As schools nationwide prepare for the new academic year during the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty researchers from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of education and human development are available to comment on trends in K-12 and higher education.
Contact: Vanderbilt Division of Communications, media@vanderbilt.edu
Learning during the COVID-19 pandemic
Adolescent depression and anxiety
Bruce Compas conducts research focused on processes of coping and emotion-regulation in response to stress and adversity in children, adolescents and adults. He is featured in this Ask an Expert video about how to relieve stress and anxiety during the pandemic. Psychologist Autumn Kujawa is running one of the first longitudinal studies of pandemic stress.
Advice to teachers
Elizabeth Self, a teacher educator in the elementary and secondary education licensure program and teacher education researcher, and Marcy Singer-Gabella, who has worked with schools and districts around the country to strengthen student, staff and family learning, can talk about what teachers need for teaching in a pandemic.
Digital versus paper learning, multimodal literacy
Amanda Goodwin recently published a paper in the American Educational Research Journal on digital versus paper reading processes and outcomes for fifth to eighth graders.
Effects of digital media on young children
Georgene Troseth researches young children’s symbolic development, including their understanding of media. In one recent study, she explores ways to close the word gap through parent training using a children’s e-book. She is featured in this Ask an Expert video on how parents should manage screen time during isolation.
Equity issues in digital learning
Carolyn Heinrich has coauthored a new book, Equity and Quality in Digital Learning (September 2020, Harvard Education Press), that identifies and presents specific strategies and practices for using digital tools to reduce inequities in educational opportunities and improve student outcomes. She coauthored a recent blog post on the W.T. Grant Foundation site on the subject, as well as one on the Harvard Education Publishing site.
Home schooling/learning pods
Joseph Murphy has studied the growth of homeschooling, publishing one of the first books on the subject, and can comment on trends toward educating children at home during the pandemic.
Identity and inclusion
Anjali Forber-Pratt researches disability identity development, perceptions of inclusion and disability, and victimization experiences in schools. She is featured in this Ask an Expert video on what people with disabilities face during the pandemic.
Recognizing misinformation
Lisa Fazio studies how people learn new information, both true and false, and how to correct errors in people’s knowledge. This includes how to mitigate the effects of reading false information and how to increase classroom learning. She is featured in this Ask an Expert video on how to recognize misinformation about the COVID-19 virus.
Resources for online learning
Naomi Tyler is the director of Peabody’s IRIS Center, which is a national center dedicated to improving education outcomes for all children, especially those with disabilities birth through age 21. The IRIS Center has provided online resources for educators during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Issues of equity and diversity
Equity issues in digital learning
Carolyn Heinrich has coauthored a new book, Equity and Quality in Digital Learning (September 2020, Harvard Education Press), that identifies and presents specific strategies and practices for using digital tools to reduce inequities in educational opportunities and improve student outcomes. She coauthored a recent blog post on the W.T. Grant Foundation site on the subject, as well as one on the Harvard Education Publishing site.
Identity and inclusion
Anjali Forber-Pratt researches disability identity development, perceptions of inclusion and disability, and victimization experiences in schools. She is featured in this Ask an Expert video on what people with disabilities face during the pandemic.
Racial bias/Black women in STEM
Nicole Joseph studies the presence of Black women and girls in STEM education and ways to support their inclusion and achievement.
Racial bias in higher education
Ebony McGee studies micro-aggressions and marginalization of people of color in higher ed and the workplace, particularly in the STEM fields. Kelly Slay explores issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education, particularly in selective post-affirmative action contexts, and is primarily focused in three areas: the implications of campus racial climate for Black students’ college choice, academic outcomes and psychological wellbeing; enrollment management policies (admissions, recruitment and financial aid) aimed at improving campus diversity; and racial and gender inequities in STEM in undergraduate and graduate education.
Sexual and gender identity
Luis Leyva examines historically marginalized students’ narratives of experience as engineering, computing and mathematical science majors.
Special education—inclusion and play
Erin Barton studies effective practices for increasing play skills in young children with disabilities.
Teacher training to reduce marginalization
Elizabeth Self can talk about teacher training and professional development related to issues of equity and justice in classroom learning.
K-12 Experts
Advice to teachers
Elizabeth Self, a teacher educator in the elementary and secondary education licensure program and teacher education researcher, and Marcy Singer-Gabella, who has worked with schools and districts around the country to strengthen student, staff and family learning, can talk about what teachers need for teaching in a pandemic.
Early childhood mathematics
Bethany Rittle-Johnson is an expert on children’s mathematical learning, including how young children grasp mathematical concepts and build upon that knowledge for later learning.
English language learners
Jeannette Mancilla-Martinez is a bilingual former teacher and administrator who researches solutions for unique challenges immigrant learners face.
Home schooling/learning pods
Joseph Murphy has studied the growth of homeschooling, publishing one of the first books on the subject, and can comment on trends toward educating children at home during the pandemic.
Independent schools
Patrick Schuermann directs Peabody’s master’s degree program in independent school leadership and can speak to the particular challenges of leading these schools during COVID-19.
Racial bias/Black women in STEM
Nicole Joseph studies the presence of Black women and girls in STEM education and ways to support their inclusion and achievement.
Recovery high schools/addiction
Andy Finch has been honored by the White House for his work in establishing recovery high schools for students with substance abuse issues. He is featured in this Ask an Expert video on how to maintain sobriety during a pandemic.
School leadership
Ellen Goldring and Jason Grissom are experts in school leadership including the role of principals as instructional leaders, principal evaluation, and diversity in the principal labor market.
School safety
Maury Nation works with Tennessee school administrators and social services organizations to create positive learning environments for students. His Nashville Longitudinal Study of Youth Safety and Well-being is producing a multi-year data set to help educators, youth service agencies, and policy-makers promote safety and well-being for Nashville students.
Sexual and gender identity
Luis Leyva examines historically marginalized students’ narratives of experience as engineering, computing and mathematical science majors.
Special education—gifted education
David Lubinski co-directs a longitudinal study on giftedness and can discuss the long-term outcomes of children identified as gifted at an early age. Tamra Stambaugh, director of Vanderbilt Programs for Talented Youth, can speak to the educational needs of gifted children.
Special education—inclusion and play
Erin Barton studies effective practices for increasing play skills in young children with disabilities.
Special education—learning disorders
Douglas Fuchs and Lynn Fuchs partner with Nashville teachers to implement math and reading interventions for children with, or at-risk for, learning disabilities.
Higher Education Experts
Career and technical education
Shaun M. Dougherty is a national expert in career and technical education who uses quantitative research methods to evaluate the impact of educational policies and programs and trends toward more career-aligned education.
College access, tuition-free and debt-free college plans
Brent Evans studies loan aversion and its effects on college outcomes as well as alternative models for paying for college and national trends in tuition-free and debt-free college.
International students
Xiu Cravens is associate dean for international students and affairs and a faculty member who teaches international education policy analysis and research methods.
Post-secondary schooling for students with intellectual disabilities
Erik Carter heads Vanderbilt’s Next Steps at Vanderbilt program, which provides a college experience and job training for students with intellectual disabilities.
Racial bias in higher education
Ebony McGee studies micro-aggressions and marginalization of people of color in higher ed and the workplace, particularly in the STEM fields. Kelly Slay explores issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education, particularly in selective post-affirmative action contexts, and is primarily focused in three areas: the implications of campus racial climate for Black students’ college choice, academic outcomes and psychological wellbeing; enrollment management policies (admissions, recruitment and financial aid) aimed at improving campus diversity; and racial and gender inequities in STEM in undergraduate and graduate education.