Elementary Education majors have the option to work with faculty members Barbara Hug and Cristina Krist.

Project Description:

This research project focuses on developing a Professional Learning Community with the common goal of understanding how to integrate ideas of sustainability into elementary science teaching. This project will be a collaboration between elementary pre-service and in-service teachers working to develop a database of online teaching resources and lesson plans with a focus on sustainability from a global perspective. Other tasks will include, but are not limited to: developing criteria to screen resources, working with teachers to analyze current lesson plans, and developing new lesson plans.

The requirements for this James Scholar Research Project are:

• Attend weekly meetings (contact Program Coordinators below for details)
• Make a meaningful contribution to developing a resource as part of a group (resource to the database, lesson plan, rubric for screening)
• Willingness to be flexible and creative in a team setting
• Some weeks might require additional individual work
• Upon completion, submit a 1-page summary and reflection on your participation and contribution/what you learned

Students will meet weekly with research assistants and then bi-weekly with teachers.

Elementary Education students (any year, undergraduate or graduate) are welcome to apply. James Scholars may participate in two semesters only.

Please fill out this brief interest form if you would like to attend a no-commitment information session via Zoom.

Please email the Project Coordinators, Barbara Hug at bhug@illinois.edu, and Stina Krist at ckrist@illinois.edu with any further questions.

The Napolitano Research Group is offering a unique opportunity to be involved in multiple stages of the research process, including a critical role in data collection! You will have the opportunity to collect data from middle and high school students in an Educational Psychology research experiment.

We are conducting a research study that is investigating how adolescents use multiple means to achieve their goals. Research indicates that goal pursuit is a critical skill, but success is not guaranteed. People develop backup plans to deal with the unpredictability of goal pursuit, but backup planning may impact goal pursuit. We are conducting one of the first studies to examine this process in adolescence.

Students majoring in Education, Psychology, and HDFS are particularly encouraged to apply, but all majors are welcome to inquire. Experience with previous research and CITI training is preferred, but not required.

This is an ongoing research study. Data collection is taking place the summer of 2021. Data entry, analysis and dissemination will take place the following Fall. You can choose how involved you would like to be.

Please email the Project Coordinator, Bethany F. Hoff, at bflemng2@illinois.edu, or visit the lab website if you are interested in this opportunity.

James Scholars have the opportunity to participate in one of three research projects offered by Dr. Cheryl Light Shriner. Contact Dr. Light Shriner using the email listed below if you are interested in participating on one of these projects.

Research Project #1: Conduct a literature review that focuses on:

1. How School Guidance Counselors are prepared to work with students with disabilities
2. The role School Guidance Counselors have in supporting students with disabilities during high school to select classes and prepare for post-secondary education goals
3. The role of the Guidance Counselor on the IEP (Individualized Education Plan) Team.

James Scholars will review articles for key information and organize the information into a matrix for the researchers. Information will then be used to construct a survey to be given to School Guidance Counselors.

Research Project #2: Conduct a literature review that focuses on:

1. How Occupational Therapists and Board Certified Behavior Analysts collaborate to support children with disabilities
2. Practices of OT's and BCBA's that agree are best practice
3. Practices that OT's and BCBA's that do not agree upon as best practice

James Scholars will review articles for key information and organize the information into a matrix for the researchers. Information will then be used to construct a survey to be given to OT's and BCBA's.

Research Project #3: Conduct a literature review that focuses on the qualifications of teachers to conduct FBA's (Functional Behavior Assessments) and develop BIP's (Behavioral Intervention Plans) in schools. James Scholars will review articles for key information and organize the information into a matrix for the researchers. Information will then be used to construct a survey to be given special education teachers and other IEP team members.

Contact:

Cheryl Light Shriner, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Teaching Assistant Professor
BCBA Verified Course Sequence Coordinator
Department of Special Education
slight@illinois.ed

This course provides the opportunity to experience service learning through mentoring relationships between Freshmen/Sophomores in Education and experienced students enrolled in an Education (either College of Education or SecEd) program. The format for this course is lecture-discussions will occur every other week, and on opposite weeks, mentors are expected to meet with mentees for at least 1 hour. Please note that you must contact the instructor at foellme1@illinois.edu for instructor approval to register for the course.