Ruth Nielsen
Critical Policy, Equity and Leadership Studies
Bachelor of Arts, Honours - English Literature - University of Victoria, Master of Arts - Education, Critical Policy, Equity, and Leadership - Western University
Ruth Nielsen
Critical Policy, Equity and Leadership Studies
Bachelor of Arts, Honours - English Literature - University of Victoria, Master of Arts - Education, Critical Policy, Equity, and Leadership - Western University
I am a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education, Critical Policy, Equity, and Leadership Studies. My research focuses on how Ontario high-school principals understand and promote equity in virtual schooling.
As a born and raised Yukoner, from Whitehorse, Yukon, I am very interested in decolonizing research including Northern communities. My MA research (completed in 2020) was an autoethnography of my experience negotiating access for collaborative inquiry into shared educational leadership in the Yukon Territory.
I earned my Bachelor of Arts, Honours from the University of Victoria in 2013. Here, my studies focused on contemporary western Canadian fiction. My final project used a post-colonial theoretical lens to examine the concept of home in Eden Robinson’s Monkey Beach and Jack Hodgins’ Broken Ground.
My research interests are virtual schooling, educational leadership, ethical leadership, shared / collaborative leadership, decolonizing research, equity, social justice, epistemology, critical theory, and Foucauldian theory.
Katina Pollock, PhD
Supervisor
Course Work Completed
PHD Courses:
GRADEDUC9715 – PhD Seminar
GRADEDUC9430A – Leading schools
GRADEDUC9711B – Qualitative research in education
GRADEDUC9705B – Advanced quantitative research methods
GRADEDUC9621A – Intro to quantitative research methods
MA Courses:
GRADEDUC9200A – Social context of education
GRADEDUC9629A – Equity and social justice
GRADEDUC9201B – Introduction to education research
GRADEDUC9507B – Graduate seminar in school leadership
GRADEDUC9685A – Independent reading/research – Indigenous and decolonizing leadership
GRADEDUC9204B – Indigeneity and (de)colonizing research
GRADEDUC9202L – Critical policy studies in education
PUBLICAD9901L – Advanced local government
PUBLICAD9902L – Policy processes in local government
Awards
Awards
2021 - Dr. Allen Pearson Graduate Award in Educational Leadership
2019 - Dr. Allen Pearson Graduate Award in Educational Leadership
Funding
2019 / 2020 – Northern Scientific Training Program
2019 – Terry Demers Memorial Graduate Bursary
Conferences Attended
Nielsen, R. (2023). Safety concerns of K-12 principals in post-COVID-19 virtual schools. [Conference presentation]. International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement 2023, Viña del Mar, Chile.
Nielsen, R. (2022). The techification of education in Ontario’s virtual school leadership. [Virtual conference presentation]. World Education Leadership Symposium 2022. Zug, Switzerland.
Nielsen, R. (2021). Leadership for equity in virtual schooling: A call for epistemic equity. [Virtual conference presentation]. University Council for Educational Administration 2020 Convention, Columbus, OH
Nielsen, R. (2021). (Re)Creating and (Re)Structuring: A Foucauldian analysis of school leadership research. [Virtual conference presentation]. Robert MacMillan Symposium in Education, London, ON.
Nielsen, R. (2020). Educational leadership in the Yukon* [Conference presentation]. Canadian Society for the Study of Education Conference, London, ON. *Cancelled due to COVID-19
Nielsen, R. (2020). Educational leadership in Yukon communities*. [Conference presentation]. Robert MacMillan Symposium in Education, London, ON. *Declined due to COVID-19
Publications
Nielsen, R. (2023). The techification of education in Ontario’s virtual schools. Canadian Journal for New Scholars in Education. 14(1). https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cjnse/issue/view/5394
Pollock, K., Nielsen, R., & Wang, D. (2023) School principals’ emotionally draining situations and student discipline issues in the context of work intensification. Educational Management, Administration, and Leadership, X(X). https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432231165691
Pollock, K., Nielsen, R., & Singh, S. (2023) [Forthcoming]. School principals’ work intensification and resilience: A call for structural change. Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy.
Nielsen, R. (2021). Book Review: How school principals use their time: Implications for school improvement, administration, and leadership. Leadership and Policy in Schools. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2021.1966049
Additional Information
Teaching and Training Experience
| Western Certificate in University Teaching and Learning | Expected: 2023 |
| Chat GPT: New Technology (Some) Familiar Teaching and Learning Approaches, Centre for Teaching and Learning | 2023 |
| Western Advanced Teaching Program | 2021 |
| TA eLearning Series | 2021 |
Future Prof Series
|
2021/2022 |
Research Training
| Impossible to Ignore: Develop guiding principles for responsible adoption of Generative AI, Info-Tech Research Group |
2023 |
| Literature Review for Systematic/Scoping Reviews, Western University | 2023 |
| The Ideal Qualitative Study with a Quantitative Component, William Bannon | 2022 |
| Introduction to Statistics, Seneca College | 2020 |
| Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans, Tri-Council Panel on Research Ethics | 2019 |
| Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples of Canada, Tri-Council Panel on Research Ethics | 2019 |
| SGPS Academic Integrity Module, Western University | 2018 |
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Training
| Supporting Disclosures of Gender Based Sexual Violence Training¸ Western University | 2022 |
| Working Together: Ontario Human Rights Code & Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, Government of Ontario | 2021 |
| Access Forward: Customer Service Standards for Accessibility, Government of Ontario | 2021 |
| Yukon First Nations 101, Yukon College | 2018 |
Committee Membership
| Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) – Councilor – Western University |
2019 - Present |
| Robert Macmillan Symposium Organizing Committee – Chair - Western University | 2022 - 2023 |
| Education Graduate Student Association – Vice-President – Western University | 2022 - 2023 |
| SOGS Appeal Review Commission – Committee member – Western University | 2020 - 2022 |
| SOGS Administrative Hiring Committee – Committee member – Western University | 2021 |
| SOGS Graduate Peer Support Committee – Committee member – Western University | 2019 - 2021 |
