Limin Jao

Title: 
Dr. (she/her/hers)
Academic title(s): 

Interim Department Chair, Associate Professor

Limin Jao
Contact Information
Address: 


 

 

Email address: 
limin.jao [at] mcgill.ca
Phone: 
514-398-2072
Degree(s): 

Ph.D., Curriculum Studies and Teacher Development, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto
M.A., Curriculum Studies and Teacher Development, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto
B.Ed., Secondary Biology and Mathematics Education, Queen's University
B.Sc.H., Biology and Mathematics, Queen's University

Areas of expertise: 

• Cross-curricular / interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning
• Mathematics education
• Pedagogy
• Reform-based teaching approaches (e.g., student-centred, inquiry-based, project-based teaching and learning)
• STE(A)M education
• Student engagement
• Teacher education and professional development (pre-service and in-service)

Group: 
Departmental Leadership
Tenure-Track Professors
Projects: 

Ongoing Projects

Life in the “real world”: Examining early career secondary mathematics teachers’ experiences and factors affecting use of reform-based teaching approaches

SSHRC Insight Grant (2023-present)
Principal Investigator: Limin Jao; Research assistants: To be determined

This study explores the following research questions: 1) What are the experiences of secondary mathematics early career teachers (ECTs) in their first three years in the workplace? 2) How do these experiences impact these ECTs’ use of reform-based approaches?

Leveraging a research-practice partnership to improve student assessment in Cycle 1 STEAM teaching and learning

McGill University – Faculty of Education Innovate-Ed Project Grant. (2023-present)
Principal Investigator: Limin Jao; Co-investigator: Dawn Wiseman (Bishop's); Research assistants: To be determined

This study continues the work of a research-practice partnership and explores the question: How does critical making support cross-curricular competency development in STEAM?

Designing more effective secondary school mathematics teacher education programs: The influence of content and sequencing for methods courses and practica on pre-service teachers’ beliefs

SSHRC Insight Development Grant (2018-present)
Principal Investigator: Limin Jao; Co-investigator: Doug McDougall (OISE); Research assistants: Cindy He, Gurpreet Sahmbi (OISE), Kendra Smith, Maria-Josée Bran Lopez, Martin Ako, Megan Turnbull, Rebecca Pearce, Stephanie Beck

This study explores the question: How does the content and sequencing of mathematics teaching methods courses and practica impact pre-service teachers’ (PSTs’) beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning? PSTs at institutions with varied approaches to content and sequencing will serve as the participants for this comparative study.

Selected Completed Projects

Leveraging a research-practice partnership to improve student assessment in Cycle 1 STEAM teaching and learning

McGill University – Faculty of Education Innovate-Ed Project Grant. (2022-2023)
Principal Investigator: Limin Jao; Co-investigator: Dawn Wiseman (Bishop's); Research assistants: Cinzia Di Placido, Martin Ako, Midhat Kiyani, Sun Jung Choi, Taylor Rubin

This study continued the work of a research-practice partnership and explored the question: How can data from classroom observation drive collaborative assessment for STEAM innovation?

Collaborative Teacher Inquiry: Partnering to develop meaningful cross-curricular project-based learning

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Engage Grant. (2019-2022)
Principal Investigator: Limin Jao; Co-investigator: Dawn Wiseman (Bishop's); Research assistants: Cinzia Di Placido, Midhat Kiyani, Sun Jung Choi, Tali Starzenski

The goal of this project was to develop a model of teacher professional development to support teacher collaboration across disciplines and create meaningful cross-curricular project-based learning teaching materials.

Supporting parents in understanding student-directed STEM inquiry

SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant. (2019-2022)
Principal Investigator: Dawn Wiseman (Bishop's); Co-investigator: Limin Jao; Research assistants: Cinzia Di Placido, Marie-Lou Boisvert (Bishop's), Midhat Kiyani, Sun Jung Choi, Taylor Rubin

The goals of this project were to use student-directed STEM inquiry as a means for supporting parents in understanding how this approach to teaching and learning aligns with Quebec curricula through development of an assessment and communication plan for the project that provides means for students, parents, and teachers to understand the skills and learning occurring in the Science and Technology course.

Understanding the nature of change of secondary mathematics pre-service teachers’ beliefs: Implications of a multi-faceted teacher education program

Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture, Établissement de nouveaux professeurs-chercheurs (2014-2018)
Principal Investigator: Limin Jao; Research assistants: Alexandra Stewart, Maria-Josée Bran Lopez, Nakita Rao

Student-directed, STEAM inquiry: A purposeful learning community for change in practice

Internal Social Sciences and Humanities Development Grant (2018)
Principal Investigator: Limin Jao; Co-investigator: Dawn Wiseman (Bishop's); Research assistants: Isabella Boutros, Kelly Kim

The general public’s views of gender and mathematics: A non-binary study

Faculty of Education, Monash University. (2017)
Principal Investigator: Jennifer Hall (Monash); Collaborator: Limin Jao; Research assistants: Cinzia Di Placido, Rebecca Manikis

A unique opportunity: Investigating the experiences of secondary mathematics pre-service teachers’ in their role as TEAM Awardees

Tomlinson Project in University-Level Science Education (T-Pulse). (2017)
Principal Investigator: Limin Jao; Research assistants: Ying Syuan Huang, Gurpreet Sahmbi (OISE)

 

 

Selected publications: 

~ – Indicates classroom teacher co-author
* – Indicates student co-author

Selected Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals

Jao, L., Hall, J., & *Di Placido, C. (2023). “If you’re a dude, you’re a chick, whatever the hell in between, you need to know about maths”: The Australian and Canadian general public’s views of gender and mathematics. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 1-27.

Jao, L., & Sahmbi, G. (2023). Sticking together in a world full of sharks: Pre-service teachers’ perspectives of mathematics content courses. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 1-21.

Hall, J., Jao, L., *Di Placido, C., & *Manikis, R. (2021). “Deep questions for a Saturday morning”: An investigation of the Australian and Canadian general public’s views of gender. Social Science Quarterly, 102(6), 1866-1881. (full-text)

Jao, L., *Sahmbi, G., & *Bran Lopez, M-J. (2021). The Cycle of Enactment and Investigation: An approach for novice teacher educator professional development. International Journal of Teacher Education and Professional Development, 4(1), 30-48. (full-text)

Jao, L., *Stewart, A., & *Rao, N. (2021). Lived experiences: Secondary mathematics pre-service teachers’ perspectives about multiple components of their teacher education program. Mathematics Teacher Education and Development, 23(2), 42-58.

Wiseman, D., Lunney Borden, L., Beatty, R., Jao, L., & *Carter, E. (2020). Whole-some artifacts: (STEM) Teaching and learning emerging from and contributing to community. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 1-17. (full-text)

Jao, L., *Sahmbi, G., & *Huang, Y-S. (2020). Professional growth through reflection and an approximation of practice: Experiences of pre-service teachers as teaching assistants in a secondary mathematics teaching methods course. The Teacher Educator, 55(1), 47-65. (full-text)

Jao, L. (2018). Stories in mathematics teacher education: Pre-service teachers’ experiences creating an Important Book. Learning Landscapes, 11(2), 211-222.

Jao, L., Wiseman, D., Kobiela, M., Gonsalves, A., & Savard, A. (2018). Practice-based pedagogy in mathematics and science teaching methods: Challenges and adaptations in context. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education, 18(2), 177-186. (full-text)

Jao, L. & Hall, J. (2018). The important things about writing in secondary mathematics classes. The Australian Mathematics Teacher, 74(1), 13-19. (full-text)

Radakovic, N., Jagger, S., & Jao, L. (2018). Writing and reading multiplicity in the uni-verse: engagements with mathematics through poetry. For the Learning of Mathematics, 38(1), 2-6. (full-text)

Hall, J., & Jao, L. (2017). Pirouettes and protractors: Dancing through mathematics. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 22(3), 3-7. (full-text)

Jao, L. (2017). Shifting pre-service teachers' beliefs about mathematics teaching: The contextual situation of a mathematics methods course. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 15(5), 895-914. (full-text)

Jao, L., & McDougall, D. (2016). Moving beyond the barriers: Supporting meaningful teacher collaboration to improve secondary school mathematics. Teacher Development, 20(4), 557-573. (full-text)

Jao, L., & McDougall, D. (2015). The Collaborative Teacher Inquiry Project: A purposeful professional development initiative. Canadian Journal of Education, 38(1). Retrieved from http://journals.sfu.ca/cje/index.php/cje-rce/article/view/1600.

Jao, L. (2013). From sailing ships to subtraction symbols: Multiple representations to support abstraction. International Journal for Mathematics Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from https://www.cimt.org.uk/journal/jao.pdf.

Jao, L. (2013). Peer coaching as a model for professional development in the elementary mathematics context: Challenges, needs and rewards. Policy Futures in Education, 11(3), 290-297. (full-text)

Jao, L. (2012). Culturally aware teaching through cooperative learning and multiple representations in the multicultural classroom. Multicultural Education. 19(3), 2-10.

~ – Indicates classroom teacher co-author
* – Indicates student co-author

Selected Books

Radakovic, N., & Jao, L. (Eds.). (2020). Borders in mathematics pre-service teacher education. Springer.

Jao, L., & Radakovic, N. (Eds.). (2018). Transdisciplinarity in mathematics education: Blurring disciplinary boundaries. Springer.

~ – Indicates classroom teacher co-author
* – Indicates student co-author

Selected Book Chapters

Jao, L., *Rao, N., & *Stewart, A. (2020). Bridging the gap between coursework and practica: Secondary mathematics pre-service teachers’ perceptions about their teacher education program. In N. Radakovic & L. Jao (Eds.), Borders in mathematics pre-service teacher education (pp. 119-139). Springer. (full-text)

Jao, L. (2019). Gifted programs: Meeting the needs of exceptional students, or just good teaching practice? In P. P. Trifonas & S. Jagger (Eds.), Handbook of cultural studies in education (pp. 113-123). Routledge. (full-text)

Jao, L. (2018). Considering both academic and social domains: Increasing student engagement in at-risk classrooms. In A. Kajander, J. Holm, & E. Chernoff (Eds.), Teaching and learning secondary school mathematics: Canadians’ perspective in an international context (pp. 257-267). Springer. (full-text)

Jao, L., *Proietti, M., & Kobiela, M. (2018). Examining the development of a transdisciplinary collaboration. In L. Jao & N. Radakovic (Eds.), Transdisciplinarity in mathematics education: Blurring disciplinary boundaries (pp. 255-275). Springer. (full-text)

~ – Indicates classroom teacher co-author
* – Indicates student co-author

Selected Recent Refereed Conference Presentations

*Choi, S. J., & Jao, L., Wiseman, D. (2023, May). Interdisciplinary teacher collaboration: Teachers' experiences with a Professional Learning Community. Poster presented at the Canadian Society for the Study of Education Annual Conference, Toronto, ON.

*Di Placido, C., *Ako, M., Jao, L., & Wiseman, D. (2023, May). Beyond data collection: Reflections supporting students’ learning about themselves. Poster presented at the Canadian Society for the Study of Education Annual Conference, Toronto, ON.

Jao, L., *Ako, M., & *Bran Lopez, M-J. (2023, May). Research projects in teacher education programs: The experiences of secondary mathematics pre-service teachers. Paper presented at the Canadian Society for the Study of Education Annual Conference, Toronto, ON.

*Kiyani, M. N., & Jao, L. (2023, May). Is interdisciplinarity beneficial or challenging? A commentary on interdisciplinary mathematics education from students’ perspectives. Paper presented at the Canadian Society for the Study of Education Annual Conference, Toronto, ON.

Jao, L., Beck, S., & *Ako, M. (2023, April). Seeking utility: Exploring secondary mathematics preservice teachers’ experiences in general education courses. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.

*Kiyani, M. N., Jao, L., & *Di Placido, C. (2023, April). The real world is interdisciplinary: Exploring students’ perspectives and experiences with interdisciplinary mathematics education. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.

*Choi, S. J., Jao, L., *Kiyani, M. N., *Di Placido, C., & Wiseman, D. (2022, November). Professional learning communities: Supporting interdisciplinary teaching in STEM. Paper presented at the 7th STEM in Education Conference, Sydney, Australia.

*Kiyani, M. N., Jao, L., *Di Placido, C., *Choi, S. J., & Wiseman, D. (2022, November). ‘ME or IdME’: How interdisciplinary mathematics education (IdME) contributes to students’ learning experiences with mathematics. Paper presented at the 44th Annual Meeting, North American Chapter of the Psychology of Mathematics Education, Nashville, TN.

Wiseman, D., Jao, L., *Rubin, T., *Boisvert, M-L., ~Loupelle, C., *Campo, S., & *Grobbecker, K. (2022, May). Mapping student-directed STEM inquiry onto the Québec Education Program. Paper presented at the Canadian Society for the Study of Education, online.

Jao, L., Sahmbi, G., & *Pearce, R. (2022, April). Becoming teacher-researchers: Secondary mathematics pre-service teachers’ experiences of research projects in their teacher education program. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.

Sahmbi, G., & Jao, L. (2021, October). Fending for themselves: Secondary mathematics pre-service teachers’ experiences as outsiders in their program. Poster presented at the 43rd Annual Meeting, North American Chapter of the Psychology of Mathematics Education, Philadelphia, PA.

Jao, L., Sahmbi, G., & *Bran Lopez, M-J. (2021, April). “Sticking together in a world full of sharks”: Pre-service teachers’ perspectives of mathematics content courses. Poster presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL.

[In 2020, papers accepted to AERA and CSSE were not presented due to the cancellation of both conferences (COVID-19 pandemic)]

Jao, L., Wiseman, D., & ~Loupelle, C. (2019, June). The READ Dress Project: Student-directed STEAM inquiry. Paper presented at the 2019 National Coalition of Girls’ Schools (NCGS) Conference, Pasadena, CA.

Wiseman, D. & Jao, L. (2019, June). The READ Dress Project: Student-directed STEAM inquiry and change in practice. Paper presented at the Canadian Society for the Study of Education Annual Conference, Vancouver, BC.

Jao, L., *Sahmbi, G., & *Bran Lopez, M-J. (2019, April). The Cycle of Enactment and Investigation: An approach for novice teacher educator professional development. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Toronto, ON.

Jao, L., *Rao, N. (2019, April). Lived experiences: Secondary mathematics pre-service teachers’ perspectives about their teacher education program. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Toronto, ON.

Lunney Borden, L., Wiseman, D., Beatty, R., *Carter, E., & Jao, L. (2019, April). STEM emerging from and contributing to community. Paper presented as part of the Symposium, Re-imagining the M in STEM: Mathematical Actions for Innovative, Resilient, and Culturally Rich Communities at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Toronto, ON.

Hall, J., & Jao, L. (2018, July). The Australian general public’s views of gender and mathematics: A comparison of findings from binary and non-binary studies. Paper presented at the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Annual Conference, Auckland, New Zealand.

Jao, L., *Sahmbi, G., & *Huang, Y. S. (2018, April). “I would've been a lost puppy”: Communities of practice to support novice teacher educators. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, New York, NY.

*Sahmbi, G., Jao, L., McDougall, D. (2017, May). "It's like going to Mars!": Middle school educators' perspectives on the student transition from middle to high school mathematics. Paper presented at the Canadian Society for the Study of Education Annual Conference, Toronto, ON.

Jao, L., Kobiela, M., *Proietti, M., & *Friedmann, D. (2017, April). Integrating urban arts and mathematics: The journey of one teacher and his students. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX.

Jao, L. (2016, July). The important thing about secondary pre-service teacher education: Pushing pedagogical boundaries. Paper presented at the 13th International Congress on Mathematics Education, Hamburg, Germany.

Radakovic, N., Jagger, S., & Jao, L. (2016, April). My universe: Pre-service teachers' understanding of quantity and scale through poetry. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Washington, DC.

Jao, L. (2015, June). The becoming of a mathematics educator: Affirming experiences in the teacher education program. Paper presented at the Canadian Society for the Study of Education Annual Conference, Ottawa, ON.

Graduate supervision: 

Please contact me if you would like to know more about my research and/or are interested in working on my projects. I welcome inquiries from all students (undergraduate and graduate).

I also supervise and act as a committee member for graduate students whose research interests overlaps with my areas of expertise and/or current projects. Potential graduate students are invited to get in touch.

Professional activities: 

I currently serve as the vice-president of the Canadian Mathematics Education Study Group, an Editorial Board member of the Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education, and am on the Research Advisory Board of the Chandaria Research Centre at Branksome Hall. I am also a figure skating judge, representing Skate Canada at national and international events.

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