Academic Profile

Dale Martelli is an experienced educator and academic leader with over four decades of teaching experience. He currently serves as Social Studies Department Head and Flex Humanities Coordinator at Vancouver Technical Secondary School and is the President of the British Columbia Social Studies Teachers Association. His career spans elementary, secondary, and alternative education, as well as teacher education at the university level.

Martelli earned his Ph.D. in the philosophy of history education, focusing on analytical hermeneutics, Design-Based Research methodology, and approaches to empathetic and transformative engagement in history education. His research emphasizes the intersection of historical understanding, interpretive theory, and pedagogical design to foster critical and meaningful learning experiences.

He completed his M.A. in Middle East History at Simon Fraser University under the supervision of Dr. William Cleveland, examining the dynamics of revolution and colonialism in Syria during the 1920s and Palestine during the 1930s. His undergraduate studies in History and Philosophy at Simon Fraser University provided a strong foundation for his interdisciplinary approach to teaching and research.

Research Interests

• Philosophy of history education
• Historical consciousness and transformative engagement
• Analytical hermeneutics and interpretive theory
• Middle East history: colonialism and revolution

Selected Publications

• O’Neill, D. K., Guloy, S., MacKellar, F. M., & Martelli, D. R. (2022). Development and validation of a practical classroom assessment of students’ beliefs about differing historical accounts. Historical Encounters, 9(1), 58–77.
• Fillion, N., & Martelli, D. (2017). Overview of Critical Thinking and the BC K-12 Curriculum Revisions: Implications for Post-Secondary Teaching and Learning. SFU Position Paper.

Works in Progress & Upcoming Publications

• Martelli, D., & Fillion, N. (2026). Debate Format for Critical Inquiry: Ethics Bowl Collaborative Discourse vs LLM AI Simulated Discourse. Paper to be presented at the International DIPS Conference, University of Hamburg, August 20–22, 2026.
• Martelli, D. (2027). Empathetic and Transformative Engagement in Historical Inquiry. In K. Perrotta (Ed.), Historical Empathy in Social Studies Education: Research, Practice, and Possibilities. Lausanne: Peter Lang Publishing.

Selected Conference Presentations

• Martelli, D., (2024). Empathetic and Transformative Engagement in Historical Inquiry.  Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Research Association, Denver, CO.
• Co-Chair, Developing Minds Conference, BCSSTA-SFU (2021–present).
• Critical thinking in the new BC K-12 curriculum: challenges and opportunities. CPA & CPES, Congress of Humanities and Social Sciences, UBC (2019).
• A Mechanism of Meaning: One Interpretation Instrument for Classroom Historical Inquiry. UBC Investigating Our Practices Conference (2019).
• Keynote Panelist, Teaching Labour History: Making Connections Conference (2019).
• The Pedagogy of Measuring Epistemological Conceptions in History. AERA Annual Meeting, New York (2018).
• Mechanisms of Meaning: Process Constructs and Historical Inquiry in the Classroom. STORIES Conference, University of Oxford (2016).

Professional Leadership

• President, British Columbia Social Studies Teachers Association (2012–present).
• Editor-in-Chief, Detours Social Science Education Research Journal (2020–present).
• Curriculum Writer, BC Ministry of Education Social Studies Curriculum Team (2012–2018).
• Faculty Associate, Simon Fraser University Professional Development Program (1997–1998).