BU prof receives national grant for research

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This article was published 20/07/2025 (221 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandon University professor Aloysius Anyichie has received a $67,695 grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) through the 2025 Insight Development Grants.

The award, officially announced on July 9, supports his two-year research project titled “Examining Instructional Practices in Support of Culturally Diverse Learners’ Engagement and Motivation in Classroom Contexts.”

The study focuses on understanding how teachers in Manitoba’s rural school divisions support students from diverse cultural backgrounds and how those instructional strategies impact student engagement and motivation, Anyichie told the Sun.

The project, he explained, includes engaging both high school teachers and their students to evaluate current classroom practices and their effectiveness.

“This research seeks to uncover both effective and ineffective practices teachers use in supporting culturally diverse learners,” he said. “We aim to build on those findings and introduce research-informed strategies that align with my framework — Culturally Responsive Self-Regulated Learning—to improve student outcomes.”

The funding will primarily support research assistants and related costs over the next two years. The project will begin with interviews and classroom observations, followed by workshops with educators to introduce and evaluate new practices grounded in Anyichie’s framework.

The SSHRC Insight Development Grant is known for its competitive selection process. Anyichie’s application, submitted for the second consecutive year, was accepted after revisions based on detailed feedback from the initial review. “This approval confirms the value of the work and the government’s confidence in the impact it can have on the future of education,” he noted.

In addition to this SSHRC grant, Anyichie was earlier awarded funding through the Faculty Mobility for Partnership Building Program from Global Affairs Canada. That program enabled him to travel to Jamaica, where he began a collaborative research partnership with post-secondary institutions to adapt his culturally responsive learning framework to Caribbean classrooms. That research is ongoing and will conclude in early 2026.

“I spent nearly a month in Jamaica developing and facilitating workshops. We’re continuing data collection this fall, and I look forward to seeing how the results compare to the Canadian context,” he said.

Anyichie’s research influence is growing both nationally and internationally. He has also received two internal research grants from Brandon University, adding to his momentum in exploring cross-cultural education models. His work has garnered attention from institutions as far as Finland and the United States, reflecting the universal relevance of cultural responsiveness in education.

“As a scholar from Nigeria working in Canada, I understand how cultural dynamics influence learning. Supporting students across cultural lines is essential, especially in multicultural communities like Brandon. I’m honoured to contribute to that conversation,” he added.

Looking ahead, Anyichie is already laying the groundwork for broader, multinational research comparing learning practices in North America, the Caribbean, and Africa. He hopes these studies will shape how educators globally understand and respond to cultural identity in learning environments.

He also expressed deep appreciation to the Canadian government and Brandon University for their continued support. “These grants are not just financial; they’re a statement of trust in the potential of this work to improve education for all students,” he said.

» aodutola@brandonsun.com

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