Dr. Theodora Kapoyannis
Affiliations
Director, Field Experience, Calgary and Area ( 2019- 2026)
Werklund School of Education, Undergraduate Programs in Education
Assistant Professor
Werklund School of Education, Specialization, Adult Learning
Contact information
Phone number
Office: 403.220.5598
Location
Office: EDT1010
For media enquiries, contact
Clayton MacGillivray
Content and Media Specialist
Email: clmacgil@ucalgary.ca
Twitter: @UCalgaryEduc
Background
Educational Background
PhD - Educational Research - Language and Diversity University of Calgary, 2018
MA - Teaching English as a Second Language University of Calgary, 2000
BEd - Social Studies University of Calgary, 1995
Biography
Dr. Theodora Kapoyannis is currently an Assistant Professor in the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary. She was the Director of Field Experience for the On- Campus Program from 2019- 2026. She completed her interdisciplinary PhD at the Werklund School of Education in 2018 with a focus on Adult Learning, Leadership and Language and Diversity. Before beginning her Doctoral work, Theodora was a K-12 Educator, learning specialist and educational consultant for eighteen years.
Professional & Community Affiliations
Dr. Kapoyannis collaborates with a variety of government and non- government organizations across Alberta. She is an active member of the Greek Community of Calgary.
- English as a Second Language Specialist Council- Alberta Teacher’s Association- Member and Former President and Vice President
- Calgary Reads – Literacy Non- Profit -Consultant
- Greek Community of Calgary- Active Member
Research
Areas of Research
Dr. Kapoyannis’ current research focuses on pre-service education, lifelong well-being, experiential learning, and professional learning. Her research interests include the intersection of educational leadership and well-being, adult learning, and professional learning and growth.
- Adult learning
- Teacher Well-Being
- Practicum and Preservice Education
- Leadership development
- Experiential Learning
- Diversity
- Language Learning
- Literacy
- Professional Learning
Participation in university strategic initiatives
Courses
| Course number | Course title | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 460.02 | Specialization I Elementary English as an Additonal Language | Winter 2022 |
| EDUC 556 | Professional Development and Lifelong Learning | Winter 2022 |
| EDUC 435 | Literacy, Language and CUlture | Fall 2021 |
| EDUC 430 | Pragmatics in Teaching and Learning | Fall 2026 |
| EDUC 440 | Field Experience One | Fall 2026 |
Projects
Growing instability in the teaching profession has direct consequences for students, families, and communities, affecting
classroom continuity, educational quality, and trust in public education. In Alberta, teachers are experiencing
unprecedented workload pressures, expanding role demands, and declining confidence in career sustainability.
Guided by the primary research question: How do K-12 teachers and school principals make meaning of the influence of
multi-level leadership practices on teacher well-being and career sustainability within current systemic challenges in
Alberta?, the study examines how coherence in leadership practices across classroom, school, district, and provincial levels
shapes teacher well-being and contributes to a sustainable and flourishing profession. Well-being is understood in
relational, organizational and professional terms including relational trust, professional autonomy, work design, and
purposeful professional learning.
Awards
- Online Teaching Excellence Award, Werklund School of Education. 2020
- Award Recipient / Guest Speaker: Celebrating Student Success, Werklund School of Education. 2017
- Ethel- King Shaw Doctoral Scholarship in Literacy , Werklund School of Education. 2015
- Doctoral Fellowship in Education, Alberta Teacher’s Association. 2015
- SSHRC- Insight Development Grant ( PI), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. 2026
Publications
- Leading the pandemic practicum: One teacher education response to the COVID-19 crisis. International Journal of E-Learning and Distance Education, 35(2), 1-25. Burns, A., Danyluk, P., Kapoyannis, T., & Kendrick, A.. International Journal of E- Learning & Distance Education. 1-25. (2020)
- Adapting tochanging K-12 contexts during COVID-19: Teacher education perspectives. . Brown, B., Burns, A., Kendrick, A., Kapoyannis, T., & Delanoy, N.. In M. K. Barbour & LaBonte, R., Stories from the field: Voices of K-12 Stakeholders during Pandemic, Canadian Education Network. 63-68. (2020)
- Literacy engagement in multilingual and multicultural learning spaces. . Kapoyannis, T. TESL Canada Journal, 36 (2). 1-25. (2019)
- Taking Experiential Learning Online: Student Perceptions. Danyluk, P, Kapoyannis, T, Kendrick A. International Journal on Innocations in Online Education 5(1). (2021)
- The Name Jar Project: Supporting Preservice Teachers in Working with English Language Learners. Kapoyannis, T. Language and Literacy. 45-65. (2021)
- The Canadian Preservice Teacher Education Practicum: An Examination of Fostering University and School Collaboration, Mentor Teacher Guidance, and Re-centring the Practicum. McNeilly E, Nickel J, Burns A, Danyluk P, Kapoyannis T, Kendrick A. Interchange. 1-10. (2022)
- Learning and Leading Through COVID-19: Surprising findings from a year of disrupted field experience.. (2024)
- Designing for Lifelong Well-Being: A Pragmatic Conceptual Framework to Bridge the Intention- Practice Gap Across Educational and Professional Contexts. Kapoyannis, T. Frontiers in Education- Mental Health and Wellbeing in Education. (2026)
More Information
Media:
- The Writing Department. (2018, October). Calgary Reads with ELLs. Calgary, Alberta. (Training Video for Calgary Reads with English Language Learners)
- Getaneh, M. (2018, April). I remember the first day of ESL class: Memory still bothers Calgary Woman. Star Metro Calgary. Retrieved from: https://www.thestar.com/calgary/2018/04/22/i-remember-the-first-day-of-esl-class-memory-still-bothers-calgary-woman.html
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