Making sense of numbers: quantitative research in the social sciences
Jan 28, 2026 — 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Join us for the next event in our Research Conversations Series entitled “Making sense of numbers: quantitative research in the social sciences” with Professors Minahil Asim and Alice Levasseur. Register for this event happening on January 28, 2026, at 11:30 AM.
Event description
During this bilingual meeting, professors Minahil Asim and Alice Levasseur, who conduct quantitative research within the Faculty, will present key elements related to the design of this type of research and the statistical analyses involved. Designed for graduate students who want to learn more about the possibilities offered by quantitative data in the social sciences, this workshop will draw on current research projects and empirical study results. The session will also offer participants an insight into the various stages of the quantitative research process in the social sciences, from planning to publication.
Speakers
Minahil Asim
Assistant Professor
Professor Minahil Asim’s research explores the effectiveness of education reforms and policies that are focused on improving learning outcomes and educational trajectories for disadvantaged students. Her work attempts to advance knowledge on how management and leadership practises of actors along the education delivery chain impact student outcomes; and how direct support to students at home or in school can improve their engagement and learning. She uses a variety of research methods in her work, including process-tracing methods, field experiments, and quasi-experimental strategies and has active projects in Pakistan, Ghana, and the United States.
Professor Asim did her Ph.D. in Education Policy at the University of California, Davis, her M.A. in International Comparative Education at Stanford University, and her B.Sc. in Economics at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). She moved to Toronto in January 2020 for a Postdoctoral Fellowship at OISE at the University of Toronto.
Alice Levasseur
Lecturer
Alice Levasseur’s research is focused on assessing workplace psychological health indicators, as well as exploring leadership practices that foster motivation and the engagement and mobilization of teaching staff. The comprehensive study of these variables, which have the potential to contribute to staff retention, fulfillment and well-being at work, considers the organizational and relational factors such as workload, autonomy, recognition, justice and relational trust as perceived by staff in educational institutions and the education system. Professor Levasseur has contributed to the development and promotion of these research areas in Canada and internationally, notably in France, in Switzerland, in the Netherlands and in the United States, through her involvement in multidisciplinary research projects and her participation in renowned scientific conferences such as that of the American Educational Research Association (AERA).