Mixed Methods Research Regarding K-12 School Practices and Minority Student Mental Health. (PI: Prof. Sean Darling-Hammond, JD, PhD, UC Berkeley School of Public Health) - YEDI Affiliated Project
Sean Darling-Hammond, Professor
Public Health
Applications for Fall 2024 are closed for this project.
Sean Darling-Hammond is an Assistant Professor at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. His work seeks to ascertain how k-12 school practices impact students’ sense of belonging, mental health, and wellbeing; and whether implementing particular practices might help enhance health equity. To reach this goal, he conducts both qualitative and quantitative research with the aim of generating a body of evidence that can be used to impact the implementation of programs for youth in k-12 schools.
For instance, in a qualitative project called “When Exclusionary Discipline Disappears,” he interviewed school district superintendents and school principals in educational contexts where suspension rates were remarkably low to better understand how inclusive spaces impact the mental health and wellbeing of students and staff, and how educational leaders can overcome implementation challenges and create inclusive educational spaces. And in a quantitative projects called “No Matter How You Slice It,” he reviewed federal data to identify the degree to which Black students were overrepresented among those receiving exclusion and punishment and found that across myriad types of punishment, student subpopulations, school contexts, and measures of disparity, Black students were excluded and punished substantially more than similarly situated peers.
Role: We are looking for two undergraduate students to help conduct literature reviews and mixed methods research on exciting projects regarding the relationship between k-12 school practices and student mental health. During the semester (and beyond, if appropriate), the students will:
1) learn more about k-12 school policies impacting student wellbeing;
2) get training on different research methods and tools, including literature reviews, interviews, surveys, and secondary data analysis, as well as training on other topics of interest to the students;
3) develop data gathering tools (e.g., interview guides and surveys);
4) conduct literature reviews, interviews, and secondary data analyses; and,
5) be part of a great team that shares the goal of improving k-12 practices to expand health equity.
Specific tasks include:
1) Conducting an in depth, methodical review of qualitative research literature regarding exclusionary discipline and student wellbeing with tasks including recording search methods, reading articles, and summarizing key aspects of articles (methods, sample, findings)
2) Conducting an in depth, methodical review of qualitative research literature regarding relational practices (e.g., restorative practices) and student wellbeing with tasks including recording search methods, reading articles, and summarizing key aspects of articles (methods, sample, findings)
3) Developing interview materials and interviewing students in schools where exclusionary discipline is rarely used to understand their perspectives about how being in an inclusive space has impacted their mental health and wellbeing
4) Running multivariate regression models in STATA to ascertain how student exposure to various school practices and experiences (e.g., school policing) impact mental health and wellbeing, and summarizing the results of these models in tables
If you are selected for this research project, you will be given the opportunity 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 - 6:00pm 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 (https://i4y.berkeley.edu/youth-equity-discovery-initiative-yedi-program).
Qualifications: While we are hoping to find applicants who meet all of the preferred qualifications below, please feel free to apply if you feel you meet most, but not all, of these qualifications:
- Be at least a second-year undergraduate student
- Interest in using both qualitative and quantitative methods
- Ability to work effectively both independently and as a team member.
- Excellent attention to detail, organizational skills, and strong initiative.
- Open to accepting, acting on, and providing feedback.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Demonstrated familiarity with STATA (please list related course work and / or experience)
- Demonstrated experience with data management (please list related course work and / or experience)
- Demonstrated knowledge of basic statistical methods, including multivariate regression, production of regression tables, and production of data visualizations (please list related course work and / or experience)
- Experience working with youth
- Passionate about working on k-12 education projects
- Experience working on policy-related research projects
- Knowledge of policy analysis, theoretical frameworks and methodologies
- Previous experience conducting qualitative research (e.g., interviews)
Hours: 6-8 hrs
Social Sciences Education, Cognition & Psychology