Katie Brubacher, PhD, MA, BEd, BA

Area of Study / Keywords

Elementary Education Translanguaging Emotion Newcomers with emerging print literacy Multiliteracies

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About

Katie Brubacher is an assistant professor of elementary education at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Education.She holds degrees in education from the University of Toronto and an undergraduate degree in English literature from the University of Waterloo. Prior to joining the faculty in 2022, she worked predominantly with multilingual children in Ontario elementary schools, and was a K–12 teacher for almost 20 years, including as a secondary teacher in England. 

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Research

A specialist in language and literacy education, Brubacher’s research interests include the experiences of multilingual newcomers in elementary schools, especially those who arrive in Grades 4 to 6 without having learned about print literacy in any language. Approaching research from a humanizing perspective where participants are included in the research process is of particular interest to Brubacher. Through ethnographic work, she examines how the inclusion of children’s multilingualism can support the students’ sense of belonging and well-being in schools.

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Teaching

Brubacher also received English as a Second Language Specialist, Guidance certifications from the Ontario College of Teachers. She has experience in grant writing and program development, on top of her work in research and fostering literacy among students. 

EDEL 305 - Curriculum and Pedagogy in Elementary School Language Arts

This course provides an introduction to instructional approaches, teaching strategies, assignments, resources, and critical issues related to curriculum and pedagogy of language arts (reading, writing, speaking, listening, representing and viewing) in elementary classrooms. Students will learn through immersive engagement in literacies and will demonstrate interpersonal teaching competencies in class. Pre/corequisites: EDFX 200, EDU 210, and EDU 211. Note: EDEL 305 is offered as part of Year 3 of the Elementary Education Program Route.

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EDEL 595 - Special Topics in Elementary Education

Content varies from year to year. Topics announced prior to registration period. The student's transcript carries a title descriptive of content. May be repeated. Sections may be offered at an increased rate of fee assessment; refer to the Tuition and Fees page in the University Regulations sections of the Calendar.

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EDSE 501 - Special Topics in Secondary Education

Content varies from year to year. Topics announced prior to registration period. The student's transcript carries a title descriptive of content. May be repeated. May include alternate delivery sections; may require payment of additional student instructional support fees. Refer to the Tuition and Fees page in the University Regulations section of the Calendar.

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Browse more courses taught by Katie Brubacher

Brubacher, K.

Intercultural Education. 2025 June; 36 (5):582–596 10.1080/14675986.2025.2514358

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Brubacher, K. & Filipke, J.

Journal of Teaching and Learning.. 2025 February; 19 (1)

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Burkholder, C., & Brubacher, K.

Language and Literacy. 2024 June; 26 (2):76-77

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Brubacher, K., & Harper, S.

Language and Literacy. 2024 June; 26 (2):2-16

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Katie Brubacher and Thursica Kovinthan Levi

Canadian Modern Language Review. 2024 April;

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Katie Brubacher

Journal of Language, Identity & Education. 2023 October; 10.1080/15348458.2023.2257793

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Jeff Bale, Shakina Rajendram, Katie Brubacher, Mama Adobea Nii Owoo, Jennifer Burton, Wales Wong, Yiran Zhang, Elizabeth Jean Larson, Antoinette Gagné, Julie Kerekes

Multilingual Matters. 2023 September;

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Antoinette Gagné; Jeff Bale; Julie Kerekes; Shakina Rajendram; Mama Adobea Nii Owoo; Katie Brubacher; Jennifer Burton; Elizabeth Jeanne Larson; Wales Wong; Yiran Zhang

OLBI Journal. 2022 December; 12

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Katie Brubacher

Language and Literacy/Langue et littératie. 2022 September; 24 (2):133-152.

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Katie Brubacher

CJNSE. 2019 May; 10 (1):19-27

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Katie Brubacher

TESL Canada Journal. 2013 October; 30 (2):18 - 35

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View additional publications

• Centering Multilingual Learners and Countering Raciolinguistic Ideologies in Teacher Education: Principles, Polices and Practices
• CERLL Presentation - Exploring the boundaries of emotion and language