Welcome!

I am Stacey L. MacKinnon, a Full Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI). I hold a Ph.D. in Experimental Social Psychology from the University of Calgary, and my passion lies in fostering curiosity and inquiry within higher education.

I have been a professor in the department of Psychology at UPEI since 2004 where I have taught courses such as Introduction to Psychology, Social Psychology, Advanced Research Methods in Social Psychology, Curiosity: Theory & Practice, and the Psychology of Good and Evil. Since 2015, I’ve had the privilege of developing and coordinating UPEI’s first-year Inquiry Studies program, where I strive to transform students into active, intrinsically motivated learners through initiatives like “The Curiosity Project.” My dedication to teaching has been recognized with significant honors, such as the 3M National Teaching Fellowship in 2025, the 2023 Association of Atlantic Universities Anne Marie MacDonald Excellence in Education Leadership Award, and the 2012 UPEI Hessian Award for Excellence in Teaching.

My research delves into critical areas such as how purposeful reading impacts information retention, the effectiveness of inquiry-based learning, and the responsible integration of generative AI in educational settings. In 2022, I founded the Curiosity and Inquiry Research Collaboration Lab at UPEI which brings together faculty from across campus to work on issues of learning and teaching in partnership with volunteer undergraduate researchers. I’m also the co-author of books like “Reigniting Curiosity and Inquiry in Higher Education: A Realist’s Guide to Getting Started with IBL” (MacKinnon & Archer-Kuhn, 2022) and co-editor of “Applying Inquiry-Based Learning Across Disciplines in Higher Education” (Archer-Kuhn, MacKinnon, & Beltrano, 2025).

Outside of my university role, I am involved with developing inquiry-based adolescent learning programs for junior/senior high schools, offer professional development workshops through the International Montessori Foundation and Montessori Canada, I am a speaker on issues of curiosity, inquiry and artificial intelligence both in and out of the classroom, and serve as a monthly columnist for CBC Radio’s “Mainstreet.”

I have recently launched the Curiosity & Inquiry Research Centre & Learning Academy (CIRCLAcademy Ltd) in partnership with Fredericton Montessori Academy and look forward to designing a new approach to high school learning, shifting learners from fear to possibility in an uncertain era.

Please click on the links to the left to learn more about me, my work, and how I may be able to benefit your organization.

What I Do

Professional Development

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Program Design

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Research Development

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Mentorship

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Testimonials

Julia Hickman

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Julia Hickman

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Robert Watkins

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Robert Watkins

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Kristin Carroll

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