Dr. Valerie Triggs

Co-editor of in education Journal

Professor - Arts Education, Visual Arts Education

Contact Info

Valerie.Triggs@uregina.ca

Office: 306-585-5275

ED 335

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Research Interests

Valerie’s research interests primarily focus on how art and aesthetic practice contribute to broader and intensified awareness of ecological existence. She engages affect theory and posthuman philosophies as well as diffractive methodologies such as currere and a/r/tography, scholarly approaches to research that combine academic research with educational practice, lived experience, and aesthetic attunement. Much of her study, and contribution to the field, is focused on the significance of pedagogical and curricular design that is implicated by relations with the more-than-human world.

Academic Qualifications

Doctor of Philosophy, Centre for Cross-Faculty Inquiry, The University of British Columbia, November, 2012.
Masters Degree in Education, Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy, The University of British Columbia, April 2004.
Bachelor of Education, University of Regina, April 1993.

Current Funded Research Projects

Irwin, R. L. (UBC) Principal Investigator.

University Partners: Alexandra Lasczik (Southern Cross, Australia), Anita Sinner (Concordia), Joaquin Roldan (Universidad de Granada), Jun Hu (Hangzhou Normal University), Koichi Kasahara, (Tokyo Gakugei University), Ricardo Viadel (Universidad de Granada), Valerie Triggs (University of Regina)

SSHRC Partnership Development Grant 2018-2020

Project: Mapping A/r/tography: Transnational Storytelling across Historical and Cultural Routes of Significance (Funded for $200,000)

Recent/Select Publications

Sorensen, M., Triggs, V. & Ge, L. (forthcoming). Retracing, reimaging, and reconciling our roots in social work graduate education. In Leddy, S., Irwin, R. L. & Rallis, N. (Eds.). Decolonizing education through art: Learning with the land. Intellect.

Triggs, V., Leddy, S., Sorensen, M., Irwin, R. L., Rallis, N. & Lin, C. (forthcoming). 100 Days of acknowledging land: Using the Medicine Wheel in a/r/tographic fieldwork. Special Issue of Journal of Women, Gender and Research.

Lasczik, L., Irwin, R. L., Triggs, V., Sinner, A. & Hotko, K. (Eds.) (forthcoming). International Handbook of A/r/tography. Intellect.

Bazzul, J. & Triggs, V. (2025). Malfunctioning: An ethical-ecological concept. Encyclopaedia of Postdigital Science and Education, (Postdigital Ecological Awareness). Springer Nature Switzerland AG. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35469-4_82-1

Triggs, V., Bazzul, J. & Ashton, E. (Eds.). (2024). Objects: Special Issue of Review of Educational Pedagogy and Cultural Studies 46(5). https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/gred20/current

Rallis, N., Morimoto, K., Sorensen, M. Triggs, V. & Irwin, R. L. (Eds.) (2024). Walking in art education: Ecopedagogical and a/r/tographical encounters. Intellect.

Irwin, R. L., Lasczik, L., Sinner, A. & Triggs, V. (Eds.) (2023). A/r/tography: Essential readings and conceptual conversations. Bristol, UK: Intellect.

Triggs, V., Irwin, R. L. & O’Donoghue, D. (2023). Following a/r/tography in practice: From possibility to potential. In R. L. Irwin, L. Lasczik; A. Sinner, & V. Triggs, (Eds.), A/r/tography: Essential readings and conceptual conversations (pp. 385-401). Intellect. (Reprinted from Inquiry in Action: Paradigms, Methodologies and Perspectives in Art Education Research, pp.253-264, by K. Miglan & C. Smilan, Eds. 2014, NAEA)

Triggs, V., Irwin, R. L. & O’Donoghue, D. (2022). (Translated into Turkish). Following a/r/tography in practice: From possibility to potential. In (Eds.) S. Duygu, B. Eristi, & R. L. Irwin, A/r/tografi: Uygulama Tabanlı Araştırma Yöntemi. Ankara, Turkey: PEGEM. (SSHRC funded)

Triggs, V., Sorensen, M. D. & Irwin, R. L. (2022). Lively pathways: Finding the aesthetic in everyday Practice. In Eds L. Trafi-Prats, A. Castro & R. Fendler, Visual participatory arts-based research in the city: Ontology, aesthetics and ethics. (pp. 73-88). NY: Routledge.

Enns, M., Triggs, V. & Sorensen, M. D. (2022). Teaching rural intergenerational artmaking. In Eds. G. Coutts, T. Eça & S. Kim, Learning through art: International pictures of practice: Art Education with vulnerable learners. Vol 3. pp. 410-417, International Society for Education through the Arts (INSEA).

Triggs, V. (2020, December 17). Thinking pedagogy for places of the relational now. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education (Curriculum & Arts Education). Oxford University Press. Encyclopedia of doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093 (Winner of the 2023 AERA Critics’ Choice Book Award; Winner of the 2022 Outstanding Book Award, Society of Professors of Education)

Triggs, V., Irwin, R. L. & Leggo, C. (2019). [translated reprint Japanese). Geijutsukyouikusha no jibun wo sasaeru koto [Walking art: Sustaining ourselves as arts educators]. (K. Kasahara, Trans.). In K. Kasahara & R. L. Irwin (Eds.), A/r/tography: Geijutsuka/Kenkyusha/Kyouikusha to shite Ikiru Tankyu no Houhou. ウォーキングアート−芸術教育者の自分を支えること− (pp. 199-219). Himeji: Book Way. Original publication: (2014). Walking art: Sustaining ourselves as arts educators. Visual Inquiry: Learning & Teaching Art 3(1), pp. 21-34.

Triggs, V., Irwin, R. L. & O’Donoghue, D. (2019). (translated reprint Japanese). Jissenjou no A/r/tography wo tadotte: Kanousei kara senzairyoku e. [Following A/r/tography in practice: From possibility to potential]. (M. Sato, Trans.). In K. Kasahara & R. L. Irwin (Eds.), Geijutsuka/Kenkyusha/Kyouikusha to shite Ikiru Tankyu no Houhou. 実践上のアートグラフィーをたどって：可能性から潜在力へ (pp. 119-140). Himeji: Book Way.

Triggs, V. & Irwin, R. L. (2019). [invited chapter] Pedagogy: The a/r/tographic invitation. In Eds. E. Hall & N. Meager, International Encyclopedia of Art and Design Education. Pedagogy Volume (Community, Ethics & Politics). https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118978061.ead028 NY: Wiley

Carter, M., Triggs, V. & Pinar, W. (Eds.) (2018). Arts Education and Curriculum Studies: The Contributions of Rita L. Irwin. NY: Routledge

Triggs, V. (2015). Art as ecological practice. In Ed. S. Schonmann. The wisdom of the many: Key issues in arts education. International yearbook for research in arts education (3)2015. Münster, Germany: Waxmann. pp.159-163.

Triggs, V., Irwin, R. L. Irwin & Leggo, C. (2014). Walking art: Sustaining ourselves as arts educators. Visual Inquiry: Learning & Teaching Art 3(1), pp. 21-34.

Clarke, A., Triggs, V., Nielsen, W. (2014). Cooperating teacher participation in teacher education. Review of Educational Research (RER) June 2014, 84(2), 163-202. Nominated for AERA Review of Research Award.

Clarke, A., Collins, J., Triggs,V. & Nielsen, W. (2012/2019). The Mentoring Profile Inventory: online professional development resource for cooperating teachers. Teaching Education, 23(2), 167-194.

Clarke, C., Mena, J., Chalies, S., Faikhamta, C., Nielsen, W., Triggs, W., Lu, L., Fu, G., Kaymak, M. (2012/2019). Mentoring Profile Inventory (MPI) is an online professional development tool for teachers who work with student teachers on practicum. The MPI provides feedback to mentor teachers on how they conceive of and carry out their work as practicum supervisors. https://mentoringprofile.com

Related Teaching and Teacher Education Experience and Courses Taught in the Past

Related Teaching and Teacher Education Experience

2016: to present, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, University of Regina
2012: to 2016, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education, University of Regina
2006-2011: Research Assistant, The City of Richgate: Research and creation within community-engaged arts practice; Becoming Pedagogical (SSHRC funded)
2007-2011: Research Assistant, The Teacher Education Conversation: A Network of Cooperating Teachers; The Mentoring Profile Inventory: An online professional development resource for cooperating teachers; A Review of Literature on the Cooperating Teacher. (SSHRC funded)
2004-2006: Curriculum Coordinator, Chinook School Division, SK.
1998- 2004: Curriculum and Resource Based Learning Consultant, Southwest Shared Services, SK.
1997-1998: Teacher, Visual Art, Gr. 7-9; Drama, Gr. 9, E.S. Laird School, Lloydminster, Alberta.
1993-1997: Teacher, English Language Arts, Social Studies, Math, Health, Gr. 8; Visual Art, Gr. 7-11; Science, Social Studies, Gr. 4. Souris Valley School, Souris, Manitoba.

University Courses Taught

Undergraduate:

EVIS 101: An Introduction to Visual Education
EVIS 202: Approaches to Teaching Visual Education through Contemporary Issues
EVIS 326: Domains and Theories of Instruction
EVIS 328: Methods of Teaching an Appreciation of Visual Arts
EAES 201: Introduction to Aesthetic Education K-12
ECS 498 (EAE 350): Arts Education Curriculum and the Practice of Living Inquiry
EDUC 311 (Principles of Teaching), UBC.
ARTE 320 (Elementary Art Methods), UBC.

Graduate:

ED 920: PhD Seminar in Contemporary Issues in Education
ED 890ES: Narrative Research as a Focus for the Study of Arts Education Issues and Ideas.
EC&I 871: Mobility and Sustainability: Historical Strategies, Creative Methodologies, and Socially Engaged Practices
ED 870 BB: Arts Based Research Methods: A/r/tography
EDCP 514: Arts Based Research: A/r/tography (UBC) (TA)

Directed Reading (Graduate):

EC&I 890DE: Curriculum Studies and the Practice of Worldliness: Travels between the Subjective and the Social
ED 890ES: Narrative Research as a Focus for the Study of Arts Education Issues and Ideas