Education Research
Education Research
May 2019 - May 2020
Sarah Stayman
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Stefani Boutelier
Funded by: Aquinas College Summer Scholars Program
Stopping “Traffic” from the Inside Out: A teacher approach
The goal of this project is to prepare and support secondary teachers when identifying exploitation of a student in their classroom. The research delved into and the products created from this project will help teachers support students who might already be victims of human trafficking and those who are at-risk for being exploited. We aim to intersect the knowledge of first responders and the adolescent connections of secondary teachers to support, educate and prevent further exploitation with the creation of an online resource for secondary teachers.
May 2023 - May 2024
Sydney Wetzel
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Susan Hojnacki
Blogging Abroad: Corroborating Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition Using
a Student Kept Study Abroad Blog
The present study analyzed the blog of a language learner during a study abroad semester in Germany to categorize their observations according to second language acquisition theory. This qualitative analysis looked for common learning experiences that bore out the five theories of Stephen Krashen’s Monitor Model. By identifying commonalities in the learners’ observations, the researchers looked for ways to improve preparation for study abroad by coaching students to recognize these common learning experiences and record their SLA progression with a language learning blog. The results suggest that students could be coached to recognize their language learning and capitalize on the five areas of the Monitor Model. These results could have implications for higher education study abroad programs and language learners hoping to maximize their language proficiency gains while studying abroad.
May 2020 - May 2021
Hannah Hazelbach
Faculty Advisor: Stacy Slomski
Waves of Change: Connecting Literature with Characterization, Conflict, and Theme
Using Authentic Student Experiences and Discussion
Creating meaningful and authentic experiences in the classroom promotes a creative, critical, and constructive learning environment for students to connect literature to their lives and grow as learners. As a secondary educator, I created a curriculum that transforms learners from passive participants to active leaders. Consulting resources from secondary instructors Penny Kittle and Brain White, I intend to initiate quality classroom and small group discussions to empower students taking responsibility for their learning. Throughout this unit, I model for 8th grade English Language Arts students at Grandville Middle School how to use the power of their voices, perspectives, and experiences to engage with a text and complex ideas.