Faculty-Student Research Study Continues Online  

EDST undergraduate student Kelly Gutierrez (left) in a virtual meeting with Professor Bryan Meadows (right).

As universities and K12 schools switch to online instruction due to the coronavirus pandemic, one Seton Hall faculty-student collaborative research project continues online. EDST faculty member, Bryan Meadows, and EDST undergraduate student, Kelly Gutierrez, have been conducting case studies of English Learner (EL) elementary students in a public school district since January. The case study research project is funded by the Provost's office under the competitive Undergraduate Research Support Program. Until the school closings in March, the faculty-undergraduate research team had been meeting with case study EL students on a weekly basis to provide academic tutoring, and in the process, collect data for their research project. Since the shift to online instruction in March, the faculty-undergraduate pair have continued their case study research. They are meeting virtually on a weekly basis with the case study students using the online platforms made available by the school district. Using these online tools, the research team has been able to continue tutoring support as well as data collection. In between virtual visits with the students, the study team has begun the data analysis phase of their research and have arrived at some initial findings. A report of these initial findings has been accepted for presentation at the upcoming state conference for ESL teachers, hosted by the NJTESOL-NJBE organization.

Professor Bryan Meadows, EDST Faculty

This kind of faculty-student research collaboration is one example of the valuable faculty-student collaboration taking place at the College of Education and Human Services. Such collaborative projects provide EDST undergraduates with valuable mentoring through applied research projects involving original data collection and analysis. One added benefit of this project is the tutoring component which directly supports the College's commitment of service to others.

Kelly Gutierrez, EDST Junior

Ms. Gutierrez is an EDST undergraduate junior majoring in Elementary Special Education. She credits Seton Hall University and the College of Education for helping her to discover her vocational calling in teaching. Being an EL student, Ms. Gutierrez understands the challenges that English Learner students have to face in K12 classrooms. Her goal as a future teacher is to contribute, provide, and advocate for a much more inclusive educational experience for students with special needs and those learning English as a second language.

Dr. Meadows is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Studies (EDST). His specialization area is the preparation of future ESL teachers. He also leads a short-term study abroad class to Tokyo each spring which affords Seton Hall undergraduates opportunities to visit Tokyo schools firsthand.

Categories: Education