Combining this lived experience with advanced studies in education, economics and information systems, her research brings a unique perspective to classroom challenges, especially in resource-limited settings. In this Scholars in Education interview, Aboaja reflects on her search for solutions through doctoral studies in the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Education.
Tell us what shaped your path to graduate school?
I was born to Nigerian parents and have lived most of my life in Nigeria, where my early experiences in school and community shaped my interest in how learning happens. I completed my first degree in education with an economics major, and soon after explored entrepreneurship and the business world. Curiosity about systems, innovation, and how people learn and work led me to pursue a master’s degree in information systems and business management at the University of Bedfordshire in England, and a second master’s degree in education at the University of Ottawa.
I spent six years as a homeroom teacher in elementary schools and served for four years as an educational program coordinator. Those roles gave me a front-row view of what teachers and students need to thrive in environments where infrastructure, time and support are often stretched. Since then, I have been motivated by a desire to support meaningful learning experiences that are realistic in everyday classroom practice. This motivation has pushed me to better understand how educational technologies can be thoughtfully integrated into communities where connectivity, devices and institutional capacity may be unequal.
Walk us through your doctoral research.
My PhD project explores how learning management system (LMS) platforms are used within complex educational systems, and what this reveals about digital innovation in teaching and learning. LMS tools are often presented as straightforward solutions for organizing instruction, communication and assessment. In reality, their use is far more complicated, especially in contexts where unequal digital access and limited infrastructure intersect with school expectations, parental pressures and institutional decisions.
Using a qualitative exploratory case study approach, my research examines LMS adoption, mediation and everyday use in private K–12 schools. I pay particular attention to the tensions between pedagogical intentions and the realities that shape implementation. Ultimately, my project aims to show not just whether LMS platforms are used, but how they are used, why certain practices emerge, and what these patterns mean for improving teaching and learning in resource-constrained environments.
What drew you to this topic?
When COVID-19 began, I experienced firsthand how difficult it was for teachers, parents and students to continue learning under sudden disruption. The experience made it clear that access to learning is not only about motivation or good teaching, but also about systems, infrastructure and the tools available to families and schools.
That urgency led me to pursue my master’s in education at the University of Ottawa, where I studied remote teaching strategies used in other contexts and explored what could realistically be adapted for Nigerian elementary schools. While that work was meaningful, I realized that I wanted to go deeper to understand the broader systems shaping technology use and to examine not only “what works,” but what constrains or enables implementation in real school environments.
This is what brought me into doctoral research: to investigate how Nigerian schools can integrate learning technologies in ways that are sustainable, context-sensitive and genuinely supportive of learning. While my study is rooted in Nigeria, I believe the insights can extend to other emerging nations and communities facing similar infrastructural and equity challenges.
Who could benefit from your work?
First, I want my work to support teachers by highlighting practical, context-aware strategies for using LMS platforms when they face connectivity limitations, unequal access to devices, or competing demands from parents and administrators. I hope school leaders and administrators will benefit from clearer evidence about what effective LMS implementation actually requires beyond simply adopting a platform, including training that connects technology to pedagogy, realistic policy expectations, and planning that accounts for learner access.
Policymakers and education stakeholders may find value in my study’s insights into how digital initiatives play out on the ground. Rather than assuming that technology adoption automatically improves learning, my doctoral project shows why local context matters and what supports are needed for technology to contribute meaningfully to educational outcomes. Finally, I wish my research contributes to broader conversations about digital equity by centering the lived realities of learners and educators in the Global South and pointing toward models that are adaptable in under-resourced contexts.
Any surprises along the way?
One surprising insight is the creativity teachers demonstrate in adapting LMS tools to local realities. Even when full platform functionality is difficult to sustain, teachers find workarounds to keep students learning through blended approaches, simplified routines and alternative communication methods. This has reinforced, for me, that effective digital learning is not only about the tool itself, but also about how educators adapt it with pedagogical intention under real constraints.
Was there an idea or concept that expanded your thinking?
One of the most impactful ideas for me has been the importance of examining education through the lens of equity, particularly how disability, race and access intersect in learning environments. Beyond my dissertation work, I have been deeply influenced by research projects that I am involved in with Professor Tya Collins at the intersection of Blackness and disability.
Listening to participants’ stories and engaging closely with these narratives has sharpened my understanding of how barriers to learning are often layered. Before now, I had not considered that what appears as a “technology challenge” may also reflect deeper issues of inclusion, accommodation and systemic neglect. At the same time, working closely with my supervisor, Professor Yaya Kone, on my LMS project has helped me pay closer attention to the subtle ways educational systems shape what is possible for teachers and learners.
Together, these experiences have expanded how I think about remote learning and technology adoption in educational contexts. I am becoming more attentive to whose needs are centered in education decisions, and how students living with disabilities often face additional, less visible obstacles when learning shifts online.
Why uOttawa?
I chose the University of Ottawa for my Master’s degree because it is Canada’s largest bilingual university, and I wanted to strengthen my French while pursuing a rigorous graduate program. Since arriving, I’ve taken advantage of the free French courses for graduate students, progressing from not knowing how to say “hi” to reaching a B1 level. I’m grateful for this journey and for the support of my family, friends, and professors in the Faculty of Education, who have mentored and collaborated with me in both coursework and research. I also wanted an environment with strong academic support, a vibrant scholarly community, and the resources to conduct qualitative research effectively. When it came time to apply for my PhD, staying at uOttawa felt like a natural choice. I received an admission scholarship and had already built meaningful relationships with peers, colleagues, and lab members who continue to inspire my work.
Learn more about Ijeoma Aboaja
Ijeoma Aboaja is a teacher, researcher and curriculum developer. She is also a doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa. Follow her research on LinkedIn.
