Warren Boyd Ferguson

Warren Boyd Ferguson is currently a PhD student at the University of Calgary studying in Educational Leadership. His research involves “Exploring middle school vocational teacher approaches toward professional development: A mixed method research study." At the heart of this research is a caring belief in the role of teachers to build up students and provide learning opportunities that offer students pathways to future careers. The professional growth of educators is linked directly to the quality of their students’ experiences, achievements, career choices, social inclusion, and mobility. Warren is also an experienced sessional instructor for the Undergraduate Programs of Education with the Werklund School of Education as well as a Teaching Assistant. He has acted as a Research Assistant with Mount Royal University's Bissett School of Business. Before his academic pursuits, Warren served as a teacher and as an assistant-principal in a school known for its vocational education programs, which has informed his current research.

Warren's writing interests continue to be vocational education, professional learning, communities of practice, and leadership in schools and higher education. As a PhD student, Warren is a prolific conference presenter exploring topics of student achievement, social inclusion, land-based learning, assessment, teacher education, and international partnerships in education. Warren is a member of the Scottish-Canadian Academic Partnership, the European Research Network Vocational Education and Training, and the European Emerging Researchers Network. He is keen to collaborate with others.

At the University of Calgary, Warren is involved in community service as a member of the Dean's hiring committee (student representative), the Graduate Representative Council, the GSA Awards Committee, and was elected this past year as the Graduate Programs in Education Students' Association Online and Professional Programs Officer. He has been a committee member of the Tapestries of Learning conference, as well as a peer reviewer for the journals Emerging Perspectives: Interdisciplinary Graduate Research in Education and Psychology, Journal of Digital Life and Learning, and Journal of Educational Thought.