The Centre for Educational Research, Collaboration and Development provides research grants to tenure-track and tenured faculty, lecturers, and instructors in the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina.
Dr. Marc Spooner
Interim Director
Dr. Marc Spooner is a Professor of Educational Psychology in the Faculty of Education, University of Regina, and the Interim Director of the Centre for Educational Research, Collaboration, and Development (CERCD).
About Dr. Spooner
Dr. Marc Spooner is a professor in the Faculty of Education, University of Regina. He specializes in qualitative and participatory action research at the intersections of theory and action-on-the-ground. His interests include: homelessness & poverty, “audit culture” & the effects of neoliberalization & corporatization on higher education, and social justice, activism, & participatory democracy. He has published in a variety of venues including peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, government reports, and popularizations. He is recognized by the Canadian Senate as an expert in homelessness and has been the principal investigator for several research studies on homelessness funded by federal and municipal governments.
Academic Qualifications
- PhD (Education) University of Ottawa Exploring the processes that lead young adults to channel their creativity in various fields and degrees of social acceptance: An interactionist grounded theory study
External Examiner: Dr. Mark A. Runco, Editor, Creativity Research Journal - MA (Education), Psychopedagogy [Educational Psychology]
- BEd [Primary/Junior/Intermediate/Senior (English)]
- BA (Hon) Psychology Carleton University
Wendy Tower
Research & Graduate Program Facilitator
Wendy Tower is the Research & Graduate Program Facilitator for the Faculty of Education with experience in providing graduate students and faculty with support as they apply for scholarships and research funding.
About Wendy
Amanda Matebekwane
Graduate Research Assistant
Amanda Matebekwane is the Graduate Research Assistant for the Centre for Educational Research, Collaboration, and Development (CERCD). In her role, Amanda provides support for CERCD initiatives.
About Amanda
Amanda Matebekwane is the Graduate Research Assistant for the Centre for Educational Research, Collaboration, and Development (CERCD). In her role, Amanda provides support for CERCD initiatives. Her communication skills, and research skills in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods are the foundation to her work in the centre.
Prior to joining CERCD she worked as a research assistant on a range of projects where she had the opportunity to assist in data collection and analysis. In Botswana – her home country – she assisted international consultants in navigating Botswanan culture and language in pursuing their research interests. There, she held a position of a field researcher in developing an evaluation framework to evaluate play and stimulation programs in Botswana elementary schools. Her significant background in marginalized populations provided her with great opportunities to integrate culturally specific solutions to the children and people in Botswana. Another of her more recent projects involved the assessment of teachers’, administrators’, and bus drivers’ mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic. She has also contributed to the faculty in other ways. Amanda was invited by the Associate Dean to assist in creating and implementing a mentorship program for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) graduate students in the Faculty of Education. A common thread throughout all these initiatives is work that is meaningful and serves the needs of diverse communities. Amanda’s research philosophy aligns with CERCD’s mandate.
Currently, Amanda is pursuing her doctoral studies in Education. Her research will explore Black children’s identity construction in early childhood education. Her research interests focus mainly on social and educational justice, empowering marginalized children and youth. Her doctoral research goal is to better understand this process so that her study results will make a difference in Black children’s and youths’ wellbeing.
Academic Background
- PhD student – Education, University of Regina, In progress
- M.Ed. – Curriculum and Instruction, University of Regina, 2021
- M.Ed. – Research and Evaluation, University of Botswana, 2015
- B.Ed. – Home Economics, University of Botswana, 2006