She is a recognized motivational researcher and has received the New Researcher Award from the Canadian Psychological Association and was elected to the College of New Researchers of the Royal Society of Canada. Her research, which is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, focuses on motivational and self processes as applied to educational and vocational development as well as the role parents play in their development.
The Chair’s work explores how parents, schools, and communities can collaborate to support the optimal development of young people, from their entry into school to their integration into the labor market. The program’s primary objective is to better understand and strengthen parental involvement in children’s academic and vocational development, particularly during key transitions such as starting school, moving to high school, choosing a career path, and entering the labor market.
To achieve this objective, the Chair is structured around three research axes:
Understanding young people’s development by examining how their academic and career choices evolve over time, and the role parents play in shaping these trajectories.
Identifying the barriers and protective factors that influence parents’ ability to engage in their child’s education and career planning.
Strengthening partnerships between families, schools and communities to create supportive environments for young people’s growth and well being.
The research conducted by the Chair relies on a longitudinal, multi informant approach, following families over several years to better understand how parental support influences children’s motivation, learning, and academic and career decision making. It also includes experimental studies and intervention programs designed to evaluate strategies that strengthen parents’ and educational stakeholders’ agency.
