Since launching in September 2024, Niagara College’s Centre for Research in Education has been making great strides in academic research at the College.
Led by NC Professor Giacomo Folinazzo, the Centre for Research in Education creates and disseminates new knowledge on education-related issues, with the goal of informing, supporting, and improving educational practices.
Since its inception, the Centre has been involved in several research initiatives, working towards advancing knowledge on cross-disciplinarity issues on education.
Dr. Giacomo Folinazzo leads NC’s Centre for Research in Education.
“The vision for Niagara College’s Centre for Research in Education has always been to create and advance knowledge on cross-disciplinary issues in education at a tertiary level through academic research, collaborations, partnerships, and dissemination,” said Dr. Folinazzo. “Since the launch of the Centre, colleagues across the College have reached out to me with a shared passion for academic research and the desire to create a community of practice, conduct research, support colleagues, and ultimately contribute to the success and vision of the Centre. I feel very fortunate to be working by their side to advance research at NC.”
In early December, the Centre hosted its first Speaker Series – a presentation by Dr. Anna Bartosik, Professor and Instructional Designer at George Brown College – which explored how action research projects may develop and the impact on learners as well as teachers. January’s Speaker Series featured Dr. Phoebe Kang, Assistant Professor at the Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy, University of Toronto Mississauga who explored how AI guidelines in Canadian universities shape academic integrity in academic writing. The session was well attended and welcomed participants from nine institutions across Ontario, as well as Japan and Europe.
A recording of the presentations are available to view on the Centre’s website.
The Centre has also gone through a period of considerable growth since the fall, welcoming four new research streams and Research Leads.
The new research streams include Educational Technology (led by Dr. Faith Marcel, School of English Language Studies), Language Education (led by Dr. Giacomo Folinazzo, School of English Language Studies), Nursing Research (led by Dr. Holldrid Odreman, School of Nursing and Personal Support Work), and Business and Management (led by Dr. Susan Ehlert, School of Business and Management).
The Centre for Research in Education is also getting noticed internationally, as Dr. Folinazzo was invited to present his research on Mediation-based language teaching with an Action-oriented Approach in Catania, Italy, for the Lingua e Nuova Didattica (LEND) conference in November. The study – the first empirical study of its kind in the world to address the impact of mediation-based language teaching – was conducted at Niagara College with English for Academic Preparation (EAP) students.
As part of the Centre, Dr. Folinazzo published an article in the prestigious journal New Perspectives: A Journal of TESOL Italy titled: The Action-oriented approach: A real-life, holistic methodology for language teaching. He also published a chapter in the book Educazione Linguistica, documenti pragmatici e proposte didattiche. Alcuni esempi dall’Italia e dal mondo, based on his ongoing research on linguistic mediation and the Action-oriented approach for language teaching.
Looking ahead, the Centre plans to host monthly Speaker Series that will explore a range of topics including Business and Management, Teacher Identity and Nursing Education – which will be the focus of this month’s talk.
Taking place on Mar. 31 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Welland Campus in AH141, this month’s Speaker Series will be the Centre’s first in-person event. Stephen Shears, Nursing Practice Specialist for Niagara region
Public Health will discuss a recent Niagara Region Public Health project to collect, analyze, and utilize sociodemographic data to inform and guide programing and services and will explore the importance of understanding who Public Health serves as the organization strives towards health equity.
When reflecting on the work the Centre has accomplished since opening in 2024, Dr. Folinazzo shared the appreciation he feels for the supportive NC community.
“I’m very proud of the support and excitement that I (and the Centre) have received from my Associate Dean, Charle Voth, and Senior Director, International Students, Shawna Leuy, as well as the NC Executive Team, the Research and Innovation department and President Kennedy.”
“Internal funding and belief in innovation through programs like the Dream Big Fund incentivized the spark that is necessary to bring positive change, improve what we do, question the status quo, and ultimately provide world-class education to our students who entrust us with their time and future,” continued Folinazzo.
Dr. Folinazzo has also applied for several grants that would allow partnership development and research studies through the Social Sciences Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) which, if approved, would be the first of its kind for NC.
For more information about the Centre for Research in Education and to learn more about their upcoming events, please visit the Centre’s website.
