Course number and title: CTL1049H - Critical Practitioner Research in Education
Course description: This course explores inquiry as a methodological stance on practice, a framework for investigating and addressing critical issues in school, classroom, and community-based research. What Cochran-Smith and Lytle (2001; 2009) have theorized as an inquiry stance invites educators to regard educational projects as sites of knowledge generation, occurring within social, historical, cultural, and political contexts. With its emphasis on the intimate relationship between knowledge and practice, this concept foregrounds the role that practitioners can play—individually and collectively—in generating understandings, rich conceptualizations, in the service of enacting new educational possibilities. Taking an inquiry stance involves constructively problematizing conventional educational arrangements, interrogating how knowledge is constructed, evaluated and used in various settings, and re-imagining the roles practitioners might play in actualizing change in their work contexts.
Drawing on this notion of inquiry as stance, this course will explore what it means to be a practitioner researcher in educational institutions and community-based organizations. This course is intended for MA and PhD students interested in exploring the possibilities and the potential of developing new understandings and research within actual educational contexts that they shape daily. This may include a range of initiatives, from developing small-scale studies to inform ongoing practice to developing larger research projects, including practitioner inquiry dissertations. The course will pay particular attention to the conceptual and experiential frameworks that practitioners bring to site-based educational research. We will consider critical practitioner research in relation to other methodological approaches as well as educational conversations about the nature of research, with special consideration of how research might shape practice and inform policy and the potential contributions practitioners can make.
Estimated TA support: No
Estimated course enrolment: 35
Class schedule: Tuesday 17:00 - 20:00
Sessional dates of appointment: 2026-09-01 - 2026-12-31
Appointment percentage: 100
Salary: As of September 1, 2026, the minimum stipend is $9972.475 (inclusive of vacation pay) for a half credit course.
As of January 1, 2027, the minimum stipend is $ $9972.475 (inclusive of vacation pay) for a half credit course. Salary may be prorated based on the appointment percentage.
Minimum Qualifications:
Candidates should have completed a doctoral degree that involved practitioner research and demonstrated currency and mastery of area. Mastery may be demonstrated by participation in practitioner research communities, as well as scholarly publications and presentations establishing expertise in the field of practitioner research.
Preferred Qualifications: Preference will be given to individuals who have extensive experience in conducting practitioner research since completing their degree, have been involved in practitioner research communities internationally, including participating in practitioner research conferences, and have a record of publications and presentations in the field of practitioner research.
Description of duties: Prepare, organize, and teach this half-course graduate seminar; be available to students seeking assistance between classes; evaluate and provide students with feedback on their work.
Application Procedure: Please indicate in a letter of application why you believe your experience qualifies you to teach this particular course. Please include a current CV and names of three referees in your cover letter. If you are selected for an interview, we will notify you to provide reference letters.
Please apply at: https://hiring.oise.utoronto.ca/sl/sessional_lecturer_jobs
Apply here: https://hiring.oise.utoronto.ca/sl/sessional_lecturer_jobs
This job is posted in accordance with the CUPE 3902 Unit 3 Collective Agreement. It is understood that some announcements of vacancies are tentative, pending final course determinations and enrolment. Should rates stipulated in the collective agreement vary from rates stated in this posting, the rates stated in the collective agreement shall prevail. Preference in hiring is given to qualified individuals advanced to the rank of Sessional Lecturer II or Sessional Lecturer III in accordance with Article 14:12 of the CUPE 3902 Unit 3 collective agreement. Please note: Undergraduate or graduate students and postdoctoral fellows of the University of Toronto are covered by the CUPE 3902 Unit 1 collective agreement rather than the Unit 3 collective agreement, and should not apply for positions posted under the Unit 3 collective agreement.
Diversity Statement
The University of Toronto embraces Diversity and is building a culture of belonging that increases our capacity to effectively address and serve the interests of our global community. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, and people of diverse sexual and gender identities. We value applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and recognize that diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise are essential to strengthening our academic mission.
As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a brief Diversity Survey. This survey is voluntary. Any information directly related to you is confidential and cannot be accessed by search committees or human resources staff. Results will be aggregated for institutional planning purposes. For more information, please see http://uoft.me/UP.
Accessibility Statement
The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission.
The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities.
If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact
[email protected].
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