Dr. Margie Patrick

Biography

Margie resisted the call of teaching for a number of years, preferring instead to dream of becoming Canada’s Prime Minister. That was not to be, for as she became more self-reflective, she realized her character did not match the job. Instead, those years prepared her for being a teacher. She travelled throughout Central America, learning how the various civil wars in the region impacted the lives of families and communities. As a result, she became involved in Canadian organizations advocating for the civil and human rights of Central Americans in their home countries as well as in Canada. Margie also worked for Citizens for Public Justice–B.C. on a grant to address particular Aboriginal justice issues.

These experiences led her to recognize how important teachers are in shaping young peoples’ attitudes about the world. Margie obtained her teaching certificate and taught high school social studies for 12 years. She hopes that she contributed to a hunger for justice among her students and a hope that we can re-imagine the world and it can be other than it is if we take seriously the biblical mandates to love God and our neighbours.  

Now she prepares future teachers, and two of her courses are about how to teach social studies. The fact that in her heart she is, and always will be, a social studies teacher is evident in her other courses because she believes the messy, diverse, intriguing society in which we live is the context in which we all teach, and no part of education can be studied in isolation from its reality.

Research interests

• How religious pluralism is addressed in Canadian social studies curricula
• Religious education
• Teaching controversial issues in high school

Courses

EDUC 251 - Introduction to Teaching
EDUC 303 - The Philosophy and Design of Curriculum Planning
EDUC 310 - Strategies for Teaching and Learning in Secondary Education        
EDUC 330 - Curriculum and Instruction in Secondary English Language Arts, Social Studies, Physical Education and Fine Arts I
EDUC 353 - Secondary Practicum I
EDUC 410 - Classroom Management
EDUC 430 - Curriculum and Instruction in Secondary English Language Arts, Social Studies, Physical Education and Fine Arts II
EDUC 453 - Secondary Practicum II

Publications

Patrick, M., Gulayets, V., Peck, C. L. Embracing religious complexity: A call for teacher professional development regarding religion in social studies. Canadian Journal of Education.

Patrick, M. (2015). How the study of religion promotes citizenship education in English Canada. Citizenship Teaching and Education, 10 (3), 311-328. Doi: 10.1386/ctl.10.3.311_1.

Patrick, M. (2015). A call for more religious education in the social studies curricula of Canadian western provinces. Curriculum Inquiry, 45 (2), 154-175. Doi: 10.1080/03626784. 2015.1011043

2009. “Political neoconservatism: A conundrum for Canadian evangelicals” in Studies in Religion 38:3-4, 481-506.

Other contributions

Book review:
2014. Geir Skeie et al. Exploring Context in Religious Education Research (Munster: Waxmann, 2013) in Journal of Education and Christian Belief, 18 (1).

Broadcast interview:
2013. Religion in Alberta’s classroom. Alberta Primetime, CTV2, Dec. 2

Non-Refereed article:
2011. “Three takes on Marci McDonald’s The Armageddon Factor in The Ecumenist, 48 (4), 9-14.

Academic conferences

2012 Invited Panel Participant: The Armageddon Factor and the Changing Role of Christianity in Canadian Politics. Canadian Evangelical Theological Association and Canadian Theological Association, Waterloo: May.

2011 The Nature of the Canadian Religious Right in the 1980s and 1990s. Canadian Society for Church History, Fredericton: June.

2010 The importance of a definition: An evangelical conception of secularism. Canadian Society for the Study of Religion, Montreal: June.

2009 Religious voices in the public square: The experience of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. Canadian Society for the Study of Religion, Ottawa, May.

2008 Conservative Protestants and Canadian Civil Society: The case of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. Canadian Society for the Study of Religion, Vancouver: June.

2007 The political conundrum facing Canadian evangelicals. 21st Annual Two Days of Canada, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON: November.

2007 A transformation of Canadian conservatism, ‘moral issues’ and the state: The continuing influence of Preston Manning’s religious convictions. American Academy of Religion – Eastern Regional Conference, Waterloo: May.

Presentations

2017 Developing teacher PD re religion in social studies. Teacher Education Advisory Committee, The King’s University, May.

2017 You mean I have to teach that too? Proposed teacher PD re religion in SS. Canadian Society for the Study of Education. Toronto: May 28.

2017 Teaching about religion in Alberta public schools. Canadian Society for the Study of Religion. Toronto: May 28.

2016 Educating for Courage. International Association for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education - Europe, The Netherlands: April.

2013 Reasonable accommodation of religious minorities and the Social Studies classroom. Prairie Centre for Christian Schools Teacher Convention, Lacombe, AB, October.

2013 Religion and Social Studies in public education. Faculty colloquium at The King’s University College. September 24.

2013 Christian education and pedagogy. Workshop with professors from Vanguard College, August.

2013 Overview of the winter schedule and related issues. Teacher Education Advisory Council, May.

2012 Engaging community teachers in our program. Teacher Education Advisory Council, December.

2012 Teaching Social Studies through Narrative. Prairie Centre for Christian Schools Teacher Convention, Edmonton, AB, October.

2012 Curriculum planning at King’s. Teacher Education Advisory Council, May.

2010 Christians seeking justice: A Canadian example. ACSI Teacher Convention, Sherwood Park, AB, February.

2010 Christians seeking justice: Engaging students. ACSI Teacher Convention, Sherwood Park, AB, February.