Warner School scholars showcase research at AERA 2023 in Chicago

The faculty at the University of Rochester’s Warner School of Education are experts in the field of education research. They are master teachers and leading researchers who are defining the future of education. That research, and the talented faculty and students engaged in these scholarly efforts, will be showcased as the Warner School participates in the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), “Interrogating Consequential Education Research in Pursuit of Truth,” which takes place April 13-16 in Chicago and virtually May 4-5.

In addition to more than a dozen Warner School students and faculty presenting and facilitating AERA conference events, Teaching & Curriculum Professor David Hursh will receive the prestigious 2023 Paulo Freire Legacy Award in recognition of his commitment to social justice and to transforming existing structures of oppression through education. Hursh will hold a book signing event for his publication Opting Out: The Story of Parents’ Grassroots Movement to Achieve Whole-Child Public Schools at 10:45 a.m. on Friday, April 14, at Booth 718.

Joanne Larson, the Michael W. Scandling of Professor of Education and associate director of research in the Warner School’s Center for Urban Education Success, and alumna Eleni Duret ’22 (PhD), a visual artist and a postdoctoral fellow, will also hold a book signing for their new book Doing and Being Hip-Hop in School: Best.Class.Ever. at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 15, at Booth 707. (Enter promo code: AERA23 to receive 15 percent off and free shipping when purchasing the book online.) 

A list of additional highlights of the Warner School’s participation at AERA follows. An updated and searchable schedule of events is available on the 2023 AERA Annual Meeting website.
 

Thursday, April 13

Postdoctoral fellow Eleni Duret chairs the SIG-Arts-Based Educational Research roundtable session, “Youth Perspectives and Identities Through Artistic Modalities.”

Kevin Meuwissen, associate professor and teaching & curriculum department chair, joins doctoral student Rebecca Rosen to present “Designing and Using Interactive Elicitation Methods in Research Involving Contentious Social Studies Subject Matter” in the event, “Elicitation and Expertise in Social Studies Research and Teacher Education.”

Associate Professor April Luehmann joins PhD students and co-authors Gena Merliss and Kyle Sullivan to present “Nurturing Justice-Centered Ambitious Science Teaching (JuST) Through Professional Learning Communities” in the event, “Supporting Teacher and Learning of Justice-Centered Ambitious Practice.”

Associate Professor Jayne Lammers chairs a roundtable session on “Cultivating Genius in Writing and Literacies Research” at AERA’s Business Meeting.   

Friday, April 14

Nicole King, assistant professor, presents “Developing Midwestern Pre- and In-Service Teachers' Translanguaging Stance and Pedagogy Through Content-Enhanced Language Objectives” in the event, “In the Intersection of Language, Culture, Pedagogy, and Teacher Preparation.”

Associate Professor Jayne Lammers discusses “Critical Adolescent Writing and Literacies” in the SIG-Writing and Literacies roundtable session; presents “Supporting Teachers’ Understandings of Fan Fiction as Responsive Writing Pedagogy;” and chairs the SIG-Writing and Literacies roundtable session, “Memory, Community, and Healing Through Writing with Preservice and In-Service Teachers.”

Doctoral student Erqian Xu is a non-presenting author of “Improving Low-Income Students’ English Proficiency in Rural China: A Predictive Achievement Model Through Machine Learning” in the event, “Opportunities to Bolster Academic Trajectories for Underserved Students.”

Postdoctoral fellow Zachary Brown is a discussant in the event, “Digging Into Degrees: Exploring Graduate Education.”

Doctoral student Christina Leal shares her research paper “Diffusion of Research Evidence Through School and District Leaders’ Ego Networks” at the roundtable session, “Research Use and Data-Driven Decision Making to Improve Education.” 

Saturday, April 15

Assistant Professor Tiffany Steele is a discussant in the event, “Waking Up to Justice: Critical Consciousness, Activism, and Identity Development Among Undergraduate College Students.”

PhD candidate Saliha Al presents “Balancing Obligations When Adapting Mathematics Curriculum Materials to be Culturally Relevant” in the event, “The Teacher’s Role in Mathematics Learning.”

Professor Randall Curren presents “On Civic Friendship” in the book symposium “Cancel Wars: An Author Meets Critics.”
 

Sunday, April 16

Warner alumna and postdoctoral fellow Eleni Duret ’22 (PhD) shares her research “Conversations Around the Kiln: Understanding and Communicating Concepts of Identity in the Visual Arts Classroom” in the session, “Visual Arts as Tool and Method in Educational Research.”

Samantha Daley, associate professor, joins with doctoral students and co-authors Saliha Al, Rebecca Rosen, and Michelle Heckman ‘13W (MS) to present their research “Motivational Beliefs and STEM Trajectories of Students with Learning Disabilities” in the event, “Learning and Motivation Research Inclusive Disability.”

Doctoral student Shiyi Shen ‘18W (MS) presents “Culturally Responsive Teachers’ Technology Pedagogy Content Knowledge (TPACK) Development: A Bronfenbrenner Perspective” in the session, “Technology, Culture, and Exceptional Audiences.”

Associate Professor Jayne Lammers participates in the workshop, “Toward Consequential Research in Language and Social Processes.”

Samantha Daley, associate professor, joins co-authors Rebecca Rosen and Beilei Guo, both doctoral students, and Eleni Duret ’22 (PhD), postdoctoral fellow, to present their research “Access to Thriving: Learning from Young Visitors with Learning Disabilities in Science Museums” in the session, “Innovation in Informal Learning Environments for Diverse Communities.”

PhD candidate Saliha Al presents “Equitable Access to Educational Resources and Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic? Political Refugee Parents’ Perspectives” in the roundtable session, “Diverse Parent Perspectives of Their Children’s Access to Resources, Funding, and Support.”

Associate Professor Nancy Ares presents “Armed Love and Freedom Schools” at the event, “Still in the Struggle: Education for Liberation in Freedom Schools.”

Doctoral student Keirah Comstock presents “Inclusive Teaching: Differentiated Instruction Through Integrating Technology for Supporting Multilingual Learners” in the “SIG-Multicultural/Multiethnic Education: Theory, Research, and Practice” roundtable session.  

Nathan Harris, assistant professor, and Paul Gorelik, doctoral student, present “Resident Assistants (RAs) and Liberal Arts Colleges: Examining Compensation and Expected Duties for RAs” in the session, “Financial Resources and Student Experiences.”

Joanne Larson, the Michael W. Scandling of Professor of Education, presents her paper “Collaborative Knowledge Production: Seeking Epistemological Justice” at the roundtable session, “Afro-Futurism, Freedom Dreaming, and Knowledge Production in Education.” 

Thursday, May 4 (online)

Professor David Hursh chairs the virtual paper session, “Freire’s Philosophy on Critical Analysis of Education Policies.”