About

The Trent Math Education Research Collaborative (TMERC) is a team led by Dr. Catherine D. Bruce, Professor and Dean of Education, Teaching and Learning. The goal of this team is to share the products and findings of research with a wide audience, and this website is one of its main vehicles for doing so. Some key members of the team include: Tara Flynn (Director of Research), Rich McPherson (Videographer, Resource Developer and Webmaster), as well as several research assistants.

Key areas of research include teacher and student efficacy, the effectiveness of alternative models of professional learning for teachers, the use of technology in the mathematics classroom, as well as teaching and learning in the difficult-to-learn areas of fractions and algebra. Another exciting area of research is Math for Young Children, which investigates early mathematics (JK – Grade 2) with a particular focus on young children’s spatial reasoning.

We call ourselves a “collaborative” because collaboration with educators is at the heart of all of these research initiatives. The knowledge being developed in these research areas is a direct result of meaningful and productive partnerships with teachers, early childhood educators, consultants, school boards, independent schools, and the Ontario Ministry of Education. We want to gratefully acknowledge the contributions that these dedicated, inquiring educators continue to make to the ongoing research conducted by Cathy and her team.