Teaching and Learning Research

CTE provides support to students, faculty, and staff who are interested or engaged in conducting research on teaching and learning. CTE staff are available to help you throughout the research process, from discussing preliminary research ideas to disseminating your results.

Contact Annik Bilodeau, Educational Developer, Research and Consulting, or Brianna Bennett, Educational Research Associate, or the CTE Liaison for your Faculty, for support at any stage of the research process.

We can help you:

Determine an appropriate study design and methodology for collecting data.
Identify relevant resources on campus and in the literature.
Discuss potential strategies for overcoming challenges in your project.
Plan opportunities for disseminating the results of your project to the University of Waterloo community and beyond (e.g., events on campus, conferences, and journals).

Resources

RESEARCH DESIGN

Once per term, we offer a workshop on best practices for Designing Teaching & Learning Research (CTE759). Please see CTE’s event listings to register.
The University of Waterloo Teaching and Learning Research Guide is a step-by-step guide for individuals who are interested and/or engaged in conducting research on teaching and learning. The guide includes:
- Keywords related to teaching and learning to use in your literature search
- Resources for conducting teaching and learning research
- Learning assessment tools from the literature
- Relevant teaching and learning journals, by discipline
- Relevant teaching and learning organizations, websites, and blogs
- Resources on ethical considerations when conducting research with students as participants
The McMaster Research on Teaching and Learning Guidebook provides guidance on starting a teaching and learning research project, including framing the research question, gathering and analyzing evidence, and disseminating your work.

Searching the teaching and learning literature

The Teaching and Learning Research Annotated Literature Database contains summaries of research articles on various teaching topics in higher education
Teaching and Learning Research Journals: The following databases contain examples of interdisciplinary and discipline-specific journals related to teaching and learning:

Funding

LITE Grants: The University of Waterloo funds projects investigating innovative approaches to enhancing teaching and fostering deep learning at Waterloo through the Learning Innovation and Teaching Enhancement (LITE) grants program.
Other Grant Agencies: Below, we’ve listed external agencies that also fund research related to teaching and learning:

Conducting research and analysis

The University of Waterloo Survey Research Centre offers services to individuals conducting survey research including designing surveys, determining methods of data collection, and data analysis.
The University of Waterloo Statistical Consulting and Collaborative Research Unit offers services including advice on designing studies and completing data analysis.

Dissemination

Unsure of where to share your findings? Consult the “Dissemination” page of the University of Waterloo Teaching and Learning Research Guide, which provides links to disciplinary and interdisciplinary conferences and journals related to teaching and learning.
Waterloo instructors have been involved in teaching and learning research for many years. For examples of research conducted prior to LITE grants, please see the Teaching-Based Research Group webpage.
Below is a list of professional organizations whose mandates include teaching and learning research. Explore these websites to learn about further resources, professional development opportunities, and current issues related to teaching and learning.

Inclusive Research

The Inclusive Research Resource Hub is a cross-disciplinary document library of equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI) and Indigenous research resources to facilitate access for University of Waterloo faculty members, students, and staff to incorporate EDI into research design and team planning. Topics range from resource guides to educational opportunities and institutional documents that support embedding EDI into research practices. Users need a uwaterloo.ca email to log in.

The Office of Research Ethics has also compiled essential resources regarding Indigenous research. In addition to the list below, please explore the research ethics guideline on Research with Indigenous Peoples and these equity and inclusion Resources and Guides for Indigenous Research.

First Nations Principles of Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession (OCAP®): OCAP® establishes how First Nations’ data and information will be collected, protected, used, or shared.
Principles of Ethical Métis Research: Métis have different experiences of research than First Nations or Inuit, but there is very little information on research ethics specific to Métis. This guide specifically addresses Métis research ethics.
National Inuit Strategy on Research (pdf): The National Inuit Strategy on Research (NISR) outlines the coordinated actions required to improve the way Inuit Nunangat research is governed, resourced, conducted, and shared.
CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance: The CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance are people and purpose-oriented, reflecting the crucial role of data in advancing Indigenous innovation and self-determination.
FAIR Principles: The FAIR Principles should apply to already existing and newly created Indigenous data. FAIR stands for Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse of digital assets.

References

Bernstein, J., & Ginsberg, S. (2009). Toward an integrated model of the scholarship of teaching and learning and faculty development. Journal of Centres for Teaching and Learning, 41-55.

McKinney, K. (2004). The scholarship of teaching and learning: Lessons, current challenges, and future visions. To Improve the Academy, 22, 3-19.