My research focuses on understanding education through a sociological & interdisciplinary lens, while using an experiential learning framework. My work explores practical teaching and learning strategies, the theoretical principles and research underlying them, and the sociology of this context.
Many students enrolled in sociology of education courses at Carleton have a keen interest in teaching and pursuing a B.Ed. As an advocate promoting education courses in sociology, I feel there is a need for growing and expanding these courses which incorporates theoretical and practical teaching, and learning experiences. To support the growing enrollment in education courses, the sociology departmental offerings in education courses continues to increase.
I have worked with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) in the Research Evaluation & Analytics Department (READ) where I worked as a Research Officer responsible for the design, implementation, management and reporting of research and program evaluation projects. Other responsibilities entailed reviewing evidence-informed decision-making at the classroom, school, and district level for the purpose of improving student learning and achievement.
I also worked with the Innovation & Adolescent Learning Department, OCDSB contributing to the departmental website OCDSBXL, capturing student voice in experiential learning projects, developing exit outcome surveys, and drafting a report examining innovation in education. Click here to learn more about how I'm helping to build foundations for future educators.
Recipient of a 2021 Carleton University Experiential Learning Fund (CUELF)
This project is developing a new sociology course in education, Teaching Sociology to High School Students (SOCI 3210). I am providing Carleton students with an opportunity to present an interactive student-led sociology lecture to high school grade 11/12 social science classes in the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB). This teaching experience in a high school classroom provides a practical, hands on teaching and learning experience for sociology students; many of whom have aspirations to attend Teacher’s College.
Carleton students will refer to the Ontario Curriculum for Social Sciences & Humanities to guide student presentations by building upon curricular content, reinforcing sociological concepts and themes presented in classes, and provide a flavour of what sociology looks like at the undergraduate level. One of the benefits is that sociology students gain experience teaching OCDSB students (another skill to add to their cuPortfolio and teaching dossier), and OCDSB students have sociological concepts reinforced and learn more about sociology at the undergraduate post-secondary level.
Selected for a 2021 FUSION Grant in Skills Development for "Education & Student Experience: Integrating the FUSION curriculum within Education Courses in Sociology"
Along with Jillian Fox, a 3rd year Criminology & Criminal Justice student, this project will create online resource modules which will assist sociology instructors on how to embed FUSION into their undergraduate education courses. This proposal seeks to bridge this gap between the current FUSION modules and sociology of education courses by utilizing a more tailored curriculum with elements of teaching practice embedded in the modules. This product would assist instructors with integrating FUSION into education courses by: delivering resources for tips and strategies in the field of education; creating a skill development template for curating assignments in cuPorfolio; and developing a student feedback survey designed with education students in mind. These modules have the potential to improve the delivery of the FUSION curriculum for instructors and explicitly connect course content to skill development for students in this course area.
Recipient of 2021 eCampusOntario funding - Experiential Learning in Education: Actioning Practice, Process, & Product
This project will develop a new open educational resource examining experiential learning in education through a sociological & interdisciplinary lens. Grounding the work in a theoretical approach, the open course which is 12 online modules will explore current teaching practices & learning strategies, & walk students through the why, when, where & how to successfully implement experiential learning projects into the post-secondary setting. Woven throughout the modules will be how the role of innovation in education is organized, negotiated, contested, & legitimized in society. Experiential learning can be used as a tool to address equity issues, as it addresses practical, accessible, authentic teaching practices and learning experiences for all students. With the assistance of project consultants, the open course modules will be a useful teaching resource for the social sciences, particularly in the sociology and education field.
Selected for the 2021 Students as Partners Program (SaPP)
The project which commences in May 2021 will investigate innovative teaching & learning strategies in the field of education, with a focus on experiential learning and career skill development. This project will be a collaboration with Sarah Lamanne, who is currently enrolled in the Sociology of Education course (SOCI 3300) and would like to pursue a career in teaching. The objectives of the project are to develop new online educational modules which explore how to action experiential learning through practice, process and product. Sarah’s role will be: co-designing and contributing to the development of online educational curriculum; researching, sourcing and organizing course materials, multimedia tools, and appropriate learning resources; and formatting and preparing assessments to align with student learning outcomes.
Recipient of the Contract Instructor Teaching Innovation (CITI) grant as part of the 2021 Achievement Awards
I received the Contract Instructor Teaching Innovation (CITI) grant as part of the 2021 Achievement Awards. These awards are administered by the Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) and recognize outstanding teaching achievements. The grant will be used to redesign SOCI 3300 to incorporate innovative online learning modules and experiential learning through course content, student assessments, and learning outcomes. What makes this course innovative is the course design in which digital tools such as the FUSION curriculum will be integrated which reinforce skill development, the applicability of our experiential learning project, and facilitates deeper learning. The FUSION curriculum offers sociology students the opportunity to increase their knowledge in effective learning styles, and to assist with creating a career portfolio and teaching philosophy, which are all necessary and relevant qualities for pre B.Ed. students.
Recipient of the 2021 Shared Online Projects initiative (SOPI) grant (funded by Carleton University)
This is a cross-institutional grant with Professor Jess Whitley, Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa. This project will design a fourth-year undergraduate course in sociology of education at Carleton and modify an existing graduate course in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa, Inclusive & Special Education EDU5113. This cross institutional collaboration offers students from both universities the opportunity to address practical teaching and learning strategies, the theoretical principles, and research underlying them. Students will have the opportunity to engage in shared reading groups and to participate in an Educational Symposium where final projects will be shared. For Carleton students, engaging with graduate students in the Faculty of Education allows them to benefit from interdisciplinary thinking with regards to the course topics and explore experiential learning from practical, and research-informed lenses.
Elected Contract Instructor on the Carleton University Senate (Oct 2021-June 2024)
It is a privilege to serve as an elected Contract Instructor on the Senate at Carleton University. I am deeply committed to representing the voice of Contract Instructors as well as the narrative of students and will contribute to academic governance at Carleton. Regular work of the Senate includes awarding degrees and scholarships, approving new programs and revised curricula, and establishing regulations concerning students’ academic work.
Peer Reviewer for Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR)
CIHR invites experts with various perspectives from the health research community to become members of review committees. As an academic with an interest in health and illness, I participated in the 2021 peer review process.
Sociology of Teaching & Learning (SOCI 4860) Teaching Sociology to High School Students (SOCI 3210) Families in the 21st Century (SOCI 4043) Studies in the Sociology of Education (SOCI 3300) Sociology of the Family (SOCI 2043)
Moss, Kathleen. (2014) Inside Pandora’s Box. (ISBN 978-3-639-66407-2). Scholars’ Press.
Moss, Kathleen. (2004) Kids witnessing family violence. Reprint of “Witnessing violence—aggression and anxiety in young children. Canadian Social Trends (Statistics Canada, Catalogue 11-008 XIE) 2004; 73:12-16.
Moss, Kathleen. (2003) Witnessing violence—aggression and anxiety in young children. Health Reports: How healthy are Canadians? (Statistics Canada, Catalogue 82-003) 2003; 14:53-66. (Referred)
Moss, Kathleen. (2002) "Saving Shelter, Seeking State: Examining the women's shelter movement in Canada, 1970-2001." Pp.135-166 in Audrey MacNevin, Ellen O'Reilly, Eliane Leslau Silverman and Anne Taylor (Eds.), Women and Leadership: Feminist Voices. Ottawa: Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW). (Refereed)
Moss, Kathleen. (2014) The Family Dynamic: Canadian Perspective (2015) by Margaret War and Marc Belanger, Nelson.
Moss, Kathleen. (2009) Family Matters: An Introduction to Family Sociology in Canada (2009) by Barbara Mitchell, CSPI.
