Dr. Mark Fettes

Associate Professor, Faculty of Education
Associate Director, Imaginative Education Research Group (IERG)

  • Email: mtfettes@sfu.ca
  • Phone: 778-782-2555
  • Office: Education Building, Room 8561

Research Interests

I was first drawn to education through my work with First Nations organizations around issues of language maintenance and revitalization. This in turn is related to my long-term interest in cultural diversity and intercultural communication, and particularly the management of multilingualism in a globalized world.

I have been involved with Esperanto for many years and have published numerous articles in and about the language. Currently I am participating in a multidisciplinary European project on the linguistic aspects of mobility and inclusion.

My interest in indigenous and intercultural education has also led to a long-term effort to understand the role of imagination in learning, teaching, and schooling. I have worked with teachers at all levels of the formal education system, with a focus on helping them find more imaginative and engaging ways of teaching the mainstream curriculum.

My most important contributions have been made in the context of community-based research projects focused on school district-First Nation partnerships and on ecological schooling. The theoretical side of this work explores the relationships between experience, language, imagination and community. 

Research Highlights

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