Program of Events

Celebration of Research 2023

Saturday, April 1, 2023

College of Education, University of Saskatchewan

The Celebration of Research, Scholarly, and Artistic Work offers an invaluable opportunity to showcase the rich and diverse work of graduate and undergraduate students in the College of Education. In partnership with the Anti-Racist Education Mentorship (AEM) Project, this year’s celebration will feature special panels on anti-racist education from graduate students and teacher candidates.

Special Advisor to the President (USask) on Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression and Professor Emerita in Educational Foundations, Dr. Verna St. Denis (PhD) will deliver a keynote address on her remarkable 45-year journey with the College of Education as an ITEP student before becoming a highly respected professor.

Program

 

9:30am

Welcome and Introductions

Remarks from Dr. Vicki Squires Associate Dean (Research, Graduate Support and International Initiatives)

Location: Education, Quance Theatre 1003

Zoom Link:https://usask-ca.zoom.us/j/98133959920?pwd=WHZBRG5GMkhHdmc1eDZPRUlSNUJkUT09

10am – 12:30 pm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celebration of Research

Poster Sessions

Location: Education, Active Learning Lab 1037

Zoom Link: https://usask-ca.zoom.us/j/98133959920?pwd=WHZBRG5GMkhHdmc1eDZPRUlSNUJkUT09

Anti-Racism and Education Graduate Student Research

Panel Sessions (in-person only)

Room 1 Location: 2010

Room 2 Location: 2014

*Panel session topics include anti-racist analyses of inauthentic claims to Indigeneity, colourism, deficit thinking, trauma education, school policies, critiques of critical race theory, lateral violence, and K-12 and university racialization processes

12:30pm – 1:20pm

 

Lunch and Networking

Location: Education, Student Lounge

1:20 – 2:20pm

Anti-Racist Education Mentorship (AEM) Project Panel

Location: Education, Quance Theatre 1003 (in-person only)

2:20 – 2:30pm

Research Break

2:30 – 3:30pm

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Verna St. Denis (PhD)

Title: Reflecting on Three Decades of Anti-Racism in Faculties of Education

Location: Education, Quance Theatre (in-person only)

3:30 – 4:30

Research Social

Please join us for light refreshments, snacks, and research networking!

Location: Education, Student Lounge

Dr. Verna St. Denis (PhD) - Bio

Dr. Verna St. Denis (PhD) is the Special Advisor to the University of Saskatchewan President on Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression and Professor Emerita in the department of Educational Foundations, College of Education. Dr. St. Denis graduated with her teaching certificate from the Indian Teacher Education Program (ITEP) in 1980, earned her PhD from Stanford in 2002 and started as faculty with the College of Education in 1992. A member of Beardy’s and Okemasis’ Cree Nation, Verna grew up as a non-status Indian and Métis in Parkland Saskatchewan. Her scholarship has advanced Canadian anti-racist and Indigenous education. In addition to creating and teaching anti-racist undergraduate and graduate courses, she continues to mentor anti-racist graduate students and collaborate with Canadian researchers, while also contributing to ongoing community anti-racist activism.

https://news.usask.ca/articles/colleges/2023/st.-deniss-legacy-of-advocacy-and-anti-racist-scholarship-threaded-throughout-her-time-at-usask.php

Student Presenters and Attendees

Teacher Candidates: This activity is approved for inclusion on your USask student Co-Curricular Record (CCR) which is a personalized and official record of the university-approved and facilitated activities you have been involved in while a student here. Leave your name and NSID at the registration table if you would like your participation at the conference included in your CCR. For more information, see: ccr.usask.ca.

 U of S Co-Curricular Record Logo

Poster Session Abstracts

Name: Kimberly Blain

Undergraduate or Graduate Student: Graduate Student

Department Affiliation: Educational Psychology and Special Education

Supervisor: Dr. Pei-Ying Lin

Title: Teachers View of Training Module for Accommodations of Students with Intellectual Disabilities Learning Life Skills in an Online Environment: A Case Study Approach

Abstract: Life skills training is critical to the long-term success and independence of students with intellectual disabilities (Bouck, 2010). Therefore, it is crucial that teachers have the knowledge that enables them to choose and use appropriate accommodations for these students. The purpose of this study is to trial a training module for students with intellectual disabilities learning life skills in an online learning environment. The efficacy of the training module will be evaluated. This will provide insight on how to create a more effective training module. Additionally, it will provide teachers with adequate training to make appropriate accommodation decisions.

Mode of Presentation: Infographic

 

Name: Katryne Dubeau

Undergraduate or Graduate Student: Graduate Student

Department Affiliation: Curriculum Studies

Title and an Abstract:

We have explored Martin Gardner’s famous Two-Child Problem to demonstrate how a well-known mathematical problem can be reframed to represent a more modern understanding of gender identity; where non-binary, man, and woman are used to represent a person’s gender identity. In the first adaptation, we used a theoretical context where all three gender identities are equally represented and assumed, as was the case in the past. In the second rendition, we utilized population statistics taken from the 2021 Statistics Canada Census to allow the question to be more relevant and applicable to math classes in Canada and beyond.

Mode of Presentation:  Infographic

 

Name: Lecia Ellis

Undergraduate or Graduate Student: Graduate Student

Department Affiliation: Department of Educational Administration

Title and an Abstract:

Industry-University Partnerships as A Pathway To International Graduate Students’ Gaining Canadian “Work” Experience: A Case Study At The University Of Saskatchewan

An aging population and extremely low birth rates complicate Canada’s ability to address current and future skilled labor shortages. As a consequence immigration and the recruitment and retention of international students are increasingly seen as solutions to labor-force management in strategic sectors (StatsCan, 2020a). As international students are “an essential part of the equation for meeting Canada’s labor force…”  (Languages Canada (n.d) (para. 2) post-secondary institutions are increasingly forging partnerships with industry and the public sector, often in the form of internships, to create active and experiential learning curricula and knowledge transfer in the “real world” (Templeton et al, 2012). These innovative programs also enable international students to gain much needed Canadian work experience, mentorship and professional networking opportunities to support employment post-graduation.

Using a case study approach and mixed methods, the study interrogated the experiences of international students involved in graduate level internships and industry partners at one Western Canadian university through personal interviews, focus groups and surveys (N=100). The main goal of the inquiry was to determine the efficacy of these initiatives in meeting the needs of international students and industry partners at the case institution. The study is informed by the following research questions: What are the experiences of international students in selected graduate internship programs at the case institution? What challenges and opportunities do such programs provide for both students and industry partners? How might these programs be revised to enhance the experience of stakeholders, including? “increasing employment opportunities for students” (Prigge, 2005, p 222).

Name: Sandra Hall

Undergraduate or Graduate Student: Graduate Student

Department Affiliation: Cross-Departmental

Title and an Abstract:

Cross-curricular integration is an effective way to enhance student understanding and create real-life connections. Research has shown that the math-music connection increases students’ conceptual knowledge, spatial-temporal reasoning and improves motivation. Through the lens of the cognitive-affective model of conceptual change, we will identify reasons non-musical teachers struggle to integrate math and music and offer an approach that addresses this disconnect. We argue that the expectation for non-musical mathematics teachers to integrate music into their lessons is discouraging and ineffective due to their lack of musical literacy.

Mode of Presentation:  Infographic

  1. Name(s): Rachel Heney
  2. Undergraduate or Graduate Student: Graduate Student
  3. Department Affiliation: Educational Foundations
  4. Abstract:

My thesis aimed to explore the lived experiences of Autistic people, as articulated in online blogs written by Autistic authors. This study was motivated by my lived experiences as an Autistic person and included an exploration of my experiences as points of reference and comparison for those expressed by the Autistic bloggers included in this study. Autistic people have used the internet as a location to reclaim their voices and create counternarratives to the negative paradigms around autism. I defined my use of “Voice” in the body of the thesis.  As part of my goal to explore counternarratives created by Autistic bloggers, I studied the ways Autistic people experienced intersections of marginalized identities and dehumanization. Additionally, I looked at how they pushed back against dehumanizing narratives. Non-Autistic voices in society predominate, including researchers, doctors, and parents. To promote Autistic narratives, one must look for their representatives where they organically thrive. The internet is one of these locations. For this study, I used a curated resource list created by an Autistic blogger of blog sites created by Autistic people. Using this resource, I constructed a narrowed list of Autistic bloggers who identified as having intersectional and marginalized identities. These identities included being raised as a girl, disabilities other than autism, 2SLGBTQIA+ identities, poverty, and race.

In The Posthuman, Braidotti (2013) told us that the classical ideal of ‘Man’ was the measure of all things (Braidotti, 2013). Braidotti (2013) said that this ideal subject was equated with consciousness, universal rationality, and self-regulating behaviour, whereas those deemed as “Other” were equated with inferiority. Those branded as Others are viewed as the negative counterpart of the conscious, universally rational, and self-regulating ethical subject. Their humanity is reduced through othering. Braidotti (2013) said “Anti-Humanism,” which rejected the restrictive notion of what counted as human, was a vital step in how we arrived at the idea of the “Post-Human.”

Name: Delia Harper

Graduate student: Doctor of Philosophy student candidate

Department Affiliation: Educational Administration

Title and Abstract:

Cree immersion to English- speaking language transition classroom

Cree immersion schools are part of revitalization efforts to decolonize education for Indigenous people in Canada.  There are a variety of reasons a Cree immersion school curriculum is expired at a certain grade level.  If this is case, immersion students must transfer to an English- speaking school.  The traditional and language teachings are replaced with provincial curriculum outcomes.  This study discusses the revitalizing expenditures of the study to develop a culturally traditional academic language program for transitioning Cree immersion students in a community's educational system.  The researcher will use a constructivist approach, by means of an ethnographic community- based participation approach, intermingled with Indigenous Research paradigm qualities of Protocol research, relational approach, appreciative inquiry.  The researcher will implement unstructured interviews, observations, self-reflective journal writing and analytical memos. 

Mode of Presentation: Digital Poster

Name: Kaneta Eya Lam Lam

Graduate student: Graduate Student

Department Affiliation: Educational Foundations

Title and Abstract:

Introduction

The insight and worldview of indigenous people are closely related to mother earth. The non-human-centric axiological philosophy of indigenous people makes them believe that all objects of the environment are sacred and have energy. For indigenous people, the environment is as important as themselves and their offspring. They appreciate the nature around them very often.

However as climate change is a burning issue throughout the world, Indigenous people are also affected by the consequence of the situation. Furthermore, Indigenous communities are few of the most vulnerable communities. As a consequence, many animals and sentient beings which are the source of food and living to them are at risk of extinction. Not only lifestyles of indigenous peoples are being interrupted, but also their culture, philosophy, and worldview are influenced by the situation of climate change.

Philosophy, Epistemology, and Insight of Indigenous people

Indigenous worldview is highly dissimilar to western philosophy. It is not always based on substantial and empirical evidence. The philosophy emphasizes the belief system. According to Aboriginal belief, life is made out of energy. Everything is alive, filled with spirit, and constantly in motion. Interrelationships between all beings are required in the world of energy and spirit, and space is a more significant reference than time. (Little Bear, 2000; cited in Kovach, 2021p-63). Therefore, they believe in spiritual nourishment unlike western thought which is based on profit.

The contrast between Indigenous worldview to Western philosophy & Effect on the environment

Where western philosophy is based on discovery, rationalism, empiricism, and positivist methodology, Indigenous philosophy depends on a constructivist standpoint. This view depicts that truth is pluralized and constructed. Truth is born from the crisscrossing of objects and subjects. Sometimes, truth is invisible. The pragmatism philosophy of westerners is one of the driving forces of consumerism and industrialism factors. That practicees made their life only based on profit, power, infrastructural development, and imperialism. This thought is one of the reasons for the destruction of the environment. This is happening from the colonial era to till now.

The lifestyle of westerners is even practiced now worldwide. As a consequence,  Our mother nature is suffering for it. Several sentient beings got disappeared from nature and many are at risk of elimination forever. Even westerners are cursing themselves when the change and destruction of the environment are visible in front of them.

Research Objective

  1. Exploring Indigenous perspective and epistemology on climate change.

Research Question

  1. 1. What are the effects of climate change on indigenous people.
  2. How indigenous practices can help to acquire resilience on climate change.

Research Methodology

The research will follow “case study” type which will be mostly qualitative research.

Sampling

Purposive sampling will be used to collect data

Research Tool

  • Observation
  • In depth Interview
  • Key Informant Interview

Data Analysis

Data will be analyzed through Thematic Analysis.

 

Name: Susan Stabbler

Undergraduate or Graduate Student: Graduate student

Department Affiliation: Education Technology & Design

Title and an Abstract:

Planting Seeds for STEM: A Distance Education Course on Integrated Indigenous STEM

This presentation showcases a course design to give pre-service teachers, the pedagogical and methodological understanding and strategy to teach Integrated Indigenous S.T.E.M (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). STEM education must include Indigenous Ways of Knowing alongside Western methodologies. This project ties the elements - Fire, Air, Water, Earth - to STEM, making connections that are element-to-element, element-to-world, and element-to-self in relationship with the natural world. Learning goals include connections to curriculum, experiential land-based learning, storytelling, and student engagement of STEM supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).

Mode of Presentation:  Infographic

Anti-Racism Break-out Sessions

10:00am to 11:10am 

Room 2014 EDUC

  1. Ewurabena Sackey-Forson: The racialization of Black nursing students in Canadian academic settings
  2. Chelsea Davis: Saskatchewan school policies: Do they prohibit, punish, or protect anti-racist practice?  
  3. Nicole Mercereau: Inauthentic claims to Indigeneity by White people and the perpetuation of racist outcomes 

Room 2010 EDUC

  1. Cristin Dorgan-Lee: Racialization and the experiential knowledge of a Métis female principal 
  2. Melissa Koroll: Deficit thinking concerning First Nations and Métis students’ English language abilities 
  3. Kayla Chipak: Examining whiteness and race-neutrality in alternative educational programming 

11:20am to 12:30pm 

Room 2014 EDUC

  1. Jessie Fiddler: Examining lateral violence as an entry point into Indigenous educators’ understandings’ of racism and White supremacy 
  2. Jenna O’Conner: Saskatchewan’s English Language Arts 30 curriculum and the normalization of Whiteness 
  3. Andrea Nostbakken: Race-consciousness and trauma informed education   

Room 2010 EDUC

  1. Katley Joseph: When universities pressure Black athletes to rise above stereotypes 
  2. Sheri Impey: How the media misinforms public beliefs about critical race theory
  3. Carson Mercredi: The Indigenous-White binary in education and impacts on light-skinned Indigenous students’ anti-racist consciousness  

Recap

Summary

We're thrilled to share the exciting news about the College of Education's recent Celebration of Research, Scholarly, and Artistic Work, which took place on April 1, 2023. This special event provided a platform to showcase the exceptional work of our talented students. In partnership with the Anti-Racist Education Mentorship (AEM) Project led by Dr. Carmen Gillies, this year’s celebration featured special anti-racist panels from graduate students and AEM teacher candidates.

The highlight of the celebration was a captivating keynote address by the esteemed Dr. Verna St. Denis, who shared her remarkable 45-year journey with USask, from being an ITEP student to becoming a highly respected faculty member in the College of Education. The event saw a fantastic turnout, with participants from diverse backgrounds, including representatives from local schools, organizations, and educational programs. The atmosphere was filled with engaging discussions, networking opportunities, and delicious food and refreshments.

We extend our heartfelt appreciation to all the participants, organizers, and supporters who contributed to the success of the Celebration of Research. Through collaborative endeavors like these, we continuously push the boundaries of education and inspire future research initiatives. Stay tuned for more exciting updates and impactful events from the College of Education as we continue to foster excellence in research and scholarly pursuits. 

Award Winners

During the event, the exceptional efforts of poster presenters were recognized, and department-wise prizes were awarded to the following winners: 

Curriculum Studies: 

First Prize: Katryne Dubeau 

Second Prize: Susan Stabbler 

Educational Psychology and Special Education: 

First Prize: Kimberly Blain 

Educational Foundations: 

First Prize: Rachel Heney 

Second Prize: Kaneta Eya Lam Lam 

Educational Administration: 

First Prize: Delia Harper 

Second Prize: Lecia Ellis