Research & Grants

Co-Investigator for Text Set Curation Framework (active): A study that will examine teachers’ use of the Text Set Curation Framework to select books that will help teachers teach complex topics using picturebooks.  This mixed methods study will include surveying in-service teachers about the components of the framework and interviews that dig deeper into their use of the framework to create text sets about complex topics in 4th-6th grades  (Co-Investigator: Damiana Pyles)

Primary Investigator for Pre-Service Literacy Teachers’ Reflective Practices Prior to Student Teaching (active): A study to investigate how preservice elementary literacy teachers reflect on their own instructional practices using video-enhanced and time-stamp feedback digital tools.  This qualitative study includes coding students’ written reflections and time-stamped comments for common themes related to self-efficacy, metacognition, professional learning, and reflective practices.

(2025) North Carolina Delta Kappa Gamma Educational Foundation Learning/Literacy Project Grant, “HERstory: A Read Aloud Library Highlighting Women’s Contributions in History,” $494.77, funded

(2024) University Academic Assessment Council Assessment Grant (with Beth Buchholtz, Devery Ward, Ashley Pennell, Kindal Turner Nash, Peijuan Cao, Rong Zhang, Robin Groce, Kristen Evans, Woodrow Trathen), Literacy Education Graduate Program Re-Mapping Project, $4,000, funded

(2024) ExP=O Educational Pitch Competition, Public School Partnership Mini-Grant, Co-Applicant (with Susan Trew), “Indigenous Innovation: A Multimodal Unit that Celebrates Native Americans’ Resilience and Ingenuity, $1,000, funded

(2024) University Research Council Grant, Co-Applicant (with Jenny Arcila, Peijuan Cao, and Rong Zhang), “Examining the Effect of a Literacy Method Course Integrated with a Practicum Experience on Preservice Literacy Teachers' Self-Efficacy,” $5,000.00, not funded

(2024) Elva Knight Research Grant, Co-Applicant (with Jenny Arcila, Peijuan Cao, and Rong Zhang), “Investigating the Impact of a Literacy Methods Course with an Integrated Practicum Experience on Preservice Teachers' Self-Efficacy,” $5,000.00, not funded

(2024) Public School Partnership Mini-Grant, Co-Applicant (with Jenny Arcila, Peijuan Cao, and Rong Zhang), “Children’s Literature for Literacy Collaboration: Showing Gratitude to Block 2 Clinical Educators,” $922.60, funded

(2023) Partnership Mini-Grant, Co-Applicant (with Hope Combs), “Teaching Personal Finance through a Multi-Genre Text Set,” $972 requested, funded

(2022) Partnership Mini-Grant, Co-Recipient (with Damiana Pyles), “Teaching Climate Change through Picturebooks (A Summer Exploration for 4th-6th grade teachers),” $963, funded

(2021) Partnership Mini-Grant, Co-Recipient (with Jason DeHart and Shuai Zhang), “Investigating the Qualitative and Quantitative Factors of Text Complexity in Graphic Novels,” $976.80, funded

(2018) Partnership Mini-Grant, Co-Recipient (with Aftynne Cheek and Elizabeth Bellows), “Just in Time! Bringing Immediate Feedback to Pre-Service Teachers through Real-Time eCoaching,” $504.98, funded

(2016) North Carolina School Improvement Project (NCSIP) Best Practice Site Grant, Co-Coordinator (with Yonna Acuff), 2016-2020, $40,000 per year for five years, funded