Dr. Carla McNelly is a Post-Doc working on two projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education — the Leveraging Project and Project PUEDE (Trish Morita-Mullaney, PI). She received her Ph.D. from the University of Oregon in Critical and Socio-cultural Studies in Education, 2014. She has worked at Indiana State University (3.5 years), University of Oregon (19 years), Iowa State University (3 years), and Georgia State University (1 year). Carla has been working at Purdue University since July 8, 2019.
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What is your research agenda?
My research agenda is dual language bilingual education (DLBE), family engagement with schools, DLBE teacher preparation, DLBE policy, and filling the pipeline of DLBE in-service and pre-service teachers.
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
One of the events that had a big impact on my life was my undergraduate study abroad experience in 1983. My time spent in San Luis Potosi, Mexico sparked my curiosity to continue learning Spanish, to continue my academic studies, and to dedicate my life’s work to DLBE.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
My most rewarding research experience was an interview with two sisters about the importance of bilingual education for their children. They requested the interview be done in Spanish. As sisters might do, they were finishing each other’s sentences and adding their individual thoughts at the same time to the questions I asked. Now, imagine the conversation among the three of us naturally flowing in both Spanish and English. This is known as dynamic bilingualism (Garcia, 2014) [that] “truly reflects the fluidity of language practices and identification in the 21st century” (p. 100). It was a thrill to be part of this conversation and to document this phenomenon as mothers discussed the importance of bilingual education in their community.
Garcia, O. (2014). Countering the Dual: Transglossia, Dynamic Bilingaulism and Translanguaging in Education. In Rubdy, R., & Lubna, A. (Eds.). The global-local interface and hybridity: Exploring language and identity. (Chapter 6, pp. 100-120). Bristol, UK: Multicultural Matters.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
I am particularly proud of a publication that was rejected in the United States but published in Brazil. The editors accepted this manuscript because they understood that diasporas of the slave trade in Latin America who were colonized by the United Kingdom and have English as their first language. True bilingual education has a goal of bilingualism, biliteracy, and biculturalism while honoring the home language of the learner.
McNelly, C.A. (2018). Language as a Problem, a Right, and a Resource: A Model of Assessing the Sociocultural Integration of Bilingual Education Programs. Xavier, L.O., & Dominguez Avila, C.F. (Eds). Politica, Cultura e Sociedade Na America Latina: estudos interdisciplinares e comparativos, Volumn 5. Curitiba, Brazil: Editora CRV.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
My dream research project would be a professional development intercambio of In-Service Teachers from the island of Roatan, Honduras, where students have the constitutional right to learn in their home language, with In-Service Teachers from the United States.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
My advice to fellow researchers is to step out of our silos from time to time and learn from our colleagues and to seek intersections in our passions.
August 2019 Spotlights (show/hide)
Jennifer Renn, Ph.D.
Dr. Jennifer Renn is Senior Project Manager of two large federal grants from the U.S. Department of Education — Leveraging the Lectura y Lenguage: A Collaborative Scale Up of Literacy and Language for ELs in Central Indiana (Leveraging), and Professional and Parental Understanding for Equity in Dual Language Education (PUEDE) (Trish Morita-Mullaney, PI). Dr. Renn has been at Purdue for 1 year. Prior to coming to Purdue, she worked at the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) in Washington, DC as a project manager and as the Director of Linguistic and Cultural Diversity. She earned her PhD in Linguistics from UNC-Chapel Hill, and also was a post-doctoral fellow there through an Institute of Education Sciences-funded postdoctoral fellowship in early childhood education at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute.
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What is your research agenda?
My research focuses on issues related to linguistic diversity. My graduate and postdoctoral work looked at social factors that are related to language development and use by young African Americans, and my more recent work is on programs in higher education that train teachers to work effectively with linguistically and culturally diverse students.
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
I loved studying languages in high school and college, which led me to linguistics, the study of language in general. I became especially interested in the psycho-social factors that are associated with language and focused my studies on sociolinguistics. Working with educators presents an amazing opportunity to effect change in common perceptions and misconceptions about language (e.g., the idea that some languages or varieties are inherently superior).
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
I directed part of an NSF-funded project that trained pre- and in-service teachers in urban school districts. The program content emphasized the areas of language variation and language attitudes, aiming to raise linguistic awareness and understanding. This project allowed me to directly apply my background in sociolinguistics to help serve educators.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
My first peer-reviewed journal article, which was published in American Speech. It was based on my M.A. thesis and working with my advisor on it was a very positive experience: Renn, J. & Terry, J. M. (2009). Operationalizing style: Quantifying the use of style shift in the speech of African American Adolescents. American Speech, 84(4), 367.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
I would work toward ensuring that studying linguistics is part of all teacher education and K-12 curricula! Basic knowledge about the structure and function of language significantly impacts instructional methods and helps increase cross-cultural understanding.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
Think very carefully about your research questions and be sure that you are always coming back to them. Be sure that your data collection instruments and analytical methods will help you address them and consult with any statisticians or evaluators as early as possible in the research process to ensure that all components of the project are working together effectively.
April 2019 Spotlights (show/hide)
Virak Chan, Ph.D
Virak Chan is a visiting assistant professor of language and literacy with a focus on English language learning. Chan obtained his Ph.D. in culture, literacy and languagefrom the University of Texas at San Antonio. This is Chan’s second year at Purdue University. Prior to Purdue he taught ESL and TESOL methods courses at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and also trained English teachers for high schools and coordinated a Master’s degree program in teaching English to speakers of other languages at the Royal University of Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Beginning in Fall 2019, Chan will begin a new position in the College of Education as a Clinical Assistant Professor.
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What is your research agenda?
My research agenda focuses on education and language policies and practices for linguistically and culturally diverse students.
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
I became interested in this area since I started working on my dissertation on the medium-of-instruction policy in Cambodia. I’ve become more conscious of the potential biases of certain policies and practices against specific linguistic and cultural groups. By studying the policies and practices, I hope to make these biases more visible and promote social justice for the linguistic and cultural groups that have been disenfranchised.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
One of my most rewarding experiences was receiving a doctoral dissertation grant from The International Research Foundation for English Language Education. This grant not only helped partially fund my research in Cambodia, but also acknowledged the contribution my research makes in the field.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
Yes, this article just came out last year in the Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement. It examines the language-in-contact situation in the linguistic landscape of a Cambodia Town in Lowell, Massachusetts.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
My dream research would be to examine and document the effective practices of teacher education for linguistically and culturally diverse student populations. I would also be interested in investigating the heritage language maintenance of different linguistic groups in the U.S.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
My advice would be for my fellow researchers to move closer to practices and to utilize the research to promote a more socially just society. This could be done through a more community-based action-oriented and participatory type of research, in which a cyclical process of problem identification and intervention design and implementation is jointly carried out by the researcher and community member(s).
Lisa Kirkham, Ph.D.
Lisa Kirkham is a research associate of the Evaluation and Learning Research Center She has been at Purdue University since 2011. She is a graduate of our PhD program in educational leadership and policy studies. Prior to Purdue Kirkham taught for 21 years in K-12 public education in Indiana, Illinois, Alabama and Maryland. This included teaching and building level administration.
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What is your research agenda?
As part of the Evaluation and Learning Research Center, I work collaboratively to advance the center’s collective work. Working with a set of highly skilled partners, I aim to advance the causes of education through developing processes in which stakeholders at all levels are involved in solving problems. Due to my extensive background in K-12 education, I am most interested in projects connected to the K-12 sector.
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
I enjoy evaluation because it helps stakeholders improve the quality of programs forK-12 learners. I believe I can have an impact on a large number of students by the work that I do.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
I have been extensively involved in Indiana’s Farm to School program, working to bring high-quality foods from Indiana’s farms into local schools. Research in this area has shown that students exposed to minimal education (15 minutes twice weekly) in nutrition including taste testing significantly changes students’ preferences for fruits
and vegetables. Small efforts can have important impacts on student health and wellness for a lifetime.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
I enjoy any project that allows me to test educational processes in a K-12 setting.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
Enjoy your work. Life is too short to spend time doing work you are not passionate about.
Lindley McDavid, Ph.D.
Lindley McDavid is an evaluation and research associate in the Evaluation and Learning Research Center (ELRC). She began with the ELRC in the College of Education in 2016, She has a PhD in sportand exercise psychology from Purdue University in Health and Kinesiology.
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What is your research agenda?
As an evaluation and research associate in the Evaluation and Learning Research Center, my expertise is in the building capacity of individuals, programs, and organizations to achieve their goals and support well-being by improving the social context. During my doctoral training at Purdue University, I gained experience implementing and assessing physical activity interventions delivered by community-based positive youth development programs using a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods, including a randomized control trial of an interpersonal trainingfor PYD program mentors. In my current position, I continue to apply my expertise to collaborate with faculty to develop tailored evaluation protocols and research plans to meet their unique project needs and provide study design and statistical analysis expertise. My current research and evaluation projects include an examination of the social context in a technology program for underserved youth, a community coalition focused on opioid use prevention and recovery, a community of researchers and practitioners looking to develop new partnerships, a mentor-led afterschool science program for underserved youth, and a professional program to improve student and faculty well-being.
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
I am fascinated with understanding how social interactions in learning contexts promote well-being and prevent ill-being throughout the lifespan. As a former athlete, I observed and experienced coaches who used both positive and negative approaches when interacting with their team to build skills, foster motivation, and, ultimately, increase success. Examining these processes to help build positive interpersonal skills within people, groups, and even larger organizations to support well-being, prevent ill-being, and increase capacity to achieve shared goals continues to be personally and professionally rewarding.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
In 2012, I conducted weeks of field observations with a team of undergraduate researchers to evaluate how adult-youth interactions promote well-being in young people from underserved backgrounds. It was especially rewarding to train student researchers and see them grow in independence and confidence, and then see them proudly present their work at the end of the semester. This work also represented a strong university researcher – community organization partnership where, together with the organization administrators, we translated our findings to help restructure their program.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
Anything that helped assemble a team of experts that were focused on enabling a group to use evidence-based approaches to help people who need supplemental support to achieve their goals and well-being. We would all have the funding to devote the time we needed to focus on the project and stay with the group long-term and hold meetings wherever there was a beautiful vista.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
Trust yourself!
March 2019 Spotlights (show/hide)
Ann Bessenbacher
Ann Bessenbacheris a data scientist and research associate with the Evaluation and Learning Research Center (ELRC) in the College of Education. She has been at Purdue University for 20 years and 11 of those years she has worked with the ELRC. Prior to working at Purdue, Ann worked for 3 years for the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Ann has a B.S. in mathematics and computer science and a B.S. in industrial management, both from Purdue University.
Read more about Ann Bessenbacher (show/hide)
What is your research agenda?
As a data scientist and research associate for the ELRC, I focus on research and evaluation projects involving large quantities of data, a high level of knowledge management done through STEMEdhub.org and projects involving long-term tracking.
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
My interest in evaluation and research began in high school. I lead a team of fellow classmates to create a survey to research grade school student knowledge of the hazards of smoking. I have been working on Research and Evaluation data in some form ever since then.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
My most rewarding research experience has been working on the undergraduate student research experience. I have found it to be the most rewarding because we have been able to conduct the research over multiple programs and many years to gain a longer-term perspective.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
If I had unlimited funding, I would study data science students through their undergraduate careers and research experiences and on into their early professional careers. Although data science has been around for some time, it’s a new area of focused study and bears closer scrutiny.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
When involving Evaluators or Data Scientists in research projects, outcomes are the most beneficial when they are working on the project from the beginning.
February 2019 Spotlights (show/hide)
Sarah LaRose, Ph.D.
Dr. Sarah LaRose is an Assistant Professor in Agricultural Sciences Education and Communication with a joint appointment in the College of Agriculture and the College of Education. Dr. LaRose began at Purdue in Fall 2018. She earned her PhD at the University of Florida where she worked as a teaching and research assistant, and before that she taught agricultural education at Nonnewaug High School in Woodbury, Connecticut for 7 years.
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What is your research agenda?
To better understand and measure the short, medium, and long-term effects of school-based agricultural education programs upon increasing agricultural literacy and preparing a workforce to meet cross-disciplinary needs of the 21st century. Specifically, I am interested in how agricultural education can help meet the needs of the agricultural workforce, looking at career development factors of school-based agricultural education students.
As a teacher educator, I am also interested in how we can better recruit, prepare and support teachers so that we retain high quality educators in the profession. I am excited about my new role as an agricultural teacher educator at Purdue University!
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
My research interests have arisen through my experiences as an agricultural educator. I am passionate about ensuring all students have the opportunity to benefit from the myriad of options within agricultural education. Thus, my passion for helping others experience the opportunities available to them helped motivate me to advocate for greater support for our Ag Ed Programs. When advocating for community and legislative support for our SBAE programs, it was useful to supply stakeholders with metrics which quantified the impact that our programs had upon student success. Although some survey data collection was conducted in my state, it was challenging to provide data to legislators and administrators which empirically supported the anecdotal statements of programmatic impact. In an age of accountability and tightening budgets, demonstrating clear effects of program delivery is vital. Consequently, I seek to identify the short, medium, and long-term effects of SBAE upon student skill development, career outcomes, and agricultural literacy.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
My dissertation research focused on identifying factors which influenced career and postsecondary education decisions of graduates of school-based agricultural education programs in my home state of Connecticut. It was really gratifying to hear from so many alumni of programs, including one in which I taught. In addition to the survey questions that I asked, graduates had the opportunity to provide feedback on anything else they felt they needed to. In this space, I heard lots of comments like the following:
“Attending the Agriscience program was a life-changing experience that helped me channel my dreams and make them a reality, and ultimately find the right career path for me.”
Hearing statements like this helped reaffirm why I do what I do as an agricultural educator, and why I was spending so much of my time conducting my research in this area!
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
Yes!
This was the first research project which I designed and conducted by myself. I was able to blend my interests in agricultural education, recruitment, and communication with this project. While working as a school-based agricultural educator, I noticed that the demographics of our program did not always reflect those of the populations which we served. Racial disparity has also been reflected in agriculture as a whole despite an increasingly diverse population, and I observed the demographics of students involved in the National FFA Organization to not reflect the greater student population in the United States.
The disparities that I observed, combined with conversations with colleagues, led me to conduct research regarding the recruitment of students of color to teach agricultural education. Using the constant comparative method, I described depictions of themes found in the annual reports of the National Teach Ag Campaign which demonstrated appeals to students of color, as well as the presence of underrepresented populations as depicted by annual reports of the National Teach Ag Campaign. I shared the results of my research with the Teach Ag Campaign as well as other agricultural education professionals at regional and national AAAE conferences, creating an opportunity to engage in further reflective conversations about the state of recruitment and inclusion of individuals from diverse backgrounds into agricultural education. Since then, the National Teach Ag Campaign has developed an Inclusion and Diversity Taskforce, and conducted inclusion and diversity listening sessions at National FFA Convention. While I don’t know for sure that it was my paper which prompted these actions, I think it was influential in helping propel reflective action being taken to improve the work that we do to reach all students.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
As a new faculty member, this almost seems like an overwhelming question! I’d love to see if we could develop some sort of data collection system for all agricultural education students nationwide so that we could better evaluate the performance of our school-based agricultural education programs. These data could be used to not only inform program performance but also help tell the story of career and technical education in agriculture to exterior stakeholders, helping garner more support and understanding.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
Being so new at this myself, it feels a bit premature to be in a position to give advice! But, if I were to share advice, I would offer 2 things:
1) Organize your ideas and post them somewhere – I like logic models, so this helps me organize my thinking a lot, especially when I feel I am in the weeds of research.
2) Remember your “why” and revisit it often. I love working with students at both the secondary and postsecondary level, as well as agriculture teachers. The opportunity to help impact their lives in a positive way helps drive me every day.
January 2019 Spotlights (show/hide)
Lisa Lambert Snodgrass, Ph.D.
Department: Educational Studies
Dr. Lisa Lambert Snodgrass is Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in the Department of Educational Studies. She began this position in Fall 2018. She is a graduate of the Purdue College of Education with a PhD in Curriculum & Instruction with concentrations in Career and Technical Education and Educational Leadership. Prior to her current position, Dr. Snodgrass has been at Purdue for 12 years in a variety of capacities. She served 3 years as an Academic Advisor in Student Services and 8 years as Director of Career Development for the College of Liberal Arts. She spent one year as a Post-doctoral Research Assistant in the College of Agriculture’s Department of Agricultural Sciences Education and Communication, and in Purdue’s Center for Intercultural Learning, Mentorship, Assessment, and Research (CILMAR) in the Office of International Programs. Before coming to Purdue, Dr. Snodgrass was a middle school assistant principal, middle school principal, and high school English teacher.
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What is your research agenda?
My research agenda focuses on the cultural dimensions of student achievement. Assessing the impact of curricular & pedagogical interventions on cultural competencies, culturally responsive leadership, and equity of educational access are my primary areas of interest.
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
When I was the Director of Career Development in the College of Liberal Arts, I developed an internship abroad program in Cartagena, Colombia, partnering with Purdue Alumni and local business owners to develop internships. I fostered a relationship with the Universidad de Cartagena and co-authored an articulation agreement between our two institutions. During this time I began conducting research assessing the impact of experiential study abroad programming on the intercultural competency of student participants which led me to pursue and complete the doctorate.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
The field of intercultural studies is a rapidly growing area for research, expanding beyond the study of international travel programming to include the embedding of intercultural learning outcomes in a variety of content areas. Working with CILMAR and the College of Agriculture (COA) Department of Agricultural Sciences Education and Communication (ASEC) and the Office of Multicultural Programs (OMP) to research and assess the impact of experiential cultural interventions on the cultural competency of students in a social justice Agriculture course was a rewarding experience.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
I’m proud of my latest publication stemming from the research collaboration between CILMAR, COA’s ASEC & OMP:
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
With unlimited time and funds, I would do a comparative analysis of the cultural ecosystems in Higher Education (HE) across the globe, investigating the cultural responsivity of HE leadership from multiple institutions on each continent.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
As I have just begun my academic career I’ll offer some advice my faculty mentor gave me that has been highly impactful: To build a network of mentors in and out of the department and research areas. Doing so helps build an interdisciplinary network of academics and opens opportunities for interesting and unique research collaborations.
Hua-Hua Chang, Ph.D.
Department: Educational Studies
Dr. Hua-Hua Chang is the Charles R. Hicks Chair Professor in the Department of Educational Studies. Dr. Chang came to Purdue in August 2018 from the University of Illinois, where he held professorships in educational psychology, psychology and statistics. Before working at UIUC, he worked at the University of Texas Austin as an associate professor, from 2001 to 2005. He is the 2017 recipient of the American Education Research Association (AERA) E. F. Lindquist Award.
Read more about Dr. Chang (show/hide)
What is your research agenda?
I focus primarily on measurement and assessment. To align my research agenda with the University’s Initiative of Integrative Data Science, my research team and I will conduct research and develop cutting edge psychometric components to support machine learning and artificial intelligence. Our research outcomes in adaptive testing, smart item banking, large-scale assessment, and data mining will help promote individualized learning anytime and anywhere in the Big data era and will benefit Purdue community.
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
After receiving my Ph.D., I worked nine years in the testing industry, six years at Educational Testing Service and three at National Board of Medical Examiners, which led to the grounding of my theoretical and empirical research to various practical problems arising in the field of psychometrics.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
One of my most rewarding research experiences is the advancement we made in the field of Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT). CAT, also known as tailored testing, is a method for administering tests that adapt to the examinee’s ability level. From 1970’s to 1990’s, the conventional wisdom was to select the next item that has maximum discrimination power on the estimated ability. As a result, items with high discriminations would always be chosen, and indeed, left many good items in the item bank only rarely, if ever, used. We demonstrated that this strategy is not appropriate for CAT testing and proposed a framework of using low-discrimination items at the beginning of the test and high discrimination items later in the test. This research has generated a great number of follow up studies by hundreds of authors and literally turned CAT operation on its direction, improving a great deal of efficiency, item pool usage and test security.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
In 2013 I made a presidential address titled “Psychometrics Behind Computerized Adaptive Testing” at the 78th Annual Meeting of the Psychometric Society, and later it was published in Psychometrika.
The paper not only contributed to a broader understanding of technical developments of CAT, but also predicted CAT will help individualized learning on a mass scale.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
My dream project at Purdue is to improve STEM education by utilizing the psychometric technologies we developed. For example, from 2014-2018, I served as a co-PI on an NSF grant with an objective to use CAT to reduce dropout rate on a large undergraduate physics class at UIUC. Collaborating with a group of physics professors we showed that students who used the CAT system did significantly better on the final examination than those who did not.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
Research contribution is always measured by originality, creativity, effort and patience.
December 2018 Spotlights (show/hide)
Nancy Marchand-Martella, Ph.D.
Dr. Nancy Marchand-Martella is the Suzi and Dale Gallagher Dean of Education. She received her PhD in Special Education from Utah State University. She began her position in the College in Summer 2018. Prior to Purdue, she held faculty and administrative positions at Gonzaga University, Drake University, University of Montana, Eastern Washington University, and the University of Oklahoma.
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What is your research agenda?
I conduct research on effective instructional strategies and programs for students in pre-Kgrade 12, typically within an MTSS (multi-tier system of supports) framework.
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
I became interested in this research area after using explicit instructional programs in schools to help teach students who struggled academically. Students made improvements in academic performance and exhibited better classroom behavior.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
My most rewarding research experience occurred at an elementary school that implemented Direct Instruction programs. The school was so successful in their implementation of these programs that they did not need as many special education teachers—students were successful in Tiers 1 and 2 and did not need Tier 3 or special education services support.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
My dream research project would center on assessing the impact of research-validated programs delivered in a co-teaching format (general education and special education teachers working side by side) coupled with a strong positive behavior support model within a district-wide adoption of MTSS. I would also like to determine the long-term effects of such practices on students’ academic and behavioral success.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
Never lose sight of your passion…after all…. we ALL are in it for our students.
Ronald Martella, Ph.D.
Department: Educational Studies
Dr. Ronald Martella is Professor of Special Education in the Department of Educational Studies. He began at Purdue in 2018. He has a PhD in Special Education from Utah State University. Prior to Purdue. Dr. Martella was a faculty member at the University of Oklahoma. He has also been a faculty member at Eastern Washington University, University of Montana, Drake University, and the University of Hawaii.
Read more about Dr. Martella (show/hide)
What is your research agenda?
Implementing multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) in schools around the country. This system involves the implementation of Scientificallyvalidated instructional approaches and curriculum as well as positive behavior intervention and supports. MTSS involves the integration of effective instructional and behavior management approaches.
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
The fact that we need to provide effective supports to all students regardless of whether or not they have a disability. MTSS is an attempt to prevent students from entering into the special education system by preventing learning and behavior issues. We tend to address learning and behavior issues later in a student’s life (e.g., third grade), if at all. We know that earlier treatment and supports lead to better outcomes. An effectively implemented MTSS program attempts to provide this early support.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
Implementing a school-wide response-to-intervention model in an elementary school which involved the use of scientifically-validated reading curricula. The school became one of the top performing elementary schools in the State of Washington. Also, the school had to reassign one of their special education teachers half time to Title 1 support due to fewer students qualifying for special education. This project showed me that we can prevent many academic and behavior problems.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
An article published in the Journal of Behavioral Education with an undergraduate student of mine. The study was on the use of self-monitoring to decrease negative verbalizations. The study combined two single-case designs in a novel manner and is cited or described in several textbooks in behavior analysis, special education, and educational psychology.
Dalton, T., Martella, R., & Marchand-Martella, N. (1999). The effects of a self-management program in reducing off-task behavior. Journal of Behavioral Education 9(3-4), 157-176.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
To conduct a large-scale implementation of MTSS in a large urban school district and comparing the results to a similar district using the usual programming.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
Find an area of passion for your research. Also, always think about how your research can ultimately better the lives of children and adults.
November 2018 Spotlights (show/hide)
Christine Kiracofe, Ph.D.
Department: Educational Studies
Dr. Christine Kiracofe is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in the Department of Educational Studies. This is her first year at Purdue. She has an Ed.D. in Educational Administration (Education Law and Finance) from the University of Georgia & Certificates in Legal Mediation from Northwestern University and Family Law Mediation from Pepperdine Law School. Dr. Kiracofe was a professor at Northern Illinois University for 14 years prior to coming to Purdue.
Read more about Dr. Kiracofe (show/hide)
What is your research agenda?
My research agenda focuses on the intersection of Education Law and Finance. School Finance Litigation (when petitioners sue states, arguing that state funding mechanisms for K-12 education are inadequate/inequitable) and desegregation are my primary areas of interest.
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
After my undergraduate degree I went to law school. I quickly learned that I didn’t want to practice law, but found out that I could study how the law relates to education in a doctoral program. I went to the University of Georgia where I worked with the Education Law Consortium during my graduate program.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
The field of school finance litigation is a relatively small one, and so often my work only reaches a small circle of people. However, some of the research that I have published has been cited to or by Federal Courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Feeling like what I do research-wise could play a small role in education policy through Court decisions is incredibly rewarding.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
I’m probably proudest of this book:
Wood, R.C., Thompson, D.C., Dayton, J. & Kiracofe, C. (2015). Educational Finance Law: Constitutional Challenges to State Aid Plans – An Analysis of Strategies. Cleveland, Ohio: Education Law Association.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
If I had unlimited funds and time, I would do a comparative statutory and constitutional study of laws pertaining to education in countries throughout the world
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
I have been incredibly blessed to have fantastic professional mentors throughout my career. Take every opportunity you have to learn from and make connections with scholars who work in the same field as you – it can lead to some amazing opportunities.
Adrie Koehler-Blair, Ph.D.
Department: Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Adrie Koehler-Blair began as an Assistant Professor of Learning Design and Technology in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in Fall 2018. She previously worked for the college as a Visiting Assistant Professor after completing her PhD in Summer 2015. Prior to her graduate students, she was high school business education teacher.
Read more about Dr. Koehler-Blair (show/hide)
What is your research agenda?
In a broad sense, my research focuses on the instructor’s role in facilitating meaningful teaching and learning experiences through two main areas: the use of problem-centered methodologies and the role digital tools play in supporting the teaching and learning process. Additionally, I’m interested in the intersection of these two areas—facilitating problem-centered learning using digital tools.
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
Three key experiences have influenced my research efforts. First, when I became a high school teacher, I often felt uncertain about my teaching abilities, which led me to wonder what effective and meaningful teaching and learning is and whether I was accomplishing it. Second, upon starting my Ph.D. program, I had the opportunity to work with pre-service teachers learning to implement emerging Internet technologies for teaching and learning purposes. This experience really prompted me to consider how the specific affordances of technologies can impact the instructional process and be used to improve the facilitation of teaching and learning—especially technologies that are readily available to most teachers and students. Third, also during graduate school, I had an opportunity to complete an instructional design “case” course and develop problem-solving skills from completing the experience. From my perspective, these three areas are connected, and they have the potential to overlap to support teaching and learning.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
I really see my teaching and research as having a reciprocal relationship. That is, my research interests have grown directly from my personal teaching and learning experiences. At the same time, as I have gained a deeper insight into the teaching and learning process from completing various research projects, my teaching and learning efforts have been influenced and improved. So, any research that helps me become a stronger teacher is rewarding for me.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
One paper I’m proud of is an article published in the Journal of Teacher Education. This article came from my dissertation. The acceptance was an affirmation for me—this was a project that I designed and executed (of course with help), but it made me feel like I had something meaningful to contribute to the field since a reputable journal published it.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
I often think about my experience as a new high school teacher and the type of support I received. With unlimited funds and time, I would love to create individualized support plans for beginning teachers that help them with transitioning into the profession, support the development of strong design skills, and consider how technology can facilitate this process.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
I don’t have any advice! I try to learn from each research project that I complete. I have learned so much, and I have so much still to learn!
October 2018 Spotlights (show/hide)
Lanette Jimerson, Ph.D.
Department: Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Lanette Jimerson is a Visiting Assistant Professor of English Education in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction, with a joint appointment in the Department of English, College of Liberal Arts. This is her first semester at Purdue University. She earned her doctorate in education from the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to Purdue, Dr. Jimerson worked for the Graduate School of Education at U.C. Berkeley and before she was a researcher at Stanford University.
Read more about Dr. Jimerson (show/hide)
What is your research agenda?
My research focuses on the literacy development of marginalized populations, particularly their writing competencies.
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
As a former secondary teacher and literacy specialist I noticed that young people who were deemed “not good writers” had very engaged writing lives and so I wanted to investigate how we could leverage the writing they were engaged in outside of school.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
A research project that followed a pre-service teacher into his first year of teaching. Through observations and weekly semi-structured interviews, he was able to identify a change in his writing instruction, implement that change, and shift the ownership and accountability of writing upon students. The outcome was a class novella that students worked diligently to create and ensure that the writing conventions and content were excellent. They were also adamant about weekly author’s chair in which new chapters of the novella were read and critiqued.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
Yes!
Jimerson, L. & Hersey, P. (2016). Localizing human rights through technology: Two literacy based examples. In Z. Babaci-Wilhite (Ed.), Human Rights in Language and STEM Education: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (pp. 91-108). New York, NY: Springer.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
I would create a literacy center that focused on ages 14-24. It would provide support for workplace and college literacy. It would serve as a lab for pedagogy and curriculum that could impact the historical education debt in terms of literacy.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
Research-practice partnerships are a win-win for researchers and community members.
September 2018 Spotlights (show/hide)
Allen Talbert, Ph.D.
Department: Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Allen Talbert is a Professor of Youth Development and Agricultural Education in the department of Curriculum and Instruction. He began at Purdue in 1994 as a visiting assistant professor and became permanent at Purdue in 1995. He has previous K-12 experience teaching Agriculture at Hanover county and Albermarie County Public Schools in Virginia. Allen was also a visiting assistant professor at Texas A&M University.
Read more about Dr. Talbert (show/hide)
What is your research agenda?
My research is focused on underrepresented populations in agriculture. I have studied students from ethnic minority groups and their attitudes toward secondary agricultural education especially in urban areas. I am currently exploring the factors that contribute to a successful urban secondary agricultural education program.
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
I am from a part of Virginia that has a large African American population. I had African American agriculture teachers and taught with an African American agriculture teacher. As a teacher, I noticed the lack of new African American agriculture teachers. In addition, when I started my PhD program, I wanted to explore factors influencing career decisions.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
Working with the urban agricultural education program in Indianapolis where I have conducted much of my research. Seeing that young people have career and higher education opportunities open to them that they didn’t even know existed is rewarding. I think my research has helped guide the recruitment efforts, curriculum offerings, and career guidance of this and other urban agricultural education programs.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
I’m most proud of the textbook I co-wrote, now in its 3rd edition.
Talbert, B. A., Vaughn, R., Croom, B., & Lee, J. S. (2014). Foundations of Agricultural Education
(3rd edition). Columbus, OH: Pearson Education. ISBN-13: 978-0132859608.
I guess regarding journal articles, the one from my dissertation started my career off on the right footing.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
I’ve always wanted to do case studies of the 3-6 top urban agricultural education programs. This would include in-depth interviews with teachers, students, administrators, parents, supporters; field observations; and review of documents. Maybe my next sabbatical will have
unlimited funds and time. How about the funding Dr. Wright? ☺
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
Something I think I’ve done: Never take proposal and journal article reviews and rejections personally. Look at the feedback as a way to get better next time. Definitely revise and resubmit, whether to the same place or a different agency/journal.
Something I wish I had done better: Focus graduate students’ research to contribute to my
line of inquiry.
Amanda Case, Ph.D.
Department: Educational Studies
Dr. Amanda Case is an Assistant Professor in Counseling Psychology in the Department of Educational Studies. Amanda started Purdue in 2018 and comes to us from Washington College where she was an Assistant Professor in psychology. Amanda also was a program coordinator for the master’s program at Boston University and has experience teaching Systems Concepts in Counseling & Development.
Read more about Dr. Case (show/hide)
What is your research agenda?
My research uses social justice and systems theory lenses to investigate the nonacademic and sociopolitical factors that affect youth development, especially educational preparation. In particular, I study how families, schools, and community-based organizations can work
together to prepare lower-income students and students of color for higher education and how organizations and postsecondary institutions can support these same students after they have matriculated.
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
Without a doubt, the school I attended from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade laid the foundation for my work. That school (Roeper) had a strong social justice orientation and created a space where even quirky kids like me could belong. For a long time, I thought all
schools were like that so it was a shock when I found out they weren’t. Knowing that a lot of students don’t feel a sense of belonging in their schools often because of structural inequities led me to start thinking about how students could be supported outside of school settings and how networks could be built up around kids to buttress their educational and life preparation.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
When I was at Washington College my collaborators and I created a college preparatory program for lower-income youth (HOYAS CPIP) that was funded for two years by the Maryland Higher Education Commission. Prior to that, I had done a good amount of evaluation with outof-school programs, but I had never spearheaded the design, execution, and evaluation of an intervention. It was hard work but very rewarding.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
A few years ago, the Director of a youth development program and I co-authored a manuscript that was published in the Journal of Education. I was (and am!) so proud of that piece because I truly believe that practitioners and researchers should be collaborating more often, and working on that piece was the first time I was able to live out that value. We had a blast writing it, too!
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
Do I have to pick one project?! Ultimately, I would like to create a community-based youth development program that supports students in their educational and career pathways that could be implemented in all lower-income communities in the state (and maybe the
country?). The programs would partner with schools, families, and existing community-based organizations in each community in order to be responsive to the needs and students in that area.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
One of my mentors told me that if I focus on doing meaningful work, the publications and funding will follow. I hope that’s true because if the work I’m doing doesn’t have the potential to improve the world and combat injustices then, really, what’s the point?
August 2018 Spotlights (show/hide)
Kathy Obenchain, Ph.D.
Department: Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Kathy Obenchain is the Associate Dean of Learning, Engagement, and Global Initiatives. She is also a faculty member in Social Studies Education within the department of Curriculum and Instruction. Kathy is a Purdue alumnus, receiving her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction in 1997. She later became a faculty member at Purdue in 2011. She has previous experience teaching at the University of Nevada and the University of Texas. Kathy has also taught U.S. History, World History, World Geography, and American Government at Logansport High School.
Read more about Dr. Obenchain (show/hide)
What is your research agenda?
My research centers on two lines of inquiry: 1. Social studies as a vehicle for democratic citizenship education. This includes an emphasis on studying the teaching and learning of social studies in K-12 U.S. classrooms and how enlightened and engaged citizenship is encouraged. 2. Democratic citizenship education in emerging democracies. This second line of inquiry focuses on the interdependent and interconnected world and the evolving understandings of democratic citizenship and, in particular, young peoples’ understanding of citizenship. This international work provides essential content for international scholars and is a relevant context for U.S. education in an increasingly complex and diverse world.
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
This interest is closely tied to my family background, including multiple family members in the armed services, as well as growing up with parents that were always working in their community, as a dimension of their civic responsibility. Understanding how schooling plays a part in how one’s civic identity develops and evolves seemed to be a natural outgrowth of those formative experiences.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
I was lucky enough to be awarded a Senior Fulbright Fellowship for one semester in Romania. It was a wonderful opportunity to work with high school youth who were exploring their civic identities in a post-communist context. Their insights into what a democratic community should be, and what their role in that community was enlightening.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
My colleague, Rebecca Callahan from UT Austin and I have collaborated on several pieces that look at the citizenship education experiences, and the civic potential, of immigrant youth. This has been a wonderful collaboration and learning opportunity for me.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
I would like to do a longitudinal project that explores the evolution of students’ civic identities across their school years. If I could follow a group of kids from K to 12, spending substantial time in their classes to better understand the civic curriculum and instruction, as well as learning about their out-of-school civic experiences, I would be very happy! There is a great deal of research on the civic development of youth; developmentally, that makes sense. But there is limited work on the early years and I would like to see a longitudinal picture.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
Practical advice – write every day, even for a little while. It can be fingers to keyboard, or reviewing data, or looking at some new literature. This process keeps the research always on your mind and makes it easier to pick up where you stopped the next day.
Anatoli Rapoport, Ph.D.
Department: Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Anatoli Rapoport is an Associate Professor of Social Studies Education in the department of Curriculum and Instruction. He
received his PhD from Purdue in 2006 and was hired by Purdue that same year. Prior to academia, Anatoli had a fairly extensive experience as an education practitioner, working as a classroom teacher, curriculum developer, and school administrator.
Read more about Dr. Rapoport (show/hide)
What is your research agenda?
Broadly speaking, I am interested in many aspects of citizenship education. More specifically, my research is focused on the development of global citizenship education, the role of ideology and institutions in citizenship education, and interplay of identitie(s) and citizenship(s) in education.
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
I believe personal history and experiences always play a critical role in the paths we choose in scholarship. Being a product and observant of systems defined by different cultures and ideologies, it was natural for me to become interested in the ways social realitie(s) are constructed, and how they impact institutions and develop agencies. After more than 20 years of experience as a classroom teacher and school administrator, education was an obvious (and logical) choice of application of my academic interests.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
Social reality is called social because it is created by people. I do a lot of observations and interview for my studies. It is difficult to pinpoint a definite rewarding experience but two specific “aha moments” always excite me. First, when I see how my interviewee discovers something new in the course of the interview, something she or he never thought about before. Second, when I, through data collection or analysis, find “a pearl” I never thought I would find.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
Pride is a sin, right? The pieces I think were, to a certain degree impactful, are probably those that have been cited frequently: A forgotten concept: Global citizenship education and state social studies standards https://search.proquest.com/docview/211146507?pq-origsite=gscholar (cited by 93 according to Google Scholar)
and
We cannot teach what we don’t know: Indiana teachers talk about global citizenship education http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1746197910382256 (cited by 82).
There are pieces that I like; there are pieces I like less… Frankly, I am happy there is nothing that I wrote that I should be ashamed of.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
That’s easy – how can we predict the future (political, economic, cultural) using current education data? What’s the magic formula? (Disclaimer: I know it doesn’t exist… just dreaming).
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
Be yourself and enjoy life.
Minjung Ryu, Ph.D.
Department: Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Minjung Ryu is an Assistant Professor of Science Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, with a joint appointment in
Chemistry in the College of Science. She began working at Purdue in 2014. Minjung received her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in Science Education from the University of Maryland. She was a post doctorate research at John Hopkins, has previous experience researching organic chemistry, and was a middle school science teacher in Korea.
Read more about Dr. Ryu (show/hide)
What is your research agenda?
My research focuses on issues around diversity, equity, language, and participation in various science learning settings. In particular, I am interested in how racial, ethnic, and linguistic minority students engage in science classroom discourses, how they discursively construct their identities, and how such social interactions impact their science learning by providing or not providing access to resources for participation and learning.
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
As a linguistic and racial minority myself, I started noticing challenges that immigrants and refugee students face in the learning of science, especially in current reform-based discourse rich science learning settings. This led me look into literature and current practices of teachers, and I found gaps in the current literature and practices. That’s how I came to be interested in pursuing research to examine science learning and participation of racial, ethnic, and linguistic minority students and design learning environment to better support them.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
I have run an afterschool STEM program that engaged resettled Burmese refugee youth in learning about climate change. At the end of each semester, youth shared one thing for which they are proud of themselves. Several participants talked about how they had participated and learned differently in the program through opportunities that their school science classes typically do not provide. It was one of the most rewarding moments in my research experiences.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
Ryu, M. (2013). “But at school… I became a bit shy”: Korean immigrant adolescents’ discursive participation. Cultural Studies of Science Education 8(3), 649-671. (Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11422-012-9406-2)
I am proud of this paper because it was my first independent work that I designed, conducted, and published. Also, I hoped to contest stereotypes about Asian immigrant and Asian American students. This paper nicely presents rebuttals to several prevalent perceptions about Asians.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
I am very interested in how multilinguals use multiple languages in learning science. To conduct this kind of research, I will need multilinguals who can translate data and help me understand nuances in linguistic and cultural differences. Unfortunately, I have not had luck in securing funding to pursue it.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
Pursue what really matters to your heart.
May 2018 Spotlights (show/hide)
Jill Newton, Ph.D.
Department: Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Jill Newton is a professor of Mathematics Education in the department of Curriculum and Instruction. She received her PhD in Mathematics Education from Michigan State University and began at Purdue in 2008. Jill has 12 years of experience teaching secondary mathematics and science. Nine of those years were teaching abroad in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bulgaria, Tanzania, and Venezuela. She also volunteered in the Peace Corps in Papua, New Guinea.
Read more about Dr. Newton (show/hide)
What is your research agenda?
My research is broadly related to mathematics education curriculum, both in K-12 contexts and in teacher education. Most recently, this work has been focused on how pre-service teachers are being prepared to teach algebra, given the algebra-for-all movement in the United States and the resulting diverse population in algebra classrooms. In addition, I’m currently investigating the impact of study abroad programs on pre-service teachers’ conceptions of, and attention to, social justice.
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
Mathematics was always both fun and rewarding for me. My father was a “gifted” mathematician, who because of his family’s economic struggles, was unable to pursue this work, and instead spent his life working in a factory. He fostered a love for mathematics in me, and in some ways, I see my work as a tribute to him. I try to help teachers think about recognizing talent in mathematics beyond “well preparedness” and paying close attention to students who may go unnoticed because of race or SES. My father often visited my classrooms and wowed my students with his knowledge of numbers and their relationships to one another.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
I most enjoy working on research teams and have had many opportunities to do this, both in graduate school and during my time at Purdue – it has confirmed to me that we are smarter together and the products resulting from collaboration are almost always “better” than what any one of us could have come up with by ourselves.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
I am most proud of the series of presentations and publications resulting from Preparing to Teach Algebra, an NSF-funded study. About 20 individuals (faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, teachers) served on this research team over the course of the project, and it resulted in many presentations in local, state, national, and international venues as well as multiple publications, focused on a range of topics including equity in algebra teaching, modeling, connections, and use of technology. It is the cumulative nature of this work and the number of individuals involved of which I am most proud.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
My dream project would combine my interests in mathematics education and international teaching and learning, bringing together algebra teachers from around the world to share ideas and potentially write curriculum together.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
I suppose just to never underestimate the power of collaboration and to include scholars with a wide range of experiences on your research teams.
Yan Ping Xin, Ph.D.
Department: Educational Studies
Dr. Yan Ping Xin is a Professor of Special Education in the Department of Educational Studies. She began working at Purdue in August 2002 and received her PhD in Special Education from Lehigh University in 2003 with an emphasis on mathematics intervention for students with learning difficulties. Prior to receiving her PhD, she worked as a Project Manager at Lehigh Support for Community Living. Before coming to the U.S., Yan Ping worked as an instructor at Psychology Department of East China Normal University in Shanghai, China.
Read more about Dr. Xin (show/hide)
What is your research agenda?
My research interests include effective instructional strategies in mathematics problem solving for students with learning difficulties, algebra readiness, computer-assisted differentiated instructional system, as well as cross-culture curriculum comparison. My recent research agenda focuses on developing/enhancing Conceptual Model-based Mathematics Intelligent Tutors and promote the use of this evidenced–based intervention program (COMMIT) by elementary school teachers and educators who work with at-risk students.
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
As English is not my native language, I, myself, have a phobia of reading English let alone conducting research in reading intervention! On the other hand, American students’ underachievement in mathematics from an international landscape and findings from my literature synthesis/metaanalysis during my PHD program and later cross-cultural curriculum comparison studies led me to my current research interests—developing math intervention programs.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
If I have to pick one, the NSF-funded seven-year cross-disciplinary project was an eye-opening experience. Although my collaborators and I are constantly confronted with disagreements on what is the best way to teach math understanding to students with learning disabilities, we have all learned from each other’s different educational perspectives/pedagogy, which has broadened our view of learning and instruction in general.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
I am proud of the publication Cross-disciplinary Thematic Special Series: Special Education and Mathematics Education that I guest edited. This special series sharing pioneering work conducted by a collaborative working group involving researchers from mathematics education and special education emerged from the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME) Annual Conferences.
Xin, Y. P. & Tzur, R. (2016). Cross-disciplinary Thematic Special Series: Special Education and Mathematics Education. Learning Disability Quarterly, 39(4),196-98.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
If I had unlimited funds and time, I want to invest the funds and time in enhancing the prototypes of the Conceptual Model-based Mathematics Intelligent Tutors (COMMIT) we have developed (supported by NSF). To make the product more user-friendly, we could add gamification features to the program to make math learning more fun. In addition, by adding online assessment and reporting features to the system, it is more likely that teachers/educators will use the program. Further, adding the feature of virtual reality will perhaps promote the establishment of an online collaborative learning community to promote the learning.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
Identify your own strengths (even though you may experience all kinds of disadvantages, comparing yourself to others) and enjoy pursuing what you are passionate about.
April 2018 Spotlights (show/hide)
Rachael Kenney, Ph.D.
Department: Curriculum and Instruction
Rachael Kenney is an associate professor of mathematics education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Prior to receiving her PhD, she was a continuing lecturer at North Carolina State University. In 2008, she received her PhD in mathematics education from North Carolina State University and immediately began working at Purdue University.
Read more about Dr. Kenney (show/hide)
What is your research agenda?
My research is focused on teachers’ or students’ anticipatory and reflective practices in learning and teaching mathematics. This work includes engaging teachers and students in the use of writing in mathematics to reflect on their understanding of particular math topics or problems. It also includes unpacking teachers’ practices with formative and summative assessment to drive both instruction and learning in the classroom. Currently, I am working with a colleague to conduct qualitative syntheses of research studies related to formative assessment. We are excited to use relatively new methodologies like meta aggregation and meta ethnography to support mathematics teachers by providing evidence-based recommendations for instructional decision-making practices. What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
My research interests stem from my interactions with college students who struggle with or fear mathematics, and with teachers who struggle to help mathematics be meaningful and approachable for such students. I believe that getting to know what and how students think about mathematics is critical to designing instruction that meets the diverse needs of learners in a classroom. To do this, we need to help students learn to be reflective thinkers and to share their thinking out loud, and we need to help teachers learn to reflect on students’ thinking to drive instructional decisions.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
The most rewarding part of research for me is producing findings or recommendations from the findings that can be directly applied to practice, either in K-16 mathematics classrooms, or in math teacher education programs for future teachers.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
I am very interested in the language of mathematics and how people come to learn and interact with this academic language. Math is often touted as the “universal language,” but I believe this is a misnomer — it undermines the intense language demands of mathematics for every learner. Symbols, vocabulary and even the way of writing a number differs around the world. In the United States, the symbolic language even changes as students progress to higher levels of math! With unlimited funds and time, I would love to travel the world to collect examples of what the language of math looks like in different countries and in different math courses. I would like to observe discourse practices that help students learn this new language in their countries. Such information could help develop greater understanding of teaching practices that can make mathematics academic language meaningful to all students, including second language learners in a math classroom.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
Be passionate about what you research.
Mandy Rispoli, Ph.D.
Department: Educational Studies
Mandy Rispoli is an associate professor of special education in the Department of Educational Studies. She received her PhD in special education with a concentration in autism and developmental disabilities from the University of Texas at Austin. Before she became a faculty member at Purdue in 2015, Mandy was an assistant and associate professor at Texas A&M University. She also has previous experience as a special education preschool and elementary teacher and as a program director at Capitol School of Austin.
Read more about Dr. Rispoli (show/hide)
What is your research agenda?
Through my research, I investigate innovations in assessment and treatment of challenging behavior in young children with autism or other developmental disabilities. Challenging behavior is any behavior that social isolates the child, interferes with learning, or causes harm to the child or the environment. Working within the science of applied behavior analysis, I examine child-challenging behavior as a form of communication. By learning what the child is trying to communicate, we can adjust the classroom environment and teach the child more appropriate social-communication skills to replace their challenging behavior.
I am also interested in professional development for in-service teachers, so they can assess, prevent, and treat challenging behavior in their classrooms. Most recently, I’ve been working to improve the contextual fit of behavior assessments within classroom environments. I am currently conducting a study funded by the Clifford B. Kinley Trust to develop and evaluate a professional development curriculum for preschool special education teachers to design and implement functional behavior assessments and function-based interventions with their students.
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
As a former preschool special education teacher, I know firsthand the difficulties that teachers face with respect to classroom management and challenging behavior. Though all children engage in challenging behavior as part of their development, some children, especially children with autism spectrum disorder, require additional supports and intervention to promote social-emotional development. Decades of empirical research show us that intervention based in applied behavior analysis is effective in promoting skill acquisition and decreasing challenging behavior for children with disabilities. Yet, often public school teachers are not well prepared in using applied behavior analysis within their classrooms. My hope is to change that through teacher education and professional development programs for future and current teachers, through ongoing engagement with school partners, and through improving the contextual fit of applied behavior analytic approaches with school environments, resources, and teacher values.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
I am a single case design researcher. This is a quantitative research approach that uses repeated measures to examine change in dependent variables at the level of the individual. One of the greatest features of this research approach is that am able to get to know my participants and see the effects of our interventions on their lives firsthand. To watch as a child’s challenging behavior improves and to see teachers implementing interventions with high fidelity in their classrooms is so rewarding. I am thrilled to have very talented students helping to conduct this line of research, but I find that if I don’t also get out into the classrooms myself, I miss out on some of that joy!
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
One of my favorite studies was published in 2014 in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. In this study, we designed an assessment and intervention for challenging behavior associated with rituals in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Adherence to restricted patterns of behaviors or interests is a hallmark feature of ASD. When rituals or routines are interrupted, individuals with ASD can become quite upset and engage in challenging behavior. In many cases, these ritualistic behaviors are treated with pharmacological interventions (medications). I am particularly proud of this study because we examined these behaviors as a form of communication and by teaching new communication skills. We were able to demonstrate a decrease in adherence to rituals and an increase in appropriate communication skills. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jaba.130/full
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
I’d love to create a challenging behavior research and training center! Through the center, I’d like to develop and evaluate intensive and ongoing supports for families and teachers in assessing and treating challenging behavior across the country and around the world.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
Knowing what fuels your passions and keeps you going is essential. For me, these are collaborations with other researchers, and contact with children with disabilities. When either of those is missing, my research and my enjoyment of my research suffers. I love having collaborators with whom I can share ideas, innovate, and problem solve. I entered this field because of my passion for helping children, so making sure I stay in contact with children is essential for me and ensures that I have a handle on the needs of today’s children and teachers. This allows me to ask meaningful research questions that can have direct impact. My advice is to think about what drives your passion and make sure you stay connected with that through your research.
March 2018 Spotlights (show/hide)
Christian Knoeller, Ph.D.
Department: Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Christian Knoeller is an Associate Professor of English Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. He began his career at Purdue in 1999 and received his PhD from the University of California-Berkeley in Education and Literacy and Language. Christian has previous experience teaching English in Southern California, teaching ELL/ English for academic purposes at the American English Institute at the University of Oregon. He also taught distance education high school English through Alaska’s Centralized Correspondence Program in Juneau and has taught and coordinated ELL courses for immigrant adults.
Read more about Dr. Knoeller (show/hide)
What is your research agenda?
I am currently developing a scholarly manuscript building upon and extending the arguments in my book, Reimagining Environmental History: Ecological Memory in the Wake of Landscape Change. My new project, with the working title Journeys in Search of Environmental History: Retracing Historically Significant Expeditions, surveys contemporary book-length accounts by present-day adventurers, historians, and naturalists who set out to replicate historically significant journeys, comparing their observations of places today with the textual record of original exploration including those by 1) William Bartram and 2) Lewis and Clark with The Corps of Discovery as well as expeditions of major 19th and 20th century naturalists including 3) John James Audubon; 4) William McGillivray; 5) Henry David Thoreau; and finally 6) Roger Tory Peterson. This study is distinguished by its treatment of environmental history and landscape change in relation to the written record, a trope that frames his previous book.
What led you to be interested in these areas?
What has grown into a lifelong fascination for reading natural history was undoubtedly instilled by formative, childhood experiences of exploring the outdoors. Given environmental desecration that I have witnessed personally, the preservation of wetlands strikes an especially deep chord. The burning and burial of a small marsh beside our property line on Deer Creek in Carroll County seemed to me an unspeakable crime against nature that might be likened to a microcosm of the whole region’s environmental history over the last century and a half. My interest in reading environmental history was initially catalyzed several decades ago by seminal works such as Wildlife in America by Peter Matthiessen (1959), The Unsettling of America by Wendell Berry (1977), and Of Wolves and Men by Barry Lopez (1978). Since that time, a number of more recent volumes of place-based ecocriticism have deepened my appreciation for literary representations of environmental history.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
It has been developing the Reimagining Environmental History manuscript incrementally, chapter by chapter, over a ten-year period.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
I am proud of my publication, Reimagining Environmental History: Ecological Memory in the Wake of Landscape Change. This expansive volume–organized into ten central analytic chapters, a four-part introduction, and a multifaceted epilogue–is an ambitious, ecocritical study spanning representations of landscape change in the Midwest by 19th century artist-naturalists, pioneering ecologists, 20th century poets.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
I would like to pursue archival research for the penultimate chapter of my book and to pursue archival research for the closing chapter on Scottish Naturalist with William MacGillivray.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
It is important to take the long view. You can use every conference paper as a stepping-stone to journal publication and every article as a stepping-stone to book publication.
Rose Mason, Ph.D.
Department: Educational Studies
Dr. Rose Mason is an Assistant Professor of Special Education in the Department of Educational Studies. She began working at Purdue in August 2017 and received her PhD in Special Education with an emphasis on autism and applied behavior analysis from Texas A&M in 2012. Prior to receiving her PhD, she worked as a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology in Texas providing psychological services including assessment, educational programming, parent and teacher training, behavioral intervention, and counseling for EC-12. As a Postdoctoral Fellow and later, an Assistant Research Professor, Rose worked at Juniper Gardens Children’s Project at the University of Kansas.
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What is your research agenda?
The overarching theme of my research agenda is increasing access to evidence-based practices for children, adolescents, and young adults with autism. Facilitate research to practice through identification of sustainable methods of training and feedback for practitioners who intervene with children and adolescents with challenging behaviors. Develop and evaluate interventions that are efficient and feasible to implement with particular focus on contextual variables that strengthen the efficacy of the intervention.
What led you to be interested in these areas?
We have a strong evidence-base of interventions that are rather effective for teaching and improving skills for individuals with autism. However, they are resource intensive and not always feasible within the intended settings. As a result, individuals with autism do not always have access to the very tools and resources necessary for improving their long-term outcomes, particularly as they move into secondary and post-secondary settings. Changing this requires identifying ways to simplify interventions and make them more accessible.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
I just recently completed a pilot study in which we evaluated the effects of tele-coaching to improve the social engagement and question-asking of college-age girls with autism during lunch with their peers. The intervention allowed the coach to provide prompts and feedback to the girls in a non-intrusive manner. The intervention improved the intended skills considerably and many of the participants, all who were in their early 20s, indicated it was the first time they had enjoyed “hanging out” and interacting with their peers. Although this was definitely positive feedback regarding the study. It was also somewhat disheartening to be face-to-face with the fact that these adult women had not experienced positive social relationships. Additional evidence for me that we need to continue to find creative ways to make sure what we know works is accessible.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
A recently published paper, ”Improving paraprofessionals procedural integrity: Impact of a teacher-as-coach Model, ” is the product of an IES funded Researcher-Practitioner Partnership project in which my colleagues and I worked with a large urban school district to identify the needs and challenges of creating a strong paraprofessional workforce. Working together with stakeholders to evaluate and address an educational challenge took longer than just develop an intervention and then testing it out, yet, I think it yielded a more sustainable practice than I would have developed on my own and speaks to the importance of an implementation science framework.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
I am really interested in conducting a longitudinal study of individuals with autism and their parents specifically evaluating how differences in access to interventions impacts long-term outcomes for individuals with autism as well as the parental quality of life.
February 2018 Spotlights (show/hide)
Benjamin A. Mason, Ph.D.
Department: Educational Studies
Ben Mason is assistant professor of special education in the Department of Educational Studies. He began working at Purdue University in 2017. Ben received his PhD in psychology with a concentration in special and bilingual education from Texas A&M University. He has previous experience working in a psychiatric hospital and residential treatment facility for youth in East Texas. That time was often spent in the classroom assisting students primarily in the middle to high school grades and the principal encouraged him to get teacher certification in one of the critical needs shortages for the state—special or bilingual education. He decided on bilingual education and taught PK-3rd grade for four more years, rounding out his K-12 experience before graduate school. Ben also worked at the Juniper Gardens Children’s Project at the University of Kansas.
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What is your research agenda?
Most broadly, it is about understanding ways to make the school experience more positive and impactful for students—especially those at the middle and high school level and at the transition points across grades. My current behavioral work focuses on class-wide practices and student-managed interventions while my academic focus is on math and writing.
What led you to be interested in these areas?
The importance of early education is universally accepted, but we have to continue the work even if the academic and behavioral standards have not been met by the secondary transition. The nature of intervention work is structurally different once the number of teachers shift from one or two to six to eight, and I work to figure out how to navigate that difference.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
I have to say it was my five years working with Howard Wills at Kansas. As a research mentor, he was absolutely topnotch in helping me understand and engage in the grant writing process. He is a big believer in repetition if you want to get better at complex and intensive processes like applying for funding. So, if you want to get better at it, do it more frequently. He also encouraged me to go to the spaces where everyone agrees there is a need but few people actually doing the work.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
While it is not my highest citation paper, I am probably most proud of a measurement paper on teachers’ cultural and ethnic bias in behavior rating of students, published in 2014 in the journal Psychology in the Schools (Vol. 51, No. 10): http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pits.21800/full
Figuring out how to parse rating accuracy for that topic was a labor of love and offered some insights into the link between implicit beliefs and real-world practices that I had seen firsthand in schools.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
The science of matching pace of instruction to pace of learning could benefit from a focused program of research with significant funding. We do not train athletes with the same tools across all sports, and we do not provide the same program to beginning, intermediate, and advanced athletes because we have very clear empirical data that it does not work as well. We could reach that same level of understanding with instruction for the middle 60% of students instead of just those students in need of special or gifted education.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
This institution is filled with highly productive and respected scholars, so I will give the advice I wish I had gotten as a graduating student. We overestimate what we can do in a month, but greatly underestimate what we can do in a decade. An academic career is an ultramarathon, so pick your topics and collaborators well and maintain those productive relationships while monitoring your weekly productivity.
Signe Kastberg, Ph.D.
Department: Curriculum and Instruction
Signe Kastberg is professor of mathematics education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. She received her PhD in philosophy and mathematics education from the University of Georgia. She has previous experience teaching at Monadnock Regional Middle High School in New Hampshire. Signe also was an assistant director for the Urban Center for the Advancement of STEM Education and associate dean for academic affairs at Indiana University-Purdue University. In 2010, she began working at Purdue.
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What is your research agenda?
My research agenda focuses on constructivist teaching as defined by Steffe and D’Ambrosio (1995). Drawing from a radical constructivist epistemology as described by Von Glasersfeld (1995), my research program explores three strands used to develop constructivist teaching: Strand I, prospective and inservice teacher content knowledge; Strand II, children’s mathematics; and Strand III, pedagogy and tools in engagement in mathematics teaching and learning. The primary content focus in the three strands is the multiplicative conceptual field as defined by Vergnaud (1994) which includes understandings of decimals, place value, and proportions.
What led you to be interested in this/these area(s)?
I taught mathematics courses in community college for years prior to going back for a PhD in mathematics education. During that time, I was inspired to learn more about adult learning of mathematics to inform my own teaching. I worked hard in those days to design engaging curricula for my students. Often these materials were useful to some portion of the students, but still I noticed some challenges. The observation that troubled me most was hearing students in Calculus say they had never learned about or seen logarithmic functions. This was troubling since I had taught the same students that topic when they were in College Algebra. I realized that I needed to know more about how adult students learn mathematics and that motivated me to go to graduate school in mathematics education. Through my PhD, I identified foundational concepts and contextual factors that support adult learners to engage in mathematics productively and with joy.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
Early in my career, I had the chance to work with a middle school teacher and her classes. Mathematics classes in the school were multi-age, grade, and ability. The teacher, Wendy Hylton, and I worked together for three years. During that time, I conducted a study of three students with special education labels. The study was designed to describe the mathematical thinking of the students in the context of a general education classroom. There was so much energy in Wendy’s classroom; I never wanted to leave. Wendy and the students helped me understand and appreciate the work of teaching and learning in K-12 schools in ways I had not in graduate school. Interactions with Wendy and the students continue to inspire my research and writing today.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
The publication I am currently the most excited about is a commentary I was asked to write in response to an article in Constructivist Foundations (http://www.univie.ac.at/constructivism/journal/9/3/352 ). This commentary focuses on mathematics teachers and their use of models of learner’s mathematics in teaching. I am proud of this work because the authors of the article responded to my commentary noting the significance of my questions about their work and identifying my suggestions as a productive next step in investigating model building.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
My dream research project involves exploring prospective elementary teacher model building. In my view, all teachers are model builders. In addition, I think the focus on teachers’ models of learners’ mathematics (second order models) is too narrow. Instead, I hypothesize that teachers’ models of learners’ mathematics are nested inside teachers’ models of learners. I would love to study this nesting and investigate how models of learners and learners’ mathematics are mutually informing in mathematics lessons.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
Always follow your curiosity and passions! Following your curiosity and passions will insure that you stay excited about your work, are motivated to complete projects, and want to share what you find.
January 2018 Spotlights (show/hide)
Selcen Guzey, Ph.D.
Department: Curriculum and Instruction
Selcen Guzey is an assistant professor of science education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. She began at Purdue in 2014. She has a PhD in science education from the University of Minnesota. Selcen was a middle school science teacher in Isparta, Turkey, and has worked at the STEM Education Center at the University of Minnesota.
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What is your research agenda?
Much of my research over the years has focused on integrated STEM education. My long-term research goal is to investigate effective ways of applying reform-based teaching practices in K-12 classrooms to support students’ meaningful learning in science and engineering. Recent national policy documents recognize engineering design and practices as important elements in a new vision for science education. Throughout grades K-12, students are expected to actively engage in scientific and engineering practices. In this new vision of science education, engineering provides additional approaches to inquiry-based practices and has the potential to enhance the teaching of science. It is especially important to incorporate engineering design into curricula at the secondary school level as students begin building a more robust and thorough understanding of basic science concepts. Thus, I believe it is critical to study effective ways of engineering integration in science classes.
What led you to be interested in these areas?
I was part of an engineering education research team when I was a PhD student. We studied the use of modeling activities in undergraduate engineering courses through funds from a National Science Foundation (NSF) Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) grant. The research team also conducted engineering education research at the K-12 level. Engineering standards were added to K-12 science education standards in Minnesota in 2009, so we were able to conduct large-scale studies about teacher and student learning of engineering as many teachers started exploring engineering integration in science. I am still collaborating with several researchers from that research team.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
I really enjoy developing professional development programs and curriculum materials. I have conducted in-service teacher professional development programs about engineering education in science classes for over a thousand K-12 science teachers. Curriculum materials that I have designed and implemented in the professional development programs have been used by teachers in many K-12 science classrooms. I have conducted various research studies in the context of these professional development programs and curriculum materials to document in-service science teachers’ learning process of engineering and implementation of engineering practices in their classrooms.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
My most recent publication in the Journal of Engineering Education (Vol. 106, No. 4) offers insight into middle school students’ scientific reasoning in an effort to help educators more effectively structure classroom discourse and practices in engineering design in science education. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jee.20176/full
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
I would try to reach out to all K-12 science teachers in Indiana through professional development programs to help them learn and implement effective integrated STEM education approaches.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
I really enjoy collaborating with researchers from different disciplines. I was hired as a part of a cluster hire in Integrated STEM Education. All cluster hire faculty members are CATALYST researchers. We work together to develop new STEM courses and grant proposals. CATALYST also provides us many opportunities to expand our collaboration network and to get more cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional projects. I believe there are many benefits to working in collaborative cross-disciplinary projects.
Chantal Levesque-Bristol, Ph.D.
Department: Educational Studies
Chantal Levesque-Bristol is professor of educational psychology in the Department of Educational Studies, and is currently the director of the Center for Instructional Excellence (CIE). She began working at Purdue University in the spring of 2012. Chantal received her PhD in social psychology from the University of Ottawa, Canada. She has prior experience working at the University of Rochester as a visiting professor and at Missouri State University as a Professor of Psychology.
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What is your research agenda?
My general research area is the study of learning and motivation in higher education. More specifically, I currently study the factors in the learning environment, which contribute to the creation of student-centered learning environments and how these learning environments then foster engagement, motivation, and learning across fields in higher education.
What led you to be interested in these areas?
I have a keen interest in motivation, and I love teaching. Combining the two areas in my research area seemed natural to me. I have been fascinated by what makes people learn, engage in the process of learning, and subsequently succeed.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
Working as a visiting professor with Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan at the University of Rochester, New York, on a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded research project examining motivation to stop smoking and eat a healthy diet, was an extremely rewarding experience. I was able to produce many research papers from this experience which allowed me to build the necessary research experiences to pursue significant applied research and to use this knowledge several years later to secure my own educational research grant from the Department of Education’s First-in-the-World grant program.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
The work that I am currently conducting in regards to the IMPACT project and the Success through Transformative Education project is at various stages of publication at the moment. Although this work cannot be shared at the moment, I would like to share a couple of publications from my time conducting research at the University of Rochester, NY.
One of the publications was a collaborative project examining autonomy and competence in higher education in four universities in Germany and the United States, published in the Journal of Educational Psychology in 2004 (Vol. 96, No. 1): http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.purdue.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pdh&AN=2004-11358-006&site=ehost-live
The other publication would have to be an article based on my dissertation work on the investigation of primed and chronic level of motivation, published in 2003 in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (Vol. 29, No. 12): http://journals.sagepub.com.ezproxy.lib.purdue.edu/doi/pdf/10.1177/0146167203256877. This was ground-breaking work, and I’m very proud of having conducted these studies and contributed to the field in this way.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
I have been very fortunate to be able to participate and contribute to the IMPACT course transformation project, which became the intervention for the Success through Transformative Education and Mentoring (STEAM) project funded by the First-in-the-World (FITW) grant from the Department of Education. I would say that this has been my dream research project. We are currently beginning the fourth year of the grant, and the results of the first wave of intervention are starting to emerge and look incredibly promising. This research has great potential to inform how we work with instructors to transform courses and create environments in which active learning takes place, which foster the creation of student-centered learning environments and influence student learning.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
Study something you love and that you are passionate about. Research is difficult, and there is no such thing as an “easy paper.” To be successful at designing, conducting, and publishing research, you need to be doing something you are truly inspired with and passionate about.
December 2017 Spotlights (show/hide)
David Eichinger, Ph.D.
Department: Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. David Eichinger is an associate professor of science education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. He has been at Purdue since 1991. David received his PhD in science education from Michigan State University. Prior to Purdue, David spent six years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) where he taught high school biology and chemistry.
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What is your research agenda?
My research interests include professional preparation and development of both elementary and secondary teachers, collaborative problem solving and its role in the teaching and learning of science, and the nature of science and its importance for both teachers and students.
What led you to be interested in these areas?
My “non-traditional” teacher training with the Peace Corps really sparked my interest in how formal teacher education programs are developed, and why they include or exclude certain skills, knowledge, practices, etc. A graduate course in the nature of science during my Master’s program hooked me on this topic and led me to pursue research in this area.
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
My current collaborations as a Co-PI on the Using Principles of Design to Advance Teacher Education (UPDATE) and the Teachers and Researchers Advancing Integrated Lessons in STEM (TRAILS) projects have stretched me as both a teacher and as a researcher. In my 27th year as a faculty member, it’s good to encounter new challenges to keep me fresh.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
In 1998, I was asked to be a co-guest editor for a special issue of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching (Vol. 35, No. 2) on “Examining the Epistemological and Ontological Underpinnings in Science Education” with my former colleague, Dr. Sandi Abell. As a relatively new faculty member, it was a thrill to be able to work with and be mentored by Sandi and to help shape that issue of our premier research journal.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
Every semester I teach a biology course for elementary education majors (BIOL 20500 or BIOL 20600). Each semester, I recruit and mentor 12-15 undergraduate and graduate teaching assistants to help teach the laboratory portions of these classes. I would love to be able to develop a more systematic investigation of the professional development of this group of teachers; one which I don’t think receives as much attention as P-12 teachers.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
Follow your passions, and be willing to try new research ideas and approaches. You never know where they may lead!
Kharon Grimmet, Ph.D.
Department: Educational Studies
Kharon Grimmet a clinical assistant professor in special education in the Department of Educational Studies. She has been at Purdue since 2014. Kharon received her PhD in special education from Indiana University. She has prior experience working with Marion Community Schools as an elementary life skills teacher for first graders and with MSD Wayne Township for fourth graders.
Read more about Dr. Grimmet (show/hide)
What is your research agenda?
My research interests focus around teacher development and adults with intellectual or developmental disability as they transition from school into adulthood. Coordinating the Online MSEd in Special Education program allows a number of opportunities to research more than just the content used to mold and shape pre-service and in-service teachers, but we have the opportunity, here at Purdue, to study the delivery mechanism of that content as well as the clinical practice experiences (practicum/student teaching) our students in the online program participate in while in an online program. I also enjoy working with adults with intellectual or developmental disability. I use photo-elicitation as a means to allow individuals to tell their personal stories and experiences. Sometimes communication can be difficult for individuals with an intellectual or developmental disability, thus, photo-elicitation allows memories and current experiences to move from being abstract concepts, which are difficult to process, to a concrete concept through the use of photos. In a day when self-determination and self-advocacy are really important, seeking ways to support communication that extends beyond simple answers, but allows deep explanation, is vital for individuals with disability.
What led you to be interested in these areas?
My former students! I am still very close with many of my students and their families from my first years of teaching special education. My dissertation was inspired by the fact that these little boys and girls have now grow up to be men and women. I wanted to know how they would describe or express their quality of life. What “good” was my class and other classes to them? How did their education, preschool through 21, impact their life as an adult? Are they employed, independent, happy? My students also drive my passion for teacher education. What do pre-service and in-service teachers need to know and do differently in order to support positive life-long outcomes for individuals with disability? I hope to continue studying the perceptions of individuals with disability and allowing these incredible men and women to help inform and guide teacher education!
What has been one of your most rewarding research experiences?
Seeing your research inform practice! When I talk about photo-elicitation with parents, caregivers, and teachers it can be difficult for them to consider that their child/client/student can express thoughts, feelings, desires, fears. Many people assume that individuals with disability “can’t,” and so we speak for them, to them, about them. When given an opportunity, through photo-elicitation, individuals with intellectual or developmental disability can communicate and share his/her hopes and dreams! Parents of students with disability have begun using photos from the school or workday to hold conversations with their child at the dinner table.
Is there a publication that are you particularly proud of?
Yes! My colleagues and I just contributed to a book this year – Participant Empowerment Through Photo-elicitation in Ethnographic Education Research: New Perspectives and Approaches. We presented our research at AERA and from that presentation, Springer offered us the opportunity to publish together. The book can be found here.
If you had unlimited funds and time, what would be your dream research project?
Unlimited TIME and MONEY…this really is a dream! One day, I want to provide service dogs to families who have young children with disabilities. Research tells us that parent and teacher expectations of individuals with disability impact positive life-long outcomes of employment, independence, and relationships. High expectations correlate with positive outcomes, low expectations with a lack of employment and independence. I want to know if we can raise parents’ expectations of their child, who has a disability, by placing a service dog within the family unit. Owning a dog allows opportunities participate in chores, demonstrate responsibility, etc. Could a dog encourage parents/families to raise their expectations and consider opportunities/experiences for their child with a disability that they may have previously shied away from due to previous thoughts/beliefs/expectations? I would follow the child well into adulthood.
Any advice for your fellow researchers?
Make your research matter because … “what we find changes who we become” (Peter Morville).
Carla McNelly, Ph.D.
Sarah LaRose, Ph.D.
Lisa Lambert Snodgrass, Ph.D.
Hua-Hua Chang, Ph.D.
Nancy Marchand-Martella, Ph.D.
Ronald Martella, Ph.D.
Christine Kiracofe, Ph.D.
Adrie Koehler-Blair, Ph.D.
Lanette Jimerson, Ph.D.
Allen Talbert, Ph.D.
Amanda Case, Ph.D.
Kathy Obenchain, Ph.D.
Anatoli Rapoport, Ph.D.
Minjung Ryu, Ph.D.
Jill Newton, Ph.D.
Yan Ping Xin, Ph.D.
Rachael Kenney, Ph.D.
Mandy Rispoli, Ph.D.
Christian Knoeller, Ph.D.
Rose Mason, Ph.D.
Benjamin A. Mason, Ph.D.
Signe Kastberg, Ph.D.
Selcen Guzey, Ph.D.
Chantal Levesque-Bristol, Ph.D.
David Eichinger, Ph.D.
Kharon Grimmet, Ph.D.