Current Research Projects

   Canadian Women Entrepreneurs: A study of workplace learning and development.

Principal investigator: Tara Fenwick, University of Alberta

co-investigator: Susan Hutton, University of Calgary

Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

This project is multi-year qualitative study begun in 1998, interviewing over one hundred women entrepreneurs across Canada. Women all had left an organizational job to start a business, and had maintained a viable business for at least four years.

   Professional Continuing Education in China: An action research project of teacher development and change in teaching English.

Co-investigators: Tara Fenwick, Jim Parsons, and Joe Wu, University of Alberta

Funded by Canadian International Development Agency, Hebei Publishing House, China, and Duval Publishing House, Alberta, Canada.

This study is a multi-year collaborative action project begun in 1997. Canadian university researchers work with Chinese curriculum developers, teachers, and researchers to develop new pedagogical approaches to teach English in grades 4-12 classrooms in the province of Hebei, China. A wide array of curriculum resources and professional development materials have been created. Research continues to experiment with approaches to support teacher learning and change.

   Professional Growth Plans: Relations between teacher self-assessment, professional knowledge, and school culture.

Principal investigator: Tara Fenwick,University of Alberta

co-investigator: Anne Smulders, University of Alberta

Funded by the University of Alberta, Canada

In Alberta, Canada, teachers are now required to maintain and submit professional learning plans to set goals and plan strategies for their own development. This study, concluded in 2000, interviewed Alberta teachers and administrators about their use of these plans, their value and challenges. This is a pilot project leading to a full study in 2001.

   Mid-Career Professionals, Problem-Based Learning and the Changing Self: Exploring the long-term influence of continuing professional education.

Principal investigator: Tara Fenwick, University of Alberta

co-investigator: Caroline Stuart, University of Alberta

Funded by Royal Roads University, Victoria, B.C., Canada

Royal Roads University offers a non-traditional Master’s degree in leadership and training that is premised on problem-based learning and self-assessment. Graduate professionals often report significant personal transformation affecting their career direction and workplace practice. This study surveyed and interviewed graduates of the program to determine the nature of its long-term influence on their workplace learning.

   Knowledge Networks of Portfolio Workers

Investigator: Tara Fenwick, University of Alberta

Kiran Mirchandani: OISE/University of Toronto

Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada

In this project, we interviewed self-employed individuals in Canada who balance a variety of activities, contract and client types in a form of work that some writers call a "portfolio" career. We were interested in the experience of "portfolio work", and the reasons people enter it. In particular, we wanted to explore how people learn in portfolio careers, and the learning networks they build.

   Learning Corporate Social Responsibility in Small Business

Principal investigator: Tara Fenwick, University of Alberta

co-investigator: Elizabeth Lange, Concordia University-College

Lee-Anne Ragan, Rock-Paper-Scissors

Lynette Shultz, University of Alberta