Dr. Trevor Norris

Full Professor (PhD), Department of Educational Studies

Available for Graduate Advisement

A man wears a jacket and scarf while standing outside smiling a the camera.

St. Catharines, ON
905 688 5550 x5897
tnorris@brocku.ca

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Trevor Norris is Full Professor in the Department of Educational Studies. He completed his doctorate in philosophy of education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.

Building on critical educational traditions, his research focuses on the intersection of education, politics and philosophy, particularly the contributions of humanities and conceptually based research in education.

His research focuses on philosophical approaches to globalization, neoliberalism, citizenship, and democracy, with a specific focus on the political and pedagogical implications of consumerism. His research draws from the great educational thinkers of the past, in conjunction with critical educational theory of the present, which together are applied to our current educational challenges.

He is a prominent advocate for the public function of education in a democratic society and his work has appeared in many scholarly journals as well as popular publications such as the Literary Review of Canada and The Conversation

He is author, editor or coauthor of several books. A 2011 book with University of Toronto Press, “Consuming Schools”, investigates the origins and nature of consumerism and its impact on the public and democratic functions of education, with cases drawn from current trends in school commercialism. He is co-author of “Questioning the Classroom: Perspectives on Canadian Education” with Oxford University Press, (2016), an undergraduate textbook which engages key philosophical questions and major debates in Canadian education. He is editor of “Strong Democracy in Crisis: Promise or Peril” (2016) with Lexington Books, which examines the democratic theory of Benjamin Barber and includes contributions from Seyla Benhabib, Carol Gilligan, & Lord Bhikhu Parekh. A coauthor of a biography of a Canadian philosopher of education Dieter Misgeld

He has served as Principal Investigator on two SSHRC research projects. The first examines the teaching and learning of philosophy in schools, investigating teachers’ conceptions of the aims of philosophy education, dynamics within philosophy classrooms, and how students are impacted by studying philosophy. Learn more about the High School Philosophy Project. His second SSHRC funded project is titled “Education, Democracy and the Public Good”.

He is formerly the editor of the journal “Professing Education“, and currently serving as editor-in-chief of the journal “Brock Education: A Journal of Research and Practice”

He is participating faculty with the PhD in Interdisciplinary Humanities program at Brock University.

His work is translated into several languages, including Japanese, French, Polish, Farsi, Spanish, Turkish and Mandarin.

Research Interests

Research Interests

  • Philosophy of Education
  • Teaching and Learning Philosophy
  • Humanities and Conceptually based Research Methods
  • History of Educational Thought
  • Critical Pedagogy
  • Globalization and Development Theories
  • Critiques of Consumerism and Neoliberalism
  • Education and Social Change
  • Modernity and Postmodernity
  • History and Philosophy of Education
  • Political Philosophy and Education
  • Consumerism and commercialism in education
  • Neoliberalism and neoconservativism in education
  • Democracy & Citizenship
  • Controversial issues in education
  • Education and the public good
  • Ethics and Education
  • Philosophy of Technology

Awards and Grants

  • 2022 – Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Scholarship, (SSHRC), $71,300
    Aid to Scholarly Journals (ASJ)
    Title: “Brock Education: The Journal of Educational Research and Practice”
    First Journal at Brock University to win such an award
    Oversee and implement several innovations and improvements (enhance layout, website upgrades, modify notification process, improve linking and DOI process, enhance reviewer guidelines, expand promotional strategies)
  • 2019 – Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Scholarship, (SSHRC), $73,000
    Principal Investigator (PI) and sole applicant on large-scale multi-year Insight Grant (IG)
    Title: “Democracy, Education and the Public Good”
    Design, implement and oversee data collection in school boards and Universitiesm throughout Ontario.
  • 2017- Research and Development Award, Brock University, $1,000
  • 2017- Graduate Fund Research Award, Brock University, $1,000
  • 2016- Research and Development Award, Brock University, $1,000
  • 2014- Graduate Fund Research Award, Brock University, $1,621
  • 2012- Research and Development Award, Brock University, $1,000
  • 2011- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Scholarship, (SSHRC) $101,000
  • Principle Investigator (PI) on large-scale multi-year Standard Research Grant (SRG)
  • Title: Teaching and Learning of Philosophy in Ontario Schools
  • Design, implement and oversee data collection in Grade 11& 12 Public and Catholic, English and French school boards throughout Ontario, including classroom observation, focus groups with Students, and teacher interviews.
  • 2008- Nominee: Governor General’s Award, University of Toronto
  • 2006-08- Dissertation Completion Grant, $2,500 per annum. OISE/UT
  • 2005-06- Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS), $15,000. OISE/UT
  • 2002-07- Doctoral Scholarship: Full Funding Package, $18,200 per annum. OISE/UT

Professional Affiliations

  • Philosophy Teaching and Learning Organization
  • American Political Science Association
  • American Educational Research Association
  • Graduate Students Conference in Philosophy of Education
  • Philosophy of Education Society
  • Ohio Valley Philosophy of Education
  • Canadian Philosophy of Education Society
  • Canadian Society for Studies in Education

Recent Publications

BOOKS 

Norris, T. Consuming Schools: Commercialism and the End of Politics. Forward by Dr. Benjamin Barber. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2011.

  • Reviewed in Teachers College Record, Studies in Philosophy and Education, Educational Philosophy and Theory, Canadian Journal of Political Science, Educational Theory, Teaching Education, Educational Studies, Progressive Librarian, Education, Globalization and Society, Rabble.ca, The Torontoist.

Norris, T. [Ed] Strong Democracy in Crisis: Promise or Peril. Contributions from: Seyla Benhabib, Carol Gilligan, Lord Bhikhu Parekh, Tracy Strong. Lexington Books. 2016

Gereluk, D., Martin, C., Maxwell, B., Norris, T. Questioning the Classroom: Perspectives on Canadian Education. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.

Norris, T., Mesbahian, H., Dieter Misgeld: From Hermeneutics of the Ancient Text to the Text of Emancipatory Politics. Sense Publishers, January 2017.

BOOKS IN PROGRESS

Norris, T. [Ed] But What Should I Do in my Methodology Chapter? Promoting Philosophy as Educational Research. Routledge. In preparation, 2024.

Norris, T., Trump v Education. Palgrave Macmillan, 2024. 

Norris, T., [Ed] The Teaching and Learning of High School Philosophy in Ontario. Vernon Press, 2019.

REFEREED JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS

McDonough, G., Norris, T., Bialystok, L., Pinto, L. (2023) “I do have to represent the faith”: How Ontario’s Catholic Secondary Schools Philosophy Courses Reveal a Limited Conception of Catholicism”. Journal of Religious Education. 

Norris, T., (March, 2022) “Educational futures after COVID-19: Big tech and pandemic profiteering versus education for democracy”. Policy Futures in Education.  

Norris, T., (2021) “What is educational about education?” Educational Theory. Special Issue: “Educations’ Autonomy”. Ed by Doron Hassidim & John Baldacchino. 

Norris, T., (2020) “Philosophy of Education as Personal” Educational Philosophy and Theory.  

Norris, T., (2020) “Pandemic Parenting & Philosophy in Crisis” Philosophical Inquiry in Education, 27 (2). 

Norris, T., (2020) “Are Students Becoming Consumerist Learners?” Journal of Philosophy of Education. 54(4).  

Bialystok, L., Norris, T., Pinto, L. (2019) “Teaching and Learning Philosophy in Ontario Schools”. Journal of Curriculum Studies. 51(5). 

Norris, T., (2015) “Philosophical Questions about Teaching Philosophy: What’s at stake in high school philosophy education?” Philosophical Inquiry In Education

Sandlin, J. Burdick, J. Norris, T.  (2012) “Erosion and Experience: Education for Democracy in a Consumer Society” Review of Research in Education. Special Issue: “Education, Citizenship and the Common Good,” March, 2012.

  • RRE is ranked number 1 in impact factor in the field of education.

Norris, T. “Consuming Schooling: Education as Simulation,” Philosophy of Education Yearbook, 2007, 162-171.

Pinto, L., Boler, M., Norris, T. “Literacy is just reading and writing, isn’t it? Conceptions of Literacy in Ontario High-Stakes Testing and its Press Coverage.” Policy Futures in Education. V. 5, No.1, January 2007), 84-99.

Norris, T. “Hannah Arendt and Jean Baudrillard: Pedagogy in the Consumer Society”. Studies in Philosophy and Education. V. 25, No. 6 (November, 2006), 457-477. (Translated into Farsi)

Norris, T. “Consuming Signs, Consuming the Polis: Hannah Arendt and Jean Baudrillard on Consumer Society and the Eclipse of the Real.” International Journal of Baudrillard Studies. V. 2, No. 2 (July 2005). Required reading in Senior Sociology Seminar, Bishops University, Dr. Gerry Coulter.

Norris, T. “Hannah Arendt and Paulo Freire: Consuming, Schooling, and the End of Politics.” Kwartalnik Pedagogiczny. No. 2 (196), 2006, 73-91. (Part translated into Polish)

Norris, T. “Re-thinking Re-producing Consumption: Hannah Arendt, Paulo Freire and the Pedagogy of Possession.” Philosophical Studies in Education Yearbook, 2005, 77-90.

IN SUBMISSION

Norris, T., Deer, F., “Problematizing Remembrance: Acknowledging Indigenous Achievement and Loss in Canadian Activities of Observance. Canadian Journal of Education. 

Norris, T., Hermeneutic Phenomenology and the Contributions of the Human Sciences”. Journal of Critical Psychology.  

Norris, T. “The value of philosophy of education, or, how to sell a subject.” Educational Philosophy and Theory.   

Norris, T. “Teaching & Learning Philosophy in Ontario High Schools: Relativism & Dogmatism”, Teaching Philosophy. 

Norris, T. “W(h)ither the West? The Failures of Liberalism and the Future of Democracy, Review of Politics.

Norris, T. How Teachers and Students Conceptualize Philosophy in Ontario High Schools, Canadian Journal of Education.

Norris, T. Teaching & Learning Philosophy in Ontario High Schools: Relativism & Dogmatism, Teaching Philosophy.

Norris, T. Teaching & Learning Philosophy in Ontario High Schools: Benefits of HSP, Journal of Thinking.

BOOK CHAPTERS

Norris, T., (2023) “Education, the Far Future, and the End of Times”. Civilizational Collapse and Post-Apocalyptic Survival. Michael Peters and Thomas Meier. New York: Sense Publishers.  

 Norris, T., (2022) “The consumerist threat to education and democracy: The place of consumerism in moral education”. Moral Education in the 21st Century. Edited by Mark Jonas, Douglas Yacek, Kevin Gary. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 

Norris, T., Ratkovic, S., Martinovic, D., (2017) “The Role of Curriculum Documents in Youth’s Ideological Upbringing: Consuming or Loving the World?” in Sociocultural Perspectives on Youth Ethical Consumerism (43-60). Springer.

Norris, T. (2016) “Introduction” Strong Democracy in Crisis: Promise or Peril (1-14). Maryland: Lexington.

Norris, T. (2013) “Arendt, Freire and the Pedagogy of Possession.” In John Portelli and William Hare (Ed.), Philosophy of Education: introductory readings (4th revised edition; 255-270). Calgary, AB: Brush Publishers.

Norris, T. (2012) “Philosophy Questions about Assessment in Philosophy.” In Jana Mohr Lone and Roberta Israeloff (Ed.), Philosophy and Education: Introducing Philosophy to Young People (201-208). Cambridge Scholarly Publications.

Norris, T., Stasko, C. (2008). “Packaging Youth and Selling Tomorrow: Deconstructing the Myths of Marketalkracy.” In Deron Boyles (Ed.), The Corporate Assault on Youth: Commercialism, Exploitation, and the End of Innocence (126-158). New York: Peter Lang.

Norris, T. (2005) “A Metanarrative of Emancipation”, in Peter Pericles Trifonas (Ed.), Communities of Difference: Language, Culture, Technology (pp. 127-139). New York: Palgrave MacMillan.

BOOK REVIEWS

Norris, T., (2021) “K-12 Education as a Hermeneutic Adventurous Endeavor.” Canadian Journal of Education

Norris, T., (2019) “Philosophy in Education: Questioning and Dialogue in Schools”, Philosophical Inquiry in Education. 26(1).

Norris, T., (2019) “Captive Audience: How Corporations Invaded Our Schools” by Catherine Gidney. Canadian Journal of Education, 41(1).

Norris, T. “School Commercialism and the Fate of Public Schooling: What’s `Good` for America?”, Review Essay, Educational Researcher. October 2006, 32-35.

Norris, T.“Case Studies in Educational Foundations”, by Hasinoff & Mandzuk.” Historical Studies in Education. Spring 2018.

FORWARD

Norris, T (2016) “Dust Unsettled: Baudrillard at Play” Forward to Jean Baudrillard, the  Portrayal of Youth in American Cinema, and Fatal Strategies for a New Education by Kip Kline. Rowman and Littlefield, 2016.

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Norris, T. (2015) “Editorial: From Quebec to Mexico” Professing Education Vol 11, No 1.

Norris, T. (2014) “Cutbacks and Commercialism in Ontario Schools.” Education Action.

Norris, T. (2014) “Editorial: “Reflections on the field, reflective research, and international perspectives”. Professing Education. Vol 10, No. 1.

Norris, T. (2013) “Editorial: Reflecting on the professoriate: What is it that we do?” Professing Education. Vol 9, No. 1.

Norris, T. (2013) “Review Symposium on Consuming Schools,” Policy Futures in Education. (With contributions from three scholars and a response by author). Vol. 11, No 3.

Norris, T. (2011) “Response to Waddington.” Studies in Philosophy and Education, 30, 93-96.

Norris, T. (2010) Encyclopedia entries for: “Neoliberalism,” “Neoconservativism,” “Commercialism in Schools,” “Participatory Democracy,” in The Greenwood Dictionary of Education, Second Edition. Westport, CT.

Norris, T. (2009) “The Illusory Solution: Is Commercialization the ‘Future’ of Education at the TDSB?” Our Schools/Ourselves, 49-54. (Translated into Japanese, 2013)

Norris, T., Stasko C. (2007) “The Product is Youth: Teen Marketing and the Selling of Tomorrow.” The Association for Media Literacy.

Norris, T. (2005, Spring). “Consuming Youth. Orbit Magazine, 22.

Norris, T. (2005, Spring). “Cultivating Sweet Things: An Interview with Carly Stasko.” Orbit Magazine, 23-26.

Norris, T. (2004) “Hannah Arendt and Jean Baudrillard: Pedagogy in the Consumer Society”. Informal Education and Lifelong Learning. (Translated into Turkish) http://www.infed.org/biblio/pedagogy_consumer_society.htm

POETRY AND CREATIVE WORK

Norris, T. (2002) “The Old Lady’s Walkway”, “Unmoved”. McMaster University. Religious Studies Department Newsletter.

TRANSLATIONS

Work translated into: Japanese, French, Polish, Farsi, Spanish, Turkish and Mandarin.

EDITORIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

2012-Editor, “Professing Education”, Journal of the Society of Professors of Education

  • Actively solicit contributions
  • Support contributors through multiple drafts
  • Write introduction which comments on articles and provides overview of issue
  • Provide steerage and visioning for focus and future direction of journal

2018- Associate Editor, “Brock Education: The Journal of Educational Research and Practice”

  • Actively solicit contributions
  • Support contributors through revisions and drafts
  • Write introduction which comments on articles and provides overview of issue
  • Provide steerage and visioning for focus and future direction of journal
  • Manage Board of Directors

EDITORIALS

Norris, T., (2023) “Education and the End of Times”. Brock Education: A Journal of Educational Research and Practice 33 (1). 

Norris, T., (2022) “Editorial. The School of Nature: Education and the Natural World”. Brock Education: A Journal of Educational Research and Practice 31 (2).

Norris, T., (2022) “Editorial. Memorialization, Decolonization, and Schools: Memorializing Forced Forgetting” Brock Education: A Journal of Educational Research and Practice 31 (1). 

Norris, T., (2021) “Editorial. Journalology: The Study of the Dissemination of Academic Knowledge”. Brock Education: A Journal of Educational Research and Practice 30 (2).  

Norris, T., (2021) “Editorial. Big Tech, Big Winners, and Big Debt”. Brock Education: A Journal of Educational Research and Practice 30 (1).  

Norris, T., (2020) “Editorial. Pandemic Pedagogy: Innovative Strategies for Uncertain Times”. Brock Education: A Journal of Educational Research and Practice 29 (2). 

Norris, T., (2020) “Editorial: Freedom of Speech in Academic Publishing” Brock Education: A Journal of Educational Research and Practice 29 (1). 

Courses Taught

  • EDUC 1F95    Foundations of Education
  • EDUC 5P20    History and Philosophy of Education
  • EDUC 5P30    Development, Learning and Curriculum
  • HUMA 7P56   Consumerism as Worldview
  • HUMA 7P57    Foundational Questions about Education, Democracy & the Public Good
  • EDUC 4P15    Research on Teaching 
  • EDUC 5P99    Introduction to Studies in Education
  • EDUC 5Q97   Culminating Seminar in Educational Studies 
  • HUMA 7N07   Research and Professionalization Seminar