Welcome to our new PPE Research+Practice Collaboratory webpage. Our goal is to help bring people together around shared interests and goals.
- Are you interested in being part of a study that can benefit your students, school or community?
- Are you looking to connect and work with DE schools on issues that are important to them?
The PPE Research-Practice Collaboratory is a space to learn about a range of opportunities that help UD researchers and Delaware educators work together. This site is a community resource available to all members of the Delaware education community.
Please explore the profiles and opportunities to learn more and discover a match!
Have an opportunity to share? If you are a researcher or educator (teacher, school leader, educational organization, etc.) who is interested in being a part of a research-practice match, please complete our survey for us to add you to the list!
Supporting Student Motivation in Online and Technology Contexts: An Ebook for Teachers
Teomara (Teya) Rutherford
Role: Researcher
Email: teomara@udel.edu
Organization: University of Delaware
Project Description:
We have developed an illustrated ebook that describes motivation theory and how to apply this theory to the use of learning technologies in the classroom. We are interested in working with teachers to improve the ebook, and ultimately, to study whether practices in the ebook are associated with improving student motivation. Teachers will provide feedback on the ebook and/or engage with a developed version of the ebook and lead students through brief surveys of their motivation. The research team will work with teachers to determine convenient logistics (e.g., scheduling visits, study start and end dates).
Screening & Intervening for K–12 Students’ Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellbeing
Brittany Zakszeski
Role: Researcher
Email: bnz@udel.edu
Organization: University of Delaware
Project Description:
The Project GROW (Growing Resilience, Opportunities, and Wellness in Delaware schools) research team at UD will be conducting a series of initiatives related to social, emotional, and behavioral wellbeing (SEBW), beginning in the fall of 2023.
In Project 1, we are looking to work with schools/districts interested in evaluating and/or refining their universal SEB screening system. Schools/districts will share their goals and questions related to the screening system evaluation, and the Project GROW team will work with schools/districts to design an evaluation plan to address these goals and answer these questions. Schools/districts will be asked to share deidentified screening data through a data sharing agreement. We are especially interested in looking at issues related to (a) equity in universal SEB screening and (b) how screening data can be used to examine both Tier 1 and Tier 2 outcomes.
In Project 2, we are looking to work with schools interested in piloting and providing feedback on existing Tier 2 SEB interventions focused on emotion regulation and coping skills (grades 3–12). Specifically, we are looking to evaluate how to make interventions more efficient and feasible for implementation in schools. Schools will share their goals related to intervention implementation and act as partners in adopting and evaluating Tier 2 programs adapted for their context.
In Project 3, we are looking to work with schools interested in partnering to develop and pilot a new emotion regulation/coping skills intervention program for grades K–2. This program will be novel because it will be available to implement in two formats: (1) as a pull-out small-group intervention (for individual students screened as at risk) and (2) as a push-in class-wide intervention (for classes with high numbers of students screened as at risk). Schools will share their goals and preferences for such a program, provide feedback on preliminary prototypes of such a program, and pilot the program. We are currently submitting grant applications to fund this project and welcome the opportunity for school partners to join us.
Supporting Students’ Perceptions of Fraction Relevance through Personalized Content
Teomara (Teya) Rutherford
Role: Researcher
Email: teomara@udel.edu
Organization: University of Delaware
Project Description:
There is evidence that personalizing math content, such as examples and practice problems, improves student perceptions of relevance, engagement, and math performance. Doing this in the classroom, however, is time-consuming and is a heavy lift in terms of creativity. Generative AI, like Chat GPT, can help with this task. Some teachers are already experimenting with Chat GPT in classrooms and noting both its potential and challenges.
We would like to understand how teachers can use Chat GPT to generate personalized fraction content for students in third through fifth grades. Based on theory and prior research, we hypothesize this content will enhance students’ perceived relevance of fractions and result in better engagement and performance.
Teachers will partner with researchers to “prompt engineer” Chat GPT to produce personalized fraction content for their students and will implement this content in their classes. Researchers and teachers will work together to design how this will be implemented and how student outcomes will be assessed.
We are looking to start this study in the 2023-2024 school year. Specific logistics will be decided between teachers and the research team.
Orienting Positive Emotions in New Teachers for STEM (OPEN for STEM) Professional Learning Program
Leigh McLean
Role: Researcher
Email: lmclean@udel.edu
Organization: University of Delaware
Project Description:
We are seeking district partners to help us design, develop, and test a new professional learning course for incoming first-year teachers which will help them learn to leverage their positive STEM emotions for the benefit of student STEM learning
Creating the STEM Learning Lab at the University of Delaware
Leigh McLean
Role: Researcher
Email: lmclean@udel.edu
Organization: University of Delaware
Project Description:
We are seeking district, principal, and teacher partners to help us create and pilot the STEM Learning Lab (SLL) at UD. The SLL will be a state of the art elementary STEM classroom on UD campus that will host 3rd to 5th grade classrooms and their teachers for day-long STEM learning experiences. Students will receive high-quality, engaging STEM instruction and teachers will receive coaching on delivering effective STEM instruction.
Building a Stronger and More Inclusive Pathway to Math Education Pilot
Jamila Riser
Role: Alliance of districts
Email: jqriser@gmail.com
Organization: Delaware Math Coalition
Project Description:
We are interested in study the potential impact of capitalizing on the influence of identified math marigolds to increase the engagement and potential number of students (from all backgrounds) who leave high school with a desire to go into math teaching. We believe a content-focused effort is needed in order to address the critical shortage of candidates for math positions in Delaware schools.
Improving Collaboration Between Teachers and Paraprofessionals
Tia Barnes
Role: Researcher
Email: tnbarnes@udel.edu
Organization: University of Delaware
Project Description:
We are interested in conducting short studies during the 2023-2024 school year with inclusive elementary classroom teams to improve teacher and paraprofessional collaboration practices ( e.g., . Classroom teams will participate in short trainings and review content on teacher-paraprofessional collaboration, try out suggested strategies, and provide feedback on the feasibility/helpfulness of strategies in their practice. The research team will work with teacher/paraprofessional teams to determine convenient logistics (e.g., scheduling visits, study start and end dates).)
Interested Education Professional
Nigdra Calloway
Role: Education Professional
Email: Nidra.calloway@bsd.k12.de.us
Interest Statement:
Brandywine School District is looking to improve engagement and teaching practices using data. Brandywine would like improvement with supporting teachers in reading data that will help drive student engagement and improve teaching practices.
Linda Zankowsky
Role: Education Professional
Email: lzankow@udel.edu
Interest Statement:
Kingswood Community Center Montessori Training. UDMTR is working with Kingswood Community Center to train currently practicing Early Childhood teachers in the Montessori pedagogy. We view this as an opportunity to learn about Early Childhood teachers working in high needs areas using the Montessori approach.