معرفی
Bonnie Stelmach is a Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta, specializing in rural education, school leadership, and qualitative research methodologies. She holds a PhD in Educational Administration and Leadership from the University of Alberta, an MA in Educational Philosophy from Simon Fraser University, and a BEd from the University of Alberta. Her research focuses on rural school innovation, parent-community-school relationships, and addressing metrocentric biases in educational narratives.
Dr. Stelmach has taught at the University of Saskatchewan (2006-2014) and served as a district coordinator for Alberta’s AISI initiative. She currently leads a community-based research project with New Humble Community School, exploring agricultural literacy’s role in K-9 education. Her work has secured grants from Alberta Education and KIAS, emphasizing participatory research methods.
Research Highlights:
- "School is Such a Chore!" (2022-2024): Investigates agricultural literacy’s impact on student learning and life skills.
- Andrew Rural Academy advocacy: Promoting STEM-focused rural education through charter school initiatives.
- Mentorship of graduate students, including Dr. Lee Smith (2024 Thomas Barr Greenfield Award winner).
Teaching focuses include leadership theories, rural education challenges, and qualitative research methods. She designed the Teacher Leadership in School-Based Agriculture graduate certificate to integrate agricultural literacy into curricula. Current courses (2025) span rural education issues, school leadership foundations, and leadership theory applications.
Grants & Partnerships:
- Alberta Education Research Partnership Program grant (2022-2024).
- KIAS Dialogue Grant (2022).
- Collaborations with Universities of Calgary/Lethbridge on Alberta’s Professional Practice Standards.
Her advocacy extends to redefining rural education narratives, challenging deficit discourses through projects like the Andrew Rural Academy initiative. Personal commitment to rural living and education fuels her research-practice nexus.
