Theme 1.3: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Learning

Designing pedagogical resources for teaching freedom of expression in Culture and Citizenship in Québec

This project, in collaboration with David Waddington (Concordia), Stéphanie Tremblay (UQAM) and Bruce Maxwell (UdeM), focuses on the development of a pedagogical guide and two teaching resources to support teachers addressing freedom of expression as part of the Culture and Citizenship in Québec (CCQ) program. The guide translates legal and educational frameworks as well as recent research into pedagogically robust guidelines. The resources are designed to foster students’ critical thinking through sociological inquiry and ethical dialogue into concrete cases (e.g., dress codes). The project aims to equip teachers with practical tools to facilitate nuanced discussions on freedom of expression, helping students develop informed, responsible, and context-sensitive understandings of this central democratic value.

Researcher: Baptiste Roucau

Disinformation and adherence to conspiracy theories

Through various subsidized projects, Dr. Carignan, in her capacity as UNESCO-PREV Chair, is studying different aspects of the phenomena of disinformation and conspiracy theories such as the ways adhesion to theories takes place, the links between this belief and sympathy for victims of violence, or the behaviour of people who share conspiracy theories online. With this extensive research, which is looking at these phenomena in 8 different countries, the team hopes to better understand the conditions of the concerning rise of conspiratorial thought. This will be crucial information for future interdisciplinary work on how to deal with the phenomenon.

Researcher: Marie-Ève Carignan

Fictional Awareness and Reality Literacy

Dr. Nelson has identified that not only do people need to decide between what is fact or fiction (as a genre), but they must also contend with disinformation. This area of research elaborates on discursive and analytical tools for the cultivation of fictional awareness and reality literacy by studying the relationship between science and aesthetics, what Nelson calls Baroque Science Fiction. This includes the study of reception as it relates to the conscious and unconscious influence of social identities. It also promotes the importance of the humanities for understanding and affecting in a positive way the breakdown of public discourse and the public sphere in our current media-saturated, siloed, and atomized social and political camps. Nelson is interested in the ability of people, in general, to distinguish between (scientific) fact, fiction, and lies in ways that lead to more equitable and socially just human relations. Nelson’s discursive and analytical tools may support students and educators in recognizing information silos in which everything can seem true.

Researcher: Brad Nelson

Homeschooling Practices Among Montreal’s Ultraorthodox Jewish Communities

Since 2018 this project has focused on the implementation of new regulations for home education and the impact of this regulatory framework on Hasidic Jewish communities in Montreal, both pedagogically and socially.

The project has two main components: 1- Documenting the pedagogical practices through which the various initiatives put in place encourage Hasidic boys to complete their secular education, as well as a mapping of the social representations of the parents and staff who attend and work in these centers. 2- An analysis of the regulatory and legal frameworks, as well as their media treatment, which allow these various centers to offer their services to home-educated children.

An international perspective will be added to a historical analysis of the legal framework, in order to better understand the legislative approaches chosen by the Quebec government as well as how the particular context of Montreal's ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities was considered when developing this new legislation.

Researcher: Bruce Maxwell

Hope Network and its Impact

The Hope Network is an online discussion community for adult Canadians moderated by educators and researchers. Funded through donations, the network was established in 2019 under the name Civic Literacy Youth Network (CLYN) in response to concerns raised by young adults about rising levels of racial and religious discrimination. The initiative provides a national forum where participants from across Canada can discuss questions related to religion, spirituality, and secularism while engaging with a full range of viewpoints. The network brings together individuals from both urban and rural contexts and from diverse social and cultural backgrounds, including Indigenous, agnostic, Buddhist, Christian, humanist, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh perspectives, among other religious, spiritual, and secular affiliations.

In addition to facilitating dialogue, Dr. Tiflati’s research examines the impact of the Hope Network as an online, non-traditional educational initiative. Funded by the Canadian Network for Research on Security, Extremism, and Society, this research project evaluates the outcomes and broader significance of the network. Specifically, it investigates how the development of religious literacy within this setting may contribute to strengthening resilience to extremist narratives among young Canadians. The project also examines how participants’ religious literacy informed, or failed to inform, their interpretations of Islamophobia and antisemitism in discussions surrounding Israel and Palestine following the events of October 7.

Researcher: Hicham Tiflati

Intellectual Disability, Student Agency, and Inclusive Education

In this research area, Dr. McDonough examines different conceptions of intellectual disability and how these impact educators’ perceptions of and interactions with students labelled as intellectually disabled. He also interrogates the concept of democratic citizenship, asking how we might challenge current understandings to include students with intellectual disabilities. There is presently a widespread presumption that specific linguistic capabilities are required for deliberation in political matters, and that the absence of such capabilities indicates a lack of democratic capability. When transferred to school settings, this presumption denies certain children important opportunities for citizenship education. McDonough’s work challenges this presumption by addressing often neglected or overlooked forms of political activity where people who lack certain linguistic capabilities or capacities for abstract reasoning can and do participate. For a discussion on the role of educational paternalism and its effects on students’ epistemic agency, especially as it pertains to students labelled with intellectual disabilities, see the article, Disabling Intervention: Intellectual Disability and the Justification of Paternalism in Education.

Researcher: Kevin McDonough

Interventions to counter gender stereotypes in pre-school and kindergarten students

Dr. Plante's project involves the development of activities that vehiculate a message countering gender stereotypes and encouraging a plurality of gender performance (i.e. ways of “being” a boy or a girl) for pre-school and kindergarten students. These classroom interventions will be tested by and with domain specialists from teachers to academic advisers to determine whether they have a greater effect than what is currently being done in classes. This project is of great social and educational pertinence, as it seeks to prevent gender differences in stereotyped fields or influences on performance/interest.

Researcher: Isabelle Plante

K-12 teacher free expression

Dr. Waddington has been conducting research on teacher free expression since 2010, when he became interested in the case of Richard Morin, a PEI teacher who had fought a successful but ultimately pyrrhic legal battle for his right to a reasonable degree of free expression in the classroom. Since that time, the research team, which includes fellow CSLP member Kevin McDonough, has greatly expanded the scope of the project, analyzing the philosophical, legal, and empirical dimensions of teacher free expression within the classroom. The team is currently working on several distinct projects, including a survey of American and Canadian teachers’ classroom practices, as well as a qualitative project involving interviews with teachers who have been involved in free expression controversies. This project has received support from the Centre for Ethics and Education at the University of Wisconsin.

Researcher: David Waddington

Post-method Teacher Training

Dr. Querrien’s Montreal-based project focuses on French as a Second Language (FSL) teacher training. This project is in its third year of using integrative strategies to help train pre-service and in-service teachers in a post-method approach which entails a context-embedded vision of meeting students' needs. A “one size fits all approach” can no longer be accepted if teachers are to respond effectively to globalization and a plurilingual reality of the 167 languages spoken in Montreal. As such, Querrien’s research documents teacher training closely to examine how teachers engage or disengage with the training with a particular focus on challenging traditionally held beliefs about language learning in a way that fosters respect and understanding.

Researcher: Diane Querrien

Spirit and Power: The Global Reach and Political Influence of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements

Dr. Gagné’s research examines how Global Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity intersects with politics, society, and culture. He is particularly interested in how these movements influence public life, political discourse, and social norms, both in Quebec and internationally.

He co-hosts a bi-monthly podcast with his doctoral student, Zackari Bourgeois, called “Spirit, State and Society”, available on Spotify, Substack, and YouTube, where we explore the intersections of religion, politics, and society.

Dr. Gagné’s recent books include American Evangelicals for Trump: Dominion, Spiritual Warfare, and the End Times (Routledge, 2024) and Chrétiens en quête de puissance. Présence globale et politiques des pentecôtismes (Labor et Fides, 2026). 

He regularly contributes to media discussions on religion and politics, particularly regarding evangelical movements. Dr. Gagné’s research has been featured over 400 times across media outlets. He is a strong advocate for religious literacy as a key to understanding society and political dynamics.

Currently, Dr. Gagné is part of the funded MuRel project at l'Université de Montréal. The project examines changes in the religious landscape and local expressions of state neutrality and secularism in Quebec; how citizens and religious or non-religious groups understand and use urban space, how municipalities address religious diversity in daily practices; and how religious groups participate in urban life.

Researcher: André Gagné

Teacher impartiality and responses to unacceptable student speech

This project, conducted with Bruce Maxwell (UdeM), examines how secondary teachers in Quebec and France navigate the tension between maintaining impartiality and protecting student dignity when addressing politically sensitive issues in class. Drawing on interviews with teachers, the study explores a range of reported responses to student speech deemed unacceptable (e.g., discriminatory or derogatory comments), from dialogical engagement to more directive strategies. Using reflexive thematic analysis, the project identifies how teachers justify their interventions, how they interpret the boundaries of acceptable discourse, and how contextual factors (legal frameworks, school culture, perceived severity of comments) shape their decisions. The findings contribute to debates in citizenship education by clarifying how impartiality is enacted in practice, and by proposing a nuanced framework to support teachers in responding to potentially harmful speech while sustaining meaningful classroom dialogue.

Researcher: Baptiste Roucau