Cathy Bruce

Cathy Bruce

Professor, VP Research & Innovation

cathybruce@trentu.ca
705-748-1011 ext 7601
GSC 344.7

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With 14 years of classroom teaching experience and 15 years in academia, Dr. Cathy Bruce is passionate in her conviction that all learners are capable of success, from the young student to the experienced educator. Cathy is Full Professor and Dean of Education, Teaching and Learning at the School of Education and Professional Learning, at Trent University, in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. In 2013, she was awarded the prestigious Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations Teaching Award for teaching excellence. In 2015, she was awarded the Eduardo Flores International Leadership Award for her leadership in action research. She has an active research program focused on young children’s spatial reasoning and its relationship with their mathematics learning. “Math for Young Children” is a SSHRC-funded research program, ongoing since 2011, designed to investigate children’s spatial and mathematical capability given rich tasks and adequate support in an atmosphere of playful learning. She and her research team have also investigated teacher and student efficacy, the effectiveness of alternative models of professional learning for teachers, and the use of technology in the mathematics classroom. Cathy has also conducted longitudinal research in the challenging mathematics topics of fractions and linear functions, investigating effective teaching practices for building deep conceptual understanding. Cathy’s approach to research involves collaborating with educators in classrooms to bridge research-practice gaps in education.