Visiting Doctoral Student Award – Ian Alexander, PhD Candidate

I am thrilled to be offered the Visiting Doctoral Student Award and am planning to visit Queen’s
University this October to study under the supervision of Dr. Heather McGregor. My doctoral
research examines the perspectives and experiences of social studies teachers who have taught
the British Columbia curriculum in offshore schools (international schools) located in China. My
research methodology is narrative inquiry so during my visit to Queen’s, I intend to share story-
segments from my dissertation data and ask for advice about ways to organize participant stories
into a coherent and creative dissertation. While my research on Canadian teachers in China is a
very different geographical and cultural context than Dr. McGregor’s work in Nunavut, there are
similarities in how teachers from one culture have taught students living in a different culture and
location.

My doctoral visit will help contribute to key goals of Thinking Historically for Canada’s Future,
which include fostering communities of practice among scholars and building trans-systemic
understanding across knowledge systems. I plan to share knowledge and practices from my
British Columbia and international teaching backgrounds with faculty members, graduate
students, and pre-service teachers when I visit Queen’s University. Please stay tuned to a Fall or
Winter newsletter to read my report and learn about my experiences once my visit to Queen’s is
completed.