence in Statistical Results

This project researches an overlooked property of confidence intervals (CI), clarifies implications for drawing inferences from statistical analyses and develops online tools to mobilize results and improve quantitative research.

Dr. Phil Winne (Principal Investigator)

SSHRC Small Research Grant

Enhancing and Maintaining Science Education Engagement through Immersive Technologies During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

The purpose of this project is to develop and investigate learner responses to an AR/VR (Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality) technology platform created for use by local community organizations to engage the public during and after the COVID pandemic.

Dr. David Zandvliet (Principal Investigator)

SSHRC Small Research Grant

Amplifying LGBTQI Refugee Resilience

Partners: Rainbow Refugee Society and their networks in LGBTQI Newcomer Service Provider Network (BC) and National Rainbow Coalition for Refuge. As well as Camille Dumond in InnerActivist and SFU Radius Lab- Refugee Livelihood

Dr. Sharalyn Jordan (Project Lead)

SFU Community Engagement Initiative Grant