Undergraduate Honors program exposes students to research in education

Now in its third year, the Undergraduate Honors program in the MU College of Education pairs undergraduate education students with education faculty members who are conducting research. The program gives students first-hand experience conducting educational research and prepares them for their future work in classrooms or in graduate school.

For Stephen Whitney, assistant professor, it’s about preparing future teachers to make decisions for their classrooms and careers. Whitney teaches the course section of the program during the fall semester prior to the spring semester when students work directly with faculty researchers.

“The class is meant to help students learn the different aspects of research and to make them good consumers of it when they’re teachers,” Whitney says. “When research emerges in the future that could help them improve their classrooms, they will know how to comprehend it and put it into action.”

The program also prepares students thinking of going on to graduate school, where conducting research is an integral part of many degree programs. “They will be great candidates for graduate school,” Whitney says of students in the honors program.

Student experience

Diane Edwards, a senior elementary education major, worked with Deborah Carr and Roberta Scholes to evaluate the performance of first- and second-year teachers who graduated from the University of Missouri.

“It was a great experience because I took on a project I wouldn’t normally do,” Edwards said. “I learned about qualitative and quantitative research methods, and it makes me fell well prepared to teach.”

Edwards collected five years’ worth of survey data completed by 517 Missouri principals at the elementary, middle and senior levels. Using a mixed method study, the surveys included questions on a spectrum from strongly agree to strongly disagree and an open comments section.

“Overall, 98% of principals surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that MU teachers were well prepared,” Edwards explained. “Although principals ranked MU-trained beginning teachers highly in all areas, classroom management and assessment emerged as two areas that merit further inquiry.”

“Diane’s study helped to determine how Missouri principals view the preparation of our graduates,” Carr said. “School systems look to exceptional teacher preparations programs to find the most qualified teacher candidates and our graduates are among the best.”

In another project, undergraduate researchers identified elementary students that present challenging behaviors in the classroom. Katy Eikmann, an early childhood education major, and Nikki Poslosky, who is studying middle school education, partnered with Tim Lewis on the project.

“We observed students to first define their problem behaviors in measurable terms,” Poslosky said. “After this, we worked with the teacher to introduce interventions such as positive reinforcement to change student behavior.”

Lewis says the research course gave the students insight into the real world of research, noting that measuring how students respond to certain teacher behaviors requires an extraordinary level of collaboration between teachers and researchers.

“Once the teachers became more positive toward their students, the kids became more engaged,” Eikmann said. And while the quantifiable results haven’t come in yet, she says “just from watching the kids over the semester, I could tell which ones improved and can see what’s impacting students at the same time I’m doing the study.”

Research at the Rotunda:

Students who conducted undergraduate research projects were able to display their work at a number of venues including a poster session at the Christopher S. Bond Life Science Center. Annually, the University of Missouri System showcases undergraduate research projects from all four campuses to Missouri legislators in Jefferson City.

This year, 26 students from MU were selected to present their research during Undergraduate Research Day at the capitol on April 27. Of the 26 selected, 16 were students who participated in the College of Education’s Undergraduate Honors program. The students spent the day visiting with legislators and explaining the outcomes of their education-based research projects.

“I am impressed by the work of our undergraduates and the faculty members who helped support their research experience,” said Rose Porter, interim dean of education. “Of all the students selected to present at the capitol, 61% were students in our college; that’s something to be proud of.”

Beth McCormack, a senior elementary education major, and Katie Pugh, junior special education major, presented their research on math assessment for students in grades K-3.  McCormack shared this work with State Representative Jill Schupp who represents her hometown of St. Louis in the 82nd District.  Schupp was so impressed with her work that she named McCormack her constituent of the week. 

"We wish Beth all of the best in her future endeavors and feel proud to have such a bright young woman representing the 82nd District," Schupp wrote in her legislative newsletter which featured McCormack in a section called Constituent Spotlight. 

Rep. Schupp with Beth McCormack (left) and research partner Katie Pugh on University of Missouri's Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol

16 College of Education undergraduate students participated in the Undergraduate Research Day at the State Capitol: 

• Taylor Adams, mentored by Dr. David Bergin, education
• Lauren Doorack, mentored by Dr. Delinda van Garderen, special education
• Diane Edwards, mentored by Dr. Deb Carr, educational psychology
• Katy Eikmann, mentored by Dr. Timothy Lewis, special education
• Hannah Hassemer, mentored by Dr. David Bergin, education
• Julie Hutton, mentored by Dr. Stephen Whitney and Dr. Melissa Maras, educational psychology
• Jenna Krueger, mentored by Dr. Marcelle Siegel, special education
• Emylie Leonard, mentored by Dr. Stephen Whitney, educational psychology
• Emily Lloyd, mentored by Dr. Marcelle Siegel, special education
• Beth McCormack, mentored by Dr. Erica Lembke, special education
• Nikki Poslosky, mentored by Dr. Timothy Lewis, special education
• Katie Pugh, mentored by Dr. Erica Lembke, special education
• Lacey Schisler, mentored by Dr. Stephen Whitney and Dr. Melissa Maras, educational psychology
• Brittany Smotherson, mentored by Dr. Karen Cockrell, educational leadership and policy
• Sarah Sprague, mentored by Dr. Delinda van Garderen, special education
• Melissa Wolfe, mentored Dr. Stephen Whitney, education psychology