Professor (OCT, PhD), Department of Educational Studies
Program Director, Teacher Education
Available for Graduate Advisement
Hamilton, ON
Office: HAM20C
905 547 3555 x3605
darlene.ciuffetelli-parker@brocku.ca
Dr. Darlene Ciuffetelli Parker is a Professor in the Faculty of Education at Brock University.
With many peer reviewed and invited research articles, chapters, books, reports, policy briefs, and newspaper columns, Ciuffetelli Parker’s commitment to narrative inquiry methodology is mirrored by her deeply felt commitment to literacy, critical literacy, and narratives of experience as they apply to equity and inclusive education in school systems.
Her current area of narrative inquiry study has its focus on social justice, equity, and well-being in secondary school systems and post-secondary teacher education. Her current research program brings together two large school systems, community organizations across southern Ontario, parents, high school and university students, educators, administrators, and advisory members in the formation of a Youth Strategy Collaborative Network. Its focus is on the development of an interactive research informed and practice-based human rights strategy that is guided by some foregrounding principles: changing mindset; shifting practices for learning and leading; fostering youth voice, parent engagement, and community access.
During her tenure, Ciuffetelli Parker has completed two major research projects which spanned over many years on students and families affected by poverty, and educators who work in elementary school communities affected by poverty across southern, western, eastern and northern Ontario.
The projects were supported by the Ministry of Education and funded by the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) resulting in several research articles, a research report. as well as a co-authored book entitled Poverty and Schools in Ontario (Ciuffetelli Parker & Flessa, 2011).
The book is having an impact on initial teacher education and the continuing professional development of teachers. Ciuffetelli Parker continues to research and write on poverty and schooling as she advances partnerships to support deeper knowledge.
She readily is an invited keynote/speaker, providing impactful talks to various organizations including: District School Boards, Research Panels/Partnerships, Ontario College of Teachers, Principal Associations, Canadian Women’s University Council, Child Youth Network, and the community at large in Canada and internationally.
Ciuffetelli Parker served as an editor and author of a published volume by Emerald Books (2011), entitled Narrative Inquiries into Curriculum Making in Teacher Education.
This book publication focuses directly on teacher education programs and profiles international scholars on the topic of teacher education studies, including chapters authored by Ciuffetelli Parker and an award winning chapter within the volume by esteemed scholar Cheryl Craig.
Darlene has since contributed a chapter on her literacy narrative framework (2014) in Advances in Research and Teaching Emerald volume International Teacher Education: Promising Pedagogies, with its focus on diversity (equity) in teacher education programs.
Ciuffetelli Parker’s research and teaching throughout her tenure at Brock University has been recognized locally and internationally with prestigious awards, including: the 2012 international American Educational Research Association (AERA) recipient of the Early Career Award of the Narrative Research Special Interest Group, the 2012 Faculty of Education Award for Excellence in Teaching at Brock University, and the 2013 recipient of the institutional Brock Distinguished Teaching Award.
Dr. Ciuffetelli Parker was an administrator, literacy resource-consultant, and elementary teacher in Toronto for over fifteen years before joining Brock University as a professor.
She obtained her PhD from the Department of Curriculum and Teacher Development at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (OISE/UT).
- Narrative inquiry
- Teacher education
- Equity (with its focus on systemic barriers in school systems)
- Diversity (with its focus on socio-economic marginalization and its intersectionality on racialization, immigration, rural and urban settings, well-being, identity & gender, (dis)ability, and power dynamics)
- Literacy education
- Literacy teaching and learning,
- Poverty and education
- Mental health literacies/education
American Educational Research Association
Canadian Association for Teacher Education
Canadian Society for the Study of Education
International Studies on Teachers and Teaching (ISATT)
Language and Literacy Researchers (LLRC), CSSE
Narrative Inquiry Special Interest Group, AERA
Ontario College of Teachers
ii) Monographs
Ciuffetelli Parker, D. (2015). Poverty and schooling: Where mindset meets practice. What Works: Research into Practice Series. Ontario Association of Deans of Education (OADE) and the Ontario Ministry of Education. (4 pages) [blind peer reviewed]
iii) Chapter Contributions to Peer-Edited Books
Ciuffetelli Parker, D., Mogadime, D., Ankomah,W. (In press, 2018). Diversity, curriculum making, and teacher education: Are we doing it right? CATE Polygraph Book Series.[Peer refereed book publication, expected publication fall 2018].
Ciuffetelli Parker, D. (2014). Literacy narratives for 21st century curriculum making: The 3Rs to excavate diverse issues in education. In C.J. Craig, & L. Orland-Barak (Eds). International Teacher Education: Promising Pedagogies (Part A). pp 233-253. Emerald Publishing. UK.
Ciuffetelli Parker, D. & Pushor, D. (2014). How to make teacher education better: The making of an international narrative inquiry teacher education discourse community. In S. Feller, & I. Yengin (Eds). 21st Century Education: Constructing meaning and building knowledge in technology supported learning environments. pp 181-202. Dialogue Series. Benjamin Publishing.
iv) Reports and Policy Briefs
Ciuffetelli Parker, D. (2018). Durham Youth Strategy: Poverty and Education in Secondary School Settings. Final Research Report for the Durham District School Board. (75 pages).
Ciuffetelli Parker, D. (2017). DDSB Youth Strategy – Research Partnership with Brock University. Administrative Report to Trustees. (15 pages).
(b) Papers in Peer Refereed Journals
Ciuffetelli Parker, D., Murray Orr, A., Mitton-Kukner, J., Griffin, S., Pushor, D. (2017).
Problematizing complexities and pedagogy in teacher education programs: Enacting knowledge in a narrative inquiry teacher education discourse community. Canadian Journal of Education.40 (2). 30 pages.
Ciuffetelli Parker, D. (2017). The impact of professional development on poverty, schooling, and literacy practices: Teacher narratives and reformation of mindset. Taylor & Francis Publication: Cogent Education. Vol.4(1) 1-19.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2017.1279381
Ciuffetelli Parker, D. & Craig, C. (2017). An international inquiry: Stories of poverty – poverty stories. Urban Education. Vol. 52(1) 120 –151.
(online access publication pre 2017: http://uex.sagepub.com/search/results?fulltext=Ciuffetelli+Parker+%26+Craig&submit=yes&journal_set=spuex&src=selected&andorexactfulltext=and&x=0&y=0 ).
Grenville, H., & Ciuffetelli Parker, D. (2014). From research assistant to researcher: Being wakeful in a mentorship journey about methodology, poverty, and deficit thinking. FormaMente, 2014. Retrieved from http://formamente.guideassociation.org (Republished from Journal of Research Practice, 2013).
Ciuffetelli Parker, D. (2013). Narrative understandings of poverty and schooling:
Reveal, revelation, reformation of mindsets International Journal for Cross-Disciplinary Subjects in Education (IJCDSE), Special Issue Volume 3, Issue 2, ISSN 2042 6364.
http://www.infonomics-society.org/IJCDSE/
Grenville, H., & Ciuffetelli Parker, D. (2013). From research assistant to researcher: Being wakeful in a mentorship journey about methodology, poverty, and deficit thinking. Journal of Research Practice, 9(2).
Pushor, D. & Ciuffetelli Parker, D. (2013). Reformation of storied assumptions of parents and poverty. International Journal about Parents in Education. 7(2). 164-176.
(c) Papers in Refereed Conference Proceedings
Ciuffetelli Parker. D. (2016). Global issues and barriers to learning: Deconstructing unconscious assumptions of poverty and mental health in secondary school education. Proceedings of the London International Conference on Education, London, UK. Published by Infonomics Society ISBN: 978-1-908320-76-6
(e) Publications in Non-Refereed Journals, Newspapers/Media and Editorials
Ciuffetelli Parker, D. (2017). Youth Strategy Research Partnership. Preliminary Research Report to Durham District School Board Council. June 5, 2017. Durham, Ontario.
Ciuffetelli Parker, D. (2013). Leadership in tight times: Shining your light by leading against storied assumptions of children and youth affected by poverty. Principal Connections, 16(3),16-18.
Ciuffetelli Parker, D. (2013). To my students: Be grateful and be brave. Column in the St.Catharines Standard. October 17, 2013.
Ciuffetelli Parker, D. (2013). Sweet sorrow of parting with summer. Column in the St.Catharines Standard. August 29, 2013.
Ciuffetelli Parker, D. (2013). A lesson on food after the storm. Column in the St.Catharines Standard. July 13, 2013.
Ciuffetelli Parker, D. (2013). Inequality in our Schools: On which side of the tracks? Column in the St. Catharines Standard. May 30, 2013.
Ciuffetelli Parker, D. (2013). Parent engagement versus involvement. Column in the St.Catharines Standard. April 6, 2013.
Ciuffetelli Parker, D. (2013). Every child must feel they belong. Column in the St. Catharines Standard. February 20, 2013.
Ciuffetelli Parker, D. (2013). What brings brighter days in tight times? Column in The St. Catharines Standard. January 5, 2013.
Internal Funding
- 2017 – Principal Investigator. Youth Summit: A social Justice Strategy to Address Poverty and Mental Health in Secondary Students in secondary school education. Social Justice Research Institute Community Grant. $2000.00
- 2017 – Principal Investigator. Youth Summit: How Socioeconomic Factors Affect Well Being & Academic Success. Discretionary Strategic Initiative Fund. Faculty of Education. $2500.00
- 2017 – Principal Investigator. Ontario Youth Strategy: A human rights framework to address poverty and mental health in secondary school education GRAD fund, Faculty of Education. $1850.00
- 2017 – Principal Investigator. R&D fund, Faculty of Education. $ Ontario Youth Strategy: A human rights framework to address poverty and mental health in secondary school education. $1000.00
- 2016 – Principal Investigator. Narratively deconstructing unconscious assumptions of poverty and mental health in secondary school education. Social Justice Research Institute seed grant. $7000.00
- 2015 – Principal Investigator. Narrative inquiry teacher education discourse community: Preparing future teachers as curriculum makers. BSIG seed grant $3660.00
- 2015 – Principal Investigator. If not now, then when? Breaking the stigma of poverty, mental health and education success. R&D research assistant support. $974.00
- 2015 – Principal Investigator. Narrative minds: Diverse issues in teaching and teacher education. Editorial research support. GRAD fund 60 hours. Principal Investigator. If not now, then when? Breaking the stigma of poverty, mental health and education success. Social Justice Research Institute Seed Grant Application. Requested amount $7000.00. Declined Summer 2015. Resubmission November 2015 in preparation for future SSHRC application
- 2013 – Principal Investigator. How do we make teacher education better? The making of a narrative inquiry teacher education discourse community. $666.66
- 2012 – Principal Investigator. How do we make teacher education better? The making of a narrative inquiry teacher education discourse community. Research Seed Grant. Request: $7,998.00 Received: $3,465.06
External Grants
- 2018 – Third Party Evaluator/Researcher (with 5 co-evaluators across Brock U). Niagara Prosperity Initiative Evaluation. Local Poverty Reduction Fund (see https://www.ontario.ca/page/local-poverty-reduction-fund ) Province of Ontario. $514,574.00
- 2017 – Co-Investigator. KNAER Community of Practice. Leading for Equity Knowledge Grant. Ottawa U (PI)). Community of practice collaborators for Southern Ontario Region (Western University PI): Brock University; Durham District School Board, Niagara District School Board, Niagara Poverty Reduction Network. $75,000.00.
- 2017 – Principal Investigator. The Youth Summit: Poverty, Wellness and Community Connections. Niagara Poverty Reduction Network. Collaborative network funding. $1500
- 2016 – Principal Investigator. Durham Youth Strategy: Poverty and Education in Secondary School Settings. Durham District School Board Research Grant Contract. $28,084.00
a)MastersCourses Taught and Developed – Brock University
EDUC 5P81 – Personal Narratives in Educational Research, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017
b) Teacher Education Courses Taught and Developed/Co-ordinated– Brock
EDUC 8P15 Teaching, Learning, and Schooling, 2005 to Winter 2011; Fall 2012 to present
EDBE 8P15.
EDUC 8P20 Language Arts Junior/Intermediate, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017/18
EDUC 8D09 Principles & Practices for Professional Certification, 2005 to 2010
EDUC 8F08 Foundational Methods in Teaching and Learning, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
