Dr. Geraldine Balzer

Associate Professor

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Biography

Geraldine Balzer is an Associate Professor and Department Head in the Curriculum Studies Department at the University of Saskatchewan. Her early teaching experiences with Inuit students ignited her dedication to decolonizing pedagogies and transformative education. Balzer's teaching approach focuses on challenging the dominance of standard English while embracing the global diversity of Englishes, and she integrates Indigenous postcolonial literature into secondary classrooms to prepare future teachers as advocates for social justice. Her research emphasizes decolonization and social justice, collaborating closely with educators to explore diverse literary texts and foster critical thinking about societal issues. Balzer examines the impact of International Experiential Education and Service Learning on Canadian participants and host communities in Central America, prioritizing the inclusion of Indigenous voices from the Global South in program development and implementation. A guiding principle in her research is reciprocity, striving to create research partnerships that are co-owned by researchers and communities rather than exploitative or extractive.

Research Interests

Courses

ECUR 898: Dialogical Education ECUR 898: Adolescent Learning ECUR 834: Community Engaged Research ECUR 833: Emancipatory Education ECUR 815: Decolonizing Education ECUR 811: Decolonizing Curriculum

Requirements for University of Saskatchewan

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
IELTS
Listening
Required:6
Reading
Required:6
Writing
Required:6
Speaking
Required:6
Overall
Required:6.5
TOEFL
Listening
Required:19
Reading
Required:19
Writing
Required:19
Speaking
Required:19
Total
Required:86
Duolingo
Overall Score
Required:120
Overall
Required:120
Prerequisites
Four-year undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline
Application Checklist
  • Official transcripts
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Statement of intent
  • CV/Resume
Specialization Notes

Standard university-wide graduate requirements apply to most arts and science departments unless otherwise specified by the program.