Previous projects

2010-2012 Looking Beyond “Trucks vs. Dolls”: Teachers’ Attitudes and Responses to Young Children’s Gender Stereotypical and Atypical Social Behaviors at School

Spencer Foundation Small Research Grant

PI: Robert Coplan (Carleton University)
CI: Sandra Bosacki (Brock University)

The goal of this research is to explore early childhood educators (ECE)’s beliefs and attitudes towards children’s gender-role stereotypes and socio-communicative abilities within the early childhood classroom.

Servos, J. E., Dewar, B. A., Bosacki, S. L., & Coplan, R. J. (2015). Canadian early childhood educators’ perceptions of young children’s gender-role play and cultural identity. Journal of Early Childhood Research. doi:10.1177/1476718X15579740

Bosacki, S., Coplan, R., & Woods, H. (2014). Canadian female and male early childhood educators’ perceptions of child aggression and rough-and-tumble play. Early Child Development and Care, 1–14. doi:10.1080/03004430.2014.980408

Coplan, R. J., Bullock, A., Archbell, K. A., & Bosacki, S. (2015). Preschool teachers’ attitudes, beliefs, and emotional reactions to young children’s peer group behaviors. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 30, 117–127. doi:10.1016/j.ecresq.2014.09.005

2009-2012 Children’s diverse voices: Children’s spirituality and issues of identity and social adjustment

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Research and Development Initiative (SSHRC RDI)

PI: Victoria Talwar, McGill University
CI: Sandra Bosacki, Brock University
CI: Jeeseon Park, McGill University

This research explored children’s and adolescents’ understanding of spirituality across diverse contexts and the relation to their self-concept and social relations.

Bosacki, S., Moore, K., Talwar, V., & Park-Saltzman, J. (2011). Preadolescents’ gendered spiritual identities and self-regulation. Journal of Beliefs and Values, 32(3), 303-316. DOI: 10.1080/136172/2011.627679

Moore, K., Talwar, V., & Bosacki, S. (2012). Diverse voices: Children’s perceptions of spirituality. International Journal of Children’s Spirituality, 17, 217-234, DOI:10.1080/1364436X.2012.742040

Moore, K., Talwar, V., Bosacki, S., & Park-Saltzman, J. (2011). Children’s perceptions of spirituality. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 57, 107-110.

2006-2009 The socioemotional worlds of gradeschoolers: psychological understanding, self-conceptions, and peer relations

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

PI: Sandra Bosacki, Brock University

The goal of this 3-year study is to investigate the development and connections between social understanding and social behaviours within the school context. In particular, this study explores social and emotional reasoning and how this ability is related to social behaviour in children between the ages of 8 and 12 years.

Bosacki, S. (2008). Children’s emotional lives: Sensitive shadows in the classroom. New York: Peter Lang.

Bosacki, S. (2015). Children’s theory of mind, self-perceptions, and peer relations: A longitudinal study. Infant and Child Development, 24, 175-188. DOI: 10.1002/icd.1878

Bosacki, S. (2014). A longitudinal study of children’s theory of mind, self-concept, and gender-role orientation. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 6, 213-228.

Bosacki, S. (2013). A longitudinal study of children’s Theory of Mind and drawings of play. World Journal of Education, 3(5), 13-25. DOI: 10.5430/wje.v3n5p13

Bosacki, S. (2013). A longitudinal study of children’s Theory of Mind, self-concept, and perceptions of humor in self and other. Social Behavior and Personality, 41(4), 663-673. doi: 10.2224/sbp.2013.41.4.663

2007-2009 “Learning to Listen to Shy Children”: Elementary School Teachers’ Perceptions and Educational Strategies Regarding Shy Boys and Girls at School

Spencer Foundation

PI: Sandra Bosacki, Brock University
CI: Robert Coplan, Carleton University
CI: Linda Rose-Krasnor, Brock University

The central purpose of this research is to explore teachers’ beliefs and attitudes towards shy children’s socio-communicative abilities within the elementary school classroom.

Akseer, T., Bosacki, S. L., Rose-Krasnor, L., & Coplan, R. J. (2014). Canadian Elementary School Teachers’ Perceptions of Gender Differences in Shy Girls and Boys in the Classroom. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 29(2), 100–115. doi:10.1177/0829573514521992

Bosacki, S. (2013). A longitudinal study of children’s Theory of Mind and drawings of play. World Journal of Education, 3(5), 13-25. doi: 10.5430/wje.v3n5p13

Lao, G., Akseer, T., Bosacki, S., & Coplan, R. (2013). Self-Identified Childhood Shyness and Perceptions of Shy Children: Voices of Elementary School Teachers. International Electronic Journal Of Elementary Education, 5(3), 269-284.

Bosacki, S., Rose-Krasnor, L., & Coplan, R. J. (2013). Children’s talking and listening within the classroom: teachers’ insights. Early Child Development and Care, 184(2), 247–265. doi:10.1080/03004430.2013.781165