Sharon Friesen

Professional appointment:  Professor

Professional profile: Sharon Friesen is a Professor in the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary, whose research investigates how K–12 systems can be redesigned for contemporary society, with a sustained focus on research-practice partnerships, school and system leadership, teacher leadership, innovative pedagogies, and conditions that enable high-quality professional learning. Drawing on design-based and mixed-methods approaches, her work advances research-practice partnerships with schools, districts, ministries, and community organizations to improve teaching, assessment, and student wellbeing, including recent initiatives on school-based mental health, equitable assessment, and technology integration. A co-founder of the Galileo Educational Network and former Vice Dean, she has authored books, peer-reviewed articles, and policy reports recognized by national and international awards, and she mentors graduate researchers and leaders committed to system improvement and knowledge brokering in education. 

Areas of scholarship: 

• Design-based and mixed-methods approaches to system, school, and teacher professional learning and knowledge brokering.

• Research–practice partnerships that connect scholars with schools, school systems, and ministries.

• Teacher leadership and shared leadership for school improvement and induction support.

• Leadership, policy, and system redesign.

• Technology integration and digital learning in K-12 education.

• Student engagement and intellectual engagement in learning. 

Teaching foci:  

• Educational Leadership.

• Teacher Education

• Leading Professional Learning

• Design-Based Professional Learning

• Design-based Research

Selected publications: 

Brown, B. & Friesen, S. (2023). Engaging in educational research-practice partnerships: Guided strategies and applied case studies for scholars in the field. Routledge. 

Brown, B., & Friesen, S. (2023). An examination of teacher leaders and a shared leadership approach: Contributions to school improvement in a school district. Asia Pacific Journal of Educators and Education, 38(2), 249–273. https://doi.org/10.21315/apjee2023.38.2.13

Lisi, N. & Friesen, S. (2025). Leadership practices of middle school principals that promote collective teacher efficacy. International Journal of Learning Leadership, 25(1), 42-78. https://doi.org/10.29173/ijll58 

MacGregor, S. & Friesen, S. (2025). Reframing failure: Lessons from educational leaders facilitating multi-tiered systems of support. Journal of Professional Capital and Community. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPCC-09-2024-0168 

MacGregor, S., Friesen, S., Turner, J., Domene, J., McMorris, C., Allan, S., & Mesner, B. (2024). The side effects of universal school-based mental health supports: An integrative review. Review of Research in Education, 48. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X241256628 

Degrees:  

PhD, University of Calgary

M.Ed., University of Calgary

BEd. University of Calgary

Email address: sfriesen@ucalgary.ca

ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9402-2363