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Chandaria Research Centre
Asking and answering questions about educational excellence is a priority at Branksome Hall.
Branksome's School-bAsed Research Centre
In 2016, Branksome Hall opened the doors of the Chandaria Research Centre (CRC), joining the ranks of the few school-based research centres in Canada and internationally.
The CRC marks the legacy of the Chandaria family’s commitment to our school and their belief in the value of a Branksome Hall education.
Our goal is to initiate new research and explore educational excellence in teaching and learning, well-being and international-mindedness in the school.
A Community Hub
The CRC acts as a hub of collaboration and creativity at Branksome Hall by supporting inquiry projects and sharing new research with the community—including our employees, students, parents and alums.
Transforming Learning
By sharing research-informed ideas and findings, the CRC plans to make a positive impact on teaching and learning at Branksome Hall in Toronto, Branksome Hall Asia in South Korea and beyond.
Collaboration and Partnerships
Collaboration is a cornerstone value for the school. The CRC also seeks to partner with schools and organizations on projects that complement our research priorities and advance the future of education.
Sharing Knowledge Globally
We share information and knowledge widely through conferences, partnerships and publications.
KEY RESEARCH AREAS
We are especially interested in research that focuses on female and non-binary student experiences and uses empowering, participatory approaches to engaging faculty and students.
Teaching and Learning
Action research by teachers on what works in the classroom.
Well-Being
Research that supports employee and student wellness.
Current Projects
Branksome Hall deeply values the importance of supporting our community with research-informed practices. Here are some current research projects that we are working on.
Technology has fundamentally changed the classroom through the widespread use of tools such as the internet, video conferencing, learning management systems and online assessments. The future promises even further transformation: tutoring robots, artificial intelligence (AI), immersive virtual reality and personalized learning journeys (OECD Digital Education Outlook, 2021). Although many of these tools show potential for teaching pedagogy and student success, little is known about how such tools might impact classroom dynamics, the role of the teacher, and how to use educational technologies safely and ethically. As a result, it is important to gain evidence-based understanding of the immersion of these tools and their adoption by teachers and students.
To capture the innovation and transformation that is happening at Branksome Hall, the CRC’s program began a participatory approach that focuses on the needs, experiences and voices of teachers and students. Technology is explored as a collection of tools, which may change from person to person, department to department, and across time and technological advancement. The areas of research that will be explored focus on:
- how technology is impacting classrooms from the lens of the evolving role of teachers;
- how students’ learning experiences are changing due to technology, and the skills and supports required for success;
- and the ethics of technology-enhanced learning, including accessibility, equity, privacy and surveillance.
The ultimate goal of this program is to provide Branksome students and employees with voice, choice and a supportive community as they explore the evolving landscape of technology-enhanced teaching and learning.
This longitudinal study follows multiple cohorts of Branksome Hall graduates over a five-year period to uncover the impact of their schooling experiences on their post-secondary education, interests and development as young adults. Initiated in 2017, researchers continue to trace graduates’ diverse and evolving journeys. The study is anchored in four areas of inquiry: the impact of the International Baccalaureate (IB), their experiences of international mindedness, their well-being and their perceptions of leadership. This research aims to capture a rich and detailed portrait of the “road after” for Branksome Hall students while also revealing the transformation young women and non-binary individuals experience in early adult life.
Check out our publications from this study:
Semesters in Solitude: Post-Secondary Life Interrupted by COVID-19
The First Year Story:
Publications
Explore our research projects, reports and videos.
collaborate with us
The CRC reviews requests from external individuals and/or organizations applying to conduct research at Branksome Hall. This review process ensures that proper procedures and guidelines are followed in conducting research.
Research Request Form
research partnership inquiries
We collaborate with schools, universities, and organizations on projects that complement our research priorities and advance the future of education.
Our CRC team is happy to discuss any submitted partnership/collaboration inquiries.
MEET Our TEAM
Dr. Natasha Koustova is a social psychology researcher whose areas of focus include cross-cultural values, beliefs and norms, positive youth development, and girl leadership and civic engagement. She brings her expertise in quantitative and mixed methods applied social research to advance the centre’s research priorities in teaching and learning, student and faculty well-being, and empowering youth leaders to make a difference in the world.
Celeste Kirsh is a teacher-researcher and PhD candidate at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto, where her research explores inquiry-based, social, and digital writing pedagogies that foster joy and civic engagement. With over a decade of teaching experience in both the middle school and graduate level, she is passionate about bridging research and practice, making educational scholarship accessible through academic publications, podcasts, and professional learning initiatives.
Nya Daley Administrative Assistant, DEI and Well-Being
Nya is a dynamic professional who transitioned from a career in the television industry to the field of education in 2023. Currently serving as an administrative assistant at Branksome Hall, she provides support to the Research and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) teams.
Nya Daley Administrative Assistant, DEI and Well-Being
Advisory Board
The role of the CRC Advisory Board is to provide expertise and feedback on the ethical and methodological considerations for research projects, processes and policies of the research centre.
Dr. Eunice Eunhee Jang Professor, OISE, University of Toronto
Eunice Eunhee Jang is a Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on the intersection of language and literacy education, formative and diagnostic assessment, and advanced technology, with a particular emphasis on using artificial intelligence (AI) to develop new methods of assessment and support students' self-regulated learning. Her work examines the opportunities and challenges of using AI for educational assessment and learning. She investigates how technology can be designed to enhance student achievement, motivation, and well-being.
Dr. Eunice Eunhee Jang Professor, OISE, University of Toronto
Dr. Gillian Parekh Assistant Professor, York University
Gillian Parekh is an Assistant Professor and Canada Research Chair in Inclusion, Disability and Education (Tier 2) within the Faculty of Education at York. As a previous teacher in special education and research coordinator with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), Gillian has conducted extensive system and school-based research in Toronto in the areas of structural equity, special education, and academic streaming. In particular, her work explores how schools construct and respond to disability as well as how students are organized across programs and systems.
Dr. Gillian Parekh Assistant Professor, York University
Dr. Limin Jao Associate Professor, McGill University
Limin Jao is in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education at McGill University. Her research focuses on issues of exemplary teaching practice and teacher education (pre-service and in-service), particularly in STEM education contexts. In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate level mathematics education courses, Dr. Jao is involved in various teacher professional development initiatives. A former secondary school mathematics and science teacher, Dr. Jao was also a museum educator for many years.
Dr. Limin Jao Associate Professor, McGill University
Dr. Melanie-Anne Atkins Associate Director, Student Experience, University of Guelph
Melanie-Anne Atkins is the Associate Director, TA Programs at the University of Western Ontario’s Centre for Teaching and Learning and a proud Branksome alumna. She has partnered with every faculty and university college at Western to develop a diverse set of educational resources and assessment tools in the areas of mental health and wellness, financial literacy,
anti-oppressive practices in education, academic literacy and research skill development, intercultural communications, and eLearning.
Dr. Atkins is a certified CliftonStrengths® coach with a special interest in engaging students with traditionally marginalized identities in the academy, peer mentorship and education, holistic student development, anti-oppressive practices in. education, and students as partners in teaching and learning. In 2016, she led the creation of a student-driven wellness education innovation hub teaching evidence-based mental health and wellness strategies to university students, staff, and faculty. Drawing on her PhD research in anti-stigma education, Dr. Atkins has become a key contact for leaders seeking mutually beneficial, enriching, and sustainable strategies to support students with mental illness in the classroom and to promote mentally healthy learning environments for all.
Dr. Melanie-Anne Atkins Associate Director, Student Experience, University of Guelph
Dr. Carly Manion Associate Professor, OISE, University of Toronto
Dr. Carly Manion is an Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, in Educational Leadership and Policy, and the Director of the Comparative, International and Development Education Research Centre (CIDEC) at OISE, University of Toronto. Her research, teaching and advocacy are rooted in the principles of equality and social justice, with specific areas of work including gender (with an intersectional lens), global education policy, international organizations, and teachers, teaching and teacher development. Geographically, her extensive teaching and comparative and international education research spans contexts in East and West Africa, East Asia, South America and North America regions.
