Research

Amid the tumult of adolescence, with stresses and mental health issues afflicting nearly every teenager, many schools struggle to help students manage their emotions so they can succeed academically and in their lives.

Professor James Mazza is working to change that reality.

University of Washington College of Education faculty and students will present their explorations of what works in education during the American Educational Research Association's annual meeting April 8 - 12 in Washington, D.C. The theme of this year's AERA meeting is "Public Scholarship to Educate Diverse Democracies."

Last summer, Victoria Chambers sat alongside small children and coached them as they tested motion-sensing video games. There was Ball Roll. Whack-a-Mole. Row Boat. And Giant’s Teeth, where the kids moved their wrists in a circular motion to brush plaque from a behemoth’s smile.

Placing a greater emphasis on social skills in early childhood education than is currently the norm could significantly reduce antisocial or aggressive behaviors later in life, new research from the University of Washington College of Education finds.

As more schools open access to advanced courses, teachers increasingly find students in their classes possess a wide range of reading abilities.

So how are teachers to lead an advanced class when their students' reading abilities may range from the 2nd percentile to the 98th?

What keeps kids strong? How can a sense of brotherhood support young men of color and empower them to thrive? Is it possible to make school bureaucracy a key driver of improved learning?

These and other pressing issues in education were the focus of EDU Talks, a fast-paced series of talks by University of Washington College of Education faculty members working to unlock the potential of all students. Each faculty member had five minutes and one image to explore their current research partnerships with schools, districts, families and community organizations.

Ten University of Washington College of Education doctoral students will discuss their research projects on February 5, with topics spanning translingual preschool environments, how teachers can learn from students, and ethnic identity development.   

The Research and Inquiry Presentations, a major milestone in each Ph.D. candidate's studies at the College of Education, will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Miller Hall Room 212.

This quarter’s presentations are:

The latest edition of Research That Matters, "Passion & Promise," explores how the UW College of Education is approaching the biggest challenges in education with a spirit of possibility. The following story about the College's research on civic education in diverse classrooms also appears in the online version of the magazine.

What’s the best way to teach civics and social studies in inclusive ways when your class consists of kids whose nationalities and citizenship statuses vary?

What does it mean to be young, Black and male? In what ways do Black male youths accommodate and resist the social stereotypes of their demographic? And how does this shape Black boys' development of their own identity, and who they become?

These are among the questions the University of Washington's Onnie Rogers explored with Black urban teenagers in a recently published paper in the Journal of Adolescent Research.

On Jan. 11, the University of Washington's Center for Multicultural Education will sponsor its 27th annual symposium, "Black Male(d): Peril and Promise in the Education of African American Males."

About the Symposium