education research project

Research Topics & Ideas: Education

170+ Research Ideas To Fast-Track Your Project

If you’re just starting out exploring education-related topics for your dissertation, thesis or research project, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll help kickstart your research topic ideation process by providing a hearty list of research topics and ideas , including examples from actual dissertations and theses..

PS – This is just the start…

We know it’s exciting to run through a list of research topics, but please keep in mind that this list is just a starting point . To develop a suitable education-related research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , and a viable plan of action to fill that gap.

If this sounds foreign to you, check out our free research topic webinar that explores how to find and refine a high-quality research topic, from scratch. Alternatively, if you’d like hands-on help, consider our 1-on-1 coaching service .

Overview: Education Research Topics

• How to find a research topic (video)
• List of 50+ education-related research topics/ideas
• List of 120+ level-specific research topics 
• Examples of actual dissertation topics in education
• Tips to fast-track your topic ideation (video)
• Free Webinar : Topic Ideation 101
• Where to get extra help

Education-Related Research Topics & Ideas

Below you’ll find a list of education-related research topics and idea kickstarters. These are fairly broad and flexible to various contexts, so keep in mind that you will need to refine them a little. Nevertheless, they should inspire some ideas for your project.

• The impact of school funding on student achievement
• The effects of social and emotional learning on student well-being
• The effects of parental involvement on student behaviour
• The impact of teacher training on student learning
• The impact of classroom design on student learning
• The impact of poverty on education
• The use of student data to inform instruction
• The role of parental involvement in education
• The effects of mindfulness practices in the classroom
• The use of technology in the classroom
• The role of critical thinking in education
• The use of formative and summative assessments in the classroom
• The use of differentiated instruction in the classroom
• The use of gamification in education
• The effects of teacher burnout on student learning
• The impact of school leadership on student achievement
• The effects of teacher diversity on student outcomes
• The role of teacher collaboration in improving student outcomes
• The implementation of blended and online learning
• The effects of teacher accountability on student achievement
• The effects of standardized testing on student learning
• The effects of classroom management on student behaviour
• The effects of school culture on student achievement
• The use of student-centred learning in the classroom
• The impact of teacher-student relationships on student outcomes
• The achievement gap in minority and low-income students
• The use of culturally responsive teaching in the classroom
• The impact of teacher professional development on student learning
• The use of project-based learning in the classroom
• The effects of teacher expectations on student achievement
• The use of adaptive learning technology in the classroom
• The impact of teacher turnover on student learning
• The effects of teacher recruitment and retention on student learning
• The impact of early childhood education on later academic success
• The impact of parental involvement on student engagement
• The use of positive reinforcement in education
• The impact of school climate on student engagement
• The role of STEM education in preparing students for the workforce
• The effects of school choice on student achievement
• The use of technology in the form of online tutoring

Level-Specific Research Topics

Looking for research topics for a specific level of education? We’ve got you covered. Below you can find research topic ideas for primary, secondary and tertiary-level education contexts. Click the relevant level to view the respective list.

Research Topics: Pick An Education Level

Primary education.

• Investigating the effects of peer tutoring on academic achievement in primary school
• Exploring the benefits of mindfulness practices in primary school classrooms
• Examining the effects of different teaching strategies on primary school students’ problem-solving skills
• The use of storytelling as a teaching strategy in primary school literacy instruction
• The role of cultural diversity in promoting tolerance and understanding in primary schools
• The impact of character education programs on moral development in primary school students
• Investigating the use of technology in enhancing primary school mathematics education
• The impact of inclusive curriculum on promoting equity and diversity in primary schools
• The impact of outdoor education programs on environmental awareness in primary school students
• The influence of school climate on student motivation and engagement in primary schools
• Investigating the effects of early literacy interventions on reading comprehension in primary school students
• The impact of parental involvement in school decision-making processes on student achievement in primary schools
• Exploring the benefits of inclusive education for students with special needs in primary schools
• Investigating the effects of teacher-student feedback on academic motivation in primary schools
• The role of technology in developing digital literacy skills in primary school students
• Effective strategies for fostering a growth mindset in primary school students
• Investigating the role of parental support in reducing academic stress in primary school children
• The role of arts education in fostering creativity and self-expression in primary school students
• Examining the effects of early childhood education programs on primary school readiness
• Examining the effects of homework on primary school students’ academic performance
• The role of formative assessment in improving learning outcomes in primary school classrooms
• The impact of teacher-student relationships on academic outcomes in primary school
• Investigating the effects of classroom environment on student behavior and learning outcomes in primary schools
• Investigating the role of creativity and imagination in primary school curriculum
• The impact of nutrition and healthy eating programs on academic performance in primary schools
• The impact of social-emotional learning programs on primary school students’ well-being and academic performance
• The role of parental involvement in academic achievement of primary school children
• Examining the effects of classroom management strategies on student behavior in primary school
• The role of school leadership in creating a positive school climate Exploring the benefits of bilingual education in primary schools
• The effectiveness of project-based learning in developing critical thinking skills in primary school students
• The role of inquiry-based learning in fostering curiosity and critical thinking in primary school students
• The effects of class size on student engagement and achievement in primary schools
• Investigating the effects of recess and physical activity breaks on attention and learning in primary school
• Exploring the benefits of outdoor play in developing gross motor skills in primary school children
• The effects of educational field trips on knowledge retention in primary school students
• Examining the effects of inclusive classroom practices on students’ attitudes towards diversity in primary schools
• The impact of parental involvement in homework on primary school students’ academic achievement
• Investigating the effectiveness of different assessment methods in primary school classrooms
• The influence of physical activity and exercise on cognitive development in primary school children
• Exploring the benefits of cooperative learning in promoting social skills in primary school students

Secondary Education

• Investigating the effects of school discipline policies on student behavior and academic success in secondary education
• The role of social media in enhancing communication and collaboration among secondary school students
• The impact of school leadership on teacher effectiveness and student outcomes in secondary schools
• Investigating the effects of technology integration on teaching and learning in secondary education
• Exploring the benefits of interdisciplinary instruction in promoting critical thinking skills in secondary schools
• The impact of arts education on creativity and self-expression in secondary school students
• The effectiveness of flipped classrooms in promoting student learning in secondary education
• The role of career guidance programs in preparing secondary school students for future employment
• Investigating the effects of student-centered learning approaches on student autonomy and academic success in secondary schools
• The impact of socio-economic factors on educational attainment in secondary education
• Investigating the impact of project-based learning on student engagement and academic achievement in secondary schools
• Investigating the effects of multicultural education on cultural understanding and tolerance in secondary schools
• The influence of standardized testing on teaching practices and student learning in secondary education
• Investigating the effects of classroom management strategies on student behavior and academic engagement in secondary education
• The influence of teacher professional development on instructional practices and student outcomes in secondary schools
• The role of extracurricular activities in promoting holistic development and well-roundedness in secondary school students
• Investigating the effects of blended learning models on student engagement and achievement in secondary education
• The role of physical education in promoting physical health and well-being among secondary school students
• Investigating the effects of gender on academic achievement and career aspirations in secondary education
• Exploring the benefits of multicultural literature in promoting cultural awareness and empathy among secondary school students
• The impact of school counseling services on student mental health and well-being in secondary schools
• Exploring the benefits of vocational education and training in preparing secondary school students for the workforce
• The role of digital literacy in preparing secondary school students for the digital age
• The influence of parental involvement on academic success and well-being of secondary school students
• The impact of social-emotional learning programs on secondary school students’ well-being and academic success
• The role of character education in fostering ethical and responsible behavior in secondary school students
• Examining the effects of digital citizenship education on responsible and ethical technology use among secondary school students
• The impact of parental involvement in school decision-making processes on student outcomes in secondary schools
• The role of educational technology in promoting personalized learning experiences in secondary schools
• The impact of inclusive education on the social and academic outcomes of students with disabilities in secondary schools
• The influence of parental support on academic motivation and achievement in secondary education
• The role of school climate in promoting positive behavior and well-being among secondary school students
• Examining the effects of peer mentoring programs on academic achievement and social-emotional development in secondary schools
• Examining the effects of teacher-student relationships on student motivation and achievement in secondary schools
• Exploring the benefits of service-learning programs in promoting civic engagement among secondary school students
• The impact of educational policies on educational equity and access in secondary education
• Examining the effects of homework on academic achievement and student well-being in secondary education
• Investigating the effects of different assessment methods on student performance in secondary schools
• Examining the effects of single-sex education on academic performance and gender stereotypes in secondary schools
• The role of mentoring programs in supporting the transition from secondary to post-secondary education

Tertiary Education

• The role of student support services in promoting academic success and well-being in higher education
• The impact of internationalization initiatives on students’ intercultural competence and global perspectives in tertiary education
• Investigating the effects of active learning classrooms and learning spaces on student engagement and learning outcomes in tertiary education
• Exploring the benefits of service-learning experiences in fostering civic engagement and social responsibility in higher education
• The influence of learning communities and collaborative learning environments on student academic and social integration in higher education
• Exploring the benefits of undergraduate research experiences in fostering critical thinking and scientific inquiry skills
• Investigating the effects of academic advising and mentoring on student retention and degree completion in higher education
• The role of student engagement and involvement in co-curricular activities on holistic student development in higher education
• The impact of multicultural education on fostering cultural competence and diversity appreciation in higher education
• The role of internships and work-integrated learning experiences in enhancing students’ employability and career outcomes
• Examining the effects of assessment and feedback practices on student learning and academic achievement in tertiary education
• The influence of faculty professional development on instructional practices and student outcomes in tertiary education
• The influence of faculty-student relationships on student success and well-being in tertiary education
• The impact of college transition programs on students’ academic and social adjustment to higher education
• The impact of online learning platforms on student learning outcomes in higher education
• The impact of financial aid and scholarships on access and persistence in higher education
• The influence of student leadership and involvement in extracurricular activities on personal development and campus engagement
• Exploring the benefits of competency-based education in developing job-specific skills in tertiary students
• Examining the effects of flipped classroom models on student learning and retention in higher education
• Exploring the benefits of online collaboration and virtual team projects in developing teamwork skills in tertiary students
• Investigating the effects of diversity and inclusion initiatives on campus climate and student experiences in tertiary education
• The influence of study abroad programs on intercultural competence and global perspectives of college students
• Investigating the effects of peer mentoring and tutoring programs on student retention and academic performance in tertiary education
• Investigating the effectiveness of active learning strategies in promoting student engagement and achievement in tertiary education
• Investigating the effects of blended learning models and hybrid courses on student learning and satisfaction in higher education
• The role of digital literacy and information literacy skills in supporting student success in the digital age
• Investigating the effects of experiential learning opportunities on career readiness and employability of college students
• The impact of e-portfolios on student reflection, self-assessment, and showcasing of learning in higher education
• The role of technology in enhancing collaborative learning experiences in tertiary classrooms
• The impact of research opportunities on undergraduate student engagement and pursuit of advanced degrees
• Examining the effects of competency-based assessment on measuring student learning and achievement in tertiary education
• Examining the effects of interdisciplinary programs and courses on critical thinking and problem-solving skills in college students
• The role of inclusive education and accessibility in promoting equitable learning experiences for diverse student populations
• The role of career counseling and guidance in supporting students’ career decision-making in tertiary education
• The influence of faculty diversity and representation on student success and inclusive learning environments in higher education

Education-Related Dissertations & Theses

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a research topic in education, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses in the education space to see how this all comes together in practice.

Below, we’ve included a selection of education-related research projects to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• From Rural to Urban: Education Conditions of Migrant Children in China (Wang, 2019)
• Energy Renovation While Learning English: A Guidebook for Elementary ESL Teachers (Yang, 2019)
• A Reanalyses of Intercorrelational Matrices of Visual and Verbal Learners’ Abilities, Cognitive Styles, and Learning Preferences (Fox, 2020)
• A study of the elementary math program utilized by a mid-Missouri school district (Barabas, 2020)
• Instructor formative assessment practices in virtual learning environments : a posthumanist sociomaterial perspective (Burcks, 2019)
• Higher education students services: a qualitative study of two mid-size universities’ direct exchange programs (Kinde, 2020)
• Exploring editorial leadership : a qualitative study of scholastic journalism advisers teaching leadership in Missouri secondary schools (Lewis, 2020)
• Selling the virtual university: a multimodal discourse analysis of marketing for online learning (Ludwig, 2020)
• Advocacy and accountability in school counselling: assessing the use of data as related to professional self-efficacy (Matthews, 2020)
• The use of an application screening assessment as a predictor of teaching retention at a midwestern, K-12, public school district (Scarbrough, 2020)
• Core values driving sustained elite performance cultures (Beiner, 2020)
• Educative features of upper elementary Eureka math curriculum (Dwiggins, 2020)
• How female principals nurture adult learning opportunities in successful high schools with challenging student demographics (Woodward, 2020)
• The disproportionality of Black Males in Special Education: A Case Study Analysis of Educator Perceptions in a Southeastern Urban High School (McCrae, 2021)

As you can see, these research topics are a lot more focused than the generic topic ideas we presented earlier. So, in order for you to develop a high-quality research topic, you’ll need to get specific and laser-focused on a specific context with specific variables of interest.  In the video below, we explore some other important things you’ll need to consider when crafting your research topic.

Get 1-On-1 Help

If you’re still unsure about how to find a quality research topic within education, check out our Research Topic Kickstarter service, which is the perfect starting point for developing a unique, well-justified research topic.

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55 Comments

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Special education

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Research title related to school of students

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Write on action research topic, using guidance and counseling to address unwanted teenage pregnancy in school

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Thank you for the information.. I would like to request a topic based on school major in social studies

parental involvement and students academic performance

Science education topics?

How about School management and supervision pls.?

Hi i am an Deputy Principal in a primary school. My wish is to srudy foe Master’s degree in Education.Please advice me on which topic can be relevant for me. Thanks.

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Kindly help me with the research questions on the topic” Effects of workplace conflict on the employees’ job performance”. The effects can be applicable in every institution,enterprise or organisation.

Greetings, I am a student majoring in Sociology and minoring in Public Administration. I’m considering any recommended research topic in the field of Sociology.

I’m a student pursuing Mphil in Basic education and I’m considering any recommended research proposal topic in my field of study

Kindly help me with a research topic in educational psychology. Ph.D level. Thank you.

Project-based learning is a teaching/learning type,if well applied in a classroom setting will yield serious positive impact. What can a teacher do to implement this in a disadvantaged zone like “North West Region of Cameroon ( hinterland) where war has brought about prolonged and untold sufferings on the indegins?

I wish to get help on topics of research on educational administration

I wish to get help on topics of research on educational administration PhD level

I am also looking for such type of title

I am a student of undergraduate, doing research on how to use guidance and counseling to address unwanted teenage pregnancy in school

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Can i request your suggestion topic for my Thesis about Teachers as an OFW. thanx you

Would like to request for suggestions on a topic in Economics of education,PhD level

Would like to request for suggestions on a topic in Economics of education

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l would like to request suggestions on a topic in managing teaching and learning, PhD level (educational leadership and management)

request suggestions on a topic in managing teaching and learning, PhD level (educational leadership and management)

I would to inquire on research topics on Educational psychology, Masters degree

I am PhD student, I am searching my Research topic, It should be innovative,my area of interest is online education,use of technology in education

request suggestion on topic in masters in medical education .

Look at British Library as they keep a copy of all PhDs in the UK Core.ac.uk to access Open University and 6 other university e-archives, pdf downloads mostly available, all free.

May I also ask for a topic based on mathematics education for college teaching, please?

Please I am a masters student of the department of Teacher Education, Faculty of Education Please I am in need of proposed project topics to help with my final year thesis

Am a PhD student in Educational Foundations would like a sociological topic. Thank

please i need a proposed thesis project regardging computer science

Greetings and Regards I am a doctoral student in the field of philosophy of education. I am looking for a new topic for my thesis. Because of my work in the elementary school, I am looking for a topic that is from the field of elementary education and is related to the philosophy of education.

Masters student in the field of curriculum, any ideas of a research topic on low achiever students

In the field of curriculum any ideas of a research topic on deconalization in contextualization of digital teaching and learning through in higher education

Amazing guidelines

I am a graduate with two masters. 1) Master of arts in religious studies and 2) Master in education in foundations of education. I intend to do a Ph.D. on my second master’s, however, I need to bring both masters together through my Ph.D. research. can I do something like, ” The contribution of Philosophy of education for a quality religion education in Kenya”? kindly, assist and be free to suggest a similar topic that will bring together the two masters. thanks in advance

Hi, I am an Early childhood trainer as well as a researcher, I need more support on this topic: The impact of early childhood education on later academic success.

I’m a student in upper level secondary school and I need your support in this research topics: “Impact of incorporating project -based learning in teaching English language skills in secondary schools”.

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Research Grants on Education: Small

Application deadlines:.

Applications Open February 23, 2024

Full Proposal Deadline April 30, 2024 (12:00 noon Central Time)

Program contact: Cynthia Soto [email protected]

The Small Research Grants on Education Program supports education research projects that will contribute to the improvement of education, broadly conceived, with budgets up to $50,000 for projects ranging from one to five years. We accept applications three times per year.

This program is “field-initiated” in that proposal submissions are not in response to a specific request for a particular research topic, discipline, design, method, or location. Our goal for this program is to support rigorous, intellectually ambitious and technically sound research that is relevant to the most pressing questions and compelling opportunities in education.

Program Statement

The Small Research Grants on Education Program supports education research projects that will contribute to the improvement of education, broadly conceived, with budgets up to $50,000 for projects ranging from one to five years. Eligible investigators may also request additional supplemental funds for a course release. We accept applications three times per year. This program is “field-initiated” in that proposal submissions are not in response to a specific request for a particular research topic, discipline, design, or method. Our goal for this program is to support rigorous, intellectually ambitious and technically sound research that is relevant to the most pressing questions and compelling opportunities in education. We seek to support scholarship that develops new foundational knowledge that may have a lasting impact on educational discourse. 

We recognize that learning occurs across the life course as well as across settings—from the classroom to the workplace, to family and community contexts and even onto the playing field—any of which may, in the right circumstance, provide the basis for rewarding study that makes significant contributions to the field. We value work that fosters creative and open-minded scholarship, engages in deep inquiry, and examines robust questions related to education. To this end, this program supports proposals from multiple disciplinary and methodological perspectives, both domestically and internationally, from scholars at various stages in their career. We anticipate that proposals will span a wide range of topics and disciplines that innovatively investigate questions central to education, including for example education, anthropology, philosophy, psychology, sociology, law, economics, history, or neuroscience, amongst others.

Moreover, we expect and welcome methodological diversity in answering pressing questions; thus, we are open to projects that utilize a wide array of research methods including quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, ethnographies, computational modeling, design-based research, participatory methods, and historical research, to name a few. We are open to projects that might incorporate data from multiple and varied sources, span a sufficient length of time as to achieve a depth of understanding, or work closely with practitioners or community members over the life of the project.

April 2024 deadline

Eligibility and restrictions.

Eligibility

Proposals to the Small Research Grants on Education program must be for research projects that aim to study education. Proposals for activities other than research are not eligible (e.g., program evaluations, professional development, curriculum development, scholarships, capital projects, software development). Additionally, proposals for research studies focused on areas other than education are not eligible.

Principal Investigators (PIs) and Co-PIs applying for a Small Research Grant on Education must have an earned doctorate in an academic discipline or professional field, or appropriate experience in an education research-related profession. While graduate students may be part of the research team, they may not be named the PI or Co-PI on the proposal.

The PI must be affiliated with a non-profit organization or public/governmental institution that is willing to serve as the administering organization if the grant is awarded. The Spencer Foundation does not award grants directly to individuals. Examples include non-profit or public colleges, universities, school districts, and research facilities, as well as other non-profit organizations with a 501(c)(3) determination from the IRS (or equivalent non-profit status if the organization is outside of the United States).

Proposals are accepted from the U.S. and internationally, however, all proposals must be submitted in English and budgets must be proposed in U.S. Dollars.

Restrictions

Proposed budgets for this program are limited to $50,000 total and may not include indirect cost charges per Spencer’s policy . Eligible investigators may also request additional supplemental funds for a course release. See the Optional Supplemental Course Release section for details.

Projects proposed may not be longer than 5 years in duration.

PIs and Co-PIs may only hold one active research grant from the Spencer Foundation at a time. (This restriction does not apply to the administering organization; organizations may submit as many proposals as they like as long as they are for different projects and have different research teams.)

PIs and Co-PIs may not submit more than one research proposal to the Spencer Foundation at a time. This restriction applies to the Small Grants Program, Large Grants Program, Racial Equity Research Grants Program, and Research-Practice Partnership Program. If the PI or any of the Co-PIs currently have a research proposal under consideration in any of these programs, they are required to wait until a final decision has been made on the pending proposal before they can submit a new proposal.

How to Apply

The application process begins with a full proposal; there is no requirement to submit an intent to apply form. Full proposals for a Small Research Grant on Education are due by 12:00pm Noon central time on the deadline date.

Full Proposal Guidelines

Small Grant proposals must be submitted through an online application form following the guidelines below.

Step 1 – Registration

Note: This application is configured for the Principal Investigator (PI) on the project to register and submit the form. If someone other than the PI will be completing the online application (e.g., an administrative assistant), the PI should register as described in Step 1 below, then provide their username and password to the person assisting them with the application.

If you (the PI) have never accessed the Spencer Foundation online portal, you must register and create a profile by going to https://spencer.smartsimple.us and clicking the “Register Here” button. Follow the guidelines on the registration page to create your profile.

If you already have an account, log on to update your profile and access the application.

Step 2 - My Profile

After logging in, follow the directions to complete the information requested on the My Profile page and upload your current CV (10-page limit). The My Profile page is your online account with the Spencer Foundation whether you are applying for a grant, reviewing a proposal, or submitting a grantee report.

Note: If you will have Co-PIs on your project, they must also register and complete their profile information if they wish to be included on the application.

Step 3 – Start a Proposal

To fill out the application, go to your Workbench and click the Apply button for the Small Research Grants on Education. Your draft application can be saved so that you can return to it at a later time and continue working on it. Once you save a draft application, you can find it again on your Draft Proposals list on your Workbench.

Small Grant Proposal Elements

Within the online application, there are detailed guidelines for each section. Below is an overview of the elements you’ll be expected to complete.

Project Personnel - As the person creating the draft application, you will automatically be assigned to the proposal as the Principal Investigator. If there are Co-PIs on the proposal, they can be added to the application in this section.  They must first follow Steps 1 and 2 above before being added to the application.

In this section you are also asked to confirm that neither the PI nor the Co-PIs currently have another research proposal under review at Spencer (see Restrictions).

Proposal Summary – Information about the project is requested, such as the project title, start and end dates, the central research question(s), and a 200-word project summary.

Budget and Budget Justification - The budget form is divided into the following categories and each category has a pulldown menu of the line-item choices listed in parentheses below:

• Salaries (PI, Co-PI, Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Graduate Student, Researcher, Undergraduate Researcher, Other Research Staff, Other Staff, Supplemental PI Course Release, Supplemental Co-PI Course Release)
• Benefits (PI Benefits, Co-PI Benefits, Researcher Benefits, Other Staff Benefits, Tuition/Fees, Supplemental Course Release Benefits)
• Other Collaborator (Independent Consultant, Advisor)
• Travel (Project Travel, Conference or Dissemination Travel)
• Equipment and Software (Equipment, Software)
• Project Expenses (Supplies, Participant Stipends/Costs, Communication, Transcription)
• Other (This should only be used for expenses not covered in the choices above)
• Subcontracts (Information is pulled from the subcontract budget forms – see below)

Each expense for your project should be added and the budget narrative field should be completed, providing a description of that specific expense.  Detailed guidelines are available within the application form.

Subcontracts: If your project will have subcontracts, a separate subcontract budget form will need to be completed for each. The subcontract form has the same categories and line-item choices listed above.

Proposal Narrative - You are expected to upload a proposal narrative pdf that includes the following:

A description of the project, the central research question(s), and the project’s significance.

A rationale for the project. This includes (a) summary of the relevant literature, the relationship of the proposed research to that literature, and the new knowledge or contribution to the improvement of education expected to result from the proposed research; and (b) a summary of the conceptual framework or theory guiding the project and how the project utilizes or builds on this framework of theory.

A description of the proposed research methods, description of participants, data collection instruments, and modes of analysis the project will employ. If applicable to the proposed methods, please include (a) information about the proposed sample/case definition and selection procedures; (b) research design, including when appropriate a description of the context of the study; (c) description of key constructs, measures and data sources; (d) procedures for data collection; and (e) procedures for data analysis.

This narrative may not exceed 1800 words and at the conclusion should include the word count in parentheses. Your reference list should follow your narrative in the same pdf file and will not count toward the 1800-word limit.

The text should be double–spaced and in 12-point font. APA style is preferred.

Note: Tables and other figures can be included in the text of your proposal, where appropriate, provided they are used sparingly. The text contained in any tables and figures will not count towards the word limit. However, it is important that you describe or explain any tables or figures in the narrative portion of your proposal, which will contribute to your word count. Do not assume that tables and other figures are self-explanatory.

Project Timeline - A project timeline should be uploaded as a PDF file and should indicate the proposed start and end dates of the project as well as key project events and milestones. The major activities listed in the project timeline should be reflected in the proposal narrative. The project timeline may not exceed 1 page and the text should be in 12-point font. The proposed project duration can be up to 5 years.

Project Team – A document describing the project team should be uploaded in pdf format and should identify the roles, responsibility and knowledge base of the PI, Co-PI(s), and any supporting researcher(s). In the case where your project includes Co-PIs and other supporting researchers, this document should articulate how the team will work together to complete the research project, highlighting what each team member will contribute to the project. Further, a short description of the relationship between the project team and the research site may be included, if appropriate. This document should not exceed 250 words and should be double–spaced in 12-point font. Note: this document will be reviewed along with the CV of the PI and any Co-PIs included on the application.

Optional Supplemental Course Release – The Spencer Foundation recognizes that scholars' course loads vary significantly across the field creating differential contexts and capacities for research projects. To help mitigate these uneven demands on time, the PI or Co-PI may request supplemental course release funds of up to $10,000 over and above the $50,000 Small Grant budget limit, for a total of up to $60,000.

To be eligible, the scholar (PI or Co-PI) must have a course load of 6 or above per academic year. The supplemental funds cannot be used for anything besides a course release for the scholar and should be the standard rate for a course release at their institution. You may only request 1 additional course release per grant. Two things of note: 1) requesting the Supplemental Course Release funds does not guarantee they will be awarded, and 2) if you have a course load that is less than 6, you may still include a course release in your proposal budget, but your budget may not exceed the $50,000 Small Grants limit and you are not required to supply the documents requested below.

To apply for these the Optional Supplemental Course Release Funds, there are 3 additional application pieces needed:

• The amount requested and a brief budget narrative for the Supplemental Course Release should be included in the Proposal Budget section (detailed above). It should be clearly indicated in the Salary section of the budget form by choosing the appropriate Supplemental Course Release line item from the drop-down menu, as well as in the Benefits section as needed.
• A 250-word Course Release Rationale Statement describing how the additional course release will impact the proposed project should be uploaded as a PDF file.
• A Supporting Letter from the scholar's Dean or Chair should be uploaded below as a PDF file. The supporting letter must include the following: (a) confirmation that the scholar's course load is 6 courses or more per academic year, (b) confirmation that the scholar will be released from teaching a course, if awarded the supplemental funds, and (c) confirmation the budgeted amount for the course release is appropriate for their institution.

Optional Appendices A – If you have additional documents focused on scientific instrumentation relevant to the study, for example interview protocols or survey instruments, they can be uploaded in this section of the application as supplemental information.

Optional Appendices B – If you have other supporting documents, such as letters of agreement or collaboration, they can be uploaded in this section of the application. Please see the guidelines in the online application for more information about these types of appendices.

Optional Appendices C - Innovative Approaches to Equity in Research: We recognize that scholars and scholarship have continued to develop innovative approaches to conducting research in ethical and just ways. Scholars have raised that proposals attending to these issues in sophisticated ways often face choices in providing detail in their proposals. Thus, if you so choose , you are invited to upload a one-page appendix in your grant proposal to elaborate on the theoretical, methodological, and partnership structures, or other dimensions you deem as relevant to conducting ethical and just research. For example, if your work engages youth, families, or community-based organizations, you may want to elaborate on how traditional power dynamics will be addressed. Or, if your work engages with Indigenous communities, you may want to elaborate on the project leadership’s histories and engagement with Indigenous communities, any formal agreements (e.g. Tribal IRB or approvals), or the use of Indigenous methodologies in the project. Or, perhaps you are working on new quantitative measures or modeling approaches that would benefit from further explanation. We anticipate and welcome a wide range of other possibilities.

A note about IRB Approval: Proof of Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval is not required at the time of proposal submission.  In the event that IRB approval is needed for this project and it is chosen for funding, the Administering Organization will be responsible for obtaining IRB review and approval in accordance with its institutional policies and applicable law.

Resubmission – If this is a resubmission of a proposal previously submitted to the Spencer Foundation, you are asked to indicate this within the application and upload a 1-page explanation of how the proposal was revised.

Project Data – Within the online application, we ask you to choose the appropriate options with regard to your research project in the following categories: disciplinary perspective, methodologies, topics, geographical scope, contexts, and participants. This information is helpful in determining the appropriate reviewers for your proposal and for internal evaluations of our grant programs.

Signature from Authorized Representative of the Administering Organization – This section of the application details the steps necessary to obtain the authorized signature for your proposal through the Adobe E-sign process.  You are required to provide the Signatory’s name, title, and email address; this is normally an administrative or financial person that has the authority to sign the proposal on behalf of your organization. Note: The signature process must be completed by noon on the deadline date. You, as the applicant, are responsible for making sure your proposal is signed by the deadline.  Please account for the time it takes your organization’s authorized signer to review and sign proposal submissions.  We recommend filling in the online application at least a week ahead of the deadline date. The Spencer Foundation is unable to accept late submissions.

Once you’ve completed all of the elements listed above, click the Submit button at the bottom of the application page and it will be routed to your Signatory for signature and final submission.

Review Process

The Small Research Grants on Education program uses a peer review process for all eligible submissions.  Each proposal will be reviewed by both external panel reviewers and internal staff. The review process for this program takes approximately 6-7 months from the deadline date.

The review panel for this program is made up of scholars in the field of education research with expertise across many disciplines and methodological areas.  Panelist are asked to rate and comment on the following aspects of your proposal:

Significance of the Project: Reviewers will evaluate the centrality of education in the research, the importance of the topic to its field, and the quality of the research question(s) and/or direction of inquiry.

Connection to Research and Theory: Reviewers will evaluate the adequacy of the description of how other researchers have treated the same topic and how well the proposal responds to prior work and theory.

Research Design: Reviewers will evaluate the overall quality, sophistication, and appropriateness of the research design as well as its alignment with the research question(s) and/or conceptual framing.

Budget and Timeline: Reviewers will evaluate the adequacy of the budget and timeline.

Project Team: Reviewers will comment on the potential of the investigator(s) to complete the study as described and share the results or other findings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q : Does this program support research in settings other than K-12 and higher education institutions?

A : Yes, Spencer funds research projects that span the life course (i.e., from early childhood to adult learning) as well as those that focus on contexts outside of school.

Q : Do you have a preference for certain research methodologies?

A : No, we are open to whatever methods make sense for answering the questions at hand. Historically, Spencer has supported research across a range of methods and academic disciplines, and we expect this to continue in this program.

Q : Do you have a preference for research teams vs. individual researchers?

A : No, we do not have a preference. The important thing is to plan the staffing around the aims of the project.

Q : Can a graduate student serve as a Co-PI on a proposal submission?

A : No, the PI and any Co-PIs named on the proposal are expected to have earned doctorate degrees prior to proposal submission.  While graduate students may be included in the budget as research assistants, this program is not meant to support student research projects.

Q : Do you accept proposals from outside the United States?

A : Yes, we accept proposals from outside the U.S. Application materials must be submitted in English and project budgets must be in U.S. dollars.

Q : Do you have a preference for regional, national, or international projects?

A : No, we do not have a preference.

Q : What is the expected duration of projects in this program?

A : We leave the duration of the project up to the PI/research team to determine, but limit it to no more than 5 years.

Q: Can my organization submit more than one proposal at a time?

A: Yes, as long as the proposals are for different projects and the research teams are different, it is fine for an organization to submit multiple applications at one time.

Q : If I (the PI or Co-PI) have a current grant through Spencer, can I apply for a new grant?

A : You may not hold more than one active research grant at a time from the Spencer Foundation. You may apply for a new grant while you have an active grant at Spencer if the active grant will end before the anticipated start date of the new project.

Q : If I am turned down, is it possible to revise my proposal and reapply in a later cycle?

A : Yes, Spencer welcomes proposal resubmissions. However, many factors go into the final decision on each proposal, including our limited budget. Even if you receive feedback on your proposal and are able to address all of the reviewer concerns in the submission, we can offer no guarantees as to the likelihood of funding due to the fact that we currently fund less than 10% of the submissions we receive. Please note, resubmissions are considered among all of the other newly submitted proposals and are not given special status or consideration in the review process.

Q : I have an idea for a project and would like feedback. Is it possible to contact someone?

A : If you have reviewed our program statement and application guidelines and still have questions about whether your idea for a research project falls within this program, feel free to email us at [email protected] for guidance. While we are not able to provide feedback on proposal drafts, we are happy to answer questions by email. Additionally, if helpful please consult the Spencer writing guides .

Q: How do I determine my start date and when should I expect payment if my proposal is selected for funding?

A: We recommend proposing a start date that is at least 8 months after the proposal deadline. The review process for this program takes approximately 6-7 months and once notified of the funding decision, it can take an additional 2 months for the official approval process, which entails reviewing the budget, processing award letters, and issuing the grant payment. NOTE: Grant payments are issued on the third week of each month. If Spencer has not received your signed award letters by your start date, your payment will not be issued.

Q: Are budgets expected to include in-kind giving or cost sharing? If not expected, is it allowed?

A: In-kind giving or cost sharing is not expected or required as part of your proposal budget. However, if you plan to include in-kind giving or cost sharing as part of your project budget, you should indicate this in the online budget form in the narrative section. If your proposal is chosen for funding, the grant award may be contingent upon receiving documentation confirming the additional support.

Recent Awardees

The Effects of Special Education on Crime Briana Ballis, Katelyn Heath University of California, Merced

Picturing Resilience: The Visual Narratives of Safety and Joy among Black Collegians Ashley Carpenter Appalachian State University

Precarity and Education: Examining the Experiences of Central American Unaccompanied Youth in California Public Schools Stephany Cuevas, Martha C. Franco Chapman University

Living in Tension: How Faculty and Staff at Evangelical Christian Colleges and Universities Support LGBTQ+ Students Kaitlin Gabriele-Black Salve Regina University

A Critical Race Content Analysis of Diversity in Children’s Books, from 2020-2021 Lorena Camargo Gonzalez Sacramento State Sponsored Research

Resource Inequality Across U.S. Colleges and Universities: New Evidence from Old Data Christopher M. Herrington Virginia Commonwealth University

Focusing on Multiplicative Foundations to Enhance Access to Calculus Andrew Izsak Tufts University

Echoes of Racialization in Danish High Schools:  Teachers’ Creative Negotiations of Policy in Work with Muslim Youth Reva G. Jaffe-Walter, Iram Majeed Khawaja Montclair State University

Understanding the Lives and Teaching of Migrant Teachers with Undocumented Backgrounds through the Lens of Community Cultural Wealth Yeji Kim University of Missouri – Columbia

Reimagining Spaces of Learning and Border Crossing through Narratives and Inquiries on Migration Wan Shun Eva Lam Northwestern University

Interrogating the Alignment of Current Statistical Methods with the Theory of Systemic Racism Michael K. Russell Boston College  

A Mixed Methods Examination of the Impacts of Climate Change Education on Students Sarah Schwartz, McKenna F. Parnes Suffolk University

Affordances of Makerspaces Influencing Biomedical Undergraduate Engineering Students' Design Learning and Curriculum Localization in Uganda and the USA Robert Ssekitoleko, Ann Saterbak Makerere University

The Influence of Anti-Critical Race Theory Legislation on Teacher Candidate’s Job Search Danielle Sutherland Towson University

Youth Writing for Peace in Colombia: A Collaborative Analysis of Teachers’ and Students’ Perspectives Kate Vieira University of Wisconsin-Madison  

Find Out More About Us

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Improving Equity in U.S. Higher Education: A Call for Equity-enhancing Opportunity Structures

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Race-conscious Preparation and Support Approaches for Asian, Black, Latinx, and Native K-12 Leaders

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Research Briefs

The following research briefs summarize the findings of peer-reviewed studies examining the impact of project-based learning across subjects and grades. The briefs provide context for the research and can help policymakers, educators, system leaders, and families deepen their understanding of what the evidence reveals about the effectiveness of rigorous project-based learning.

Rigorous Project-Based Learning is a Powerful Lever for Improving Equity

Lucas Education Research. (2021). Rigorous Project-Based Learning is a Powerful Lever for Improving Equity. Lucas Education Research.

Persistent disparities in opportunities to learn between students from different socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds serve as stark reminders that our schools, which reflect what is happening in society, are not meeting the needs of all youth equally well. Furthermore, inequitable approaches to funding and resource allocation in education have led to opportunity gaps related to career and college pathways, curricular offerings, and access to rigorous and engaging student-centered approaches like project-based learning (PBL).

The Evidence is Clear: Rigorous Project-Based Learning is an Effective Lever for Student Success

Lucas Education Research. (2021). The Evidence is Clear: Rigorous Project-Based Learning is an Effective Lever for Student Success . Lucas Education Research.

Four newly released peer-reviewed research studies show that using rigorous project-based learning in U.S. public schools has strong and positive effects on student outcomes across grades and subjects. Project-based learning (PBL) is an inquiry-based approach in which students explore real-world problems through individual and group projects. With PBL, students make sense of why content is useful and how it might be applied. Academics from universities around the country in partnership with K-12 teachers conducted the studies with funding from Lucas Education Research, a division of the George Lucas Educational Foundation.

Project-Based Learning Boosts Student Achievement in AP Courses

Saavedra, A.R., Liu Y., Haderlein, S.K., Rapaport, A., Garland, M., Hoepfner, D., Morgan, K.L., Hu, A., & Lucas Education Research. (2021). Project-Based Learning Boosts Student Achievement in AP Courses . Lucas Education Research.

This brief examines the findings of a study conducted by researchers at the University of Southern California examining a project-based approach to Advanced Placement courses. The randomized study found the proportion of students earning a credit-qualifying score on the AP test was 8 percentage points higher in the project-based version of the course, as compared to traditional instruction, after teachers had been teaching with the Knowledge in Action (KIA) program for a year. The gain was estimated to be 10-percentage points higher after teachers used the curriculum and related supports for two years.

The researchers examined the impact of project-based learning on AP U.S. Government and AP Environmental Science courses in five predominantly urban districts around the country. A higher proportion of the students were from low-income households than is typical of the AP test-taking community. That’s notable, as policymakers and educators are trying to get more unrepresented students enrolled in and passing AP courses.

Project-Based Learning Leads to Gains in Science and Other Subjects in Middle School and Benefits All Learners

Deutscher, R.R., Holthuis, N.C., Maldonado, S.I., Pecheone, R.L., Schultz, S.E., Wei, R.C., & Lucas Education Research. (2021). Project-Based Learning Leads to Gains in Science and Other Subjects in Middle School and Benefits All Learners . Lucas Education Research.

This research brief highlights the findings of a study looking at the impact of a project-based approach to science instruction in middle school. Stanford University experts and middle school teachers developed the project-based program, Learning Through Performance (LTP). Researchers found that the approach boosted student achievement in science by 11 percentage points and increased student engagement. The students using the LTP curriculum also outperformed their peers on state assessments in mathematics (from 12-18 percentage points in years one and two, respectively) and English language arts (from 8-10 percentage points in years one and two, respectively), indicating they grew in those subject areas as well. And English language learners outperformed their peers on a test used to measure language proficiency, by 8 percentage points in the first year and 28 percentage points for students whose teachers who were in their second year of teaching the LTP curriculum. 

Teaching practices shifted too. The study found LTP teachers improved at facilitating groupwork, increased their use of activities that involved real-world, hands-on application of science, increased their use of language-rich assignments and discussion strategies, and grew in their use of performance assessments.

Project-Based Learning Increases Science Achievement in Elementary Schools and Improves Social and Emotional Learning

Krajcik, J., Schneider, B., Miller, E., Chen, I.C., Bradford, L., Bartz, K., Baker, Q., Palincsar, A., Peek-Brown, D., Codere, S., & Lucas Education Research. (2021). Project-Based Learning Increases Science Achievement in Elementary Schools and Improves Social and Emotional Learning . Lucas Education Research.

This is a review of the findings of a study investigating the impact of a project-based elementary science curriculum on academic achievement and aspects of social and emotional learning. The study by Michigan State and University of Michigan researchers found that use of the project-based learning (PBL) program, Multiple Literacies in Project-based Learning (ML-PBL), led to gains among third-grade students in science achievement.

Students in ML-PBL classrooms outperformed their peers in non-PBL classrooms by 8 percentage points on a summative science assessment. They also grew in areas of self-reflection and collaboration. The results held for all subgroups of students. So, for example, struggling readers in the ML-PBL classrooms outperformed struggling readers using more traditional approaches. ML-PBL includes high-quality professional development, which is necessary for teachers to switch from more traditional forms of instruction to rigorous PBL.

The Impact of Project-Based Learning on Social Studies and Literacy Learning in Low-Income Schools

Duke, N.K., Halvorsen, A-L., Strachan, S.L., Kim, J., & Konstantopoulos, S. (June 2020). Putting PjBL to the Test: The Impact of Project-Based Learning on Second Graders’ Social Studies and Literacy Learning and Motivation in Low-SES School Settings. American Educational Research Journal. doi.org/10.3102/0002831220929638

This brief describes the findings of a study into the effects of a project-based learning (PBL) social studies curriculum, Project PLACE, on social studies and literacy achievement among second graders in low-income communities. The study by University of Michigan and Michigan State researchers found the PBL curriculum led to gains in social studies and informational reading. Students using the curriculum experienced a 63-percent gain in social studies learning, translating to five to six months of increased learning. The approach resulted in a 23-percent gain in informational reading, or an additional two months of learning for the year.

Project PLACE calls for a combination of teacher-led and student-led activities all driven by authentic purpose. An important contribution of the study is that it makes the case for the benefits of PBL in high-poverty schools. Research has shown students in low-income schools have fewer opportunities than more privileged students to engage in inquiry-based, student-directed activities.

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Success with your Education Research Project

• John Sharp - University of Lincoln
• Description
• All examples contextualized for education students
• Practical approach with user-friendly features to aid understanding
• Demystifies tackling a research project
• Key information on using the net, plagiarism, literature searches and critical thinking

See what’s new to this edition by selecting the Features tab on this page. Should you need additional information or have questions regarding the HEOA information provided for this title, including what is new to this edition, please email [email protected] . Please include your name, contact information, and the name of the title for which you would like more information. For information on the HEOA, please go to http://ed.gov/policy/highered/leg/hea08/index.html .

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A very good book for students wishing to know more about begining a research project. The layout is very favourable, allowing students time to reflect on their own practice and activities to increase understanding. Each chapter is introduced with aims, and what the student will understand once the chapter has been read/worked through.

Another very practical approach for undergraduate students in preparing for their educational research paper. It clearly outlines some very helpful 'worked examples'. It also explains how to analyse qualitative and quantitative data. It takes you through the process from forming a literature review to a conclusion.

I will be recommending this book to current & future cohorts.

Clearly presented with supportive reflective tasks thoroughout. Very useful for students embarking on their first educational research project.

Very useful for first time undergraduate researchers.

A really great research text that explains ideas clearly. Covers ideas in depth.

Sharp's book is current (2012) and informative, and is particularly useful in exploring the benefits and disadvantages of various research and data collection methodologies (such as observations, questionnaires, and interviews). This will help practitioners explore which methodologies (or combination of methodologies) are most suited to their individual education research projects.

I also found that Chapter 9 covered qualitative and quantitative data analysis in great detail, which particularly helped me critically evaluate my results and recognise flaws in my approach.

This is a really easy to follow book that explains all of the main issues involved in creating a basic research project

Really useful, clearly written, recommended to library and students re 3 compulsory modules for all students

This is an extremely accessible book for Early Years undergraduate students. It gives them a first dip into the concepts they will need to develop at greater depth later in the course, but is invaluable at the introduction stage. It gives excellent advice at all the different stages of writing the Undergraduale Major Project.

Helpful for assignments.

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This title is also available on SAGE Knowledge , the ultimate social sciences online library. If your library doesn’t have access, ask your librarian to start a trial .

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Alliance for Higher Education and Democracy (Penn AHEAD)

The Alliance for Higher Education and Democracy (Penn AHEAD) is dedicated to fostering open, equitable, and democratic societies through higher education.

A center for global education innovation, Catalyst @ Penn GSE connects people and ideas to develop new ways to advance education in novel and meaningful directions.

Catalyst Community Conversations

Center for Professional Learning

Penn GSE’s Center for Professional Learning offers Virtual Institutes, Certificate Programs, and a variety of webinars and workshops for teachers, school leaders, and community organizations.

Center for School Study Councils

The Center for School Study Councils (CSSC) serves as a catalyst for public school superintendents to be proactive leaders and facilitates their professional learning and application of that learning.

Center on Standards, Alignment, Instruction, and Learning

The Center on Standards, Alignment, Instruction, and Learning (C-SAIL) examines how college- and career-ready standards are implemented, if they improve student learning, and what instructional tools measure and support their implementation.

Coalition for Educational Equity

The Coalition for Educational Equity provides innovative resources, research-based training, and technical assistance and consultation to school district leaders throughout the Mid-Atlantic region in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.

Collaboratory for Teacher Education

The Collaboratory for Teacher Education at Penn GSE is a laboratory for the design, implementation, and study of experimental approaches to teacher education.

Community Based Math Project

The Community Based Mathematics Project brings together Philadelphia teachers and Penn GSE faculty and students to develop locally relevant and social justice oriented mathematics curriculum.

Consortium For Policy Research In Education

The Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) is a joint effort of seven graduate schools of education. Its research focuses on school reform, governance, policy, and finance.

Core Practice Consortium

The Core Practice Consortium brings together teacher educators from across institutions, disciplines, and theoretical perspectives to grapple with questions about how better to prepare novice teachers. 

Core Practices for Project-Based Learning

The PennPBL program focuses on the important work of cultivating teachers’ capacity to enact the core practices of project-based teaching.

CPRE Mathematics Formative Assessment Project

The Ongoing Assessment Project (OGAP) is a large-scale field trial of a mathematics formative assessment program conducted by CPRE and funded by the National Science Foundation.

Digital Discourse Project

A research group to learn everything we can about having high-quality digital discussions about literature in English Language Arts (ELA) classrooms.

Digital Seeds/Semillas Digitales

Semillas Digitales (Digital Seeds in English) is a research-based initiative that collaborates with local stakeholders to improve education in coffee-producing communities in Nicaragua through holistic teacher support and technology integration.

Ethnography in Education Research Forum

Convened by the Center for Urban Ethnography at Penn GSE since 1980, the Ethnography in Education Research Forum is the largest annual meeting of qualitative researchers in education.

Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education

The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education celebrates innovation in education by recognizing outstanding individuals who have dedicated themselves to improving education and whose accomplishments are making a difference today.

HEARD: The Hub for Equity, Anti-Oppression, Research, and Development

HEARD: The Hub for Equity, Anti-Oppression, Research, and Development at GSE draws together members of our community committed to equity and anti-oppression scholarship and to provide opportunities for continuing learning.

Institute for Research on Higher Education

The Institute for Research on Higher Education (IRHE) is a university-wide research institute that conducts research relevant to policymakers and educational practitioners.

Knowledge Building Innovation Network

The Knowledge Building Innovation Network (KBIN) connects members of knowledge building’s global community to continuously innovate on infrastructures for learning and knowledge building.

Literacy.org: National Center for Adult Literacy/International Literacy Institute

The National Center for Adult Literacy (NCAL) focuses on research, innovation, and training in adult education and technology. The International Literacy Institute (ILI), established by UNESCO and Penn in 1994, provides leadership in research, development, and training in the broad field of international literacy and...

McGraw Center for Educational Leadership

Creating a new model of leadership development that builds bridges across sectors and equips leaders to develop visionary approaches to complex challenges in education.

Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition

The EBPC is considered the most prestigious and well-funded education business plan competition, celebrating and nurturing meaningful innovations in education, offering a full range of supports to elevate ideas to the next level and move research into practice.  

Office of School and Community Engagement

The OSCE builds partnerships with Philadelphia educators, schools, and community organizations to address the challenges of urban education and contribute to residents’ growth and wellbeing.

PEDAL: Practical English for Daily Living

PEDAL: Practical English for Daily Living offers free English as a Second Language classes taught by students in the M.S.Ed. TESOL program. It provides courses for family members of staff, students, professors, scholars, and post-docs at Penn, as well as Community courses for West Philadelphians.

PELS: Penn Educational Leadership Simulations

The Penn Educational Leadership Simulations (PELS) Program builds on the rich experiences of veteran educational leaders by creating problem-based simulations in both online and in-person formats.

Penn Center for Learning Analytics

The Penn Center for Learning Analytics uses a blend of large-scale and small-scale research methods, from analytics and data mining to ethnographic and field observation methods, to study learning and engagement.

Penn Early Childhood and Family Research Center

The Penn Early Childhood and Family Research Center aims to advance the use of science in a context of public trust to address problems affecting the well-being of young children and families facing systemic injustice and disadvantage.

Penn GSE in Philadelphia Heat Map

Our searchable Penn GSE in Philadelphia map offers a snapshot of the many ways that Penn GSE students, alumni, faculty, and staff are answering the call to action and service in schools and community organizations across the city.

Penn Literacy Network

The Penn Literacy Network (PLN) is a comprehensive professional development/curricular enhancement/school reform program, providing on-site and regionally-based credit-bearing or non-credit bearing courses, workshops, coaching programs, and leadership trainings.

Philadelphia Writing Project

The Philadelphia Writing Project (PhilWP) is network of over 800 teacher consultants who work with teachers and other educators to explore literacy, writing, teaching, and learning in their classrooms and schools regardless of grade or discipline.

Project for Mental Health and Optimal Development

The Project for Mental Health and Optimal Development, based at Penn’s Graduate School of Education, explores the relationship between mental health and optimal development among children, youth, and the adults who support them.

Protocol for Language Arts Teaching Observation (PLATO)

The PLATO Teacher observation tool captures literacy instruction across curricular approaches with students in grades 3-9. It can be used for research, professional development, and to diagnose teacher...

Racial Empowerment Collaborative

The Racial Empowerment Collaborative (REC) is a research, program development, and training center that brings together community leaders, researchers, authority figures, families, and youth to study and promote racial literacy and health in schools and neighborhoods. 

Red Interamericana de Liderazgo Educacional

The Inter-American Educational Leadership Network (RILE) is a collaboration with colleagues throughout Latin America and the United States. RILE offers in-person and mixed learning opportunities to educational leaders seeking to promote change in their communities.

Responsive Math Teaching

Responsive Math Teaching (RMT) is an NSF-funded research project focused on improving mathematics instruction in a network of elementary schools through a research-practice partnership between Penn GSE and the School District of Philadelphia.

Teaching Beyond September 11th

The Judgment Project

A cross-disciplinary collaboration focused on the understanding and development of  in situ  judgments for professionals working in education, medicine, nursing, business, the military, and other fields.

The RIPPLE Lab

The Research and Interventions Promoting Positive Learning Environments (RIPPLE) Lab group conducts research on how children’s early education experiences shape their development and learning, and how policies and programs can improve these experiences.

Urban Education Journal

The Penn GSE Perspectives on Urban Education journal is an electronic, student-run publication and interactive forum to investigate critical issues in urban education.

West Philadelphia Collaborative History

West Philadelphia Collaborative History is a website with resources on the history of 20th- and 21st-century West Philadelphia, along with a series of programs to encourage community collaboration and to support educators seeking to use local history in the classroom.

Working Papers in Educational Linguistics

Working Papers in Educational Linguistics  is a student-managed journal focused on the many areas of research within educational linguistics.

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Home » 500+ Educational Research Topics

500+ Educational Research Topics

Education is a fundamental human right that plays a vital role in shaping the future of individuals, communities, and societies. In order to improve the effectiveness of education, it is crucial to engage in rigorous educational research that seeks to understand how people learn, what factors influence their learning outcomes, and how educational systems can be designed to promote equitable access and success for all learners. Educational research topics cover a wide range of issues, from exploring new teaching methods to examining the impact of technology on learning. In this blog post, we will delve into some of the most important and relevant educational research topics, highlighting their significance and potential impact on the field of education.

Educational Research Topics

Educational Research Topics are as follows:

• The effects of personalized learning on student academic achievement
• The impact of teacher expectations on student achievement
• The effectiveness of flipped classroom models on student engagement and learning outcomes
• The impact of classroom design on student behavior and learning
• The relationship between socio-economic status and student academic achievement
• The effectiveness of differentiated instruction on student academic achievement
• The impact of technology on student learning outcomes
• The effectiveness of online learning versus traditional classroom instruction
• The influence of teacher expectations on student achievement
• The role of parental involvement in student success
• The relationship between school culture and student engagement
• The impact of teacher training on student achievement
• The effectiveness of peer tutoring programs
• The relationship between socioeconomic status and academic achievement
• The effectiveness of project-based learning
• The impact of standardized testing on student motivation and achievement
• The role of homework in student learning
• The relationship between teacher-student rapport and academic achievement
• The effectiveness of differentiated instruction
• The relationship between student self-esteem and academic achievement
• The impact of school size on student achievement
• The role of school discipline policies in student behavior and achievement
• The effectiveness of character education programs
• The relationship between school funding and student achievement
• The impact of school start times on student achievement
• The effectiveness of arts education programs
• The relationship between teacher feedback and student learning
• The impact of school climate on student achievement
• The effectiveness of online assessment tools
• The relationship between teacher expectations and student behavior
• The impact of school resources on student achievement
• The effectiveness of teacher collaboration
• The relationship between student motivation and academic achievement
• The impact of class size on student achievement
• The role of student-teacher trust in academic achievement
• The effectiveness of student-led conferences
• The relationship between student self-efficacy and academic achievement
• The impact of school culture on teacher job satisfaction
• The effectiveness of inquiry-based learning
• The relationship between teacher stress and student achievement
• The impact of school safety measures on student achievement
• The effectiveness of flipped classroom instruction
• The relationship between teacher diversity and student achievement
• The impact of technology integration on teacher job satisfaction
• The effectiveness of project-based assessment
• The relationship between school climate and teacher job satisfaction
• The impact of teacher job satisfaction on student achievement
• The effectiveness of service-learning programs
• The relationship between school leadership and teacher job satisfaction
• The impact of parent-teacher communication on student achievement
• The effectiveness of online professional development for teachers
• The relationship between student engagement and teacher job satisfaction
• The impact of peer mentoring programs on student achievement
• The effectiveness of cooperative learning
• The relationship between teacher-student ethnicity match and student achievement
• The impact of school discipline policies on teacher job satisfaction
• The relationship between teacher quality and student academic achievement
• The effectiveness of technology integration in the classroom
• The impact of parent involvement on student academic achievement
• The relationship between teacher leadership and student academic achievement
• The effectiveness of peer tutoring on student academic achievement
• The impact of class size on student academic achievement
• The effectiveness of project-based learning on student academic achievement
• The impact of teacher diversity on student academic achievement
• The relationship between student engagement and academic achievement
• The effectiveness of student-centered learning on academic achievement
• The impact of teacher-student relationships on academic achievement
• The relationship between homework and academic achievement
• The effectiveness of cooperative learning on academic achievement
• The impact of school culture on academic achievement
• The relationship between teacher collaboration and academic achievement
• The effectiveness of online learning on academic achievement
• The impact of standardized testing on student academic achievement
• The relationship between teacher burnout and student academic achievement
• The effectiveness of mindfulness interventions on student academic achievement
• The impact of cultural competency on student academic achievement
• The relationship between teacher job satisfaction and student academic achievement
• The effectiveness of social-emotional learning on academic achievement
• The impact of parent-teacher communication on academic achievement
• The relationship between student-teacher relationships and academic achievement
• The effectiveness of inquiry-based learning on academic achievement
• The impact of learning environment on academic achievement
• The relationship between student attendance and academic achievement
• The effectiveness of feedback on academic achievement
• The impact of teacher expectations on student behavior
• The relationship between teacher training and academic achievement
• The effectiveness of teacher professional development on academic achievement
• The impact of teacher beliefs on student academic achievement
• The relationship between classroom management and academic achievement
• The effectiveness of bilingual education on academic achievement
• The impact of cultural background on academic achievement
• The relationship between teacher turnover and academic achievement
• The effectiveness of tutoring programs on academic achievement
• The impact of teacher salaries on academic achievement
• The relationship between teacher-student racial matching and academic achievement
• The effectiveness of college preparatory programs on academic achievement
• The impact of high-stakes testing on academic achievement
• The relationship between student well-being and academic achievement
• The effectiveness of service learning on academic achievement.
• The effects of technology on student learning outcomes.
• The relationship between parental involvement and student achievement.
• The impact of teacher feedback on student motivation and learning.
• The effectiveness of online learning compared to traditional classroom instruction.
• The role of emotional intelligence in academic success.
• The relationship between sleep and academic performance.
• The effectiveness of peer tutoring on student achievement.
• The impact of early childhood education on later academic success.
• The effects of social media on academic performance and well-being.
• The impact of teacher expectations on student achievement.
• The effectiveness of differentiated instruction on student learning outcomes.
• The relationship between teacher burnout and student performance.
• The effectiveness of inclusive education for students with disabilities.
• The impact of teacher training and professional development on student outcomes.
• The effects of school culture and climate on student engagement and achievement.
• The relationship between homework and student achievement.
• The effectiveness of gamification in education.
• The impact of nutrition on student academic performance.
• The effects of gender on academic achievement and attitudes towards learning.
• The effectiveness of project-based learning on student engagement and learning outcomes.
• The relationship between school attendance and academic performance.
• The impact of teacher-student relationships on academic achievement and well-being.
• The effectiveness of cooperative learning on student learning outcomes.
• The effects of parental involvement in homework on student achievement.
• The relationship between student engagement and academic performance.
• The impact of classroom size on student learning outcomes.
• The effectiveness of feedback in online learning environments.
• The effects of poverty on student academic achievement.
• The relationship between student motivation and academic achievement.
• The impact of school leadership on student outcomes.
• The effectiveness of formative assessment on student learning outcomes.
• The effects of school funding on student achievement.
• The relationship between student self-regulation and academic performance.
• The impact of cultural diversity on academic achievement and student attitudes towards learning.
• The effectiveness of technology integration in the classroom.
• The effects of teacher diversity on student achievement and attitudes towards learning.
• The relationship between teacher expectations and student engagement.
• The impact of school policies on student academic performance and behavior.
• The effectiveness of metacognitive strategies on student learning outcomes.
• The effects of parental involvement on student behavior and well-being.
• The relationship between teacher collaboration and student achievement.
• The impact of school transitions on student academic performance and well-being.
• The effectiveness of inquiry-based learning on student engagement and learning outcomes.
• The effects of standardized testing on student motivation and learning.
• The relationship between student self-efficacy and academic performance.
• The impact of cultural competency training on teacher attitudes and student outcomes.
• The effectiveness of blended learning on student achievement and engagement.
• The effects of teacher beliefs and attitudes on student outcomes.
• The relationship between student achievement and post-secondary success.
• The impact of extracurricular activities on student academic performance and well-being.
• The effectiveness of flipped classroom models in higher education
• The relationship between teacher-student rapport and academic performance
• The effects of parental involvement on student achievement
• The effectiveness of differentiated instruction in mixed-ability classrooms
• The impact of teacher collaboration on student learning outcomes
• The effectiveness of project-based learning in K-12 education
• The relationship between classroom climate and student motivation
• The effects of social media use on academic performance
• The impact of inclusive education on students with disabilities
• The effectiveness of online learning in higher education
• The relationship between school size and academic achievement
• The effects of school uniforms on student behavior and academic performance
• The impact of student-centered learning on student achievement
• The effectiveness of cooperative learning in K-12 education
• The relationship between teacher expectations and student achievement
• The effects of school funding on student achievement
• The impact of teacher training on student outcomes
• The effectiveness of peer tutoring in K-12 education
• The effects of class size on student achievement
• The impact of bilingual education on student outcomes
• The effectiveness of gamification in education
• The relationship between standardized testing and student achievement
• The effects of homework on student achievement
• The impact of parental involvement on college retention rates
• The effectiveness of problem-based learning in K-12 education
• The effects of teacher feedback on student learning outcomes
• The impact of school discipline policies on student behavior and academic performance
• The effectiveness of computer-assisted instruction in K-12 education
• The relationship between teacher burnout and student outcomes
• The effects of teacher-student racial/ethnic matching on academic performance
• The impact of extracurricular activities on student achievement
• The effectiveness of blended learning in higher education
• The relationship between school leadership and student achievement
• The effects of parental involvement on student attendance
• The impact of peer influence on student achievement
• The effectiveness of outdoor learning in K-12 education
• The relationship between teacher autonomy and student outcomes
• The effects of teacher diversity on student achievement
• The impact of early childhood education on later academic achievement
• The effectiveness of mindfulness practices in education
• The relationship between teacher evaluation and student achievement
• The effects of student self-assessment on learning outcomes
• The impact of cultural competence on teacher-student relationships and academic performance
• The effectiveness of online discussion forums in higher education
• The relationship between school climate and student mental health
• The effects of student-teacher race/ethnicity matching on academic performance
• The impact of college majors on post-graduation outcomes.
• The impact of technology on student engagement and academic performance
• The effectiveness of project-based learning compared to traditional teaching methods
• The impact of school uniforms on student behavior and academic performance
• The relationship between teacher diversity and student outcomes
• The effectiveness of peer mentoring for at-risk students
• The impact of school funding on student achievement
• The relationship between parent-teacher communication and student success
• The effectiveness of social media for educational purposes
• The impact of inclusive education on academic achievement
• The effectiveness of teacher mentoring programs for new teachers
• The relationship between school funding and student outcomes
• The impact of teacher diversity on student achievement
• The effectiveness of using games in the classroom for learning
• The impact of teacher collaboration on teacher retention
• The effectiveness of using graphic novels in the classroom for literacy development
• The impact of standardized testing on student motivation and performance
• The effectiveness of teacher coaching on teacher practice and student learning
• The relationship between parent-teacher communication and student outcomes
• The impact of peer mentoring on academic achievement
• The effectiveness of teacher professional learning communities on student outcomes
• The relationship between teacher personality and classroom climate
• The impact of arts education on student creativity and academic achievement
• The effectiveness of technology in teaching math
• The relationship between teacher autonomy and teacher motivation
• The impact of student-led conferences on parent involvement and academic performance
• The effectiveness of differentiated instruction for gifted and talented students
• The relationship between school discipline policies and student mental health
• The impact of teacher leadership on school improvement
• The effectiveness of using social media in education
• The relationship between teacher beliefs and teacher effectiveness
• The impact of school size on student outcomes
• The effectiveness of using simulations in the classroom for learning
• The relationship between parent involvement and teacher satisfaction
• The impact of outdoor education on student learning and development
• The effectiveness of using digital portfolios in the classroom for assessment
• The relationship between teacher collaboration and teacher professional growth
• The effectiveness of using multimedia in the classroom for learning
• The relationship between school choice and student achievement
• The impact of teacher empathy on student motivation and engagement
• The effectiveness of using mindfulness practices in the classroom
• The relationship between teacher creativity and student engagement
• The impact of student ownership on academic performance
• The effectiveness of using project-based learning in science education
• The relationship between teacher job satisfaction and teacher retention
• The impact of using drama in the classroom for learning
• The effectiveness of using educational apps in the classroom
• The relationship between teacher feedback and student achievement
• The impact of peer assessment on student learning
• The effectiveness of using simulations in social studies education
• The impact of teacher-parent partnerships on student outcomes
• The effectiveness of using podcasts in the classroom for learning
• The relationship between teacher collaboration and teacher well-being
• The impact of school culture on parent involvement
• The effectiveness of using debate in the classroom for critical thinking skills.
• The impact of teacher-student ratio on academic performance
• The effectiveness of outdoor education on student learning
• The impact of teacher gender on student engagement and achievement
• The relationship between teacher feedback and student self-efficacy
• The effectiveness of blended learning for language education
• The impact of teacher-student relationships on student attendance
• The relationship between teacher diversity and school culture
• The effectiveness of cultural responsiveness in the classroom
• The impact of school choice on student outcomes
• The relationship between classroom design and student engagement
• The effectiveness of differentiated instruction for gifted students
• The impact of student mobility on academic achievement
• The relationship between teacher experience and classroom management
• The effectiveness of technology in teaching mathematics
• The impact of teacher burnout on student performance
• The relationship between teacher job satisfaction and student outcomes
• The effectiveness of arts education on student development
• The impact of standardized testing on student motivation and academic performance
• The relationship between teacher-student trust and academic achievement
• The effectiveness of online learning for adult education
• The impact of school culture on teacher retention
• The relationship between student motivation and academic success
• The effectiveness of game-based learning for science education
• The impact of teacher training on student outcomes in special education
• The relationship between teacher beliefs and classroom management
• The effectiveness of project-based learning for social studies education
• The impact of school leadership on teacher job satisfaction
• The relationship between teacher support and student mental health
• The effectiveness of experiential learning for environmental education
• The impact of teacher collaboration on student outcomes
• The relationship between school climate and student achievement
• The effectiveness of technology in teaching foreign languages
• The impact of teacher evaluation on instructional quality
• The relationship between school diversity and student achievement
• The effectiveness of multicultural education for promoting social justice
• The impact of teacher-student relationships on student self-esteem
• The relationship between teacher turnover and student outcomes
• The effectiveness of inquiry-based learning for mathematics education
• The impact of school discipline policies on student behavior
• The relationship between teacher expectations and student engagement
• The effectiveness of technology in teaching literacy
• The impact of teacher autonomy on classroom innovation
• The relationship between school climate and teacher job satisfaction.
• The relationship between classroom size and student achievement
• The impact of school leadership on student outcomes
• The effectiveness of different types of assessment methods
• The influence of teacher attitudes on student motivation and engagement
• The relationship between parental involvement and student achievement
• The effectiveness of different teaching strategies for diverse learners
• The impact of early childhood education on academic success
• The relationship between teacher training and student outcomes
• The effectiveness of different types of feedback on student learning
• The impact of student-centered learning on academic performance
• The effectiveness of differentiated instruction for diverse learners
• The impact of teacher-student relationships on academic success
• The relationship between school culture and student outcomes
• The effectiveness of flipped classrooms compared to traditional classrooms
• The impact of classroom management on student behavior and academic performance
• The effectiveness of peer tutoring on student learning
• The impact of parental involvement on student behavior and social-emotional development
• The effectiveness of co-teaching for students with disabilities
• The impact of bilingual education on academic achievement
• The relationship between teacher beliefs and student achievement
• The effectiveness of online learning compared to traditional classroom instruction
• The impact of school culture on teacher satisfaction and retention
• The relationship between teacher experience and student achievement
• The effectiveness of technology-enhanced learning environments
• The impact of teacher-student race/ethnicity matching on academic performance
• The effectiveness of inquiry-based learning for science education
• The relationship between school discipline policies and student outcomes
• The effectiveness of teacher professional development on student learning
• The impact of teacher preparation programs on teacher effectiveness
• The relationship between classroom climate and student engagement
• The effectiveness of teacher collaboration on student learning
• The impact of social-emotional learning on academic performance
• The relationship between teacher motivation and student achievement
• The effectiveness of technology in teaching English as a second language
• The impact of teacher autonomy on student outcomes
• The relationship between teacher feedback and student motivation
• The effectiveness of self-regulated learning strategies for academic success
• The impact of single-sex education on student achievement
• The relationship between teacher personality and student engagement
• The effectiveness of experiential learning for history education
• The impact of teacher-student relationships on student mental health
• The relationship between school safety and student outcomes
• The effectiveness of mindfulness practices on student behavior and academic performance.
• The impact of technology on classroom learning
• The effectiveness of differentiated instruction in diverse classrooms
• The relationship between teacher burnout and student achievement
• The impact of teacher-student relationships on academic performance
• The effectiveness of teacher professional development on instructional practice
• The effectiveness of online learning during the pandemic
• The impact of teacher burnout on student achievement
• The effectiveness of early childhood education programs
• The impact of parental involvement on student success
• The relationship between teacher expectations and student performance
• The impact of school safety measures on student well-being
• The relationship between school culture and teacher satisfaction
• The effectiveness of using manipulatives in math education
• The impact of homework on student achievement
• The relationship between teacher preparation programs and teacher retention
• The effectiveness of using technology for literacy development
• The impact of social-emotional learning programs on student behavior and academic achievement
• The relationship between school leadership and teacher morale
• The effectiveness of using virtual reality in science education
• The impact of teacher gender on student achievement
• The relationship between parental involvement and student motivation
• The effectiveness of project-based learning in social studies education
• The impact of school climate on student attendance
• The relationship between teacher experience and student outcomes
• The effectiveness of using game-based learning in language arts education
• The relationship between school funding and teacher quality
• The effectiveness of using inquiry-based learning in science education
• The impact of teacher expectations on student motivation
• The relationship between school facilities and student achievement
• The effectiveness of using music in the classroom for learning
• The impact of teacher diversity on student outcomes
• The effectiveness of using graphic organizers in the classroom for writing
• The impact of teacher evaluation systems on teacher performance
• The relationship between school size and student achievement
• The effectiveness of using digital storytelling in the classroom
• The impact of teacher feedback on student learning
• The relationship between teacher professional development and student outcomes
• The effectiveness of using problem-based learning in math education
• The impact of school discipline policies on student outcomes
• The relationship between teacher expectations and student self-esteem
• The effectiveness of using visual aids in the classroom for learning
• The impact of school culture on teacher collaboration
• The relationship between school climate and student behavior
• The effectiveness of using drama in language arts education
• The impact of teacher motivation on student engagement
• The relationship between school culture and student academic identity
• The effectiveness of using mobile devices in the classroom for learning
• The relationship between school climate and teacher retention
• The effectiveness of using games for social-emotional learning
• The impact of teacher-student racial matching on student achievement.
• The relationship between parental involvement and academic achievement
• The impact of inclusive education on social and emotional development
• The effectiveness of blended learning on student outcomes
• The impact of school culture on student behavior and attitudes
• The effectiveness of flipped classroom models on student engagement
• The relationship between teacher autonomy and student motivation
• The impact of bilingual education on cognitive development
• The effectiveness of cooperative learning strategies in the classroom
• The effectiveness of classroom management strategies on student behavior
• The impact of standardized testing on teaching and learning
• The effectiveness of peer tutoring on academic achievement
• The relationship between teacher training and student achievement
• The impact of cultural diversity on classroom dynamics and learning
• The effectiveness of technology in teaching and learning writing
• The relationship between school facilities and student learning
• The impact of teacher collaboration on instructional quality
• The effectiveness of project-based learning in science education
• The relationship between parent involvement and school climate
• The impact of teacher feedback on student learning and motivation
• The effectiveness of assessment tools in measuring student learning
• The relationship between student attitudes and academic achievement
• The impact of college readiness programs on student success
• The effectiveness of using graphic organizers for teaching reading comprehension
• The relationship between teacher leadership and school improvement
• The impact of special education programs on student outcomes
• The effectiveness of using digital tools in teaching and learning history
• The relationship between school culture and student attendance
• The impact of teacher expectations on student self-efficacy
• The effectiveness of using peer assessment in student writing
• The impact of teacher preparation programs on instructional quality
• The impact of teacher-student ratio on student outcomes
• The relationship between student engagement and academic achievement in online learning
• The impact of teacher tenure policies on student outcomes
• The relationship between school safety and student learning
• The effectiveness of using game-based learning in the classroom.
• The impact of COVID-19 on online learning in K-12 education
• The effectiveness of differentiated instruction in a diverse classroom
• The impact of early literacy intervention programs on reading comprehension
• The effectiveness of inquiry-based learning in science education
• The relationship between parent involvement and student academic success
• The impact of teacher feedback on student writing
• The effectiveness of using digital tools for formative assessment
• The relationship between teacher burnout and student engagement
• The relationship between school climate and bullying prevention
• The impact of school discipline policies on student behavior and academic achievement
• The effectiveness of using virtual reality in history education
• The relationship between teacher expectations and student self-efficacy
• The impact of teacher-student relationships on student well-being
• The effectiveness of using games for math learning in elementary school
• The relationship between teacher training and technology integration in the classroom
• The impact of school culture on student mental health
• The effectiveness of using project-based learning in social studies education
• The relationship between teacher autonomy and job satisfaction
• The impact of socio-economic status on access to higher education
• The effectiveness of using technology for language learning
• The relationship between school size and student outcomes
• The impact of school leadership on teacher retention
• The effectiveness of using active learning strategies in college classrooms
• The relationship between teacher collaboration and student achievement
• The impact of school-based mental health services on student well-being
• The effectiveness of using assistive technology for special education students
• The relationship between teacher job satisfaction and student performance
• The impact of school-based health education programs on student health behaviors
• The effectiveness of using simulations in science education
• The effectiveness of using educational games for literacy development
• The relationship between school culture and student academic achievement
• The impact of teacher professional development on student outcomes
• The effectiveness of using experiential learning in business education
• The impact of teacher diversity on student engagement
• The effectiveness of using graphic organizers in the classroom for reading comprehension
• The relationship between school climate and teacher collaboration
• The impact of school-based social-emotional learning programs on student behavior and academic performance
• The effectiveness of using mobile devices for language learning
• The relationship between teacher autonomy and teacher creativity
• The effectiveness of using game-based learning for STEM education
• The relationship between school climate and student motivation
• The effectiveness of using mindfulness practices in the classroom for student well-being.
• The effectiveness of personalized learning strategies
• The effectiveness of mindfulness interventions in reducing stress and anxiety in students
• The impact of teacher communication styles on student engagement
• The relationship between bilingual education and cognitive development
• The effectiveness of using virtual simulations in science education
• The impact of school start times on student performance and well-being
• The effectiveness of using art in language arts education
• The impact of teacher-student race matching on student motivation and achievement
• The relationship between school culture and student mental health
• The effectiveness of inquiry-based learning in social studies education
• The impact of peer mentoring on student success in college
• The relationship between teacher burnout and student behavior
• The effectiveness of using manipulatives in science education
• The effectiveness of using gamification in math education
• The impact of teacher-student gender matching on student attitudes towards STEM subjects
• The relationship between student engagement and academic performance
• The effectiveness of using social media in language learning
• The relationship between school climate and parent involvement
• The effectiveness of using technology in physical education
• The effectiveness of using multimedia in history education
• The impact of teacher motivation on student engagement and achievement
• The relationship between school culture and parent satisfaction
• The impact of teacher feedback on student motivation and self-regulation
• The relationship between school climate and student attitudes towards diversity
• The effectiveness of using blended learning in literacy education
• The impact of teacher-student relationships on college success
• The effectiveness of using digital portfolios for assessment
• The impact of teacher diversity on school culture and climate
• The relationship between school leadership and teacher professional development
• The effectiveness of using inquiry-based learning in art education
• The impact of teacher-student personality matching on academic achievement
• The relationship between school climate and student creativity
• The effectiveness of using coding in math education
• The impact of teacher mentoring on new teacher retention
• The relationship between school culture and student motivation
• The effectiveness of using peer feedback in writing instruction
• The impact of teacher diversity on student attitudes towards diversity
• The relationship between school culture and student resilience
• The effectiveness of using case-based learning in business education
• The impact of teacher-student trust on student engagement and academic achievement.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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Doing your education research project.

Working on your Education research project but don’t know where to start?  Don't panic! We've put together this page, full of top tips and advice from some of our educational research methods books to help you complete a successful research project from the comfort of your home.

Developing confidence in research methods

The thought of starting your Education research project can be daunting, especially if you have never carried out a research project before. However, there are many misconceptions around research and carrying out a research project isn't as complex as it may seem... 

Overcome research anxiety: 7 myths debunked

You can do research: it's just like booking a holiday!

Planning your research project

Identifying your research question

There isn’t a magic formula for coming up with a good question and sometimes it can take quite a while to get it exactly how you want it. You are trying to formulate a question which is a straightforward and transparent explanation of what you want to find out. It needs to be precise and detailed so that you maintain a clear focus. Consider the following:

The timescale and word count for your project will be a significant influence on the breadth and depth of the research you can undertake. What is realistic for you within the context of your investigation as well as the current situation?

What elements of practice and interest can you combine? Can you begin to formulate tentative questions about these areas? How might you go about investigating them?

To find a focus for your research you need to combine a personal interest with existing research in the field so that you can contribute to what is already known about that particular element of practice. How does existing research help narrow your focus further?

What are your biases and preconceptions? What will you need to be aware of as you undertake the research?

Does your question clearly identify the elements of your research and indicate to the reader the main aim and focus for your investigation? Have you removed any ambiguous or misleading terms?

Does your question provide a narrow focus for the collection of data but broad potential scope for analysis?

How to do a research proposal

Use this list of ten questions as a guide when framing your proposal either for a presentation, or for your written document:

• Have I discussed the focus and rationale for my project?
• Are the research questions clearly identified?
• Has my preliminary reading around my topic raised any issues or observations?
• Have I engaged with critical analysis of the literature that I have read so far?
• Who are the participants and the context in my research?
• Am I clear about my research methods/procedures and how I intend to collect data?
• Have I identified the qualitative and quantitative elements of my study?
• How do I intend to analyse the data once collected?
• Is there evidence of my consideration of ethical issues addressing the BERA guidelines?
• Have I acknowledged my position in the research?

Planning to gather data

It is important to gather a range of meaningful qualitative data for your research project, however it is important to take into account the current circumstances and how this will work for you. When gathering data…

have a plan for gathering good evidence that is relevant to your focus and provides rich insights

plan ways to make the capturing of relevant evidence as easy as possible

plan to gather evidence from a variety of sources if possible (to enable triangulated analysis)

wait until you need to gather evidence before thinking about how best to do this

plan to interview learners

plan to convert rich qualitative data into quantitative data

Ethical compliance checklist

The ethical compliance checklist below shows the key issues that you, as a researcher, will have to address. I have considered …

• if there is any risk to the participants
• if the participants will be deceived in any way
• how participant confidentiality will be maintained
• how participants will give their consent
• how the aims of the research will be shared with the participants
• how the collected data will be stored securely
• how long the collected data will be stored
• how the collected data will be disposed of
• what happens if participants change their mind

How to read and understand research

Where to find research

Working your way through the maze of research publications can be daunting.  Needless to say there is no simple answer and no magic bullet in research terms that will deliver simple unambiguous answers to the question of how we should teach or even how children learn. 

Knowing which are the reliable and useful databases, and then discovering how to effectively and efficiently search these to screen out the unnecessary articles, is a matter of practice and experience. It is worth experimenting with the various search operators to understand how they can be used to narrow down the field of available articles. The better your keywords are, the better the information you will retrieve from the databases. A widely used and freely available search engine, Google Scholar is one of the best ways to start a search.

Applying a critical analysis framework to research

This framework provides prompts for key questions to ask about the quality and rigour of the work under consideration. The process is not rigid and can be adapted to suit a wide range of types of research and scholarly work.

• Identify the intention Reading the abstract is the fastest way to determine this. Try dividing your reading into three categories: that which requires more detailed reading and analysis; that which can easily be discarded as not relevant; and that which requires more consideration before it can be included or discarded.
• Identify the main ideas Ideally, the research questions will be clearly set out in one of the first few sections of the paper. If not, then the researcher will pose the questions at various intervals during the paper. There is also the conclusion section where the main ideas will once again be articulated. 
• Identify the underlying theoretical and methodological approaches If there is a methodology section, it’s normally here that you find the theoretical approach taken by the researcher. This should let you know the epistemological and ontological basis of the research, and it will allow you to understand how it fits with your own approach.
• What evidence is presented to support the arguments? How does the author support their main argument(s)? What evidence do they provide (qualitative or quantitative)? Is the evidence strong or weak? In this step the quality of the evidence can also be assessed. 
• The 'so what?' test All the time you are reading research you will need to be going back to the notion of why you need the research you are reading and how it will add to your overall understanding. If it does neither then you will need to reject the research; if it does one or the other, it’s worth looking again and seeing whether the other question could be applied.
• What questions does the article prompt? Good research will prompt the reader to consider further questions. The best research will either pose further related questions or indicate where there is more research to do or different avenues to investigate.

Writing up your research project 

How to structure a research project

The abstract – usually a brief summary of the research, including reference to the research approach, methods and main findings

An introduction – this often outlines the significance of the main research question

The context in which the research took place – sometimes included in the research methods section

The academic context – ‘the ‘literature review’ which locates the research within the current field of knowledge

The research approach taken , the specific research methods used and the approach to data analysis

The findings from the research study , following analysis of the data. 

Discussion of the findings , where the results of the research are interpreted, in the light of other research findings

Conclusions , which may also include recommendations for future practice, depending on the key purpose of the research study

Writing a literature review

The literature review section of a research study fulfils a number of purposes, each of which is important in its own right:

It sets the context of the new research study by indicating what has already been investigated

It indicates how the new research fits into this body of knowledge

It opens up the significant debates associated with the focus of the research

It prevents unknowing duplication of previous research, although you may deliberately choose to replicate a previous study in a different context

It helps to identify the different research approaches used within your area of interest

It identifies gaps in existing knowledge, which your new research may help to fill

Presenting your data

What to put in the appendix, more on educational research methods.

Check out our range of titles on educational research methods to help in all areas of study!

Essentials of Research Methods in Education

free chapter

Research Methods and Methodologies in Education

Action Research for New Teachers

Doing Quantitative Research in Education with IBM SPSS Statistics

Doing Your Early Years Research Project

Research Methods in Early Childhood

Info on this page was taken from the following books:

Getting Started in Your Educational Research

Researching Primary Education

Introducing Research in Early Childhood

How to Read and Understand Educational Research

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The U.S. National Science Foundation offers hundreds of funding opportunities — including grants, cooperative agreements and fellowships — that support research and education across science and engineering.

Learn how to apply for NSF funding by visiting the links below.

Finding the right funding opportunity

Learn about NSF's funding priorities and how to find a funding opportunity that's right for you.

Preparing your proposal

Learn about the pieces that make up a proposal and how to prepare a proposal for NSF.

Submitting your proposal

Learn how to submit a proposal to NSF using one of our online systems.

How we make funding decisions

Learn about NSF's merit review process, which ensures the proposals NSF receives are reviewed in a fair, competitive, transparent and in-depth manner.

NSF 101 answers common questions asked by those interested in applying for NSF funding. 

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Learn about interdisciplinary research, convergence research and transdisciplinary research.

Newest funding opportunities

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Faculty and staff members in the College of Education are involved with externally funded research and development projects valued, in total, at more than $120 million.

This page includes a sampling of current and previous projects.

College Ambition Program

The College Ambition Program (CAP) is developing a school-wide model for helping high school students navigate the process of applying to college, especially students interested in STEM fields. In addition to providing services, the research team, led by Hannah Distinguished Professor  Barbara Schneider , collects data to measure how effective CAP activities are at increasing students’ college readiness and college going. The project is funded by the National Science Foundation and the Michigan Department of Education.

Cyber Partners: Harnessing Group Dynamics to Boost Motivation for More Efficient Exercise

Deborah L. Feltz  and her team in the  Exergames Research Lab  are researching the best ways to keep astronauts in shape on long-duration space flights. In close living quarters with prolonged weightlessness, astronauts can suffer decreased muscle, bone and cardiovascular functions. This research (funded by the National Space Biomedical Research Institute of NASA) is part of a broader effort to help space crews work together and maintain their health.

Multiple Literacies in Problem-Based Learning (PBL)

Funded by a $5 million grant from the George Lucas Educational Foundation, this project will design, develop and test new upper-elementary curriculum materials that support learning in science, literacy and mathematics. The materials will engage students in project-based learning activities aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards and the Common Core State Standards in literacy and mathematics. The project is led by Professor  Joseph Krajcik , director of MSU’s C REATE for STEM Institute .

Project PLACE (Project-approach to Literacy And Civic Engagement)

Project PLACE (Project-approach to Literacy and Civic Engagement) is led by  Anne-Lise Halvorsen  of Michigan State University and Nell K. Duke of the University of Michigan, and funded by the Spencer Foundation and the George Lucas Educational Foundation. The study investigates the impact of project-based instruction that integrates social studies and literacy with second-grade students in schools in low-SES settings.

Environmental Literacy

Charles (Andy) Anderson  and his research team are developing learning progressions that lead toward environmental science literacy for students from upper elementary school through college, with the goal of integrating their work into contemporary K-12 curriculum. The project is organized into four strands: carbon, water, bio diversity and citizenship.

Mathematics Discourse in Secondary Classrooms  (M-DISC)

Beth Herbel-Eisenmann , along with colleagues Michael Steele and Michelle Cirillo, have led a project to design and test a set of professional development materials that will help secondary mathematics teachers engage in productive classroom discourse practices.

Constructing Value-Added Indicators of Teacher and School Effectiveness We Can Trust

MSU researchers Mark Reckase and Jeff Wooldridge, along with Cassie Guarino, led a project to evaluate and identify which commonly-used value-added models (VAMs) accurately estimate the effects of teachers, schools and instructional practices. They applied tools for checking and improving the validity of VAMs and contributed to the national discussion about guidelines for using VAMs.

Strengthening Tomorrow’s Education in Measurement (STEM)

The Strengthening Tomorrow’s Education in Measurement (STEM) project, led by  Professor John P. Smith, III , found that conceptual deficits in U.S. elementary math curricula have likely contributed to students’ poor understanding of measurement (length, area and volume).

Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning  (CIRTL)

The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL) is a national effort to improve college teaching in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through professional development for doctoral students who will become faculty. Michigan State University is one of the founding universities of the network, which now includes more than 40 universities across the country.  Ann Austin  is lead researcher.

Center for Advancing Research and Communication (ARC) in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

ARC supports National Science Foundation-funded education research projects in the STEM disciplines by offering technical assistance to investigators and communicating their findings to a larger audience. Michigan State University Professor  Barbara Schneider  is principal investigator of the center, which is based at the University of Chicago.

SOLID (Science, Oral Language, and Literacy Development) Start project

The SOLID Start project (Science, Oral Language, and Literacy Development from the Start of School) develops professional development opportunities for K-2 teachers that integrates science and literacy. The project also develops standards-based, integrated science and disciplinary language and literacy curriculum materials designed for K-2 children. Components of the SOLID Start curriculum include unit and daily driving questions (ASK), multi-modal investigations of and experiences with science phenomena (EXPLORE), science informational text read alouds (READ), science writing and drawing opportunities (WRITE), and science synthesis discussions (SYNTHESIZE) to build children’s oral language with a focus on explanations of phenomena. Teacher Tips are provided throughout the curriculum to support teachers in implementing these exciting units of study.

More Research Projects

• National Study of LGBTQ Student Success
• GET City  (Science learning for urban youth)
• Launch into Teaching  (Support for beginning teachers and instructional coaches)
• National Center for Research on Teacher Learning (NCRTL)
• Institute for Research on Teaching (IRT)
• Science in the Moment (SciMo)

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PBL for Pre-K Through Second Grade

Very young students can benefit from project-based learning, as these detailed steps for a project conducted by preschool students demonstrate.

Observation, exploration, and discovery are three main skills that young children (kindergarten to second grade) generally develop when they interact with their surroundings. Some children prefer to take time to observe the environment before moving around to explore, while others choose to immediately start actively discovering the wonders within the environment. Nurturing an environment that ignites curiosity and facilitates exploration, therefore, is paramount.

Early-years educators who work with children 2 to 7 years old play a pivotal role in laying the foundation for lifelong learning by creating spaces where children can freely explore their diverse interests and learn how to expand explorations and inquiries into meaningful in-depth projects. 

In this post, I share a project I developed for a pre-K class with 3-year-olds that offers clear examples of each step and process feature. The project began when a boy became fascinated by the sound that came out of a bottle when he blew into it. He shared his findings with his peers, and the Sounds Exploration project began.  

Creating an Environment for Exploration

The environments where young children interact become learning spaces and serve as educators, generating dialogue between children and/or between each child and the environment, developing processes of inquiry, reflection, observation, and active listening. What should these spaces be like? 

Versatility: Design flexible learning environments that allow spontaneous exploration and discovery in different areas and disciplines. Incorporate adaptable learning materials to accommodate diverse interests and activities. Equip your classroom with a rich variety of resources, including books, art supplies, natural materials, and sensory experiences. Allow children to access natural open spaces that offer enough room for free exploration.  

In the example of the Sounds Exploration project, the teacher offered different materials and contexts for the learners to make and identify sounds, both outside and indoors. In the open air, the teacher helped learners focus on sounds by inviting them to close their eyes and name the sounds they could hear. This takes some time and guidance to help learners to listen beyond the sounds in the foreground and pay attention to those in the background. The learners were then made aware of the sounds they made by walking on different surfaces—like pebbles, grass, and mud—and the sounds they made with sticks or by hitting the water. Outdoors contexts are full of discovery possibilities. 

Indoors, the children used materials such as plastic tops, foil, plastic, cellophane, construction paper, and cardboard to make sounds. Wood blocks, musical instruments, and toys (cars, trucks, dolls, balls, construction blocks) are also an option, as are the different surfaces (floor, carpets, tables) in the classroom. 

In both environments, the children had guidance to help them discover more about the sounds they produced. This connects with the next point.

Curiosity: Encourage a culture of inquiry by posing open-ended questions, stimulating wonder, and inviting children to explore topics of interest. Offer provocations and invitations to learning that spark curiosity and prompt further investigation. 

Collaboration: Facilitate opportunities for children to explore together, interact, learn from one another, and question their findings. 

Interacting with children during exploration periods

The most successful interactions a teacher can carry out in the period of inquiry are those that don’t have a single answer but allow for different responses. The children’s answers will likely be the result of the connections they make with themselves, their previous knowledge, their interaction with their peers, and the context in which they’re interacting.

As a consequence, the teacher has an opportunity to develop and model an attitude of listening and of inquiry into the children’s responses and the construction of their learning. 

For example, related to the Sounds project, the teacher might ask the following questions: 

• “How do you do it? Can you teach me?”
• “This sound... what does it remind you of?” 
• ”What other sounds can we make?”
•  ”What causes sound to be produced?”
•  ”What can we use this sound for?”

Engage in active observation: Observe children closely as they play: as they interact with each other, the decisions they make, and how they choose to communicate their feelings, emotions, thoughts. Pay attention to their interests, preferences, and inquiries.

Listen actively: Listen to the children’s conversations when you ask open-ended questions to stimulate their thinking and foster reflection and critical thinking. Encourage them to communicate their ideas and their thoughts, share observations, and voice their desire to know. 

Let the children express freely: Let them show you their willingness to deepen their knowledge. Follow their interests and curiosity, allowing them to guide the direction of their exploration. Facilitate support and resources based on their inquiries, empowering them to build knowledge and take ownership of their learning journey.

Provide research tools: Offer the children access to age-appropriate tools and materials, including books, digital resources, and hands-on experiences. Support them in navigating these resources independently, fostering self-directed learning skills.

Facilitate tools to document their findings: Provide materials and resources for learners to document their discoveries in various ways: different art forms, notes, oral dialogues, audio/video recordings. 

Transferring exploration into research projects

Children’s active exploration, properly documented, will generate a lot of information and, in turn, will create the possibility of continuing work on a specific project.

In the example of the Sounds Exploration project, the learners were invited to use the sounds they had collected, identified, and documented to make a Sound Story from a well-known story they usually read in class and enjoyed. The guiding question was this: How can the learners in this class turn [the name of the story] into a sound story?

Assist project planning: Guide children in planning and organizing their research project, and deconstruct the process into manageable steps. Help them create research questions, collect information, and develop a short-term plan of action. 

Analyze the data collected: Facilitate understanding of the findings and guide the children to become aware of which subject area they’re willing to learn more about. 

Ignite Intrinsic motivation: Provide steps for the learners to become aware of  what they already know about the specific topic in that subject area and what more they want to know, and guide them in finding where they can collect the information they’re looking for. 

Foster reflection: Promote reflection throughout the research process. Provide opportunities for children to share their findings with peers and reflect on their learning experiences and strategies.

Research projects enable teachers to empower children to make choices and decisions about their learning journey when they have a range of options and opportunities to explore their interests authentically. In addition, research projects foster collaboration and peer learning by encouraging children to work together and share what they’ve learned. 

It’s important to recognize and celebrate children’s achievements and contributions throughout the research process. Create opportunities for them to showcase their work, share their findings with others, and receive feedback and praise .

In essence, by creating an environment that nurtures exploration, supporting children during their inquiries, and empowering them to take on leadership roles in their learning, early years educators can lay the groundwork for a lifetime of curiosity, discovery, and success.

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CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

Project titles & descriptions, links to others.

An important consideration in the education of K-12 students classified as English learners is the program model(s) through which they will receive English language development (ELD) instruction: either as a separate ELD pull-out class or in a general education classroom in which a language specialist co-teaches and/or collaborates with the primary classroom teacher. The efficacy of these models has been the subject of ongoing debate, with co-teaching gaining traction nationwide: in so doing, it raises critical questions about how language is defined, taught, and learned by teachers and students in these settings. This research partnership with multiple Oregon schools uses qualitative methods to explore the development and implementation of ESL (English as a second language) co-teaching as an instructional model designed to support multilingual children and youth’s language development through teacher collaboration. It explores school, teacher, and student development through observation, interview, and support of teachers as they engage in action research around their own co-teaching. Contact:  Amanda Kibler

Format and learning model

Drawing from methods in historical sociology, this project examines how public universities in California and New York responded to four influenza pandemics: “Asian Influenza" (1957-1960), the “Hong Kong Virus” (1967-1970), the H1N1 pandemic (2008-2009), and COVID-19 (2020-2022). In addition to robust systems of public higher education, California and New York have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and have served as important receiving states for waves of Asian immigrants. We use web scraping techniques to create an open repository of institutional responses to COVID-19 between January 2020 and May 2022, which we combine with materials from university archives, and supplemental community archives from 1957-present. Using a framework of racialized organization practices and situational crisis communications theory, our analysis clarifies how universities’ responses to influenza pandemics signaled both their role as a public good and coalesced with racialized discourses to illuminate the broader systemic inequalities underscored during crises. Our project’s focus on Anti-Asian animus extends our understanding of universities racial histories and will yield a novel virtual repository of annotated responses to COVID-19 for public use.

How to become a teacher

A scientifically and technologically literate citizenry is essential to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and to ensure that the US remains economically competitive in an increasingly resource-constrained global marketplace. Fusing STEM and business curricula in undergraduate education is a critical and necessary step in preparing both STEM and non-STEM majors to address issues of global sustainability. Developing transdisciplinary curriculum that addresses these goals involves faculty working collaboratively to combine knowledge and skills from different disciplines to create a new or transformed understanding of concepts and ideas that moves beyond just one discipline and supports students' development of critical thinking skills aimed at addressing complex and wicked problems. The ultimate goals of this National Science Foundation funded project is to produce, disseminate, deliver and improve novel transdisciplinary curriculum modules focused on sustainability problems that can be used in a wide variety of STEM and business courses.  The grant supports OSU-based research and evaluation concerning grant-related phenomena and related changes to educators and their organizations via quantitative and qualitative methods investigating pedagogical knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of faculty and administrators at three different postsecondary institutions. We intend to inform those aiming for individual- and organizational-based transformation towards efficacious transdisciplinary teaching and learning. Contact:  Jana Bouwma-Gearhart

Building Quantitative Capacity in Contextualized STEM Education Research 

The research will result in a multi-faceted literature review investigating the relationship between contextualized educational approaches and  science education outcomes. Contact:  Michael Giamellaro

Designing Ambitious Mathematics Instructional Tools: A Collaborative Research-Practice Partnership 

This extensive, two-year, research-practice partnership aims to build and investigate collaboration among three educational systems where leaders and teachers are investing in instructional innovations that cultivate students’ opportunities to learn robust mathematics.  The development aims are to (1) support within and across district processes for identifying instructional challenges in practice that are hindering high-quality mathematics instruction for each and every student, (2) support efforts to address these challenges via investments in professional learning that enable designing, enacting, and refining instructional tools, and (3) create sustainable means for building evidence of the impact of tool use on teachers’ instruction and students’ participation and learning.  Our research aims to examine the processes employed to create instructional tools that fit inside of curricular resources, classroom tool use and adaptation, and student learning and participation.  This proposal is both timely and essential to build a body of evidence documenting districts’ innovations for instructional improvement and to realize how these efforts may support educational system coherence so vital to improvement.  To realize the full potential of tool design and use for instructional improvement and increased system coherence, leaders, teachers, and university researchers are committed to working in partnership to share and gain insights collaboratively. Contact:  Rebekah Elliott

Developing and Researching K-12 Teacher Leaders Enacting Anti-bias Mathematics Education (DREAM)

DREAM, a collaborative project between Portland State University, Chapman University, Oregon State University, and Teachers Development Group is a Design and Development Level II project, in the National Science Foundation's Discovery Research K-12 Program, Teaching Strand. The purpose of the project is to design, develop, and facilitate an innovative community-centered, job-embedded professional learning model with the aim of enacting anti-bias mathematics education and supporting teacher leadership. There are longstanding calls for anti-bias education in the mathematics classroom (AMTE, NCTM). In particular, there is an increased recognition that engaging all students in mathematics education requires an explicit focus on anti-bias mathematics teacher education. Our cutting-edge model for anti-bias mathematics education professional learning will support two cohorts of teacher leaders for two years each as they work in elementary, middle, and high school settings within urban, suburban, and rural districts who serve racially, ethnically, and socio-economically diverse communities. We will conduct two cycles of development, implementation, reflective analysis of the PD model with two cohorts. Contact:  Rebekah Elliott

Does Institutional Classification Make a Difference?: The Case of Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions

Initiated under the broader Minority Serving Institution (MSI) category, Asian American and Native American, Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI) is an equity-based federal classification used to designate institutions that invest additional resources in supporting low-socioeconomic Asian American and Pacific Islander students. This study utilizes organizational theory to explore how seven of these institutions construct and embody an AANAPISI identity in light of current institutional norms and values. Through interviews, observations, and document analysis, the study seeks to answer the following research questions: How is the AANAPISI identity constructed in light of dominant institutional norms, values and practices? How do institutional agents enact and embody that identity in their behaviors and practices? Answering these questions illuminates a larger question—does this higher education policy matter? Rather than assessing the “effects” of policy on student outcomes, this study examines how federal policy can alter institutional behavior. That is, the extent to which AANAPISIs embody the status’ aims of equity reveals the influence of federal policy on organizational behavior. This project is generously supported by the Spencer Foundation. Contact:  Bach Mai Dolly Nguyen

ESTEME @ OSU

Oregon State University, like many others, is on the brink of a transformation where the bodies of scholarship concerning teaching and learning are being applied inward to comprehensively examine and evolve the institutions own practices. Our focus is in inspiring and studying change concerning teaching and learning in OSU’s large-enrollment introductory STEM courses. The ESTEME @ OSU (Enhancing STEM Education at Oregon State University) project is focusing on increasing the use of evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs) to enhance the effectiveness of STEM classes. The project is supported by the National Science Foundation's WIDER program with project investigators, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate students across the STEM disciplines and the College of Education.  Jana Bouwma-Gearhart is lead researcher concerning the project’s impact on organizational learning and change.  Contact:   Jana Bouwma-Gearhart

From Data to Equity: Exploring data Accessibility and Analysis in Washington State

The project advances an ethnographic approach to explore the landscape of racial data utility to increase school and community data literacy through heightened knowledge of data access and analysis. In partnership with a school district and two community-based organizations (CBOs), we aim to 1) identify barriers to data literacy; 2) provide educational opportunities on data accessibility, and analysis; and 3) gain insights to how agencies, districts and states can address data literacy barriers for schools and communities. Theoretically, the project seeks to understand how changes in racial categorization influence individual and structural perception and behavior across the sector of public education in Washington State. The project is generously funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Contact:  Bach Mai Dolly Nguyen

Innovation and Entrepreneurship: A Seismic Shift in Promotion and Tenure Considerations

Our abilities to align the intellectual capabilities of university faculty with the US innovation economy has profound impacts on society and the larger global economy. This National Science Foundation funded project supports efforts to: 1) explore the current state of faculty members’ innovation and entrepreneurial (I&E) impact within promotion and tenure (P&T) considerations, across US institutions of higher education, and 2) strategically develop a coalition of institutions across US types that can promote structures and processes that inclusively recognize faculty I&E impacts nationally, and 3) document the intra- and inter-institutional successes and challenges to inclusively recognize faculty I&E nationally.  We will (a) disseminate our research to various stakeholders, (b) foster communication and information sharing amongst the higher education ecosystem on I&E, (c) develop and advance best practices and road maps for individual universities to augment their individual P&T guidelines to more inclusively support I&E amongst their faculty, and (d) inform future relevant research. Contact:  Jana Bouwma-Gearhart

Institutional Agents: Exploring High School Counselors' College Knowledge  in California Title I Schools

High school counselors are tasked with helping students in the areas of academic achievement and career development, yet prior research has explained they are under-trained, under-resourced, and/or have limited time to focus, specifically, on college advising.  This exacerbates the claim that low-income children, in particular, are relegated into inferior schools with inadequate resources.  As a result, counselors in this context are not always in a position to offer the substantive knowledge nor resources to support low-income students’ transition to college. Unfortunately, very little research has substantiated what counselors know and the resources they possess to advise low-income students in their transition to college.  To address this gap, the current study will explore the college knowledge of counselors in California Title I high schools.  The current study expands on a previous exploration of what high school counselors in California Title I schools knew about the new National Collegiate Athletic Association eligibility requirements.  Through the lens of institutional agents framework, using a mixed methods exploratory phenomenological approach, we will examine what knowledge and resources counselors in California Title I high schools possess regarding other aspects of the college-going process.  Contact: Tenisha Tevis

Language, Cultural Sustenance and Knowledge-building through Science (LaCuKnoS)

LaCuKnoS is a research and development project to test and refine an instructional model for fostering the interplay of language development, cultural sustaining pedagogies, and disciplinary knowledge building to enhance science learning for all students, with a particular focus on the assets and needs of multilingual learners. The project builds on research begun by Dr. Buxton in Georgia, with funding from the National Science Foundation, and is now being implemented and refined in Oregon. The LaCuKnoS project integrates and applies theories from functional linguistics, cultural studies, and the sociology of knowledge, to address the emerging nexus of new standards for science learning, shifting demographics in schools and society, and the changing workforce landscape for high satisfaction, living wage occupations. Central to the project are co-learning workshops where multilingual learners, their families, their science teachers and the researchers all come together to explore the practices that support the LaCuKnoS model. Contact:  Cory Buxton

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193 Education Research Topics & Ideas

Developing healthcare, engineering, and IT is undoubtedly useful. However, the professionals in these areas do not grow on their own. The education system is the birthplace of all the science geniuses who change our world.

Our specialists will write a custom essay specially for you!

If you’re looking for a research title about education, you’re in the right place! This article contains 193 best education research topics that Custom-writing.org experts have prepared for you.

School issues, educational management, special education, child development, and even the new normal education in this pandemic – everything is collected here!

No matter if you’re a high school, an undergraduate, or a graduate college student, this list of research topics in education will be helpful. Find the perfect idea for your paper, discussion, presentation, or even a dissertation below.

• 🔝 Top 10 Topics
• 👓 How to Choose a Topic

🎓 Education Research Topics List

• 🚌 Special Education
• 👶 Child Development

🔍 References

🔝 research topics in education 2024.

• The future of didactics
• Teaching digital literacy
• What is “learning loss”?
• Augmented reality in the classroom
• Real-time performance data in education
• Cognitive science and learning environments
• Ways of monitoring students’ mental health
• Girls’ education and empowerment
• Mental effects of distance learning
• Online teacher-parent communication
• Distant education in the era of COVID-19 pandemic
• The role of technology in distant learning
• Student-student communication in distance education

👓 How to Choose an Education Research Topic?

If you have decided to start working on an educational research, you can definitely benefit from the following list of tips on how to choose a topic. It is the first writing step on your way to the successful paper.

• Review your previous works. Take a look at the essays and research projects you finished earlier. You may have mentioned an issue there that would be worth a more detailed examination.
• Stay informed about the latest updates in education. You might find some government reports saying about their plan of action. It is an excellent source of the most relevant topics that need to be developed in the nearest future.

• “Go out into the field.” If you don’t work in the area of education, it can be beneficial to visit some schools and colleges. Seeing how all the methods are applied in real life gives some food for thought.
• Dig into literature. You might as well get inspired by reading some acknowledged authors’ works.
• Check out international practices. Don’t be afraid to go out of the limits of the national education system. There are thousands of new approaches applied in different areas of education.

Try at least one of the suggested tips if you feel stuck. Be creative while working on your paper! Use our great collection of funny quotes about education . And keep in mind that we’ve also prepared some speech and research proposal ideas on education.

Just in 1 hour! We will write you a plagiarism-free paper in hardly more than 1 hour

We made a list of educational research topics to make your life easier and save your time! There are 113 great ideas about which way you can start moving:

• Early childhood education : learning through play. We already discussed the importance of education in the development of our society. You see, the personality and mindset of a person are developed in the first years of their lives. Early childhood education is the foundation for the rest of the child’s life.
• Evaluation of the ability grouping method effectiveness. Ability grouping is creating groups of pupils with the same abilities, unlike the more popular age grouping strategy. However, there might be some challenges. For instance, the group should be rearranged if one child starts developing faster. You can research its effectiveness.
• How does the blended learning approach affect students’ performance? Blended learning has been getting more and more popular recently. It is a modern learning approach that combines traditional classes with online materials. It requires strong management skills from students but gives more opportunities in the age of technologies.
• Growing classes: do learning outcomes suffer from it? It looks like there are fewer and fewer professionals willing to teach at schools. But the demand is growing, which results in bigger classes. Teachers can’t possibly split and attend to each and every student with the same level of individual approach. So how does it affect students’ performance ?
• The trends in computer literacy . Nowadays, no one is surprised by a toddler using a tablet or a smartphone without any trouble. Technologies are also incorporated into the learning process. You may write on it with an argumentative approach or see what trends there are and compare them.

• How to recognize which learning style a student needs? There are four learning styles based on different ways students perceive information. For some, it is easier to visualize information; for others, it is all about reading. Look into how schools apply this knowledge, how the best teachers find individual approaches, or how can a study styles quiz help in determining the best educational strategy.
• Should all teachers receive merit pay ? Let’s talk about finances now! Being a teacher is an essential but sometimes tough job. Most teachers overwork and don’t even have weekends. However, they would still receive a standard paycheck. Is it fair? Or should they be paid according to their performance ?
• Standardized testing as a fair judging system. Standardized tests were created to evaluate the performance of the students in all the schools around the country. However, how effective are they? Are the quality of education and budgeting the same in all schools? Many aspects should be taken into consideration.
• From homeschooling to successful careers: an overview. There are many reasons why mothers would prefer homeschooling to public education. However, only one thing matters – its effectiveness. If you know anyone who was studying at home, take this chance to analyze how it affected their current life. It is one of the experimental research topics in education.
• How do children benefit from bilingual education? At the times of globalization, this question is undoubtedly relevant. There are more and more advocates for bilingual education. Studies have shown that kids who study in two or more languages have better cognitive abilities and overall academic achievement.
• Single-sex education vs. mixed-sex education. The division started to honor traditions and religion. You might think that it is in the past… But, today, there are still plenty of separate schools for boys and girls. There are many debates on this issue and an excellent chance to research it from the scientific point of view.
• Where is the line for parental involvement ? It is easily one of the best education research topics. Maybe it is too biased for a thesis but could be excellent as a research paper for majors like psychology and communication. Parental involvement is undoubtedly essential, but is there a limit? Parents sometimes overdo it!
• Boarding schools : advantages & disadvantages. Sometimes parents send their kids to the boarding schools to get rid of them. But often they underestimate the stress that students go under there. Spending all their time on the school premises, even at the weekend. It can be psychologically exhausting.
• How should a proper sex education program look like? Let’s leave the Netflix show aside, though… In real life, it is much less dramatic. But just as important! In many schools, there is a lack of sex ed classes. And even if there are some, they don’t seem to be working… However, this topic is vital for youth health and is worth researching.
• Reforming the school schedule: the most efficient solution. This education research topic list would not be complete without this highlighting this issue. There is no way to satisfy all students’ needs regarding the schedule. But that is what compromises for! Maybe your research can become the next universal solution.
• How can career counseling support high school students? Career counseling might be a good investment for schools. Counselors analyze students’ unique abilities and skills based on the scores as well as their passions. It is also a great chance for students to evaluate their real prospects for a specific career path.
• The benefits of the flipped classroom approach. The flipped classroom approach is kinda a type of blended learning. Students are asked to learn the new material at home. When they get to school, they work through it with a teacher and create discussion groups. But does it really work?
• How does Race to the Top program affect students’ outcomes? Race to the Top is an initiative that helps to reform the education system by giving grants to states. It provides multiple opportunities, such as creating data systems and organizing training for teachers. However, it met a wave of criticism.
• The new solutions to prevent violence at schools . Education is good, but children can be mean to each other. Whenever kids get together, there are always fights. It is hard even dealing with and preventing sounds impossible. But you only need to study some cases of educational institutions in countries like Sweden.
• Why should teachers join teacher unions ? Teacher unions are organizations that connect professionals who want to stand for their rights. It may be extremely beneficial if a teacher seeks legal advice. But is it the only advantage of joining the union? You can elaborate on this topic, which is relevant at all times.
• Adapted physical education vs. usual physical education
• Is busing still relevant, and should it be stopped?
• How to avoid plagiarism?
• Charter schools vs. public schools : compare & contrast
• Online courses interaction: types and effects
• The inclusivity in charter schools
• High school students and vocational education
• Should collaborative learning be applied more in high school?
• Comparing education in USA and in Saudi Arabia
• Do Common Core State Standards succeed in preparing students for college ?
• Evidence-based model and solving problems with school funding
• Why is computer-assisted instruction also necessary for non-IT students?
• Personal lecture results
• Data-based decision making in assessment
• The role of teachers and parents in the discipline : compare & contrast
• Education: qualitative research study roles
• Should time management be taught in schools?
• Education: peer evaluation system
• Do dual enrollment programs put more pressure on high school students?
• College student life: participation, perceptions and satisfaction
• DACA and DREAM act : compare & contrast
• Impacts of teaching detective stories to esl students
• Can Kalamazoo Promise initiative be applied in other states?
• Liberal arts: Otis College of Arts and Design
• Using Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences to create a new learning approach
• Where and how sex education should be conducted among the young people?
• Where is the limit of self-improvement: the case of the No Child Left Behind Act ?
• Homeschooling: argumentation for and against
• School sex education and teenage pregnancy in the United States
• The effect of outcomes-based education on children’s mental health
• Education: financial aid for college students
• The benefits of peer-counseling
• Learning methods: online learning
• School uniform in learning institutions
• Improving oral reading skills to enhance reading comprehension
• The root causes of plagiarism in high school
• Religion in schools: is there a place for it? Pros and cons
• Are plagiarism and dishonesty in childhood connected?
• Should a school choice be a usual practice?
• Education issues: differentiation and technology
• The best school-to-career programs in the country: an overview
• The concept of lifelong learning
• Studying abroad: pros and cons
• Is there still a need for school-to-career programs?
• Addressing bullying in elementary and middle school classrooms
• What is STEM lacking?
• STEAM vs. STEM: compare & contrast
• Peer evaluation system in education
• The ways of integrating technology into the classroom
• College education: arguments for and against
• How to prevent students from being distracted by smartphones ?
• Continuing nursing education: a 3-5 year plan
• Psychology of the high school: why do students become bullies ?
• Adult education: reasons to continue studying
• How to prevent cyberbullying among teenagers?
• Flipped classroom in nursing schools
• Do virtual classrooms lack a personal connection between students and teachers?
• Classroom management and techniques to incorporate in student’s reinforcement plan
• Will virtual classrooms substitute real-life classes in the future?
• Children’s bullying in school
• Is the whole brain teaching method effective for college students?
• Gamification in education practice
• Uniforms : killing individuality or improving discipline?

• Perceptions about relationships around schooling
• Does the zero-tolerance policy violate the law?
• Academic dishonesty and its detrimental effects
• Online education and e-learning: potential and benefits
• The approaches to emotional development in early childhood education
• Understanding student’s professionalism
• Importance of sex education
• Sex education curricula as the factor that reduced the number of pregnancies in Fayette and Shelby counties
• School communication
• Encouraging students in reading and literacy
• The correct ways to minimize plagiarism and cheating
• The role of textbooks in education
• Why do college students drop out of school?
• Social skills vs. general knowledge: what is more important in early childhood education?
• Distance learning and social change
• A school without homework: a case study
• The role of history learning in society
• Public vs. private schools : what affects academic achievement?
• The impact of education on life quality
• Educational experiences and significant career goals
• The most advanced best practices in adult ESL instruction
• College entrance exams in the US and China: the competitiveness
• Information technologies & online learning
• An information overload: what are high school students’ limits?
• The impact of education on life qualityEducation: Internet courses versus traditional courses
• Multicultural education : how does it promote a positive attitude?
• Course evaluation methods
• Critical thinking in education
• Criterion and norm-referenced tests in education

🚌 Special Education Research Topics & Ideas

Special education makes it possible for students with special needs to receive all the individual support they require. There are plenty of interesting special education research topics you can choose from:

• Practical approaches to teaching students with an auditory processing disorder. The percentage of children diagnosed with an auditory processing disorder (APD) is rising. Despite the difficulty in diagnosing, there is believed to be at least 5% of students having this learning disorder. It doesn’t affect the hearing itself but makes it hard for children to process what they hear.
• Music therapy for children on the autism spectrum : what instruments are the most effective? Children on the autism spectrum find it difficult to interact socially. Some studies show that music therapy helps them become more flexible and responsive. In turn, it promotes the development of their social skills. For example, the didgeridoo playing showed significant results.
• Karaoke as a way to help children with learning disorders . Kids with learning disabilities need special care. It is one of the research paper topics on education which can bring a brilliant solution! It has been shown that children with learning disorders did much better in reading tests after doing karaoke-based exercises.

• How does peer support help children with disabilities socialize in the classroom? We have already mentioned a topic related to peer review, which is quite a good one for the thesis. Here, you can study how peers can help their classmates with special needs. It is especially relevant for schools with inclusivity policies.
• Cooperative learning & students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder . Cooperative learning is vital in early childhood. Most schools choose this approach because of its apparent benefits. However, kids with ADHD might see it as a real challenge. Look into the best ways to engage them in cooperative learning activities without harm.
• Social skills : the best time for children with EBD to learn them. It is one of the research topics in social studies education. Secondary school becomes a tough period for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. It is the time when social skills training is as relevant for them as never before. However, what is the best time to start SST?
• How to develop self-determination in children with disabilities ? Self-determination is one of the most vital components of growing up. Every independent human being needs to have it developed. But what about children with special needs? Since they rely heavily on support, it is the educators’ responsibility to help them build self-determination.
• What are the negative sides of the response to intervention approach ? Response to intervention is not a new method. However, it has appeared to be controversial. It not only focuses on children with special needs but on every student who struggles to achieve a specific level. Some evaluations show its ineffectiveness, though.
• Inclusive classes vs. special education . It is one of the most relevant child development research paper topics. Special education classes were created out of fear that students with learning disabilities cannot reach the same level of academic achievement in usual courses. However, it seems that the performance is the same in both approaches.
• How does grade retention affect children with learning disabilities ? Even frequent testing can be a stress for any student. How do children with learning disorders feel then? What’s more, they are put under more pressure if they need to repeat the year? Therefore, some particular approaches need to be applied to prevent it.
• Why should students with learning disabilities be included in the Adequate Yearly Progress evaluation?
• Is a foreign language learning disability a real thing?
• Learning disabilities : when is a child’s communication considered delayed?
• Are students more engaged in self-directed IEP classes?
• Teaching communication skills for students with autism
• Zero-tolerance policy & students with special needs
• Assessing students with learning problems
• Strategies for addressing individual needs in special education
• How effective is the Reading Recovery program?
• Inquiry in the field of education: critical and historical analysis of inclusion of students with disabilities
• Early intervention & students with hearing disabilities
• Inclusive classes & bullying prevention
• Technology integration for children with learning disabilities
• Education for students with autism in Saudi Arabia
• Blended learning & children on the autism spectrum: pros and cons
• Special education & trauma-informed learning
• Should twice-exceptional students still get a special education approach?
• What are the causes of disproportionality in special education?
• Self-monitoring & students with learning disabilities
• How does virtual reality help students with autism adapt to stressful real-life situations?
• Homeschooling children with learning disorders
• How to prevent special education teachers from burnouts?
• Co-teaching & special education
• Is full inclusion a good idea?
• Student-led planning to promote independence in special education
• Early detection & learning disabilities

👶 Child Development Research Topics & Ideas

Child development is a vast area since it covers both the physical and mental development of a child from birth to adulthood. Below you can find 30 child development research topics suitable for your project or even a dissertation!

• Mother-child connection: how does stress affect a child’s wellbeing? Everyone knows about the mother-child connection, but not many know how deep it is. During pregnancy, a woman can get into a stressful situation. It may cause chemical reactions in the brain of a child, which, in turn, affects its future health.
• What role do genes play in child development ? Some of us are used to blaming genes for one thing or another. However, it appears that the environment in which we grow up is much more critical. You can debate on how a child’s environment cases chemical modifications in genes.
• How does living in a community affect child development ? Of course, parents are the primary caregivers for small children. On the other hand, there are advocates for shared responsibilities. In communities, kids interact mostly with close neighbors. A child is open to more experience this way. Elaborate on this topic.

• Child development : does it slow down after the third birthday? It is true that in the first three years of life, children develop the most basic brain functions very actively. However, it doesn’t mean that after that they can’t learn anything new! So what areas of the brain stop active development after the child’s third birthday, if any?
• How is neglecting and ignoring your child worse than physical punishment? Physical violence against children is addressed as one of the main issues in child development. Undoubtedly, it has incredibly adverse effects on a child’s mental health. However, neglect is often omitted. It may cause severe disruptions in the healthy social life and development of a child.
• Childhood trauma & happy life. Children who faced violence or any other unpleasant experience have a higher risk of developing stress-related disorders. On the other hand, it is not a rule. If a child gets sufficient support as soon as possible, traumas may just become a neutral life experience for them.
• What care should traumatized children be provided? It is not enough to just save a child from a traumatizing environment. They can still feel insecure even in safe and predictable surroundings. This situation would require more than one action. A child needs therapeutic care for sooner recovery.
• Child development: coping with troubles alone or in a team? Usually, parents try to teach their children to become more independent. Being brave and only relying on yourself is promoted as socially acceptable behavior. But scientists found out that it’s not individualism that helps to overcome obstacles but supportive relationships.
• Responsive relationships & child development . It appears that having a healthy relationship with parents in childhood is related to having good mental health. Parents should practice responsive relationships with their children. It promotes healthy brain development and resilience in kids. You can research this connection.
• Why should parents teach core life skills to their children? Children are capable of learning how to adapt to life on their own. But researchers highlight that parents can significantly help in this process by teaching core life skills to children. This scaffolding process helps kids learn, develop, and make healthy life choices.
• Why is reducing stress essential for child development?
• Family factors that shape children’s behavior
• How does the process of building neural connections change with time?
• Why is it essential to respond to the child’s interaction actions?
• Child development: using the early plasticity at full
• How emotional health and social skills affect a child’s future career?
• Toxic stress & child development
• What effect does divorce cause in child development?
• Video games & child development: pros and cons
• What does single parenting mean for the development of a child?
• Can a child develop normally without a father’s love?
• Can food supplements help to develop a child’s cognitive abilities?
• Postpartum depression & child development
• Does verbal abuse have the same effect on a child as physical punishment ?
• Should beauty pageants be banned as a threat to healthy child development?
• How soon should mothers end maternity leave?
• Child development in low-income families
• How does graphic violence in animations and movies affect child development ?
• Child development & mother’s mental illness
• Is daycare right for child development ?
• Child development : how do children adopt parents’ beliefs?

🤔 Education Research FAQs

Research in education is important because it contributes to the development in the field. Proving theories, creating new methodologies, and practical solutions are all the outcomes of the research in the education area. It plays a vital role – bringing innovation and progress. It also enables teachers to perfect the learning processes for the benefit of the students.

Research is important in child development because it helps find ways to improve children’s quality of life. Environment, teachers, and relationships have a profound impact on child development. All the children’s basic needs should be met to secure their healthy development. Therefore, it is crucial to find the best solutions for any issues arising in those three aspects. That is why the research is done in child development.

It may not be easy to design and evaluate research in education, but comprehensive guidelines make the process much smoother. First of all, choose the topic you want to work on. Then think about the research methodologies and pick the one which works best. After that, be ready to spend quite a while on the steps like data analysis and writing research proposals.

Action research in education is anything related to evaluating and analyzing issues and weak spots in the learning process. Unlike other types of research, this one is very practical. It may help teachers transition from the old methodologies to newer and more effective ones. Teachers get practical solutions to solve problems in the education process and meet the special needs of their students.

Both culture and ethics influence child development research in many ways. It is especially important if your research is done internationally. Cultural differences should be taken into consideration while collecting and analyzing data. Ethics, on the other hand, influences the whole process. While researching early childhood development, for example, remember about consent and anonymity of the groups.

Learn more on this topic:

• 280 Good Nursing Research Topics & Questions
• 226 Research Topics on Criminal Justice & Criminology
• 204 Research Topics on Technology & Computer Science
• 178 Best Research Titles about Cookery & Food
• 497 Interesting History Topics to Research
• 110+ Micro- & Macroeconomics Research Topics
• 417 Business Research Topics for ABM Students
• 190+ Research Topics on Psychology & Communication
• 512 Research Topics on HumSS
• 281 Best Health & Medical Research Topics
• 501 Research Questions & Titles about Science
• A List of Research Topics for Students. Unique and Interesting
• Good Research Topics, Titles and Ideas for Your Paper
• Databases for Research & Education: Gale
• Top Tips on Choosing a Topic for Your Education Research Project: Acedemia
• InBrief: The Science of Early Childhood Development (Harvard University)
• Child Development: Research (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Topics in Early Childhood Special Education: SAGE Journals
• PhD Research Topics: Department of Education, University of York
• Early childhood education: UNICEF
• Early Childhood Education: Australian Council for Educational Research
• Do the Effects of Early Childhood Programs on Academic Outcomes Vary by Gender? A Meta-Analysis (2011 SREE Conference Abstract Template)
• Research in Education: Ontario Ministry of Education
• Center for Education Policy Research: Harvard University
• Research: School of Education, University of Queensland
• Faculty & Research: School of Education, University of Pittsburgh
• Education Research Section: Princeton University
• Engaging with educational research: free course (OpenLearn)
• Education in a Changing World: NSW Government
• Research areas: The University of Sydney, School of Education and Social Work
• Faculty & Research: Stanford, Graduate School of Education
• Special Education: UW College of Education
• Special Education: Michigan State University
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Rick Hess Straight Up

Education policy maven Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute think tank offers straight talk on matters of policy, politics, research, and reform. Read more from this blog.

Is Education Research Too Political?

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On Monday, I talked with departing Institute of Education Sciences Director Mark Schneider, who just wrapped up his six-year term. In our conversation, he argued for newer and better research centers at IES, along with a heightened commitment to producing timely and accessible reports. Well, as anyone who knows Mark well can attest, he almost always has more to say. I thought I’d reach back out and see if he had anything else he wanted to get off his mind. Here is Part Two of our conversation.

Rick: On Monday, you mentioned that Marguerite Roza, Emily Oster, and Sean Reardon are doing good, serious work on education topics and releasing it in a timely fashion. Can you say a bit about what they’re doing right and why NCES isn’t meeting that need?

Mark : As noted on Monday, the most telling example is the collection of school-level finance data. Not only are these data required by law, they are also among the most important pieces of information needed to understand the distribution of resources and to relate detailed expenditure data to school outcomes. But despite years of pressure—from Jim Blew, who headed the policy division of ED during the last few years of the DeVos era, from me, and from many others—NCES has never produced timely district financial data and has yet to produce complete school-by-school financials. District financials are released more than two years after the close of the fiscal year, and school-by-school financial pilot data dating back to FY18 have not yet been released. Looking ahead, NCES has promised to release its first set of complete FY22 school-level financials at the end of 2024—again, over two years after the close of the fiscal year . Assuming NCES meets its promise—a risky bet, given past missed deadlines—this would be “fast” by government standards—but far too slow to meet real-world needs.

Rick : What’s responsible for this?

Mark: Much of the problem is that NCES uses an antiquated approach to data collection, issuing a uniform survey that doesn’t match up to different state systems and then waiting for all submissions before releasing datasets. In contrast, teams from Georgetown, Brown, Stanford, and others grab data directly from the source and then convert them into a more standardized format. Teams then release the state-by-state files as they are available instead of holding it all until the very last state has a clean file. The process is far faster. For instance, Georgetown’s NERD$ site—run by Roza—is posting FY23 school-by-school financial files for some states in as few as six to eight months after the close of the fiscal year. With the quick turnaround, district leaders can, for example, marry the finance data with Stanford’s SEDA performance data and use it to inform decisions during the next budget season.

Rick : OK. So, what’s some of this other work that you flagged?

Mark : Similarly, Emily Oster’s work on school closures during the pandemic was released faster than NCES’s and its coverage was more comprehensive. In part because of NCES’s lagging performance, I was able to get additional money from Congress to set up the School Pulse Survey, which has finally given NCES a tool for gathering close to real-time information about conditions in schools. Fair warning, though: NCES calls it “experimental,” which means they are lying in wait to encumber it with more and more statistical tests that will likely delay the release of the data.

Oster and Sean Reardon have also been far ahead of NCES in gathering and releasing detailed data on student performance. Reardon’s Educational Opportunity Project presents detailed and timely information about COVID-related learning loss and recovery. Oster is also working on releasing more detailed and extensive data on student assessment from all states. To this point, they have released data through 2023. In contrast, NCES’s EdFacts promised the 2022 data in December 2023, but it’s not been released yet. Here’s an additional wrinkle: Oster did her work with one salaried employee and a team of undergrads. EdFacts costs around $13 million per year.

Rick : I’ve been struck that, during Secretary Cardona’s tenure, political appointees have gotten far more involved in the release of NAEP results and used the releases to promote administration talking points more than they have in past administrations. How concerned should we be about IES getting caught up in our partisan divides?

Mark: I was both lucky and happy to serve during both the Trump and Biden administrations. Although appointed by Trump, I have found that most of my dealings with senior leaders appointed by Biden have been quite good. But will that political distance and professionalism hold in a second administration of either major candidate? The signs are not good. For instance, IES has an advisory board called the National Board of Education Sciences, or NBES. When the Obama administration was on its way out the door, it tried to fill NBES with their appointees. However, the commissions were never fully executed, and the Trump administration refused to honor the unfinished appointments. Both administrations were within their legal rights to take these actions—but we will still need to see what political ramifications follow.

When I assumed the IES director’s role about halfway through the Trump administration, there were few people on the board, all holdovers from the Obama administration. It was very hard to get the White House to pay attention to the open seats, and I was only able to get three people, all high quality, appointed to the board. At the end of 2020, on his way out the door, Trump appointed a whole bunch of people to the board, many of whose qualifications raised eyebrows. When Biden took office, those commissions had not been finalized, leaving the board consisting of the three people I was able to get appointed. One morning, each of them received an email saying that they had to resign by the end of the day or be fired. The administration then appointed 14 people to the 15-person board. I fear that if the Republicans win the presidency this fall, they will fire the board and replace it with people more to their liking, making what should be a nonpartisan science board highly politicized. I can’t help but wonder if that will lead to the politicization of the director’s tenure.

Rick: Looking outside of IES, it certainly feels to me like the professional education research organizations have become increasingly ideological over the years. Is that a valid criticism? If so, what might help?

Mark: I agree. In 1996, mathematics professor Alan Sokal published the paper “ Transgressing the Boundaries: Towards a Transformative Hermeneutics of Quantum Gravity ” as a hoax to show the shallowness of postmodern critical theory. When he wrote it, I’m sure he was hoping to put an end to that line of work. But, as James Meigs notes in a 2021 Commentary piece: “Sokal meant his essay as a parodic warning. Twenty-five years later, it appears that the Sokal Hoax was actually an instruction manual.” Rick, as you recall, for years, as the AERA annual conference approached, you would go through the program and identify what you considered the most bizarre takes on education. I’m not sure that you could do this today, since you’d have to publish just about the entire program.

Rick: Oh, man, that takes me back. Yeah, I eventually gave that up. I’d hoped that shame could help discourage some of the sillier stuff, but it felt, like you note, that the silly stuff won out. Why is that?

Mark: Education research is highly ideologically driven. If DEI has affected more established and rigorous sciences, which it has, then what can we expect from a far weaker scientific field such as ours? As Meigs noted about Sokal’s paper turning into an instruction manual, I guess your lists could be viewed as a guide to the future work in education.

Rick: Here’s a final question. If you could leave your successor at IES with one piece of advice, what would it be?

Mark: My daughter told me that she learned this parable while in business school.

A new executive is meeting with the executive she is replacing and asks for advice. The outgoing exec says, “I left three envelopes in the desk drawer. Open them sequentially as crises emerge.”

Sure enough, at the inevitable first crisis, the new exec opened the first envelop, which read: “Blame your predecessor.” At the second crisis, the exec opened the second envelop, which read: “Apologize and swear to do better.” Then the third crisis showed up, and the third envelop read: “Write three letters.”

When I pass the baton, I hope that I have gotten IES a little further down the track than people expected. But the race is long, there’s a lot of work left unfinished, and the demand for accountability and innovation won’t go away any time soon.

Oh, and finally, the next director should pray that we don’t have another pandemic. While there are many reasons we should hope never to see a pandemic again, from a narrow perspective, COVID punched a two-year hole in my tenure, limiting what I was able to accomplish.

The opinions expressed in Rick Hess Straight Up are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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College of Education Awarded $4 Million in Grant Funding From October 2023 Through March 2024

Faculty and researchers at the NC State College of Education, including the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research and the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation , were awarded $4,090,192 to support 23 projects from Oct. 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024.

Editor’s note: All dollar amounts listed are reflective of the grant funding awarded directly to the College of Education and do not include funding awarded to other collaborators. 

NC State STEM Education Scholars Program

This $1,176,730 grant from the National Science Foundation will develop the NC State STEM Education Scholars program to increase the number of highly qualified teacher candidates in secondary science and mathematics by reducing financial barriers to teaching, provide participants with targeted experiences to develop teacher candidates’ pedagogical content knowledge with a focus on building community funds of knowledge and increase STEM teacher retention by providing ongoing professional development. Associate Dean of Research and Innovation Karen Hollebrands is the project’s principal investigator. Assistant Teaching Professor of Science Education Matt Reynolds is a co-principal investigator on the project. 

NSF CAREER: Supporting Teachers to Leverage Students’ Languages in Mathematics

This $926,102 National Science Foundation CAREER grant will be used to partner with a mathematics department at a public middle school to co-design, analyze and improve teachers’ translanguaging pedagogies to draw on students’ full linguistic repertoires as resources for their learning and help teachers, teacher educators and researchers to better understand how students’ languages can be leveraged as a resource for mathematical learning. Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education Samantha Marshall is the project’s principal investigator.

NSF CAREER: Integrating Robotics and Socio-emotional Learning for Incarcerated Middle School Students

This $587,700 National Science Foundation CAREER grant aims to provide new choices to confined youth by developing and investigating robotics learning activities within a juvenile justice alternative education program and engaging pre-service teachers in mentoring youth participants. Assistant Professor of Technology, Engineering, and Design Education Daniel Kelly is the project’s principal investigator.

Examining Rural Dual Language Programs, Multilingual Learners, and Rural Community Cultural Wealth

This $413,811 grant from the Spencer Foundation will examine rural dual-language immersion education programs, the rural community ecosystems in which they operate and how rural educators of multilingual students leverage the linguistic resources of their students and families. Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Educational Equity Maria Coady is the project’s principal investigator. Assistant Teaching Professor Joanna Koch is a co-principal investigator on the project. 

Falls Lake Partners in Forensic Science II

This grant from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund will kindle students’ interest in aquatic science careers through short interactive presentations. Professor of Technology, Design, and Engineering Education Aaron Clark will serve as personnel on the project. 

Project Connect

This $157,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education will provide a comprehensive formative and summative evaluation of Project Connect from the Program Evaluation and Education Research (PEER) group at the Friday Institute for Educational Evaluation. Director of Program Evaluation and Education Research Callie Womble Edwards is a co-principal investigator on the project. 

Validation of the Equity and Access Rubrics for Mathematics Instruction (VEAR-MI)

This $152,733 grant from the National Science Foundation will facilitate the analysis of cognitive interview data from the VEAR-MI project as well as the analysis of mathematics lesson videos. Associate Professor of Mathematics Education Temple Walkowiak is a co-principal investigator on the project. 

Project Read: Reading Extension Activation and Deliver

This $151,196 grant from the Mebane Foundation will launch and deliver a reading-specific extension initiative in connection with convenings that will be held through a partnership between the College of Education and NC State Extension. Assistant Dean for Professional Education and Accreditation Erin Horne is the project’s principal investigator. 

Project Adding Direct Support (ADS)

This $85,555 grant from the U.S. Department of Education will uncover in-service needs related to school counseling, create a recruitment plan, conduct a community needs assessment and develop the planning and implementation of trauma-informed, equity-focused virtual training sessions that will be offered to school social workers and social work programs across North Carolina. Professor of Counselor Education Stan Baker is the project’s principal investigator. Assistant Professor of Counselor Education Rolanda Mitchell is a co-principal investigator on the project. 

IRIS Center

This $71,183 grant from the U.S. Department of Education will help develop and disseminate digital, open educational resources – including training modules and online tools – for Vanderbilt University’s IRIS Center with the goal of supporting educators’ use of evidence-based practices. Assistant Teaching Professor of Elementary Education and Special Education Jordan Lukins is the project’s principal investigator.

Hattie’s Influences on Student Achievement Under an Institutionally Racist System: What Works for Black & Brown Students

This $68,742 grant from the William T. Grant Foundation will fund a study revisiting Hattie’s List to identify and restrict the original studies to only those that include American Black and Brown students and conduct a new meta-analysis based on that data. Assistant Professor of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis Lam Pham is the project’s principal investigator.

Citizen Math: Using Math Class to Create Informed, Thoughtful, and Productive Citizens

This $61,739 grant from the U.S. Department of Education will enable the Friday Institute’s Professional Learning and Leading Collaborative team to engage middle school administrators and teachers from across North Carolina in order to recruit study cohort participants for a scalable, low-cost program that addresses issues of societal importances in ways that engage students while developing social-emotional skills and rigorous mathematics learning. Friday Institute Senior Research Scholar Emmy Coleman is the project’s principal investigator. 

Empathy and AI: Towards Equitable Microtransit

This $59,450 grant from the National Science Foundation aims to identify, test and evaluate technologically enabled and community-supported solutions for equitably distributing travel demand over time for on-demand public transportation services with a focus on understanding the feasibility and tradeoffs involved in enabling and incentivizing prosocial behavior. Associate Professor of English Education Crystal Chen Lee is a co-principal investigator on the project. 

Understanding the Long-term Effects Adaptation Strategies on Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Ocracoke Island through Co-Production

This $37,933 grant from the U.S. National Park Service will use a barrier island model and adapt participatory modeling and deliberative dialogue approaches while using best practices for co-producing decision-relevant science in order to co-create a process and tools that will support adaptation planning along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and surrounding communities. Associate Professor of Science Education K.C. Busch is the principal investigator for NC State. 

Hosting the USGS Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center

This $32,106 grant from the United States Geological Survey, will bring partners, community members and researchers together to discuss global change impacts and train graduate students on how to use and develop global change science. Associate Professor of Science Education K.C. Busch will serve as senior personnel on the project. 

Asset Inventory: Eastern NC Digital Equity

This $27,202 grant from the Camber Foundation will enable NC State’s Institute for Emerging Issues and the Friday Institute to collaborate with the Camber Foundation to support data collection and analysis in the development of Digital Equity Asset Inventories in three eastern North Carolina Councils of Governments to include in their digital inclusion plans. Friday Institute Associate Director of Program Evaluation and Educational Research Erin Huggins is a co-principal investigator on the project. 

Inclusion Diversity Equity & Accessibility (Ideas) To Forestry and Renewable Energy Careers

This $25,982 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will leverage scholarship funds with existing initiatives in the NC State College of Natural Resources to improve access to forestry and renewable energy careers and graduate education among Indigenous, Black and Hispanic/Latino populations as well as women. Friday Institute Director of Program Evaluation and Education Research Callie Womble Edwards is a co-principal investigator on the project. 

Virtual Training to Manage Legal Risk for Turkey Producers and Processors

This $14,736 grant from the USDA will contribute to the development of a virtual, on-demand education program to help turkey producers and processors manage legal risk regarding animal welfare using engaging multimedia methods presented in both English and Spanish. Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Educational Equity Maria Coady is a co-principal investigator on the project. 

NC State Improvement Project IHE Partnership

This $10,556 grant from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction will prepare teachers to implement research-based curriculum, employ high-yield instructional practices and utilize an assessment system to make instructional decisions. Assistant Teaching Professor of Elementary Education and Special Education Jordan Lukins is the project’s principal investigator.

Preparing the New Teacher Workforce to Foster Deeper Learning

This $10,000 grant from Stanford University will contribute to the design and piloting of new online modules and supplementary resources aimed at developing pre-service teachers’ capacity to draw on learning science to effectively foster deeper learning. Director of Professional Education Sarah Cannon is the project’s principal investigator. 

Data at Work Course Development and Pilot

This $9,944 grant from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will support the NC State Data Science Academy in facilitating the development, piloting, and assessment of a customized course for the Early Childhood Division to help participants understand data, tools and analysis within the context of their work at DHHS. Friday Institute Senior Research Scholar Gemma Mojica will serve as an evaluator on the project. 

PK-2 North Carolina Math Convening

This $8,300 grant from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund supported a convening of an interdisciplinary group of experts in Pre-K-2 mathematics teaching and learning to examine areas of agreement and disagreement related to mathematics education, special education and cognitive science. Dean Paola Sztajn is the project’s principal investigator. 

Building Eastern North Carolina Teachers’ Understanding of Climate Change and Community Resiliency

This $1,000 grant from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund will enable 20 educators from Eastern North Carolina to participate in a series of virtual and in-person experiences to build a statewide perspective on climate change and climate resiliency. Friday Institute Research Scholar Kevin Winn serves as personnel on the project. 

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RTNN Wins 2024 Opal Mann Green Engagement and Scholarship Award 

Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Educational Equity Maria Coady Receives Leadership Through Research Award from AERA Second Language Research SIG 

Assistant Professor of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis Lam Pham Receives NC State’s 2023-24 Outstanding Teacher Award 

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Provost IMPACT Award supports innovation in education, clinical care and research for dental students

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 16, 2024) — The Institutional Multidisciplinary Paradigm to Accelerate Collaboration and Transformation (IMPACT) Awards were launched in 2023 to champion the necessary and groundbreaking work done by  University of Kentucky  faculty and other campus community members.

The inaugural IMPACT Awards total more than $600,000 — with a particular emphasis on proposals that are transdisciplinary, innovative and aligned with some aspect of The UK-PURPOSE, the UK Strategic Plan.

In 2024, IMPACT will continue to fund projects similarly aimed at supporting the university to continue leading in teaching, research, service and care.

This spring, UKNow is highlighting the 2023 IMPACT Award projects and the faculty who are leading them. Today, we learn more about the College of Dentistry’s project titled “Dental Integrated Research Education and Clinical Training” (DIRECT).

Luciana Shaddox , D.D.S., Ph.D., the associate dean for research and director of the Center for Oral Health Research (COHR); Craig Miller , D.M.D., associate dean for faculty development; and Emily Winfrey , D.M.D., associate dean for academic affairs, are leading the project that focuses on innovation in education and integrated clinical care and research in the College of Dentistry.

The main goal of this project is to develop training and mentoring strategies in collaborative clinical translational research that engage both clinical faculty and dental and graduate students in opportunities that will enhance appreciation and knowledge of evidence-based practice and inspire future engagement in research and academia.

The objectives of this proposal are to:

• Develop and re-design the curriculum to increase exposure to research methodology, evidence-based practices, teaching skills and opportunities, and integrated patient care.
• Develop collaborative research mentoring and training opportunities in interdisciplinary care and clinical-translational research.
• Develop the necessary infrastructure to enable and engage participation of students and faculty in integrated clinical care and research initiatives via cross-college transdisciplinary collaborative projects.

UKNow caught up with the research team to learn more about the project. You can read more in the Q&A session below.

How has the IMPACT award inspired innovation at UK with your research?

The IMPACT proposal has been an excellent propeller for the College of Dentistry. Collaborative interdisciplinary care team interactions have increased which will lead to increased opportunities for interdisciplinary data collection and pilot projects.

Funds are also being utilized to promote a research development series for students and faculty. The series includes participation of faculty from Nursing and Public Health, as well as representatives of UK centers (CCTS, libraries and the Proposal Development Office (PDO) office). Upon completing the series, participants will be able to apply for pilot funding, helping encourage multidisciplinary teams of junior and senior faculty members, as well as a student mentee (undergraduate or professional) engagement in research.

What positive impact will your research have on Kentucky and beyond?

We believe our clinical interdisciplinary model of professional education and research during direct patient care will serve as a great educational tool to improve training of our students as well as a model for comprehensive and integrative care to other schools around the US. We intend to publish a manuscript on this model by the end of this semester and submit it to the journal of American Dental Education.

How did you decide on this particular topic or research area?

Integration of care is the future of our profession. The mouth is connected to the body. Funding is increasing in this area as the clinical impact, scientific basis, and significance of integrated care increases. With Epic, the electronic health record used by UK HealthCare, we already have an integrated care software and an integrated care clinic. Putting our faculty to work together in an integrated educational clinical care setting and encouraging them to think of proper questions in that setting and collect proper data is the logical first step to achieving the best care and generating new evidence to further enhance this care. What comes next for your research? 

The interdisciplinary teams will submit proposals for pilot studies next. This will hopefully spark greater collaborative work among the disciplines involved and also generate preliminary data for external proposal development and submissions.

As part of this initiative of integration of care, our Kentucky Oral Health Innovation Initiative group also submitted a couple of proposals Medicine (EXCEL initiative focused on diabetes and periodontal care integration and NIH R21 submission focused on periodontal disease and long COVID associations).

Most importantly, we intend to gather enough data and experience in this model to develop a school-based dental practice network proposal to the NIDCR under the same name: DIRECT (Dental Integrated Research Education and Clinical Training).

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.   

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Combining Childhood Education and Nutrition to Cultivate Bright Futures in Senegal

Khady Coulibaly, volunteer teacher, and her students at a community preschool classroom.

Photo credit: Ousseynou Ndiaye, Project Implementation Unit (PIU), Ministry of Family.

Key Highlights

• Early childhood interventions benefited 14 million mothers and children in Senegal between 2020 and 2024.
• More than 10 million children aged 0 to 23 months in targeted regions benefit from vital nutrition and early stimulation interventions between 2020 and 2024.
• Early childhood interventions resulted in a decrease in stunting from 21 percent to 18 percent (2015-2019), as well as an increase in birth registration from 43 to 73 percent (2018-2023).
• An estimated 92,300 girls and 94,500 boys benefited from improved early learning services. 
• With the help of 900 religious leaders, the National Nutrition Enhancement Program (CNDN) developed a key initiative to advocate for increased investments and parental involvement in early childhood development. 
• Multi-sectoral collaboration involving national agencies, ministries, and technical partners has been crucial for effective implementation.

Addressing the multifaceted issues of poverty and inequality in Senegal, as in West Africa as a whole, represents a critical development challenge. Senegal currently ranks in the lowest quintile of the Human Development Index (HDI), ranked 170 of the 190 countries surveyed 1 , with 9.2 percent of the population living on less than $2.15 a day. While poverty figures are lower than some neighboring countries, such as Mali (15 percent), Guinea (14 percent), and Guinea Bissau (22 percent), they underscore the substantial hurdles facing the region. Rural areas in Senegal bear a disproportionate burden: they contain just over more than half the population (53 percent) but are home to 80 percent of chronically poor and vulnerable households. The impact is particularly severe on young children, as 85 percent of the poorest households have children under the age of five, and poverty adversely affects their nutrition, health, and education 2 . 

Regarding nutrition, a significant proportion of infants, 64 percent, are not exclusively breastfed, and 93 percent of young children do not receive a minimum acceptable diet, thus hampering their growth and educational prospects. The gravity of the situation poses a threat to Senegal's achievement of key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In the education sector, despite a significant increase of over ten percentage points between 2000 and 2020, the proportion of children attending pre-school is still low compared to the regional average, with a rate of 18 percent for girls and 16 percent for boys in Senegal. This compares to an average of 24 percent for both sexes in the West and Central Africa region 3 . Thus, pre-school education reaches a small proportion of the country's school-age population; it is primarily a concern of the middle- and upper-income classes, who live in cities and see the benefits of pre-schooling for their children's success. Additionally, in both rural and urban areas, many parents prefer to give their children a religious education from an early age.

Despite Senegal's robust economic growth—consistently surpassing 6 percent annually from 2014 to 2020—inclusive development remains a challenge. Although government spending on social sectors averages 30 percent, there is a discernible gap in translating economic growth into widespread prosperity. The presence of a fragmented institutional framework and the lack of strong leadership compounds the complexities faced in achieving sustainable and inclusive development in Senegal. Difficulties in making progress spurred engagement with multiple actors and cross-sectoral coordination to tackle underlying challenges.

Aligned with the government’s Plan Senegal Emergent, and its Second Priority Action Plan (2019-2023), the World Bank's strategic focus emphasizes early childhood interventions, expanding access to services in marginalized rural and peri-urban areas, and enhancing the efficiency and transparency of governance institutions and social protection systems. The Investing in Early Years for Human Development Project support to this plan is twofold, involving support to both the education and nutrition sectors.

The Investing in Early Years for Human Development Project builds on the Investing in Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (ISMEA) Project, a World Bank initiative supporting maternal and child health services. Both projects have divided geographic regions during the same time period to ensure widespread coverage, implementing consistent early nutrition and stimulation activities nationwide. This collaborative approach aims to enhance the impact and reach of crucial initiatives to support early childhood development.

The World Bank's support for Senegal’s National Nutrition Enhancement Program (CNDN) is a pivotal initiative in the battle against poverty and malnutrition . As such, the Investing in Early Years for Human Development Project incorporates support for the CNDN, which is designed to dismantle the numerous barriers that families, especially women, encounter in accessing quality nutrition and resources for their households. The CNDN works with local communities and religious leaders to provide a stronger foundation for Senegalese children. Notably, the engagement of over 900 religious leaders plays a crucial role in advocating for increased investments and parental involvement in early childhood development. 

The CNDN has embraced a multifaceted approach over the years, implementing cross-sectoral and innovative practices to empower women in rural and semi-urban areas grappling with high rates of food insecurity and acute malnutrition in infants. These practices encompass child nutrition and early stimulation in the crucial first 1,000 days by leveraging new technologies to strengthen existing systems, as well as promoting essential family health and nutrition practices. The success of this novel approach hinges on the empowerment of women and the prioritization of community assets. 

The Investing in Early Years for Human Development Project also aims to support quality education. Thus, it undertakes innovative partnerships with Koranic schools, known as Daaras in Senegal, an approach that has proven to be highly effective. Performance-based contracts with Daaras ensure the integration of at least 10 hours per week of quality, play-based early learning, thereby fostering cognitive and social development, as well as early literacy and math skills that can further advance children’s educational development. The project also supports the creation of community pre-school classes (CPCs) and the launching of the Read@Home initiative. By distributing story books in Arabic, French, and seven Senegalese languages, the Read@Home initiative aims to reach 50 percent of all children under the age of six in seven regions, particularly those with the lowest early childhood development outcomes.

Despite daunting challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and government restructuring, since 2018 the Project has displayed remarkable progress and tangible achievements. 

A standout accomplishment is the transformative impact for over 10 million children , 52 percent of those aged 0-23 months in targeted regions, who benefited from vital nutrition and early stimulation interventions . This represents a remarkable surge from a mere 19 percent in 2018, underscoring the Investing in Early Years for Human Development Project’s prowess in reaching and positively impacting a significant segment of the intended demographic.

Beyond education, the initiative has made substantial strides in improving birth registration rates for children aged 0-5 years, surging from 43 percent to a 73 percent . This achievement is of particular importance because birth registration is a prerequisite to enrollment in schools at an appropriate age and grade level, as well as to better targeted nutritional support. 

The Investing in Early Years for Human Development Project’s focus on gender inclusivity is evident, particularly its emphasis on girls' access to quality early learning services. Direct interventions have resulted in over 92,000 girls and over 94,000 boys benefiting from improved early learning services .

Beneficiary Quote

Sokhna and her son, Khalifa Babacar Thiandoum. Thiekene village in the department of Pout, Thies region, Senegal.

Photo credit: Lamine Ndao, Senegal - National Nutrition Enhancement Program (SE-CNDN).

Data Highlights

Source: PIPADHS Project Monitoring and Evaluation team (World Bank).

Bank Group Contribution

The Investing in Early Years for Human Development Project, funded by a $75 million grant from the International Development Association (IDA), unfolds as a comprehensive initiative. This endeavor allocates $37 million to sow the seeds of health and development in the first 1,000 days. It also dedicates an additional $22 million to fostering quality early learning. Additional components build on this base, with an allocation of $11 million toward child protection and system strengthening to ensure resilience and safety for the most vulnerable. 

Partners 

The Investing in Early Years for Human Development Project's multi-sectoral approach necessitates collaboration with key stakeholders directly engaged in its implementation. This includes the National Council for Nutrition Development (CNDN); the Ministry of National Education (MEN); the Ministry of Family, Women and Child Protection (MFFPE); and the National Agency for Early Childhood Development (ANPECTP). To facilitate coordination, a dynamic multi-sectoral Technical Working Group has been established. It is chaired by the Secretary-General of the MFFPE and comprised of technical officers from the three implementing structures and the Project Implementation Unit (PIU). Building on a longstanding partnership dating back to the 2000s, the World Bank collaborates closely with the CNDN, resulting in a substantial expansion of early year services encompassing nutrition, stimulation, and protection within the Project. Implementation is further enriched by the involvement of entities, such as the Birth Registration Agency, as well as technical partners including the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Save The Children, ChildFund, the Associates in Research and Education for Development (ARED), La Lumiere, and Tostan, alongside various national non-governmental organizations (NGOs). 

The World Bank’s partnership with UNICEF illustrates the broad range of activities carried out in partnership with other organizations. For example, early stimulation activities developed as part of the Investing in Early Years for Human Development Project were based on a pilot program financed by UNICEF. Similarly, the Project has drawn on UNICEF's work with the Ministry of National Education to develop a curriculum and pedagogical tools for Koranic schools. Additionally, regular consultations have been held with the UNICEF team since the design and implementation of the Project began. This seamless, cross-sectoral collaboration, bridging national agencies with local and regional actors, exemplifies effective project implementation, and provides a replicable model for similar settings in other countries and regions.

Looking Ahead

Senegal's government is forging ahead in its collaboration with the World Bank, demonstrating its dedication to constructing resilient communities. The ongoing Investing in Early Years for Human Development Project seeks to enhance management and accessibility to fundamental services across the remaining seven regions of Senegal, impacting nearly 4 million additional individuals. In addition, it will continue to refine strategies with a focus on improving childcare activities, education, as well as social protection in higher education and health initiatives. 

The valuable lesson learned from this endeavor is the effective cross-sectorial approach, exemplified by the geographic distribution across two World Bank projects (namely, the Investing in Early Years for Human Development Project and the Investing in Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Project) to ensure comprehensive coverage. Drawing from this experience, new higher education, and health projects in the region (including the Senegal Higher Education Project, Enseignement Supérieur Professionnel Orienté Insertion et Réussite des Jeunes (Espoir-Jeunes) Project in Senegal, effective in January 2024, and the Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend (SWEDD) Project, effective in September 2023) integrate childcare activities. Social protection teams are also exploring innovative ways to utilize the social registry and cash transfers, while also working closely with mother leaders’ groups to bolster Early Childhood Development (ECD) initiatives. 

Extending this cross-sectoral paradigm, other countries in West Africa are embracing the opportunity to reinforce developmental initiatives by fully incorporating diverse ministries into collaborative projects. In Benin, for instance, the Gbessoke Program (effective in 2023) is an integrated initiative that links people with a range of social services to foster productive livelihoods, resilience, and improved education and health outcomes. It is expected that 150,000 individuals, representing 61 percent of extremely poor households in the social registry, will benefit from the program, which will run until the end of 2027.

1.  https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/country-insights#/ranks 2. Situation économique du Sénégal en 2023, World Bank (2023).  3. World Bank Data: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.PRE.ENRR

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New study finds that Black and Latinx youth online engagement can foster a positive sense of self

Building on data from a project led by USC Rossier professor Brendesha Tynes, Naila Smith is the lead author of a new research paper that examines how online spaces created by Black and Latinx youth benefit their ethnic-racial identity development.

With social media use among many youth nearly constant, we often read reports of the adversities that young people encounter online, from impacts on their mental health to the dangers that meeting malicious strangers in real life can pose. While the negative effects of social media usage for teens should not be discounted, there are some benefits for Black and Latinx youth in particular as they navigate their ethnic-racial identity (ERI) online. Brendesha M. Tynes, Dean's Professor of Educational Equity at the USC Rossier School of Education, is a co-author of a newly published article led by Naila A. Smith, assistant professor of education at the University of Virginia, and supported by Daisy E. Camacho-Thompson, that shows how the race/ethnic- and civic-related online experiences of Black and Latinx adolescents are connected to their ERI development.

Black and Latinx youth tend to spend more time engaged online than their White peers, and they also spend more time than youth of other ethnic-racial groups making sense of what their ERI means to them and engaging civically and politically online. Exploring and seeking out information about one’s race/ethnicity, refining how one understands one’s race/ethnicity, and feeling positively or negatively about one’s race/ethnicity are factors in ERI development. 

Research on Black and Latinx adolescents’ online experiences has shown that they do face additional risks such as online racial discrimination and hate and viewing traumatic racial content. Online social connection can help Black and Latinx youth cultivate a sense of belonging to a social group that may help them make meaning of their identity as they encounter some of the harms in online spaces. This newly published article builds on some of Tynes’ previous work about how content youth are exposed to online impacts their ERI exploration.

Using data from the Teen Life Online and in Schools Project (TLOS), which Tynes directs, Smith and her team found that youth who can establish relationships online with friends of the same race/ethnicity experience more adaptive outcomes over time, meaning that in fostering online relationships with same-age, same ethnic/racial group peers these young people can better cope with some of the harmful information that they encounter online. 

Tynes’s TLOS data was one of the first datasets to investigate teens' online experiences across multiple years (three years) using both survey and interview data and a multi-racial sample of adolescents. While Tynes created the dataset, her collaborators and mentees led studies that were not previously included in the original proposal. 

Smith’s research interests include the development of racial and ethnically minoritized youth over time. She was curious about youths’ experiences in the online space over time and sought to examine the role of socio-cultural resources and assets in the experiences of Black and Latinx youth.  

“I was really interested in examining what factors contributed to ethnic-racial identity development, which is a sociocultural asset for Black and Latinx youth. In examining aspects of youths’ race- and civic-related online experiences and looking at how young people curate or create online spaces that meet their needs, we were able to show that there are these different ways that Black and Latinx adolescents are engaging online in their exploration of their world and their ethnic-racial background,” said Smith.

The study also found that earlier online activity is connected with ERI development one year later, meaning that race and civic-related online activities are important for young people’s feelings and behaviors in terms of their future ERI. Having a clearer idea of what their ERI means to Black and Latinx youth is associated with having better outcomes academically and mental health benefits.

“A major goal of the TLOS Project was to see what cultural resources youth bring to online spaces that might buffer them from some of the negative outcomes we might see that have been published in journals and in news articles. I wanted to paint a more holistic view of young people’s experiences online,” said Tynes. “Most of what we have published has been on the negative side, but I’m excited to have this manuscript focus on the positive experiences that young people are having online.” 

Smith started her collaboration with Tynes because of her advocacy for students and her deep knowledge of youth development. The two met at an academic conference when Smith was a graduate student.

“I wanted to meet Brendesha specifically because she was the foremost scholar on the online experiences of Black and Latinx youth, and I wanted to develop my expertise in the role of the internet in youth development. Her tremendous productivity and creativity are built on deep knowledge of a wide range of fields that inform her innovation in thinking about how we can support Black and Brown youth in their development specifically in online spaces,” concluded Smith. 

Smith and her co-authors want teachers and parents to know that Black and Latinx youth can benefit positively from the time they spend online, and that access to online information and experiences can support meaningful identity exploration. According to Smith, parents and teachers can help guide youth in their online ERI exploration and engage them in conversations about what they are learning to help them process the information that they are consuming. In schools where Black and Latinx youth may be in the minority or where they may not have access to materials in the curriculum that allow them to learn about their cultures and identities, supporting online activities around ERI is even more critical.

“With new laws banning certain books or talking about Black people’s history in the classroom in some states, people have to make an effort to make sure that kids are getting what they need to explore who they are,” said Tynes. “The digital literacy that young people need to sift through stereotypes and misinformation about their racial-ethnic group becomes more important in these places where the students cannot rely on their teachers to provide accurate information.”

The team’s findings may be used to support the creation of interventions to help adolescents create and curate online spaces where they can meet peers in their age range and ethnic/racial groups to help them with their relationship-building skills.

“Instead of the internet being a place where people are in constant danger, youth can craft spaces where their experiences are actually beneficial for their development, and these young people are doing that on their own,” said Tynes . “Parents and educators can support that exploration and provide guidance.”

Tynes is supporting that guidance by building a digital literacy and mental health intervention with a $4.6 million Transformational Research Award NIH grant. With the funds, Tynes seeks to research and provide adolescents with tools to cope with the negative messages they receive online and the skills to use digital media as a tool to excel in school. Tynes’s goal is to help youth thrive in their everyday lives as they navigate digital spaces. The newly designed, first-of-its-kind platform will have several modules and virtual reality experiences to help adolescents practice how to respond to some of their experiences online. The alpha version of this intervention is scheduled to launch in September 2024.

Brendesha Tynes

• Professor of Education and Psychology
• Director of CELDTECH

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