Research Projects
Research Involvement at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Professional Identity of Nursing Students in the Era of COVID-19*
PI: Pauline Ho (dissertation study)
Duration: 2022 - present
A longitudinal qualitative study explores the developmental trajectories of 10 final-year nursing students completing a traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. The purpose of this study is to 1) map the journey of PI development in nursing students and 2) explore the complexity and variety of contextual influences on their PI development. This phenomenological, qualitative study uses a longitudinal, retrospective inquiry design in which participants reflect on their journey to nursing in three semi-structured interviews over 9 months. Findings will provide deeper insights into the processes of how PI develops over time and how the sociohistorical contexts contribute to changes in PI developmental trajectories. At a theoretical level, findings will lend further empirical support for the developmental-contextual perspective, ultimately contributing to the development of a more comprehensive theory of identity development
*This work is funded through a small research grant from the Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions.
Perceived Discrimination and Mental Health among Asian Americans
PI: Pauline Ho, Brad Brown, and XiangYun Tang
Duration: June 2020 - present
As COVID-19 has spread across the U.S., Asian Americans have been experiencing intensified discriminatory remarks and hate crimes. Research on racial discrimination and health among Asian Americans has been understudied, but highly important, especially during the COVID-19 outbreak. This study aims to 1) examine the longitudinal relation between racial discrimination connected to COVID-19 and mental health and 2) use a novel measure to examine whether and how racial-ethnic identity buffers the relationship between racial discrimination and health among Asian Americans. This study will provide a more comprehensive understanding of how discrimination experienced during COVID-19 impacts Asian Americans and how racial-ethnic identity, perceptions of discrimination together affect mental health outcomes over time using a longitudinal design.
Outcomes:
Two manuscripts are in preparation for publication, with one paper received the Best Student Research Award at the 2023 ISRI Conference.
*This project is funded through a Graduate Student Research Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Global Health Institute.
PI: Pauline Ho (dissertation study)
Duration: 2022 - present
A longitudinal qualitative study explores the developmental trajectories of 10 final-year nursing students completing a traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. The purpose of this study is to 1) map the journey of PI development in nursing students and 2) explore the complexity and variety of contextual influences on their PI development. This phenomenological, qualitative study uses a longitudinal, retrospective inquiry design in which participants reflect on their journey to nursing in three semi-structured interviews over 9 months. Findings will provide deeper insights into the processes of how PI develops over time and how the sociohistorical contexts contribute to changes in PI developmental trajectories. At a theoretical level, findings will lend further empirical support for the developmental-contextual perspective, ultimately contributing to the development of a more comprehensive theory of identity development
*This work is funded through a small research grant from the Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions.
Perceived Discrimination and Mental Health among Asian Americans
PI: Pauline Ho, Brad Brown, and XiangYun Tang
Duration: June 2020 - present
As COVID-19 has spread across the U.S., Asian Americans have been experiencing intensified discriminatory remarks and hate crimes. Research on racial discrimination and health among Asian Americans has been understudied, but highly important, especially during the COVID-19 outbreak. This study aims to 1) examine the longitudinal relation between racial discrimination connected to COVID-19 and mental health and 2) use a novel measure to examine whether and how racial-ethnic identity buffers the relationship between racial discrimination and health among Asian Americans. This study will provide a more comprehensive understanding of how discrimination experienced during COVID-19 impacts Asian Americans and how racial-ethnic identity, perceptions of discrimination together affect mental health outcomes over time using a longitudinal design.
Outcomes:
Two manuscripts are in preparation for publication, with one paper received the Best Student Research Award at the 2023 ISRI Conference.
*This project is funded through a Graduate Student Research Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Global Health Institute.
Racial and Ethnic Identity Development Study*
PI: Pauline Ho (master's thesis)
Duration: 2019 - 2023 (in preparation for publication)
This qualitative study employed a retrospective inquiry design to trace changes in the course of ERI development of 22 African American college students attending a large, predominantly White university in the Midwestern U.S. Through interviews, participants recalled life experiences that they considered crucial to their understanding of their own ERI in childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood. Using longitudinal qualitative analysis, three distinct tracks of ERI development were identified: cumulative, stability-maintaining, and transformative. Results revealed that both the context and the individual are drivers of ERI development. Contextual characteristics define available developmental pathways and the individual’s behaviors shape developmental outcomes. Findings highlight the need for a more robust theoretical framework to study ERI development.
Outcomes:
- This paper received the Best Student Research Award at the 2023 ISRI Conference.
- A manuscript is in preparation for publication.
*This project is funded through a Psychological Science Grant from the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS).
PI: Pauline Ho (master's thesis)
Duration: 2019 - 2023 (in preparation for publication)
This qualitative study employed a retrospective inquiry design to trace changes in the course of ERI development of 22 African American college students attending a large, predominantly White university in the Midwestern U.S. Through interviews, participants recalled life experiences that they considered crucial to their understanding of their own ERI in childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood. Using longitudinal qualitative analysis, three distinct tracks of ERI development were identified: cumulative, stability-maintaining, and transformative. Results revealed that both the context and the individual are drivers of ERI development. Contextual characteristics define available developmental pathways and the individual’s behaviors shape developmental outcomes. Findings highlight the need for a more robust theoretical framework to study ERI development.
Outcomes:
- This paper received the Best Student Research Award at the 2023 ISRI Conference.
- A manuscript is in preparation for publication.
*This project is funded through a Psychological Science Grant from the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS).
English Learners Reclassification Across States
PIs: Alicia Kim, Gary Cook, Mark Chapman
Graduate Researcher: Pauline Ho
Duration: 2018 - 2021
Reclassifying an English learner (EL) as Reclassified EL (REL) is a high-stakes decision that can greatly impact the language support the student receives from schools, and can significantly affect long-term academic outcomes. Given the importance of EL reclassification decisions, there is a strong need to have an in-depth understanding of how EL reclassification decisions are made by examining the variables or factors involved in the decision-making process and the variability in decision-making across local districts. The purpose of this study is to examine the variability of EL reclassification across districts in three states and its impact on student outcomes.
PIs: Alicia Kim, Gary Cook, Mark Chapman
Graduate Researcher: Pauline Ho
Duration: 2018 - 2021
Reclassifying an English learner (EL) as Reclassified EL (REL) is a high-stakes decision that can greatly impact the language support the student receives from schools, and can significantly affect long-term academic outcomes. Given the importance of EL reclassification decisions, there is a strong need to have an in-depth understanding of how EL reclassification decisions are made by examining the variables or factors involved in the decision-making process and the variability in decision-making across local districts. The purpose of this study is to examine the variability of EL reclassification across districts in three states and its impact on student outcomes.
Belonging at College
PI: Bradford Brown
Project Director: Pauline Ho
Graduate Researchers: Maame Adomako, Pauline Ho, Joe Anistranski, Emily Parrott
Duration: 2014 - 2022
A substantial number of students leave the college they initially attend after their first or second year. Often this is attributed to academic or financial difficulties, but more recent research emphasizes the critical need for adolescents to feel “at home,” to have a sense of belonging at their institution. Often, this involves social or personal issues more than academic or financial factors. In collaboration with colleagues at other universities, we are investigating the ways in which students develop a sense of belonging.
Issues we want to explore:
PI: Bradford Brown
Project Director: Pauline Ho
Graduate Researchers: Maame Adomako, Pauline Ho, Joe Anistranski, Emily Parrott
Duration: 2014 - 2022
A substantial number of students leave the college they initially attend after their first or second year. Often this is attributed to academic or financial difficulties, but more recent research emphasizes the critical need for adolescents to feel “at home,” to have a sense of belonging at their institution. Often, this involves social or personal issues more than academic or financial factors. In collaboration with colleagues at other universities, we are investigating the ways in which students develop a sense of belonging.
Issues we want to explore:
- To what extent does a sense of belonging depend on people, places, or activities?
- Are the essential interpersonal connections with school staff (professors, advisor), peers (friends, roommates), or both? Does this vary by demographic or personal factors or by institution?
- How can college programs or structures best foster a sense of belonging?
Previous Research Involvement at the University of California, Irvine
Digital Scaffolding for English Language Arts
PIs: Mark Warschauer, Penelope Collins, George Farkas
In this project, researchers are examining the efficacy of Visual Syntactic Text Formatting (VSTF), a technology for reformatting text to make it easier to understand, on 7th and 8th grade students’ reading and writing outcomes. Students are expected to read and understand progressively more complex texts as they get older, and many of these texts are complex both in their language and their structure. One way to help students better understand the complex text they read is to adjust the text itself; even changing the size or spacing of letters can help students’ reading comprehension. VSTF is an empirically validated text formatting tool that arranges phrases so that it highlights the meaning of the text. Researchers are examining whether reading text in VSTF improves students’ reading and writing as compared to reading text in standard blocks.
Project SPROUT
PI: Mark Warschauer
The study uses observations, interviews, document analysis, and video analysis to examine instructional practices in large undergraduate lecture courses at UC Irvine, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The study began in 2012 with the intention of documenting the relative presence or absence of practices that potentially promote more active and engaged learning (e.g., enhanced faculty-student interaction, enhanced peer interaction, greater attention to problem-solving strategies, more opportunities for personalized learning, opportunities to receive and communicate information across diverse channels and modalities, more data-based instruction). Now that baseline data have been collected over the course of two years, the study is comparing instructional practices with student outcome data to determine the efficacy of these promising practices. Our long-term goal is the improvement of undergraduate education and increased retention of diverse learners in STEM fields and beyond.
PIs: Mark Warschauer, Penelope Collins, George Farkas
In this project, researchers are examining the efficacy of Visual Syntactic Text Formatting (VSTF), a technology for reformatting text to make it easier to understand, on 7th and 8th grade students’ reading and writing outcomes. Students are expected to read and understand progressively more complex texts as they get older, and many of these texts are complex both in their language and their structure. One way to help students better understand the complex text they read is to adjust the text itself; even changing the size or spacing of letters can help students’ reading comprehension. VSTF is an empirically validated text formatting tool that arranges phrases so that it highlights the meaning of the text. Researchers are examining whether reading text in VSTF improves students’ reading and writing as compared to reading text in standard blocks.
Project SPROUT
PI: Mark Warschauer
The study uses observations, interviews, document analysis, and video analysis to examine instructional practices in large undergraduate lecture courses at UC Irvine, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The study began in 2012 with the intention of documenting the relative presence or absence of practices that potentially promote more active and engaged learning (e.g., enhanced faculty-student interaction, enhanced peer interaction, greater attention to problem-solving strategies, more opportunities for personalized learning, opportunities to receive and communicate information across diverse channels and modalities, more data-based instruction). Now that baseline data have been collected over the course of two years, the study is comparing instructional practices with student outcome data to determine the efficacy of these promising practices. Our long-term goal is the improvement of undergraduate education and increased retention of diverse learners in STEM fields and beyond.