College of Education

Research Area(s)

  • Indigenous curriculum development; Indigenous research methodologies; Indigenous higher learning; distance education; and adult education

Recent Research Reports

Kovach, M., Carriere, J., Montgomery H., Barrett, M.J., and Gilles, C. (2015).  Indigenous presence:  Experiencing and envisioning Indigenous Knowledes within selected sites of Education and Social Work. Unpublished.  Funded through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

Berryman, M., Carr-Stewart, S., Kovach, M., Laliberté, C., Meyer, S., Merasty, B., Sloboda, A., Stelmach, B., and  Steeves, L. (2014). Seeking their Voices: Improving Indigenous Student Learning Outcomes. Unpublished. Funded by Ministry of Education, Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Instructional Development and Research Unit, Faculty of Education, Aboriginal Education Research Centre, University of Saskatchewan

Kovach, M.  (2010). Toward an IK-Friendly Pedagogy in Mainstream Classrooms: A single site pilot study of non Indigenous faculty perspectives on integrating Indigenous Knowledges into their course instruction. Unpublished.

Courses Taught

  • Indigenous Research: Epistemology and Methods
  • Leadership and Governance in First Nations Education
  • Indigenous lifelong and adult learning
  • Adult Education and Human Development
  • Learning for Life:  Theory and Practice in Adult Education
  • First Nations and Cross Cultural Education
  • Graduate Seminar for Educational Administration
  • Legal and Institutional Contexts for Education

Selected Publications

Kovach, M. (2009).  Indigenous Methodologies:  Characteristics, Conversations, and Contexts.  Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Kovach, M. (2014). Forward. In D. Badry, D. Fuchs, S. McKay & H. Montgomery (eds). Reinventing in Families: Strengthening child welfare practice for a brighter future: Voices from the prairies. Regina: University of Regina Press.

Kovach, M. (2014). Thinking through theory: Contemplating Indigenous situated research and policy. In N. Denzin & D. Giardina (eds). Qualitative research outside the Academy. (pp. 92-106). Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press Inc.

Ritenburg, H, Young Leon, A., Linds, W., Nadeau, D., Goulet, L., Kovach, M., & Marshall, M. (2014).  Embodying Decolonization:  Methodologies and Indigenization. Alternative, 10 (1).

Kovach, M., Carriere, J., Barrett, M.J, Montgomery, H., Gilles, C. (2014). Stories of diverse identity locations in Indigenous research. In C. Campbell, H. Montgomery, and H. Ritenburg. (Guest Eds). Special Edition of the International Review of Qualitative Research: Indigenous Inquiries, 6(4), pp. 487-509.

Kovach, M. (2012).  Treaties, Truths, and Transgressive Pedagogies. In Coburn, E. (Ed), Socialist Studies: Special Issue on Transgressive Pedagogies and Research, 9 (1), pp. 109-127.

Kovach, M. (2010).  Conversational Method in Indigenous Research.  First Peoples Child & Family Review, 5(1), pp. 40-48. 

Kovach, M. (2009). Being Indigenous in within the academy – Creating Space for Indigenous scholars.  In Timpson, A. (Ed.), First Nations First Thoughts – New Challenges (p. 51-76). Vancouver: UBC Press.

Kovach, M. (2005).  Emerging from the margins:  Indigenous methodologies. In S. Strega and L. Brown (Eds.), Research as resistance: Critical, Indigenous and anti-oppressive approaches (pp. 19-36). Toronto:  Canadian Scholars Press.

Selected Presentations

Montgomery, H., Kovach, M., & Carriere, J. (October 1, 2014).  Indigenous Presence - Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge into Social Work Education. Prairie Child Welfare symposium Indigenous pre-Conference day, University of Regina, Saskatoon Campus. Wednesday, October 1, 2014.

Kovach, M., (October 23, 2014).  Indigenous presence in post-secondary sites: Envisioning and experiencing Indigenous knowledges. Indigenous Education Week, Laurentian University, Sudbury, On. Thursday, October 23, 2014.

Kovach, M., (June 3, 2014).  Validity and Dependability in Whose World?  A Contemplation of Research Standards From an Indigenous perspective. Invited Speaker. Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (host). Paris, France. June 3, 2014.

Kovach, M. & Ping-Chun, H. (March, 2014).  Doing qualitative research in a global era: A conversation between a Chinese and an Indigenous Researcher.  Invited Lecture. The Centre of Critical Qualitative Health Research (host) & Critical China Studies, the Asian Institute and Department of Sociology (co-hosts), University of Toronto.  March 20, 2014

Kovach, M. (February, 2014). Exploring the landscape of Indigenous knowledges within post-secondary sites. Invited Keynote Address. 35th Annual Conference of the Gesellschaft fur Kanada-Studien (GKS). Grainau, Germany. February 15, 2014.

Kovach, M., Carriere, J., Barrett, M.J, Montgomery, H., Gilles, C.  (January, 2013).  Presentation of Preliminary Findings on Removing the Invisibility Cloak (University of British Columbia). (As part of knowledge dissemination activities for the SSHRC grant. January 27, 2014

Kovach, M. (December, 2008). Invited Lecture.  Indigenous Research. Department of Social Work.  Asia University. Tainan, Taiwan. December 9, 2013.

Kovach, M (October, 2013). Indigenous Research Methodologies. Invited Keynote Address, American Indigenous Research Association, Salish Kootenai College Campus, Pablo, Montana, October, 12, 2013

Kovach, M (September, 2013). Indigenous Knowledges and the Academy from a Teaching Perspective. Invited Public Lecture, University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) Teaching, Learning, and Technology Centre and First Nations Studies Program, UNBC, Prince George, B.C., September 27, 2013

Kovach, M. (August, 2013). Seeing Differently, Being Different:  Situating ourselves as educators with an Indigenous sensibility. Invited Public Lecture, Summer Noted Scholar Series, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C, August 15, 2013

Kovach, M. (July, 2013). Incorporating Indigenous Knowledges within the Tertiary Sector in ways that transform the academy. Invited Lecture, Office of Indigenous Engagement, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. July 22, 2013

Kovach, M. (July, 2013). Indigenous Research Methodologies. Invited Lecture, Office of Indigenous Engagement, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. July 22, 2013