Her impact on the field: Suzanne Hidi’s award-winning educational research

In this 3-part series, OISE outlines the groundbreaking research of adjunct faculty Dr. Suzanne Hidi.

Dr. Hidi, a leader in educational psychology at OISE’s Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, has delved deeply into understanding interest, a concept widely researched in the field of educational psychology.

The first story (what is educational interest) and second story (research applications) are now live. This third and final installment examines the impact of Hidi’s scholarship, and recognition for her decades-long devotion to her work.

For Dr. Hidi, there was no bigger highlight than receiving the AERA 2022 Sylvia Scribner Award.

Dr. Hidi, who won the honour in the same year as her long-time collaborator Dr. K. Ann Renninger, felt a rush of emotions when discussing the Scribner. “I was really surprised and really thrilled,” Hidi recalled when she was informed of the honour.

The ceremony, with 500 people giving a standing ovation, was a memorable one.

“I know that Anne was very gracious, and thanked everybody on the face of the Earth. I wasn't that gracious – I just said that I was really very, very thankful and happy.”

The Scribner award recognizes a program of work by a Division C member that has significantly influenced thinking and research in the field of learning and instruction. (Division C denotes the category of educators who promote the study of learning and instruction in formal and informal settings across the lifespan and among diverse populations.)

The Scribner award is designed to honour current research – within the last ten years, or so – that represents a significant advancement in our understanding of learning and instruction. The recognized work may include, but is not limited to, research articles, paper series, monographs, book chapters, and/or books. This includes collaborative teams as well as individuals.

“Dr. Hidi's applied psychology research over many decades has had a significant impact on our understanding of how early learners can best be engaged in the classroom,” said Professor Erica N. Walker, Dean of OISE. “Her Sylvia Scribner Award from the AERA in 2022 is a long overdue recognition of this important scholarship. As a researcher, and additionally as a mentor and colleague, she has endeared herself with many OISE community members and inspired their academic journeys.

“We are privileged to have seen Dr. Hidi’s scholarship grow and appreciate her many contributions to OISE.”

Hidi and Renninger’s ongoing work to study motivation, and learning and instruction has made tremendous inroads over the last decade. “It was a vindication of my life,” she said.

Finding community on campus

Hidi never shied from her academic passions as she continued to work independently of OISE – and, occasionally, with OISE researchers.

Dr. Hidi is particularly proud of role in co-founding and developing the Senior College, a community of retired academics and librarians at the University of Toronto. Located at the southern edge of U of T’s St. George campus, the College has provided Hidi with a stable centre to continue her research.

“We built it from nothing into one of the best places for retired, active faculty and librarians,” she says. “We host annual symposiums and weekly presentations between September and April. It's an intellectual endeavour for people who either are semi-retired like me or fully retired, providing an outlet for discussions and presentations.”

“The beauty of it is that it's not specific to departments – it spans across all departments, all topics and it's stimulating people's ideas and involvement in academia.”

Continuing her research with a focus on interest development, Hidi remains determined to ensuring the best outcomes for students

“I am interested in trying to make the world better for everybody. Everybody,” she says. “I argue that [interest development] is a way to level the playing field. Those were the words we used [in our work] because it can apply to underprivileged kids, and to kids who don't have a chance to get as much stimulation at home as others.

“This is a leveling. It can level those differences because it applies to everybody.”