Ideas In Action

By Jennifer Kiilerich More than 60 percent of American students aged 12-18 are interested in a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, according to a 2023 Walton Family Foundation survey. On the road to a life in STEM, proficiency in high school math has been identified by researchers as… Read More

By Jenna Somers Many young children struggle in math due to difficulty in understanding place value and calculating with two-digit numbers. But would the burden of learning these foundational concepts ease if they were introduced to children through the fun of playing a board game? A multi-institutional research team, including… Read More

By Jenna Somers   A transdisciplinary team at Vanderbilt University seeks to identify Tennessee communities at risk of exposure to toxic man-made chemicals in their drinking water. Yolanda J. McDonald In response to a 2024 regulation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Tennessee Department of Environment… Read More

Two recent studies by researchers at Vanderbilt University and New York University offer valuable insights for practitioners, policymakers and researchers seeking to address persistent racial inequities in school discipline. The studies examined teacher and student perceptions of... Read More

Robust state activity has transformed the prenatal-to-3 state policy landscape in just five short years. Children and their families are better off in 41 states that have each increased access to the resources known to support their wellbeing. As a result of states’ investments: Nearly 1.9 million individuals became… Read More

Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development has received three new grants to leverage its expertise as a leading college of education to strengthen K-12 and higher education in South Asia and the Middle East. Peabody faculty and staff will partner with universities in Pakistan and expand existing… Read More

By Jenna Somers A successful classroom-based reading program designed by researchers at Vanderbilt University is under consideration for a large-scale evaluation in England. Peer Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) in Reading is a peer-mediated approach that encourages students to practice important reading skills together. A recently funded evaluation of… Read More

The Leadership and Organizational Performance (LOP) master’s degree program held its 8th annual White Paper Symposium at the Faye and Joe Wyatt Center on November 14. Faculty, alumni, and business leaders as well as family and friends gathered to watch students present highlights from their capstone projects. The Symposium… Read More

The fully-funded experience for history teachers is named for former Senator Lamar Alexander. Imagine being a high school history teacher and being given the opportunity to improve your teaching skills and classroom strategies through a one-week immersive experience featuring lectures by nationally known scholars of history and education, visits to… Read More

By Jenna Somers Autumn Kujawa Children of parents with depression are two to three times more likely to develop anxiety and depressive disorders than children whose parents never experience depression, and some evidence indicates that these effects are particularly pronounced for maternal depression. That’s according to researchers at Pennsylvania… Read More

By Jenna Somers Earlier this year, researchers at Vanderbilt University and William & Mary published an experimental study that found that students admitted to quality public-private partnership schools in Bogotá, Colombia, known as Schools in Administration, scored higher in cognitive and social-emotional skills than students of similar socio-economic… Read More

The Nashville Partnership for Educational Equity Research is a collaboration between Metro Nashville Public Schools and Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development. To improve equity across MNPS, PEER brings together researchers and practitioners to collaborate in long-term working groups and short-term rapid response teams. Watch… Read More

The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development released its fifth annual Prenatal-to-3 State Policy Roadmap at the Research to Policy Summit in October. This guide informs state policy leaders and advocates about the most effective policies and strategies for… Read More

By Jenna Somers A 2023 study of cultural intelligence in multinational enterprises in China recently won the Basu Sharma Best Paper Award, presented annually for the best publication in the Journal of Comparative International Management. The study, “Cultural Intelligence, Diversity Climate, and Employee Behavior: A Study of MNE Subsidiaries… Read More

By Jenna Somers A recent study finds that Black high-school students tend not to believe that their teachers are adequately prepared to teach them math in appropriate ways, have negative perceptions of their math ability, and lack awareness about the intersection between math and their desired careers. Published in… Read More

By Jenna Somers Students’ relationships with their teachers, particularly in elementary school, play an important role in supporting their learning and social-emotional development. For students with or at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders, quality relationships with their teachers are especially critical. These bonds can reduce instances of challenging behavior… Read More

By Jenna Somers Joseph Lambert Children with autism are more likely than their typically developing peers to engage in challenging behavior, which can lead to injury, lower rates of social inclusion, and adverse effects on learning. To support these children, special education professionals in schools need training on functional analysis… Read More

By Jenna Somers Brenda McKenzie As college student demographics rapidly evolve, higher education and student affairs (HESA) graduate programs must adapt to ensure future professionals are equipped to support today’s diverse students. That is according to Brenda McKenzie, associate professor of the practice of higher education administration, and Anna… Read More

By Jenna Somers Andrew Nalani, assistant professor of human and organizational development (submitted photo) New research by Andrew Nalani, a faculty member at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development, examines the viewpoints of youth care workers in juvenile residential facilities and their desires for fostering… Read More

By Jenna Somers Kathryn Humphreys During pregnancy, the body undergoes dramatic physical changes. However, how brain structure and function change is not well understood. A new study aims to shed light on these changes and their potential effects on mental health throughout the peripartum period, the time during pregnancy… Read More