Faculty Mentor: Yeh Hsueh

Faculty Mentor's Department: Educational Psychology and Research – Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Research

Telephone Number and/or E-mail: 678-5091; yehhsueh@memphis.edu

Project Description:

Three continuing research projects may benefit interested honor students:

(1)   Children’s Understandings of Respect Project. This project examines how preschoolers and elementary school children develop their notions of respect and how they try to act respectfully in socially accepted ways. The methods used in this study include quantitative and narrative analysis.  One part of the project focuses on cross-cultural examination of Chinese and US school children’s notions of respect. Another part of the project involves a children-generated list of their own words about respect, which will be analyzed in relation to other data.

(2)   Comparative Study of Preschool Children’s Emotion Socialization.  Three emotional behaviors of young children are the main foci of this study: crying, temper tantrum and help seeking.

(3)   Comparative study of preschool teachers’ cultural beliefs and practice.

Starting Date: open

Method of Compensation (Volunteer, Academic Credit, or Stipend): Volunteer or Academic Credit

Faculty Mentor Name:  Dr. Denise L. Winsor

Department:  Counseling, Educational Psychology, & Research

Phone/ Email: (702) 290-8240/ dwinsor@memphis.edu

Project Description: I am a co-facilitator for a research group in the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences; our emphasis is on early childhood cognitive, social, and emotional development.  Currently we have multiple projects in progress at various stages but an eager to learn individual could jump right into any of the projects.

1.  Young Children and Technology:  This project involves preschool children and their perceptions of technology and the role it plays in their development.

2.  Young Children and Epistemology:  This project investigates preschool children and how they come to know and understand knowledge.

3.  Preschool Teachers use of inquiry in the Classroom:  We are exploring the CLASS assessment in Head Start Teachers.

NOTE:  We do have a couple of other research projects involving preservice teachers.

1. Exploring Problem Based Learning in Preservice Teacher Education
2. Using the Internet as a Teaching and Learning Tool in Teacher Education
3. Online Discourse and How Preservice Teachers View the Use of Technology in the Classroom
   

We welcome anyone interested in working in a research group or 1:1 to acquire foundational research skills.

Many of our projects have been accepted as journal publications, book chapters, and conference presentations.

Students may choose how much or how little they are involved in the research process.    

Requirements for student Applicants:

• Must have an interest in learning research skills
• Must have an interest in Early Childhood Development
• Must have an interest in teaching and learning
• Some computer skills
• Possess organizational skills
• Have the ability to multi-task
• Have the ability to follow directions
• Be responsible and reliable
• Efficiency and timeliness

Start Date:  Fall 2010

Method of Compensation: Volunteer, (If funding is secured) could be stipend in the future and, academic credit if it is approved by your advisor as pertinent to degree requirements