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Before starting his PhD at CU Boulder, Kyle Kopsick taught social studies at a high school in Quito, Ecuador for roughly five years. This experience greatly impacted his life and guided him to further his learning by joining the doctoral program in educational foundations, policy and practice.

“I knew I wanted to draw from anthropology and philosophy to explore how international curricula and sociocultural differences shape pedagogy,” said Kopsick.

Kopsick’s dissertation, titled "Intercultural education (un)realized: How neoliberal and neocolonial pressures constrain educational purpose and practice,” builds upon a year-long ethnographic study in Costa Rica. His work explores how an international school there sought to educate across differences and build intercultural understanding using the International Baccalaureate curriculum. Based on classroom observations, teacher interviews and student focus groups, Kopsick’s study shows how global and local pressures to perform on exams and gain credentials often narrowed what teachers and students could meaningfully pursue.

Kopsick was awarded the 2023-24 Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad fellowship from the Department of Education to complete this work and received the CU Boulder School of Education’s 2026 Outstanding Dissertation award.

“His carefully designed and theoretically sophisticated study also stands to contribute to debates in allied fields, including philosophy of education and teacher education,” said his award nominators and Associate Professors Andrea Dyrness and Terri Wilson.

“Kyle’s work—as his committee affirmed in his defense—is powerfully interdisciplinary,
contributing to debates about the ethical and political complexity of teaching practice, as well as moral dimensions of education. Beyond pointing to such tensions, Kyle’s work documents spaces of resistance and solidarity, between both teachers and students, in ways that centered questions of meaning, power and humanity… we see his study as exemplifying the
very best of our program—and our School of Education.”

But his mentors, as well as his students and teachers in the classrooms, describe and notice Kopsick as humble and easygoing. He doesn’t suggest that his study can offer direct solutions, but rather, presents it as a critical case study. Furthermore, Kopsick reflects on how his learnings in the program impact his daily life.

“Through my studies and teaching at CU, I’ve improved my capacity to carefully observe, pose useful questions and identify the root of the matter at hand,” said Kopsick.

“I’ve learned that dissonance is generative when it’s approached from an inquiry orientation, and I’ve learned how to more clearly think through and navigate complexity. These are lessons that are useful for research and teaching but, more importantly, they are lessons that enhance my everyday life. I'm much more disciplined in my thinking now, and that discipline is grounded in the reminder that worthwhile inquiry is always ongoing.”

Kopsick is looking forward to staying at CU Boulder this fall as a postdoctoral fellow. 

In his own words

1) Please tell us a bit about yourself:

I grew up in the Chicago area and taught social studies at a high school in Quito, Ecuador. I was deeply moved by my time in Ecuador and was motivated to further examine my teaching experiences in a doctoral program. While I was unsure of exactly what that would entail, I knew I wanted to draw from anthropology and philosophy to explore how international curricula and sociocultural differences shape pedagogy.

I chose CU Boulder because of its foundations program. I was impressed by the faculty and knew I would be both pushed and supported. I was also promised that I would be able to consistently teach undergraduate courses, which was important for me. That promise was definitely kept!

2) What is one of the most significant lessons from your time at CU Boulder that you’ll carry with you into the next chapter of your life?

Through my studies and teaching at CU, I’ve improved my capacity to carefully observe, pose useful questions, and identify the root of the matter at hand. I’ve learned that dissonance is generative when it’s approached from an inquiry orientation, and I’ve learned how to more clearly think through and navigate complexity.

These are lessons that are useful for research and teaching but, more importantly, they are lessons that enhance my everyday life. I'm much more disciplined in my thinking now, and that discipline is grounded in the reminder that worthwhile inquiry is always ongoing.

3) What does graduating from CU Boulder represent for you or your family/community?

CU is a wonderful public university that, at its best, brings diverse people together to engage in open inquiry, discussion, and deliberation. I’m grateful to have spent the past six years here and will always feel a connection to the Boulder community. 

4) What is your best piece of advice for incoming students?

I’ll share a few that are closely related: Read widely, deeply, and recursively. Ask questions and follow your curiosities. Beware of certainty. Engage with people who think differently than you.

5) What are your next steps after graduation?

I’m fortunate to be staying at CU Boulder as a postdoctoral fellow. I’ll be working on a great project aimed at strengthening the civic and democratic aims of the university.