Research Projects
Tailoring Teaching to Fit the Class: Teaching Practice and Classroom Composition Under Random Assignment
The main purpose of this project is to explore teaching practice through the lens of classroom composition. In particular, we will investigate how teaching practice affects student learning and engagement differentially depending on the level and dispersion of students’ initial achievement. We will explore how teachers adapt to different classroom compositions and whether these adaptations are productive in improving student outcomes. The research will have important implications for educational inequality, as teaching practice and classroom composition are dimensions of schooling that are both impactful and unevenly distributed. This is a multidisciplinary study sponsored by Institute for Education Sciences.
Transitions: A Study of College Life and Well-Being
The main purpose of this project is to assess the determinants of anxiety and depression symptoms for college students. We take a mixed-methods approach, surveying students in their first-year of university (October/November 2019; January/February 2020) and interviewing a small set of participants to understand the stressors they face during the transition to university and the supports they need to thrive. We then conduct follow-up surveys of the first-year students in our initial sample to assess the effects of the pandemic on mental health and to learn about protective factors that helped students to continue to success despite the stresses of the pandemic. These surveys were conducted 4 months into the pandemic (June/July 2020), at the beginning of the cohort’s third year in college or 18 months into the pandemic (September/October 2021) and at the end of their 4th year in college (April to June 2023). This survey and research was developed in collaboration with students to learn from their insights into the challenges of their generation and to provide research opportunities for students to contribute to an issue that they are passionate about.
Preventing Teacher Burnout: Supporting Teachers to Help Students (And Teachers) Thrive During the Pandemic and Beyond
Our project will inform interventions and supports that can protect educators during challenging times like the pandemic and help the educator workforce recover. We will leverage existing data, capitalize on new data being collected on MTSS and behavioral supports, and conduct qualitative interviews to address the following research questions:
1. How did student learning loss and behavioral difficulties experienced during the pandemic affect the educator workforce?
2. Did interventions to address diverse learning and behavioral needs, such as MTSS and support personnel, better support the educator workforce during the pandemic?
3. Did mental health interventions piloted in several NC districts better protect the educator workforce during the pandemic?
Our proposed project leverages multidisciplinary researchers, key DPI stakeholders and school district administrators to address these research questions. It is funded by the North Carolina Collaboratory and is part of the NC Research Recovery Network
Supporting student resilience, success, and well-being during college: Evaluating the effect of the Penn Resilience Program on UNC System students
College student mental health is a growing challenge for college campuses. As part of the UNC Board of Governor’s resolution, the UNC System’s reviewed student mental health at its member institutions and found that its campus counseling centers were having difficulty keeping up with the demand for mental health services (i.e., demand exceeding enrollment growth at most institutions). (The full report – “Healthy Minds, Strong Universities” – can be found here.)
Therefore, to stem the tide of increased demand on college counseling centers, the UNC System Office has launched various preventative interventions including the Penn Resilience Program (PRP). The hope of PRP is that it will equip students with the tools and skills to face adversity in real-time before it escalates to a crisis requiring intervention by a counselor.
We are conducting an independent evaluation on behalf of the UNC System Office to help inform future investments in student resilience, mental health and well-being.