Undergraduate Research Training (URT) Program

Anshi Shastry, 2023

It is common for pre-service teachers (PST) to face various motivational challenges throughout their field placements, courses, and overall degree program (Cho, in progress; Cho & Rogat, 2023). Cho (in progress) took a multidimensional approach to examining challenges that PSTs experience in the field, drawing on the expectancy x value perspective (Eccles & Wigfield, 2020). Building on the in-progress research, this study explores PSTs’ motivational challenges relevant to their field experiences by using the five newly developed scenarios, informed by a previous pilot interview study (Cho & Rogat, 2023), that highlight expectancy and value challenges. The research objective is to investigate 1) the different patterns in PSTs’ perceived relevance of scenarios in the teaching context and 2) what specific experiences informed these relevance perceptions. Participants were nine elementary education majors who had three or more semesters of field placements. We will 1) calculate the means and modes for participants’ ratings of the scenarios based on their perceived relevance to the field and 2) qualitatively analyze for key themes and experiences which exemplify each challenge scenario. The study is intended to promote PSTs’ preparation for the field through, not only increased awareness of potential motivational challenges, but also relevant skill-building practices.

Teagan Drumm & Lauren Spedale, 2023

We examine whether using a culturally diverse, literacy-focused program promotes both students’ literacy and social justice awareness. Data were collected from Purdue’s CDF Freedom School (FS), during a six-week summer program serving 26 students in grades K-5. The FS uses an integrated reading curriculum with the theme of “I Can Make a Difference” (ICMAD). Then, each week, subthemes address ICMAD in myself, my family, my community, my country, my world, and with hope, education, and action. Each week also includes a focus on creative writing, field trips, STEM engagement, and social action activities. Students (1-10 teacherstudent ratio), work on literacy activities that include community, local and global social justice topics. Data were collected at the end of the 6-week program, from parents who were given a combination of quantitative and qualitative questions designed to document children’s academic and personal development. The majority of parents (>88%) reported that their child demonstrated: (a) improvements in their reading skills; (b) greater confidence in reading; (c) efficacy about their ability to effect change; (d) appreciated the integration of social justice, history, and individual development in the curriculum. This pilot study provides strong initial support for the assertion that the implementation of a multi- faceted approach to education that blends traditional academic subjects with lessons on social justice, history, and personal empowerment is both innovative and effective. This approach is essential to the development of academic skills and cultural awareness, as well as both critical to students’ success in our interconnected global community.

Nicholas Cline, 2023

From 2000 to 2020, the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has risen dramatically from 1 in 150 to 1 in 36 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). This has fueled the development of new educational interventions for ASD students, with a primary focus on impacted skills like communication and language. However, ASD students, similar to their typical development (TD), peers also struggle with math skills. Yet, unlike TD students, ASD students are stereotypically portrayed as mathematically gifted. Consequently, fewer interventions target math learning for ASD students. Interestingly, even fewer address the intersection of mathematics understanding and language comprehension, i.e., word-problem solving. Word problems call for the application of mathematical knowledge to real-world situations. Thus, math interventions for students with ASD must focus on word problem comprehension to bridge the gap between language and mathematics skills. A quantitative meta-analysis was conducted to identify current math word-problem interventions for ASD students. Studies were included in the review if they met the following criteria: must be published within 2003 to 2023 in the English language peer-review journal; at least one participant must have been diagnosed with ASD; intervention must have been used that focus on math word problems; participants must range from elementary to high school age; and the setting must be a control environment. 13 articles met the requirements. The quantitative analysis examines two different effect size measures: Tau-U and Percentage of non-overlapping data (PND).

Mia Rodriguez, 2023

Current research and news coverage suggest various instances of racial discrimination at Southern Waffle Houses. This differs from other large chain restaurants, which have implemented anti-discriminatory policies that have reduced cases of employee-perpetrated racial discrimination. Evidence from lawsuits filed from 1980-2022, indicates that Waffle House has not taken effective action to discourage employee discrimination against customers. The proposed investigation is designed to explore customers’ experiences of racial discrimination at Southern Waffle House establishments. This qualitative study will document the experiences of a purposively selected sample of 10-15 individuals, recruited through methods of advertising the study through social media posts, flyers, and snowball sampling as the study progresses. The means of data collection will be through virtual individual and focus groups (3-5 participants) interviews of individuals who meet the study criteria (i.e. experienced racial discrimination in the last 10 years). Individual interviews will be utilized for a deeper analysis of specific incidents that otherwise were not fully discussed within the focus group. Data will be collected through semi-structured interviews from the focus group and individual interviews. The usage of semi-structured interviews promotes interviewer-participant rapport, fosters engagement, and facilitates the collection of rich data. Content analysis will identify dominant themes from the narratives. The implications of this study seek to provide insight into the experiences of discriminated individuals at Waffle Houses and what actions the institutions can take to discourage racial discrimination. This study can also provide insight into how other institutions can improve their policies to be more inclusive environments.

Elaine Huang, 2023

The cultural and linguistic diversity in the American education system has propelled English Learning (EL) students into the spotlight, necessitating a closer examination of their unique social-emotional needs. EL students encounter various social and emotional challenges, including acculturation stress, communication apprehension, self-esteem issues, and difficulties in building intercultural relationships. Despite the acknowledged benefits of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) programs, there is a lack of them tailored to EL students. This study investigates existing SEL programs within EL classrooms, identifies their limitations, and proposes solutions to enhance SEL initiatives for EL students. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining literature review, qualitative interviews, and surveys with educators, parents, and EL students. Thematic analysis of qualitative data and quantitative triangulation will elucidate the social and emotional needs of EL students and assess the efficacy of current SEL programs. The study aims to understand specific challenges faced by EL students, evaluate perceptions of SEL effectiveness, and identify areas for improvement. Participants from diverse backgrounds will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of social and emotional adaptation in educational settings. Ethical guidelines will be strictly followed to ensure participant confidentiality and informed consent. By bridging the gap in SEL research for EL students, this study strives to promote their social and emotional well-being, facilitating academic success in diverse educational environments.

Adeline Waltz & Xinmeng Zhou, 2023

There is widespread agreement in the field of English Education that teaching poetry is one of the hardest subjects to tackle in the classroom. Yet, teachers are expected to perform their duties and teach poetry without having sufficient training on how it is best to do so. Consequently, in high school classrooms, many teachers view poetry as a roadblock in their own curriculum. Of note, there is a dearth of empirical inquiry on poetryfocused instructional programs designed for teachers who want to improve their instructional skills. To address this need, we propose to develop an intervention which tackles one subject domain of poetry instruction: social justice through poetry in high school classrooms. Our intervention is grounded on the view that poetry is a powerful tool for inclusivity and is designed to provide windows into seeing and embracing differences. The development of our intervention draws on Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, incorporates evidence from past interventions, and allows space for participant feedback to shape future versions. We identified past interventions in the literature through an extensive search using the following keywords: “poetry teacher interventions”, “how to teach poetry”, “teaching poetry writing”, and “social justice for teachers”. Our goals for this intervention include enhancing pedagogical skills, creating inclusive learning environments, and providing physical materials and insights into resources for subsequent curriculum integration. The outcome of this intervention should strengthen English/Language Arts instructors’ competencies in the subject field of social justice through poetry.

Huimin Gai & Qiaoqiao Wang, 2023

Metacontrol, the individual’s regulation and control of cognitive control strategies, is key to understanding human cognitive functioning. This research proposal aims to provide insight into the use of behavioral strategies in decision-making processes, attention allocation, and behavioral adjustment by demonstrating how punishments influence the reactive and proactive meta-control strategies adopted by individuals when faced with a cognitive challenge. We hypothesize that punishments will significantly influence individuals’ strategy selection and switching costs when faced with complex cognitive tasks. This proposal will implement a series of experiments designed to explore the specific effects of punishments on participant reaction time, accuracy, and overall task performance using the task-switching paradigm. The experiments will use images categorized by animacy and size, supplemented by color cues (blue frame for animacy and red frame for size comparison), and provide immediate feedback on the correctness of participants’ responses. In the control condition or “baseline” condition(B), no punishment will be applied to participants’ responses. Feedback will be adjusted according to the participant’s performance in the punishment conditions(i.e., participants in the punishment condition receive an add-on trial each time they receive “incorrect” or “too slow” feedback). Participants are randomly assigned to either BP(basis then punishment) or PB(punishment then basis). The plan is to recruit a total of 160 students to participate. After this study, our future implication is to study how rewards can influence people’s switching costs

The URT program uses an apprenticeship model to introduce and engage undergraduate students with educational research. It is intended for those interested in developing research knowledge and skills over two semesters through coursework and participation in a research practicum.

The program is available to ALL undergraduates with interests in education. Therefore, Participants in the program come from a variety of majors. These include:

• Education (e.g., elementary education, special education, social studies education, English education, mathematics education, science education, engineering education) as well as
• The social sciences (psychology, sociology, law and society, political science, anthropology)
• Human Development and Family Studies
• Speech Language, and Hearing Sciences

The URT program is two semesters long. It begins in the Fall and continues in the Spring.

Each year, the number of students selected for the program ranges from 12-15.

The URT program has two components:

• A research practicum experience that provides the opportunity for a URT to work alongside an education faculty member and his/her research team.
• A 2-semester course sequence in research methods. The courses in this sequence:
  • Are reserved for the URT cohort.
  • Are graduate level courses (EDPS 53300 in the fall and EDPS 53400 in the spring).
  • Are taught on Wednesdays every week (5:30 – 7:30).
  • Contribute 6 credits toward the 15-credit minor in the Learning Sciences in Educational Studies

Each academic year, during the first week of classes in the fall, a list of research projects for which URTs are eligible will be shared with students admitted to the URT program Previous Student Research Projects (above).

URTs are asked to indicate their top three choices and are then assigned to one of their top three choices.

The stipend for URTs for the academic year is $1,500.

Yes, in the context of the URT course sequence (EDPS 53300 and EDPS 53400), you will have the option to develop your own research project.

URT research is highly visible through presentations in the OUR Fall Expo, AGSERS, and OUR Spring Expo.

URT projects may be individual, collaborative (with another student), or part of the URT research practicum (in consultation with their faculty research mentor).

Support for the development of conference proposals and presentations (posters, research talks, virtual presentations) is provided in the context of the URT coursework.

Fall topics address the following:

• Ethical Issues in Research
• Overview of Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods Designs
• Reviewing the literature and developing research questions
• Sampling in Quantitative and Qualitative Research
• Working with Descriptive Statistics
• Selecting and using Measures in Research

Spring topics are focused on Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods approaches to research. Specifically, we address:

• Data analytic methods in quantitative studies
• Survey research methods
• Group Designs (Correlational, Causal Comparative, and Experimental)
• Single case designs
• Data analytic methods in Qualitative studies
• Qualitative research designs (case studies, narrative inquiry, ethnographic research)
• Mixed methods research designs, including action research and design-based research.

• Develop research skills, competencies, knowledge
• Understand what it means to work with a research team
• Understand the methods used to produce our knowledge on teaching and learning
• Work with professors who are leaders in their fields
• Course sequence contributes to Learning Sciences in Educational Studies Minor
• Strong preparation for graduate school and beyond