Information for Researchers
Research Overview
Since the 1920s, the The Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study (JICS) has been a research and education centre focused on the understanding, education and care of young children. JICS Laboratory School serves as a site for research that is carried out by the academic staff and students from the Institute itself, by scholars from other departments at the University of Toronto and other academic institutions, and by the teachers at the JICS Laboratory School.
As a Laboratory School, JICS has a threefold mandate: exemplary education for the 200 children who attend the school, teacher education, and research. As such, JICS provides an environment that fosters research and professional inquiry and is involved in initiating and disseminating new ideas related to improving education. The JICS Laboratory School makes a significant contribution to the education, applied psychology, and human development work within our university, wider educational community in Canada, and internationally.
Important Note:
All research projects are vetted and approved by the JICS Child Research Review Committee, after they have received ethics approval from the University of Toronto or another approved institution. Research to be carried out in the JICS Laboratory School are studies that address issues pertaining to education of children (ages 3-12) and their development.
Criteria for Research Projects
All research conducted at the JICS Laboratory School must meet the following criteria:
The JICS Laboratory School invites research projects that are relevant to education issues and help to foster a strong community of researchers and teachers working cooperatively, with the aim to strengthen understanding of best developmentally appropriate practices in the education of children (ages 3-12). The JICS Laboratory School research program includes many research projects with JICS Laboratory School teachers as collaborators or primary investigators.
Priority is given to proposals consistent with and supportive of the goals of the JICS Laboratory School: exemplary education for elementary school children, teacher education, and educational research. We also look for research that builds upon our three philosophical tenets of security, child development, and inquiry.
Consideration will be given to availability of individuals or classes of students for research with regard to the classroom schedules and commitments across the school calendar year.
Research Funding
Over the past 12 years the JICS Laboratory School has looked at the appropriate role of technology in the education of young children. The growing prominence of this work is evident in the increasingly diverse set of funding sources to support our collaborators and teacher research. These sources have included:
- Dr. R.G.N. Laidlaw Centre
- Education Commons (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto)
- Provost’s Office at the University of Toronto
- Ontario Ministry of Education and Training
- Canadian Federal Government (which has included; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, TeleLearning-Network Centres of Excellence, SchoolNet, Canada Foundation for Innovation, The International Association of Laboratory Schools, and the Council of Ontario Directors of Education)
Procedures, Applications, and Forms
For assistance with accessible documents, please contact the JICS Laboratory School.
Contact for Research Inquiries
For further information or assistance, please contact Chriss Bogert, Vice-Principal & Research Coordinator.
