Faculty Bio
Dr. Harrison Campbell
Assistant Professor, Education
I obtained my Bachelor of Education (with Distinction) from the University of Alberta in 2014. I then moved back to Calgary to teach literacy and drama education at a mix of elementary, junior, and high school levels. After teaching for several years, I pursued a Master of Arts (MA) program specializing in Curriculum and Learning at the University of Calgary. My MA thesis was a phenomenological inquiry into what it is like to experience literacy in theatrical spaces. That research project, which was undertaken at a junior high school, had grade eight and nine students participating in interviews, multimodal journaling, script and character creation, and performances to develop personal connections to literacy content they were learning. My research continued as I entered a PhD at the University of Calgary (Curriculum and Learning). My doctoral dissertation was a post-humanist case study exploring how drama can be integrated into a secondary ELA (English Language Arts) classroom to enhance literacy by moving learning from the page to the stage. My school-based study had grade twelve students participating in observations, interviews, dramatic mask making, script creation, and performances. This was all done to explore how performativity could enrich their understanding of the texts they were studying in class. My research also explored the roles of affect, embodiment, and relationality in secondary literacy learning environments.
I am grateful for the support of provincial and national funding bodies, including: two Queen Elizabeth II Scholarships; a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (CGS-D) (PhD research); and being named a Pre-Doctoral Killiam Laureate by The Killam Trusts. My MA study, Finding What is Real by Making Believe: Performing Student Literacy Experiences, was awarded the 2022 Arts Researchers & Teachers Society Outstanding Publication Award.
My excellence in teaching has been recognized by the Werklund School of Education with a Teaching Excellence Award and by St. Mary’s University with the Terrence Downey Award for Teaching Excellence.
I have been a member of the Faculty of Education team at St. Mary’s University since 2020 as first a sessional instructor and then as a full-time faculty member. Courses I have developed and taught include: Disciplinary Methods of Teaching – English Language Arts; Curriculum and Instruction in Literacy Education; New Literacies; and Introduction to Curricular Design. I adore working with the faculty and students at St. Mary’s University and look forward to the continued success of our wonderful program!
Specialization/Research Interest
Literacy, Curriculum Studies, Arts-Based Research, Post-Humanism, Case Study Research, Phenomenology, Qualitative Research Methods
Education
PhD Educational Research (Curriculum & Learning), University of Calgary, Alberta, 2024
MA Educational Research (Curriculum & Learning), University of Calgary, Alberta, 2019
B.Ed Secondary Education (Social Studies & Drama), University of Alberta, Alberta, 2014
- Campbell, H. (In-Press) (2026). Affect & Collaboration Through Drama: Enlivening Shakespeare’s Othello. English in Texas. A Journal of the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts 55(2), 57-67.
- Santucci, A., Lobman, C., Alexander, C., Baylor, D., Sperr, E., Parsons, E., Campbell, H., & Perone, L. (2025). Interlude 6: Words to Play With: Expect, Know, Improvise. In L. Perone (Eds.), Improvising With and In Higher Education: All Together Now (pp. 215-218). University of Regina Press.
- Johnston, S. L. & Campbell, H. (2025). Performing Entrepreneurialism: A Playful Pedagogy Using Process Drama in Entrepreneurship Education. Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy, 0(0), 1-18.
- Mueller, R., Campbell, H., & Losev. T. (2024). Innovation in Leadership Education: Inquiry-Based Pedagogy. Journal of Leadership Education 24(1), 51-64.
- Campbell, H. (2023). Reflecting Through The Fourth Wall. In K. Lenters & T. Duchscher (Eds.), Wa’gwan? Skoden! The Demands of Decolonizing Literacies. (pp. 145-151). Routledge.
- Taylor, L. M., & Campbell, H. (2023). Embracing the Interdisciplinary Connection of Movement Between High School Physical Education and Drama Education. Runner: The Journal of the Health and Physical Education Council of The Alberta Teachers’ Association, 54(1), 42-49.
- Campbell, H., Farrel, P., Morrison, L., & Raza, K. (2022). Getting Your Work Published: Advice for New and Developing Scholars. The Canadian Journal For New Scholars In Education, 13(2), 44-52.
- Campbell, H., & Grieman, J. (2022). A Recipe for Literacy: Making Meaning Through Cake. Emerging Perspectives: Interdisciplinary Graduate Research in Education and Psychology, 6(1), 22-32.
- Smith, C., Campbell, H., & Chen, A. (2022). Supporting New and Developing Scholars: Innovative and Inspiring Work at CCGSE. The Canadian Journal For New Scholars In Education, 13(3), 1-4.
- Campbell, H., & Chen, A. (2022). Pedagogical Possibilities: Reflections and Research on Classroom Practices and Perceptions. The Canadian Journal For New Scholars In Education, 13(2), 1-4
- Campbell, H. & Chen, A. (2022). Inclusionary Education: Fostering Belongingness & Changing Classroom Practices. The Canadian Journal For New Scholars In Education, 13(1), 1-3.
- Campbell, H. & Madsen, A. (2021). Nothing Like a Good Fiasco! Exploring Tabletop Role-Playing Games as Literacy Experiences. The Canadian Journal For New Scholars In Education, 12(2), 98-105.
- Campbell, H. (2021). Finding What’s Real by Making Believe: Performing Student Literacy Experiences. The English Journal, 110(3), 63-69.
- Campbell, H., Pethrick, H., Gilbert, B. C. T., Muhammad, A., & Turner, K. L.. (2021). Fostering A Remote Cohort Community of Graduate Student Peers in The Digital Realm. The Canadian Journal For New Scholars In Education, 12(1), 48-55.
- Rasooli, A. & Campbell, H. (2021). Weaving Education Together: Exploring Epistemologies of Educational Research & Psychology. The Canadian Journal For New Scholars In Education, 12(2), 1-3.
- Stoeckle, M & Campbell, H. (2019). Teaching Sustainable Information Literacy in an Academic Inquiry Based-Learning Course. In R. Pun & G. Shaffer (Eds.), The Sustainable Library’s Cookbook (pp. 81-84). Association of College and Research Libraries Press.