Matthew Etherington, PhD

Professor of Education; Sabbatical 2024/2025

Matthew achieved his PhD in the philosophy of education from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia while completing doctoral research at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). He is currently a Professor in the School of Education at Trinity Western University, British Columbia, Canada. Matthew is the Director of the Institute of Indigenous Issues and Perspectives (IIIP) and Vice President of the Association for the Advancement of Scandinavian Studies in Canada (AASSC). His primary interests are in the philosophy of education, environmental and outdoor learning, Indigenous sovereignty, Elderhood and worldview analysis. Matthew has published four books, Changing Careers to Become a Teacher; Foundations of Education: A Christian Vision (editor and author); What Teachers Need to Know: Topics of Inclusion (editor and author) and Perspective on Working Life (author). He writes on a diversity of topics in education, philosophy, and spirituality.

Matthew is on Sabbatical for the Academic Year 2024/2025.

  • Diploma Teaching (University of New South Wales)
  • BEd (University of Technology, Sydney)
  • MEd (Macquarie University, Sydney)
  • PhD (Macquarie University, Sydney / University of Toronto)
  • Graduate Diploma Divinity (Morling College, Sydney, Australia)

Expertise

Philosophy of Education, Pedagogy, Environmental Education, Problem-Based Learning, Phenomenology, Theology and Schooling, Research Methods, Theories of Education, and Mature Age Teachers.

  • Educational Philosophy
  • Curriculum as Currere
  • Environmental Education
  • Indigenous Epistemology
  • Worldview Analysis
  • Teacher Identity and Life History

Awards & Honours

  • Awarded the Provost Innovative Teaching Award (Graduation Day, April 30, 2023)
  • SSHRC government research grant. Indigenous Resurgence Speaker Series (2022)
  • SSHRC government research grant. The purpose is to develop arts-based, anti-racist educational strategies to support nursing and education students in engaging with and responding to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Report (2022)
  • SSHRC government Explore Research Grant of $6230.66. “Resurgence! Indigenous Speaker Series.” This grant is from January 1, 2023-December 31, 2024 (2022)
  • The Academic Research Council internal research grant competition awarded a grant of $2000 to conduct further longitudinal research in Finland. The Topic of research is “An inquiry into the pride experience of Finnish school children and school teachers.” (2017)
  • Awarded the Provost Innovative Teaching Award (Graduation Day, April 26, 2013)
  • Research Incentive Scheme: Campbell, C., Etherington, M. and Tannock, M. (2010). The University of Notre Dame Australia, Research Incentive Scheme ($4310). Using iPods for learning in a secondary school: A case study of one NSW Catholic School. (2010)

Recent Publications

Books

  • Etherington, M. (2009). Changing careers to become a schoolteacher: A study of mature agepre-service teachers in career transition. Berlin: VDM Publishing.
  • Etherington, M. (2014). Foundations of Education: Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock.
  • Etherington, M. (2017). What Teachers Need to Know: Topics in Diversity and Inclusion. Used with Permission of Wipf and Stock Publishers
  • Etherington, M. (2021). Perspectives on Working Lives. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
  • Etherington, M. (2023). Environmental Education and Nature: Perspectives and Applications. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock.
  • Etherington, M. (2025). Foundations: Contemporary Topics in Christian  Education (forthcoming)

Articles

  • Etherington, M. (2025). “We are moving away from independent research and thought”: Epistemological Diversity in Higher Education. Journal of Controversial Ideas (forthcoming)
  • Etherington, M. (2023). Environmental Education: Interpretations and Perceptions. European Journal of Education Studies, 10(1): 55-76.
  • Etherington, M. (2022). Come, Let Us Reason Together.  Journal of Science and Society, 2 (1), 1-8.
  • Etherington, M. (2021). Finnish High School Students and the Pride Experience / Suomalaiset Lukiolaiset ja Kokemus Ylpeydestä. European Journal of Education Studies, 8 (8). https://oapub.org/edu/index.php/ejes/article/view/3836/6472
  • Etherington, M. (2021). Smashing Down “Old” Ways of Thinking: Uncritical Critical Thinking in Teacher Education. One World in Dialogue, 6(1). The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA).
  • Robertson, K, & Etherington, M. (2020). Moving from Paternal Benevolence to Relationship: Walking Humbly with Indigenous People, 59 (2 & 3), Journal of American Indian Education.
  • Etherington, M. (2019). Religion as a Workplace Issue: A Narrative Inquiry of Two People—One Muslim and the Other Christian. Sage Open Journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019862729
  • Etherington, M. (2019). The Problem with Educational Transformation: Rethinking the Mission to Educate Others in an Era of Change, Progress and Uncertainty. Journal of Culture and Values in Education, 2(1): 96-112.  https://www.learntechlib.org/p/210577/.
  • Etherington, M. (2019). Pride in Education: A Narrative Study of Five Finnish Schoolteachers. SAGE Open, Sage Open Journal. 9(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019845489
  • Etherington, M. (2017). Australia is More Rational while Canada is More Just: A Personal reflection of the Canadian and Australian Experience. Australian Canadian Studies,33(1-2), pp.73-100.
  • Etherington, M. (2016). Epistemological Inclusion: Critical Thinking in Teaching and Learning, Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 16(5).
  • Etherington, M. (2016). From Epistemological Pragmatism to Educational Pluralism. Journal of Contemporary Research in Education, 4(2).
  • Etherington, M. (2015). Aboriginal perspectives and Issues in Teacher Education. Journal of American Indian Education, 54(2):52-68.
  • Etherington, M. (2013). Mathematics, Pedagogy and the Second-Career. Philosophy of Mathematics Education Journal, no 27. http://people.exeter.ac.uk/PErnest/pome27/index.html
  • Etherington, M. (2013). Values Education: Why the teaching of values in schools is Necessary but not Sufficient. Journal of Research in Christian Education. 22:189-210.
  • Etherington, M. (2012). Time to play: The Difference Between Knowing and Showing in education, University of Regina, 18(2). http://ineducation.ca/article/time-play-difference-between-knowing-and-showing
  • Etherington, M. (2012). A revolution in education: small class sizes, well-resourced classrooms and quality teachers. Australian Canadian Studies, 30, 1-2.
  • Etherington, M. B. (2011) Investigative Primary Science: A Problem-based Learning Approach. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 36 (9), 4.
  • Etherington, M.B. (2011). The Pygmalion Principle: The Practicum Expectations and Experiences of Mature Age Student Teachers. Issues in Educational Research, 21(3), 1-22.
  • Etherington, M. (2010). A study of the perceptions and worldviews of mature age pre-service teachers aged between 31 and 53. Journal of Adult Development. 34(4), 1-13
  • Etherington, M. (2009). Swapping the boardroom for the classroom. Australian Journal of Teacher Education. 34(4), 39-59.
  • Etherington, M. (2008). Is Christian schooling really at loggerheads with the ideas of diversity and tolerance?: A Rejoinder. Educational Research and Perspectives, 35(2), 112-135.
  • Etherington, M. (2008). E-Learning pedagogy in the Primary School Classroom: the McDonaldization of Education . Australian Journal of Teacher Education. 33(5), 29-54.
  • Etherington, M. (2004). Changing careers to become a primary school teacher: A phenomenological study of the motivations and perceptions of graduate pre-service teachers in Toronto Canada. Australian Canadian Studies, 22(2), 67- 100.

Affiliations & Memberships

  • American Philosophical Association;
  • Australian Philosophical Association;
  • Australian Canadian Studies Association;
  • Canadian Philosophical Association; and
  • Association for Canadian Studies in Australia and New Zealand.

  • EDUC 233 Foundations of Education
  • EDUC 302/EDUC 303 Initial Classroom Experience
  • EDUC 456 Curriculum and Pedagogy: K-8 Mathematics
  • EDUC 402/EDUC 403 Initial Classroom Experience
  • EDUC 495 Critical Issues, Values and Class Management
  • EDUC 496 Issues in Indigenous Education