Year-End Faculty Research Highlights from the CCBE
This year, I was pleased to accept a new role within the Crescent Centre for Boys Education (CCBE) as a Research Associate. In this capacity, one of my responsibilities includes encouraging faculty to engage in research initiatives and fostering a culture of professional dialogue and inquiry across the school.
It is well documented in current literature that there are numerous barriers to faculty participation in professional learning and utilization of existing research, including time constraints and competing responsibilities. In response to this challenge, we developed a tiered faculty research program designed to be both meaningful and manageable. Faculty were invited to engage at any tier, depending on their interests, availability, and professional goals. We are proud to share that this year, 51% of faculty members engaged in at least one tier of the Faculty Research program; 28% of faculty engaged in multiple tiers.
The first tier of the program encouraged independent reading. Faculty could choose from a curated list of books organized into three categories: foundational texts for teaching in boys’ schools, titles aligned with Crescent School’s pedagogical priorities, and contemporary books addressing timely and relevant educational topics. Faculty were invited to submit documentation of their completed book, and those who did were entered into a monthly draw for a small gift card—an incentive to recognize their thoughtful engagement.
The second tier, and our most popular, offered faculty the opportunity to participate in structured book clubs. These groups met three times during the academic year to engage in meaningful, research-informed discussions. The selections for this year’s clubs included Boy Mom by Ruth Whippman, Never Enough by Jennifer Wallace, and How to Know a Person by David Brooks. These sessions were well attended and provided a valuable space for collegial conversation around both personal and professional growth.
The third tier invited faculty to author submissions to Crescent Considers, our bi-weekly research newsletter. This platform enabled teachers to reflect on research and share insights from their practice with the broader community. Topics were wide-ranging, covering student research, movement in education, foundational reading skills, mental health, relational learning, the importance of sleep, play, and nutrition, masculinity, and building community through collective success.
The fourth tier focused on in-house Action Research. Faculty who pursued this path conducted original research projects related to their teaching practice. Tim Evans (Middle School) completed a project titled Unlocking the Authentic Voice: Drama Education for Self-Expression. Kyle Henderson (Lower School) explored Innovative Approaches to Character Education: The Impact of a Classroom Economy on Grade 5 Students. Justin Chau (Director of Outreach) conducted a study titled How Does the Crescent School International Outreach Program Promote the Development of Character Qualities (Such as Positive Leadership and Engaged Citizenship) in Grade 10 and 11 Students?
The final tier connected faculty with external research and grant opportunities. As members of the International Boys’ School Coalition (IBSC), we supported Lisa Weldon in completing her 2024–2025 Action Research project titled Criteria for Connection: Building Community in Grade 10 Boys Through Collective Success, which she will present at the IBSC Conference in Boston in July 2025. We also congratulate Gina Kay, who was selected as Crescent’s 2025–2026 IBSC Action Research candidate. Additionally, Brittany Shelley successfully fulfilled her CAIS Innovation Grant and is scheduled to present her findings in September 2025.
As the year concludes, I extend my congratulations and sincere thanks to all faculty members who engaged meaningfully in CCBE’s Faculty Research Tiers. Their contributions have strengthened our shared commitment to research-informed teaching and boys’ education. I look forward to collecting feedback to refine, enhance and expand the program, with the continued goal of supporting faculty in ways that are professionally enriching and personally meaningful.
