Helping Educators Use Research Evidence to Promote Student Wellbeing - Qualitative Apprentice - YEDI Affiliated Project
Valerie Shapiro, Professor
Social Welfare
Applications for Fall 2024 are closed for this project.
Behavioral health problems like depression, substance misuse, academic disengagement, and anxiety are common in young people, but many of these problems are preventable! Research has demonstrated how social and emotional learning (SEL) in schools can greatly improve the wellbeing and achievement of young people, but this research isn’t easily accessed and used by educators. Translating scientific advancements into the improved well-being of young people is a major challenge facing social scientists, educators, and ultimately, children, families, and communities. This project will enable you to learn about what the UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare (https://extension.berkeley.edu/academic-areas/education/social-emotional-learning/) and partners in districts across the state of California, are doing to build, implement, and study research-supported social and emotional learning initiatives in K-12 schools.
This project will support California educators as they engage in professional development to enhance their capacity for delivering social and emotional learning to continuously improve their school climates for student and adult well-being.
Role: We are seeking multiple undergraduate students to serve as qualitative data analysts. Tasks may include (1) cleaning transcripts from interviews, focus groups, and recordings of professional development events, (2) applying qualitative codes from a codebook, (3) finding consensus with other coders, (4) creating qualitative memos, (5) identifying additional codes, (6) generating tables to facilitate collaborative analysis, (7) helping to derive themes from qualitative data, (8) generating materials to share research findings. Tasks will be available in accordance to project needs, your individual talents, and your readiness for specific contribution.
We are currently recruiting research apprentices to support the transcription and thematic (qualitative) coding on two different projects within our team including:
cognitive interviews with K-3 students regarding a social and emotional learning survey instrument OR
video recording data of regional leaders’ Communities of Practice focused on the implementation of social and emotional learning
Advanced students may participate in the data collection process and writing for peer-reviewed research papers and practice-oriented research briefs.
Learning Outcomes may include:
-Deepening knowledge about decision-making and transformation in the K-12 education sector
-Understanding Social and Emotional Learning initiatives
-Learning about process of translation between research and practice
-Using research tools (e.g., Qualtrics, Dedoose)
-Developing qualitative coding skills
-Building experience in the methods of applied, community-engaged research
NOTE: This project participates in the LAEP program that enables underrepresented undergraduate students who have filed for financial aid to earn money in research-related positions in order to help reduce their educational costs. You may simultaneously earn academic credit for successful completion of this apprenticeship. Our team may have funds for you to participate in the LAEP program. If you are interested in participating in the LAEP program, please *affirm your eligibility* in your application. You can confirm your eligibility by logging into the work-study management system (WSMS) and viewing the work-study update section. Eligibility criteria are: a) California resident, b) Enrolled in 6 or more units / good academic standing, c) Filed a FAFSA or CADAA and have work-study eligibility, d) Eligible to work in the U.S., including current DACA holders.
NOTE: If you are selected for this research project, you will be given the option to join the Youth Equity Discovery Initiative (YEDI) program. YEDI is a research apprenticeship and mentorship program that supplements your URAP research work with weekly workshops in both Fall and Spring semesters. YEDI creates a cohort of undergraduate scholars (usually around 20-30, many from underrepresented backgrounds) that are working on youth equity research projects, such as this one. The year-long program utilizes cascading mentorship, skill-building workshops, and professional development to provide supportive pathways into research careers, service, and leadership addressing adolescent inequities and well-being. Scholars greatly benefit from (and enjoy!) the extra training and support, as well as the professional development opportunities (including faculty guest speakers, graduate student and practitioner panels). The program culminates in a research presentation at the end of the program. The 2024-2025 YEDI cohort will meet on Tuesdays from 4:30 - 6:00 pm beginning September 24th. In order to take part in the YEDI program, you MUST be able to attend the workshops at this time. As a YEDI scholar, you will sign up for a PH198 class and receive 1 unit. This is in addition to the units you receive for your URAP research project. For any questions about YEDI, please contact Marieka Schotland at mschotland@berkeley.edu or visit our website here.
We value equity and inclusion; Students from different backgrounds, with diverse identities and experiences, are all encouraged to apply.
Qualifications: (1) Academic, research, or work experience in education, psychology, public health, social welfare, or a related field, (2) Interest in the professional development of educators and system change in K-12 education, (3) Comfort with electronic communications (email) and associated technology, (4) Capacity to participate in video conferencing with reliable connection, mic, and video, (5) Experience being relied on as detail-oriented and organized, (6) Capacity to contribute 10 hours a week during the academic term, with some hours occurring during weekday business hours, (7) Seeking multiple semesters of involvement, (8) Experience with Dedoose or other qualitative analysis tool (preferred), (9) Completed CITI training to learn about research ethics: https://www.citiprogram.org/?pageID=668 (preferred), (10) Willingness to share with supervisor when you’re unsure or have a question.
Students will be required to complete asynchronous, online training about research ethics and the basics of social and emotional learning. Students will need to have the capacity for 10 hours of contribution to the project during each week of instruction, adjusted for university holidays. Our ideal student will have interest in a multi-year commitment to a research team with escalating roles and responsibilities, with the possibility of summer extensions, and an interest in attending graduate school in psychology, social work, education, or a closely related field.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Dr. Kamryn Morris; Dr. Ashley Metzger; Esmeralda Michel [Staff Researcher], Post-Doc
Hours: 9-11 hrs
Off-Campus Research Site: Off-Campus Research Site: All work can be conducted virtually (in US Pacific time zone). Workstation can be made available in Haviland Hall, if desired. YEDI participation will require in-person meetings on campus.
Related website: https://ggie.berkeley.edu/
Related website: https://extension.berkeley.edu/academic-areas/education/social-emotional-learning/