Dr. Leanne Taylor

Associate Professor, BA.(Hon.), MA, PhD, Department of Educational Studies

Contact for Availability for Graduate Advisement

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Office: WH271
905 688 5550 x4965
[email protected]

Website

Dr. Leanne Taylor (she/her) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Studies at Brock University. She is a 2025 3M National Teaching Fellow and currently holds a Chancellor’s Chair for Teaching Excellence (2024–2027). She has also received both the Faculty of Education Award for Teaching Excellence and Brock University’s Distinguished Teaching Award. Dr. Taylor serves as Co-Chair of the Faculty of Education’s Equity and Social Justice Standing Committee (ESJC) and is affiliated with the Social Justice and Equity Studies (SJES) Master’s program.

 

Dr. Taylor’s scholarship focuses on anti-racism practices, equity-oriented policy, and justice-centred educational programming. She has designed and taught courses on equity, social justice, power, and politics across undergraduate, graduate, and teacher education programs. Her work is grounded in bridging theory and practice, with a strong emphasis on preparing educators to critically engage with systems of inequity in educational contexts.

 

Dr. Taylor is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the International Society for Teacher Education. Her recent book, First Generation Student Experiences in Higher Education: Counterstories (Routledge, 2023), co-authored with Carl James, examines the educational trajectories of marginalized youth in Canada through counterstorytelling. Grounded in this work, Dr. Taylor advances a vision of educational leadership that centres equity, makes space for difference, and elevates voices that are too often excluded from decision-making and knowledge production.

Research Interests and Activities

  • Anti-oppressive and anti-racist pedagogy in teacher education
  • Equity and institutional change in postsecondary education
  • First-generation students and access to higher education
  • Sociology of education
  • Critical mixed-race studies in education

Academic Awards and Distinctions

  • 2025. 3M National Teaching Fellowship Award 
  • 2025. Senior Leader Diversity Champion, Greater Golden Horseshoe Diversity Award 
  • 2024-2027. Brock Chancellor’s Chair for Teaching Excellence 
  • 2021 Brock University Distinguished Teaching Award 
  • 2021 Brock University Faculty of Education Award for Teaching Excellence 

Professional Affiliations and Accreditation/Certification

    • Editor in Chief – Journal of the International Society for Teacher Education
    • International Society for Teacher Education
    • Canadian Society for Studies in Education
    • American Educational Research Association
    • Bhutan Journal of Research and Development

Selected Publications

Book

James, C. & Taylor, L. (2023). First Generation Student Experiences in Higher Education: Counterstories. New York: Routledge.

Edited Special Issue

Taylor, L. (Ed.). (Forthcoming 2026). Global Perspectives on Teacher Education: A Critical Review. Journal of the International Society for Teacher Education, 29(2).  

Articles and Chapters

Taylor, L., Campbell, H., & Kalim, J. (in press, 2026). Teaching for justice: Scaffolding equity education, emotional labour, and teacher preparation. In Transformative Perspectives and Practices in Urban Education (Issues in the research, theory, policy, and practice of urban education series). Emerald Press.  

Taylor, L. & Nishiguchi, K. (in press, 2026). Social Justice-Oriented Teacher Education in Canada: Shifting from Multicultural to Equity Education, in: Tsujino, K., ‘Teachers and society: Can teacher education overcome the nation state paradigm?’ Shumpusha Publishing, (translated into Japanese. The original book title: 『<教師>と<社会>―教師教育は国民国家パラダイムを超えられるか― _.) 

Metz, M., Barkley, D.S., & Taylor, L. (2024). School Study Guide, Simone Half and Half. Carousel Players. 

Taylor, L. (2023). Faculty Spotlight: Counterstories with Leanne Taylor. A conversation between Dr. Leanne Taylor, Faculty of Education and Giulia Forsythe, Centre for Pedagogical Innovation about First Generation Student Experiences in Higher Education: Counterstories). https://brocku.ca/pedagogical-innovation/important-dates/teaching-and-research-showcase/faculty-spotlight-counterstories/#1687181905199-10024279-be57 

Taylor, L. (2022). Navigating shifting waters: Reflections from a critical anti-racist teacher educator. In J. Kitchen and L. Fitzgerald, & D. Tidwell (Eds.), Self-study and diversity III: Inclusivity and diversity in teacher education (pp. 210-235). Brill. DOI: 10.1163/9789004505216_011 

Taylor, L. (2022). Education, Covid-19, and the Canadian Context: Meeting the Needs of Vulnerable Students, in: Sonoyama, D. & Tsujino, K. (2022), How Schools Around the World Tackled the Corona Disaster?, Toyokan-syuppan, pp.91-97. (translated into Japanese. The original book title: 『コロナ禍に世界の学校はどう向き合ったのか――子ども・保護者・学校・教育行政に迫る』.) 

Taylor, L. (2021). ‘I will treat all my students with respect’: The limits to good intentions. In C. James (Ed.), Colour matters: The experiences, education and aspirations of black youth (pp. 309-314). University of Toronto Press. 

Kitchen, J. & Taylor, L. (2020). Preparing preservice teachers for social justice teaching: Designing and implementing effective interventions in teacher education. In C. Mullen (Ed.), Handbook of social justice interventions in education. Springer International Handbooks of Education. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29553-0_70-1 

Tilley, S. & Taylor, L. (2019). Qualitative methods and respectful praxis: Researching with youth. The Qualitative Report 23(9), 2184-2204 

Taylor, L. (2017). Race, color and family: Exploring possibilities of school engagement. In C. Monroe (Ed.), Race and colorism in education (pp. 181-192). Routledge Research in Educational Equality and Diversity series. 

Taylor, L. & James, C. (2015). Living up to expectations: 1.5 and 2nd generation immigrant students’ pursuit of university education. In G. Man and R. Cohen (Eds.), Engendering transnational voices: Studies in family, work, and identity. (Pp. 175-192). Waterloo, Ontario: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. 

Tilley, S. & Taylor, L. (2014). Complicating notions of ‘scholar activist’ in a global context: A discussion paper. Journal of the International Society for Teacher Education, 18(2), 51-60. 

Taylor, L. (2014). Engaging teacher candidates in anti-homophobia discussions: Reflections on caution, care and commitment. In D. Gosse (Ed). LGBTTIQQ2SA Stories of pride, courage and social justice in Canada. (Pp. 36- 42). St. John’s NL: Breakwater Books. 

Mahtani, M.; Kwan-Lafond, D., & Taylor, L. (2014). Exporting Multiculturalism? Canadian Mixed Race Identities and Multicultural Policy. In R. King-O’Riain, S. Small, M. Song, P. Spickard and M. Mahtani (eds). Global Mixed Race. (Pp.238- 262). New York: New York University Press. 

Mohan, E., Taylor, L., Venzant Chambers, T. T., Calore, J. (2013). Advancing educational leadership: Learning from multiracial literature. In L. Tillman & J. J. Scheurich (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Educational Leadership for Equity and Diversity. (pp. 227-247). NY: Routledge. 

James, C. & Taylor, L. (2013). “Talk to students about what’s really going on”: Researching the experiences of marginalized youth. In T. Kress, C. Malott and B. Porfilio (eds.). Challenging Status Quo Retrenchment: New Directions in Critical Qualitative Research. (pp. 147-167). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing. 

McNeil, D. & Taylor, L. (2013). Radical love: A transatlantic dialogue about race and mixed race. The Asian American Literary Review. 4 (2), 15-26. 

Taylor, L., & Tilley, S. (2013). Happiness: At what cost? Journal of the International Society for Teacher Education. 17 (1), 72-84. 

Tilley, S & Taylor, L. (2013) Understanding curriculum as lived: Teaching for social justice and equity goals, Race, Ethnicity and Education. 16 (3), 406-429. 

Taylor, L. (2012). A conversation with a Chinese ‘yardie’ about life as a Jamaican Canadian. In C. James and A. Davis, Jamaica in the Canadian Experience: A Multiculturalizing Presence. (pp. 191-207). Halifax: Fernwood Publishing. 

James, C & Taylor, L. (2008a). Education will get you to the station: Marginalized students’ experiences and perceptions of merit in accessing university, Canadian Journal of Education. 31(3), pp. 567-590. 

James, C. & Taylor, L. (2008b). Beating the odds and making their way in university: The case of three females of immigrant parents, Interchange: A Quarterly Review of Education. 39(2), pp. 221-244. 

Taylor, L.; James, C.; & Saul, R. (2007). Who belongs: Exploring race and racialization in Canada. In G. Fuji Johnson and R. Enomoto (eds.), Race, Racialization and Antiracism in Canada and Beyond. (pp. 151-178). Toronto: University of Toronto Press.  

Taylor, L. (2000). Black, white, beige, other? Memories of growing up different. In C.E. James (Ed.), Experiencing Difference. (pp. 59-70). Halifax: Fernwood Publishing. 

Courses Taught

  • EDUC 2P65: Teaching for change: Equity, diversity and inclusion in education (Junior/Intermediate)
  • EDBE 8P78: Equity, diversity and inclusion in Intermediate/Senior education
  • EDUC 5P00: Social justice, power and politics in education
  • EDUC 5P01: Introduction to social and cultural contexts in education: Developing a critical language
  • EDUC 5P11: Culture, identity and pedagogy: Advancing a lived curriculum
  • EDUC 5P17: Theoretical orientations in sociology and equity studies in education
  • EDUC 5Q97: culminating seminar in educational studies