Kent den Heyer

Contact

Professor, Faculty of Education - Secondary Education Dept

Email: kdenheye@ualberta.ca
Phone: (780) 492-4270
Address: 447 Education Centre - South
11210 - 87 Ave NW

Edmonton AB

T6G 2G5

Overview

About

Kent den Heyer earned his Ph.D in Curriculum Studies from the University of British Columbia, MA from The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, B.Ed from Mount Allison University, and BA (history and philosophy) from Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. At UBC, he worked in Centre for the Study of Historical Consciousness dedicated to research into the intersections of collective memory, history education, social psychology, and media studies, and, at the Canadian federally funded Public Knowledge Project seeking to enhance the scholarly and public quality of academic research through innovative online environments.

Dr. den Heyer has taught a range of subjects and grades in schools in Canada, Japan, Taiwan, and Colombia, prospective social studies teachers in Canada and the United States, and has developed workshops on citizenship and democratic education for international scholars. He presently serves as editor of Canadian Social Studies and is a former Co-chair on the Governing Council for the Curriculum and Pedagogy conference.

He has published and presented research internationally on student and teacher interpretations of the conditions necessary for social change, psychoanalytic approaches to anti-racist education, and curriculum theory. His future work now in progress examines possible educational implications in the work of the French philosopher Alain Badiou, the role of literature in historical consciousness, investigating and initiating mechanism to contest the commercialization of public education, dis/utopian visions of education, and the life work of R. Buckminster Fuller.

Research

Social Studies Education, Agency and Social Change in History and Social Studies, Psychoanalytic Approaches to Anti-Racist Education, Education Read Through Alain Badiou, Curriculum Theory and Education Philosophy

Courses

EDSE 473 - Curriculum and Teaching for Secondary School Social Studies Majors II

Prerequisites: Introductory Professional Term, including EDSE 373 and 24 units in the Major subject area. Successful completion is required prior to being granted permission to continue in EDFX 450.

Fall Term 2024

EDSE 504 - Curriculum Inquiry

This course focuses on curriculum perspectives and possibilities. Prerequisite: EDSE 503. May contain alternate delivery sections; refer to the Tuition and Fees page in the University Regulations section of the Calendar.

Winter Term 2025

EDSE 620 - Advanced Research Seminar in Secondary Education II

A doctoral-level research seminar that deals with selected topics and addresses all stages of the research process. Prerequisites: A 500/600 level Advanced Research Methods course and consent of Department.

Winter Term 2025

Browse more courses taught by Kent den Heyer

Scholarly Activities

Research - 1. Scholarship related to curriculum and Alain Badiou

den Heyer K. (2015). An analysis of aims and the educational 'event'. Canadian Journal of Education, 38(1), 1-27.

den Heyer, K. (2014). Badiou and the educational situation. Politics and Culture, September (n.p).

den Heyer, K., Conrad, D. (2011). Using Alain Badiou’s ethic of truths to support an ‘eventful’ social justice teacher education program. Journal of Curriculum Theorizing 27(1), 7-19.

den Heyer, K (2010) “Alain Badiou: a becoming subject to education” Educational Philosophy and Theory, 42(2).

den Heyer, K. (2010). Thinking education through Alain Badiou. (Editor). Wiley-Blackwell.

den Heyer, K. (2009). Education as an affirmative invention: Alain Badiou and the purpose of teaching and curriculum. Educational Theory, 59(4), 441-463.

den Heyer, K. (2009). What if curriculum (of a certain kind) doesn’t matter? Curriculum Inquiry. 39(1), 27-40.

Research - 2. Scholarship related to teacher education

den Heyer, K. (2014). Engaging teacher education through rewriting that history we have already learned. In R. Sandwell & A. von Heyking, Becoming A History Teacher: Sustaining Practices in Historical Thinking and Knowing (pp. 175-197). Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

den Heyer, K., Abbott, L.(2011) Reverberating echoes: Challenging teacher candidates to tell and learn from entwined narrations of Canadian history Curriculum Inquiry, 41 (5), 610-635

den Heyer, K. (2009).Sticky points: teacher educators re-examine their practice in light of a new Alberta social studies program and its inclusion of Aboriginal perspectives. Teaching Education, 20(4), 343-355.

This is a preprint and an electronic version of an article whose final and definitive form will be published in 'Teaching Education'(c) 2009 Copyright Taylor & Francis; 'Teaching Education' is available online at: http://www.informaworld.com/openurl?genre=article&issn=1047-6210&volume=20&issue=4&spage=343

Research - 3. Scholarship on agency – related to historical fiction and imagination, curriculum history and students’ historical reasoning about social change

den Heyer, K. (in press). A thinking education. Critical Education.

den Heyer, K. (2018). Historical agency: Stories of choice, action, and social change. In S.Metzger & L. Harris, Wiley International Handbook of History Teaching and Learning. (10, 896 words).

den Heyer, K. (2017). The case of wondering ‘Its’: The future as more of the same in the name of change. In j. jagodzinski (Ed), The Precarious Future of Education (pp. 177-192). New York: Palgrave- McMillian.

den Heyer, K., (2012). Mapping the Shadow: Bringing Scholarship and Teachers Together to Explore Agency's Shape and Content in Social Change. Theory and Research in Social Education, 40(3), 292-323.

den Heyer, K., & Fidyk, A. (2007). Configuring historical facts through historical fiction: Agency, art-in-fact, and imagination as stepping stones between then and now. Educational Theory, 57 (2).

This is an electronic version of an article published in Educational Theory complete citation information for the final version of the paper, as published in the print edition of Educational Theory, is available on the Blackwell Synergy online delivery service, accessible via the journal's website at http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/edth or http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/

den Heyer, K. (2003). The historical agency of Ted. T. Aoki in scholarly fugues, communities and change. Educational Insights, 8(2).

den Heyer, K. (2003). Between every ‘now’ and ‘then:’ A role for the study of historical agency in history and citizenship education. Theory and Research in Social Education 31(4) pp.411-434

Research - 4. On contrasting interpretations of agency in the work of Anthony Giddens and Alain Tourraine

den Heyer, K. (2003). Historical agency and social change: Something more than ‘symbolic’ empowerment. Curriculum and Pedagogy for Peace and Sustainability. Louise Allen, Donna Breault, Danny Cartner, Bryan Setser, Michael Hayes, Ruben Gaztambide-Fernandez, Karen Krasny (Eds). Troy, NY: Educator's International Press.

Research - 5. On agency rather than citizenship in social studies

den Heyer, K., & van Kessel, C. (2015). Evil, agency, and citizenship education. McGill Journalof Education, 50(1), 1-18.

den Heyer, K. (2006). Defining presence as agents of social life and change. In G. Richardson & D. Blades Troubling the canon of citizenship education. New York : Peter Lang.

Research - 6. Scholarship related to history and social studies education: theory and pedagogy

den Heyer, K. (2017). Doing better than just falling forward: Linking subject matter with explicit futures thinking. One World in Dialogue, 4(1), 5-10.

van Kessel, C. & den Heyer, K. (2016). Evil in history education. In Abdi, A.A., Shultz, L., Pilay, T. (Eds.), Decolonizing Global Citizenship Education. Rotterdam, NL: Sense Publishers.

den Heyer, K., (2011). History as a disciplined "ethic of truths." In P. Clark (Ed. ). New Possibilities for the Past. Vancouver: UBC Press. Note: This is a pdf version of the final draft for the chapter. Interested readers can contact me regarding citiation information.

den Heyer, K. (2009). Implicated and called upon: Challenging an educated position of self, others, knowledge and knowing as things to acquire, Critical Literacy: Theories and Practices, 3(1), 26-36.

den Heyer, K. (2005). To what questions are schools answers? And what of our courses? Animating throughline questions to promote students’ questabilities. Canadian Social Studies. Available: http://www.quasar.ualberta.ca/css/Css_39_2/ARdenHeyer_throughline_questions.htm

den Heyer, K. (2005). R. Buckminster Fuller's "Great Pirates:” An investigation into narrative coherency and analysis in world history courses. World History Connected.

den Heyer, K. (2005). History lessons and the manufacturing of significance: An essay review of S. G. Grant’s “History lessons: Teaching, learning, and testing in U.S. high school classrooms.” Journal of Curriculum Theorizing.

den Heyer, K. (2004). A dialogue on narrative and historical consciousness. In Peter Seixas (Ed). Theorizing Historical Consciousness. University of Toronto Press.

den Heyer, K. (2002). A review essay of Historical Empathy and Perspective Taking in the Social Studies. Davis, O. L. Jr, Yeager, E. A. and Foster, S. J. (Eds.). In The Education Review. Gene Glass (Ed.). Available: http://coe.asu.edu/edrev/ search-term “den Heyer”

Research - 7. Scholarship related to curriculum studies and learning and public intellectuality

den Heyer, K. (2014). Editors introduction: Roger I. Simon. Canadian Social Studies, 47(2), pp. 44-48.

den Heyer, K. (2013). The challenges of curriculum change. The ATA Magazine, 93(4).

den Heyer, K. (2012). Working our way through murky coordinates: Philosophy in support of truth-processes. In P. Gibbs (Ed), Learning, work and practice: New understandings (pp. 121-128). New York: Springer.

den Heyer, K. (2012). An Experiment Into the Public Face of Education Scholarship Or, How to Stop 'Roiling Along' Tenure and Promotion Tracks. Journal of Curriculum Theorizing, 28(1), 7-13.

Fidyk, A., Wallin, J., & den Heyer, K (Eds). (2008). Democratizing Educational Experience: Envisioning, Embodying, Enacting. Troy, NY: Educator’s International Press.

den Heyer, K. (2008).“Yes, but if we have students think all day when will we get anything done?” Two conceptual resources to engage students in democratically dangerous teaching. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 14 (3), 253-263.

den Heyer, K., Pifel, A. (2007) Extending responsibilities for schools beyond the school door. Policy Futures in Education. 5(4), 567-580.

den Heyer, K. (2006). Not waiting for Godot or for public intellectuals: An argument in support of engaging public intellectuality. “Perspectives” Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy.

Research - 8. Invited publications & presentations

Precarious futures for public education – Paradoxes and possibilities. Keynote address. April 7, 2017, Banff Alberta, Sponsored by The Alberta Teachers’ Association.

A thinking education. Keynote address. Faculty of Education Graduate Students’ Research Forum, University of Alberta, March 12, 2016.

History, stories, and complex national identifications. Keynote address, Canadian Young Turks Foundation, Edmonton, AB, October 30, 2015.

Is education possible in the age of learnification? Keynote address. Alberta Teachers’ Association Spring Professional Development Conference. May 2, 2014.

After the future of education. Lecture series: Faculty of Education/Dept. of Secondary Education,University of Alberta, March 28, 2014.

On the necessity of the future in history. Presentation at the Calgary Teachers’ Convention, February 13, 2014.

Fast forward into abandoned futures. Address to the Faculty of Education, University of Calgary, February 14, 2014.

The future and science curriculum. Presentation to The Alberta Teachers’ Association Science Specialist Council convention, Edmonton, AB, November 13, 2013.

Democracy and citizenship education. Address to the Education Faculty of Middle Eastern Technical University, Ankara, May 18, 2013.

What if curriculum (of a certain kind) doesn't matter? Address to the Humanities Faculty, Istanbul Technical University, April 30, 2013.

History as a disciplined ethic of truths, Address to Education Faculty, Universidad de Autonoma, Madrid, April 23, 2013.

A critical review of competency based education initiative. Presentation of research to the joint meeting of the Alberta Teachers’ Association, Alberta Ministry of Education, and Alberta Assessment Consortium, Edmonton, AB, June 7th, 2012.

History, teacher education, and identities, Presentation to The Many Faces of Teacher Education Symposium, Calgary, AB, April 26-28, 2011.

Invited ‘Special Breakout’ speaker for the 2008 Alberta Teachers’ Association Specialist Council Conference, Banff, AB, October 18, 2008.

Invited Keynote speaker for the 2008 Social Studies Summer Institute, Edmonton, AB, August 12, 2008.

den Heyer, K. (2008). Assessing what matters in Alberta's new social studies curriculum. Presentation delivered to the Alberta Teachers’ Association and The Alberta Assessment Consortium meeting, May, 9, Edmonton, AB.

den Heyer, K. (2008). Curriculum change and conceptual shifts. Presentation delivered to the Canadian Rockies School District, June, 9, Banff, AB.

Contributing author in Henderson, J., & Gornik, R. (2007). Transformative Curriculum Leadership (3rd edition). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.

Research - 9. Peer reviewed presentations

den Heyer, K. (2017). Adventures in subjectivity: Alain Badiou and the potential of a social justice education. Paper presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Curriculum Studies, San Antonio, TX.

den Heyer, K. (2016). Absent futures, darkened presents: a study into the role of futures thinking in science and social studies curriculum. Paper presented at the Canadian Society for the Study of Education, Calgary.

den Heyer, K. (2016). Engaging education as a recollection of what is already known but un recognized: Student's Prior Knowledge as pedagogical opportunities. Paper presented at the Canadian Society for the Study of Education, Calgary.

den Heyer, K. (2016). CACS Presidential Invited panel symposium presenter, Canadian Association of Curriculum Studies, Calgary.

van Kessel, C., & den Heyer, K. (2015). Using Arendt and Badiou in social studies education: Anexamination of evil. Paper presented at the Canadian Society for the Study of Education, Ottawa.

den Heyer, K. (2015). Concerning the subject of history education: limits and transgressions ofdisciplinary thinking. Paper presented at the Canadian Society for the Study of Education, Ottawa.

den Heyer, K. (2014). Unpacking aims talk: an exploration of the educational ‘event’ ineducation. American Educational Studies Association, Toronto, Ont.

den Heyer, K. (2014). Future thinking in education: The ways future reasoning sheds critical light on both the historical past and analysis of what drives our present issues of concern. Paper presented at the Canadian Society for the Study of Education, Brock University.

van Kessel, C. & den Heyer, K. (2013, November 1). Evil in history education. Paper presented at the Centre for Global Citizenship Education & Research International Conference 2013: Decolonizing Global Citizenship Education. Edmonton, AB.

den Heyer, K., & Scott, D. (2013). Mapping curricular points of departure and hopeful destinations for (social studies) education: a study into curriculum theory to interpret disciplinary subjects. Paper accepted for the American Educational Research Association Conference, San Francisco

Abbott, L. & den Heyer, K. (2012). Learning to teach from the dissonance at the heart of historical narratives. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, Vancouver, BC.

den Heyer, K., Henderson, J., Schneider, J., & Taubman, P. (2012). A crisis within, a world without: Curricular imaginings of that which not yet. Panel session presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Curriculum Studies, Vancouver, BC.

den Heyer, K. (2010). History education as a disciplined ethic of truths. American Educational Research Association, Denver, Co.

den Heyer, K. (2010). Teacher Educators Reexamine Their Practice in Light of a New Social Studies Program With Aboriginal Perspectives. American Educational Research Association, Denver, Co.

den Heyer, K. (2010). What if curriculum doesn’t matter? Canadian Society for the Study of Education, Montreal, P.Q.

den Heyer, K. (2010). Sticky points in curriculum change. Canadian Society for the Study of Education. Montreal, P.Q.

den Heyer, K. (2008). A Study of Conceptual Resources for Teacher Education to Help Public School Curriculum Change Stick. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, New York, NY.

den Heyer, K. (2008). Badiou and education: the possibility of new possibilities. Panel organizer and paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, New York, NY.

den Heyer, K. (2008). Education as an affirmative invention. Paper presented at the National Council for the Social Studies, San Diego, CA.

den Heyer, K., Abbot, L. (2008). Contending with Marginalized Historical Narratives. Paper presented at the Canadian Society for the Study of Education, Vancouver, BC.

den Heyer, K. (2008). Critical thinking as narrative competence. Paper presented at the Canadian Society for the Study of Education, Vancouver, BC.

den Heyer, (2007). Extending the Responsibilities of Schools Beyond the School Door. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.

den Heyer, K. (2006) Building public disciplinary communities. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco , CA .

den Heyer K. & Fidyk, A. (2006). Configuring the historical facts of they/then and we/now through historical fiction. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco , CA .

den Heyer, K. (2005). R. Buckminster Fuller’s “Great Pirates:” An investigation into narrative coherency and analysis in world history courses. Paper accepted for the American Education Research Association Conference, Montreal , PQ .

den Heyer, K., McCabe, D., Pifel, A. (2005). Extending the Responsibilities of Schools Beyond the School Door. Paper accepted for the 6th Annual Curriculum and Pedagogy Conference, Oxford , Ohio .

den Heyer, K. (2005). Just roiling along our tenure and promotion tracks: A counter proposal for an experiment with public intellectuality. Paper accepted as part of a special ‘town hall’ full-conference session for the 6th Annual Curriculum and Pedagogy Conference, Oxford , Ohio .

den Heyer, K. (2004). Making choices: Locating agency in historical documents. Paper presented at the College and University Faculty Assembly of the National Council of Social Studies, Baltimore, MD.

den Heyer, K. (2004). "Yes, but if students think all day, when will we get anything done?” Three ideas to spark pre-service teachers’ resistance to dangerous teaching. Paper presented at the American Education Research Association Conference, San Diego, CA.

den Heyer, K. (2004). A qualitative study into how experienced history teachers explain what makes social change possible. Paper presented at the American Education Research Association, San Diego, CA.

Steers van Hamel, D., Chan, E., den Heyer, K., Mayer, S., Murphy, S., Pearce, M, Orillion, M., Keller, S., Kilgor, J. (2004). Claiming the Canon: A Collaborative Investigation of Our Identities as Curriculum Scholars. Paper presented at the American Education Research Association Conference, San Diego, CA.

den Heyer, K. (2003). Preliminary drawings from pictures of change: Studying interpretations of agency and social change in the work of experienced social studies/history teachers. Paper presented at the College and University Faculty Assembly of the National Council for the Social Studies, Chicago, Ill.

den Heyer, K. (2003). Capitalist swoops and the lofty flights of “postie” theorizing: Grounding students in a critical analysis of curriculum. Paper presented at the Canadian Society for the Study of Education, Halifax, NS.