“Not only do these awards speak to our professors’ individual research successes, but they also demonstrate the Faculty’s core research identity and strategic direction,” says John Ranellucci, Vice-Dean, Research and Professional Development.
“While these researchers are using diverse approaches, across various topics, and in distinct contexts, the common thread is that they are all focusing on addressing meaningful educational, social, and equity-related challenges. By working with community partners, students, teachers, and school boards, these researchers are maximizing the potential impact of their work,” he adds.
Take a closer look at the initiatives:
Human rights values in mathematics classrooms in Ontario
Professor Yasmine Abtahi
This project examines how math classes can help students understand human rights, fairness, inclusion and active citizenship alongside mathematical skills. Working with students and teachers from five Ontario school boards, researchers will identify effective ways to connect math lessons with real-world issues and address challenges in developing new classroom activities. The project will create practical teaching resources and guide education policy to support more inclusive math classrooms that foster critical thinking.
Advancing consistency, equity, and impact in research about Black populations in Canada: A bilingual metaresearch study of education, employment health
Professor Tya Collins
This study considers how Black Canadians are represented in social and health research. Research shows inconsistent definitions of “Black Canadians” and researcher bias can affect how studies are designed and how findings are understood. The goal is to make research more consistent, fair and useful, while helping ensure rigour. It’s also to improve the quality and impact of research on Black Canadians and contribute to changes in research policy and practice in Canada and internationally.
Strengthening Methodological Capacity for Emerging Scholars Through Black-Affirming Inquiry
Professor Tya Collins
Despite growing commitments to equity, anti-racism and decolonization, Black scholars continue to face barriers to mentorship, training and research resources. A new bilingual Summer Institute addresses these challenges through Black-affirming inquiry, centring Black lived experience, community knowledge and intellectual traditions. Through hands-on training, mentorship and interdisciplinary collaboration, the institute equips university students with research skills, networks and confidence to conduct rigorous research that responds to community and policy needs.
Black Student Experiences in Official Language Minority Education: A Community-Based Youth Participatory Inquiry
Professor Tya Collins
This national study will examine the experiences of Black students who attend French-language schools outside Quebec and English-language schools in Quebec. Research has shown these students can face challenges related to both race and language that may affect their sense of belonging and educational success. Youth from Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton and Moncton will help lead the research. The study aims to understand their experiences and develop resources that schools and community organizations can use to create more inclusive learning environments.
Projet RELève : transformer la formation enseignante pour renforcer l'équité numérique linguistique en contexte francophone minoritaire
Professor Megan Cotnam-Kappel
Francophones living in minority-language settings face both digital and linguistic inequalities, as many resources and training programs are designed for English-speaking or majority French-speaking audiences. The Ontario RELève project will take on this issue by involving teachers, university students, schools and community organizations in the co-creation of French-language open educational resources (OERs) that reflect local realities. These resources will help Francophone minority communities use French and digital technologies on their own terms, an important goal as AI-generated content increasingly favours English.
Construire l'école inclusive : accompagner les leaders scolaires dans l'implantation des soutiens variés auprès des élèves nouveaux arrivants dans le cadre d'une recherche action-formation
Professor Carole Fleuret
Ontario’s French-language schools are adapting to increasingly diverse student populations, with nearly 44% of students coming from immigrant backgrounds. At the Conseil scolaire des écoles catholiques du centre est (CECCE), students and staff represent more than 130 countries and speak 96 languages. This partnership with the CECCE will look into how schools can strengthen student support services for newcomers. The project will provide teacher training, document implementation challenges and generate evidence to guide organizational and teaching practices that better respond to newcomer students and their families.
Enabling Serendipity in Experiential Learning: A Grounded Theory Study
Professor Katherine Moreau
This pilot project will examine how serendipity (the intersection of chance, recognition and preparedness) emerges in experiential learning environments in higher education. Focusing on two University of Ottawa initiatives, the research will consider how unexpected encounters shape students’ development, professional identities and readiness to navigate complex environments. Using interviews and grounded theory, researchers will develop a conceptual model of serendipity, with attention to equity and inclusion. Findings will support more inclusive experiential learning practices across Canadian post-secondary institutions.
Okihcihtâw : Leadership et identité autochtones dans les Forces armées canadiennes — Une étude des expériences et des perspectives
Professor Robert-Falcon Ouellette
Incorporating Indigenous knowledge systems and methodologies, this study focuses on the experiences of military personnel in the Canadian Armed Forces and the ways in which their perspectives shape their service and leadership. The findings will inform more inclusive approaches to recruitment and career development, advance reconciliation and strengthen relationships between Indigenous communities, the military and policymakers.
Experiences of immigrant youth after an integration program in Quebec and Francophone Ontario
Professor Roberta Soares
Immigration drives Canada’s economic development. However, integration of immigrant youth remains a challenge. In Francophone settings, with French as the majority language (in Quebec) or a minority language (in Ontario), this integration takes distinct forms: mandatory schooling in French in Quebec and the “right-holder” framework in Ontario. In integration programs, youth can face obstacles linked to adaptation and marginalization. This project analyzes school practices and student experiences to understand how inclusion and integration efforts shape student trajectories in francophone settings.
Enseigner la grammaire par la littérature de jeunesse : étude des retombées sur les enseignant·es et les élèves du cycle moyen en Ontario francophone
Professor Joël Thibeault
This study explores how children’s literature can support integrated grammar instruction in Ontario’s French-language schools, in line with the province’s new French curriculum. Building on findings from a pilot study, researchers will work with teachers to develop two grammar teaching sequences using children’s books. The project will assess how these approaches strengthen students’ ability to recognize and apply grammatical concepts in their writing, provide practical guidance to teachers and support implementation of the new curriculum.
