The Research Themes Working Group (RTWG) was charged by the IU School of Education’s Long-Range Planning Committee with the task of developing several research themes that synthesize the diverse research activities in our school. The RTWG comprises faculty members in all four departments in the School of Education who have expertise in different areas of research.
Procedure
A description of the four research themes is in the Appendix to this report. The RTWG adopted a rigorous process in developing these themes. First, we met to develop consensus on a set of guidelines for developing and describing the research themes (see section entitled, “Guidelines” below). We decided that it would be important to consult broadly with researchers within the School of Education. To this end, we sent out a survey to all School of Education faculty, staff, and graduate students to solicit their suggestions on the research themes. The survey results were discussed in small groups at a school-wide faculty meeting on February 23, 2004. Second, we reviewed the websites of other universities to identify examples of how other schools of education have described their research themes (see below for an example from the University of Queensland). Third, members of the RTWG met to draft and refine our descriptions of the research themes. Fourth, the chair of the RTWG met with Dean Morrone to solicit her feedback on the research themes. We also sent a draft version of our four research themes to all School of Education faculty members in a second feedback survey. 21 faculty members responded with feedback, and, when possible, we tried our best to incorporate their suggestions. Throughout this process, we solicited additional feedback via email from more than 40 faculty members whose research aligns with the themes we developed. In sum, the final version of the four research themes reflects multiple rounds of feedback and consultation with key stakeholders in the School of Education.
Guidelines
In developing and drafting the description of these themes, we considered the following factors:
- We intend for the research themes to be relevant to the scholarship of many (perhaps most) faculty and graduate students in the four departments and three research centers in the School of Education. Here, we seek to strike a balance. The themes cannot be so generically worded that they could apply to any School of Education in the United States. To some extent, the description of the themes should reflect the salient expertise of researchers in our school. At the same time, it is not possible for every topic, theory, perspective, or framework advanced by each researcher in the School of Education to be represented in the themes. Additionally, because researchers in the School of Education represent diverse disciplines and fields, such as education, higher education and student affairs, learning sciences, law, literacy, human development, and psychology, we tried to use language that is inclusive rather than field- or discipline-specific.
- The description of each theme should be succinct—ideally, no more than 125 words. We envision that the description of these themes would be displayed on the School of Education’s website; an overly detailed description would not serve the purposes of publicizing our school’s research. For an example of what a description of a research theme could look like, we drew inspiration from the research themes articulated by the University of Queensland’s School of Education: https://education.uq.edu.au/research-themes.
- The description of the themes should be appealing to multiple stakeholders, which include potential faculty members and graduate students from multiple disciplines, Board of Trustees members, policymakers, and laypeople. To this end, we wanted to ensure that the language we use is inspirational, accessible, and not overly technical.
- The research themes should align with the IU School of Education’s mission, which is to “improve teaching, learning, and human development in a global, diverse, rapidly changing, and increasingly technological society.” Given this broad mission, we recognize that not all our faculty members conduct research in traditional school settings, and that some faculty members study topics related to human development (e.g., mental health, well-being, sense of belonging) rather than to education or learning. Theme 3 best reflects the work of these researchers. Again, these considerations require us to use language that is inclusive (e.g., references not just to schools, but also to communities and societies).
- Although we intend for the research themes to be relatively distinct, some overlap among the themes is inevitable. Hence, some researchers in the School of Education will likely identify with one or more research themes. We do not think it is necessary or helpful to pigeonhole each School of Education researcher into only one of the four themes. For instance, a researcher who studies how race and racism impacts learning in the classroom might identify with both Themes 1 and 4.
Recommendations
We offer the following recommendations for how the research themes can be used to advance the mission of the School of Education:
- Researchers (faculty and graduate students) in the School of Education should be encouraged to align with one or more research themes. These researchers could form research clusters that meet semi-regularly (e.g., once every semester). These meetings could be partly social in nature (e.g., lunch gatherings) and partly an opportunity for professional networking. While these research clusters are not intended to replace departments or programs, they might provide a secondary forum to facilitate the cross-pollination of ideas, research collaborations, mentorship, and social connections for like-minded researchers across departments and research centers. For instance, a faculty member of color who conducts research on race and ethnicity might identify new opportunities for collaborations or mentorship with faculty members of color in other departments who conduct broadly similar research tied to Theme 4.
- The four research themes should be prominently displayed on a webpage of the School of Education, perhaps under the section entitled, “Research". The names of researchers and brief one-sentence descriptions of their research interests aligned with each theme (with hyperlinks to the researchers’ webpages, if available) could be displayed on this webpage. This provides an opportunity for prospective faculty members and graduate students to be appraised of opportunities for research collaborations and mentorship within the School of Education that transcend departmental boundaries.
- The four research themes could be described in promotional materials for potential students, donors, alumni, and other stakeholders.
Members of the Research Themes Working Group:
Elizabeth Boling (ex-officio from the Long-Range Planning Committee)
Tom Brush
Amy Hackenberg
Cindy Hmelo-Silver
Rob Kunzman
Vanessa Miller
Myeshia Price
Leonard Taylor
Joel Wong (Chair)
Appendix
Theme 1: Innovative Pedagogies and Emerging Technologies for All Learners
How do people learn and what strategies support high-quality teaching in diverse local and global contexts? The research in this theme considers how to enhance and re-envision teaching and learning, which occur in many places at many ages in both formal (e.g., PK-20 classrooms) and informal (e.g., museum) settings. Rapid changes in society and societal infrastructure provide both complex challenges and new opportunities, which affect diverse learners of all ages, including PK-20 students, teacher education students, employees in organizations, youth, and lifelong learners. As researchers, we study the design of innovative approaches to teaching and technology, as well as how this affects what and how people learn.
Theme 2: Policies, Systems, and Society
How do societal values, as well as the policies and systems of an array of educational contexts, shape the lives of individuals across the lifespan? Through rigorous research methods and the dissemination of research and policy advocacy, we seek to challenge and rectify injustices, as well as identify and strengthen efforts toward transformational leadership, high-quality learning experiences, and social well-being in schools and other settings. Taken as a whole, our scholarship supports a rich diversity of educational values, forms, and practices, but also shares a commitment to sustain democratic practices and promote equity and justice for all members of society.
Theme 3: Wellness and Thriving
What does it mean to live well? Researchers engaged in this interdisciplinary line of scholarship address this question by amplifying people’s strengths and resources across the lifespan to attain wellness. Wellness includes indicators such as mental health and belongingness, as well as success in different domains of life and access to accommodating environments devoid of harm in educational settings, communities, and societies. We address individuals’ experiences of wellness, risk and protective factors associated with wellness, as well as preventative and treatment interventions. Our goal is not simply to reduce suffering but to enable people to thrive—to flourish, excel, and become the best version of themselves.
Theme 4: Advancing Justice and Empowerment
What do just and equitable schools, organizations, and communities look like? Researchers who study this theme challenge oppressive systems, dissect power and privileges, and implement strategies to reduce disparities and foster greater inclusiveness for all peoples. Guided by a strength-based perspective, we view people’s cultural knowledge, values, identities, and skills (e.g., bilingualism) as assets that enrich educational settings, organizations, and communities. We explore collective identities, such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, social class, nationality, immigration status, religion, age, disability status, as well as the intersection of these identities. Our collaborations with community partners and use of creative research methods promote empowerment, so that students, individuals from all backgrounds, and communities in the United States and around the world will have greater control over their destinies.