Friday, June 19, 2015, Peterborough

Dr. Cathy Bruce, an expert in teacher and student efficacy and a Trent University School of Education and Professional Learning researcher and professor, has been awarded a competitive grant for over $24,000 through the Knowledge Synthesis competition by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) for research she will lead focused on spatial reasoning and its role in education and learning.

Professor Cathy Bruce, who was just named the interim dean of the School of Education and Professional Learning at Trent University and is also the director of the Trent Centre for Teaching and Learning, was awarded one of only 20 knowledge synthesis grants provided to researchers across the country. 

“This knowledge synthesis grant is a great opportunity to bring researchers together from around the world in order to systematically gather research knowledge about spatial reasoning,” says Prof. Bruce. “We are drawing on research from education, mathematics, psychology, neuroscience and other sciences to understand the larger landscape of spatial reasoning and its importance in mathematics learning, STEM careers and daily life.”

The grant application provided through SSHRC was made available to leaders in post-secondary institutions, like Prof. Bruce, who are researching new ways of learning and teaching in order to maintain a highly skilled workforce in an evolving society and labour market.

Prof. Bruce adds, “The competition for this grant was intense, and it is such an honour to bring this SSRHC award to Trent University – a place where multidisciplinary work is central to how we make sense of challenging issues.”

This collaborative project, led by Prof. Bruce and involving colleagues around the world, focuses on understanding the importance of spatial reasoning for young children and its impact on their future success in school and beyond. The results of the project will be presented this fall.

“Once again Cathy Bruce’s research excellence has been recognized with a highly competitive SSHRC grant,” said Neil Emery, vice president, research and international. “This grant is one of three SSHRC grants that Dr. Bruce has right now, a true testament to the contribution she is making in the education field on behalf of Trent.”

About SSHRC

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council is the federal research funding agency that promotes and supports post secondary-based research and training in the humanities and social sciences. Through its programs, SSHRC works to develop talented leaders for all sectors of society. SSHRC supports over 8,400 research projects annually. SSHRC’s Knowledge Synthesis Grants combine or “synthesize” current academic knowledge, and make the information accessible to a broader audience. The grants examine existing research emerging over the past 10 years to address future challenge areas, such as the Imagining Canada’s Future initiative. 

Posted on Friday, June 19, 2015.