Research in the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences

Research is an important part of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences. Students and faculty work together to conduct research on a wide variety of topics in laboratories and classrooms. Faculty in CEBS use a variety of methods to investigate questions relevant to counseling, education, leadership, and psychology.

CEBS Policies for Research

External Grant Submission Procedures

Co-Principal Investigator Status

WKU Department of Psychology - Motivation Lab Video Preview

Student Research

All CEBS departments have opportunities for student involvement in research, and some offer course credit for research activities. With the help of faculty, students who conduct research in CEBS:

Help design and plan research studies
Collect data from adult and child research participants
Analyze data and test hypotheses
Present research findings at local, national, and international conferences
Publish research findings in peer-reviewed academic journals

WKU students can apply for a $3000 Faculty Undergraduate Student Engagement (FUSE) grant to support their research! See the FUSE website for more information. Visit WKU Student Research for additional information on student funding opportunities.

Best Practices in Undergraduate Research

These resources can guide faculty in their mentorship of undergraduate researchers:

How to Engage Undergraduates in Research

Salient Practices of Undergraduate Resources

Engaging Undergraduates in Publishable Research: Best Practices

Undergraduate Research Teams that Build Bridges, Produce Publishable Research, and Strengthen Grant Proposals

Authorship Guidelines for Collaborative Scholarly Products with Students

Interested in joining the Council on Undergraduate Research? Membership is FREE for WKU faculty and students. Click here for instructions on how to join.

Additional resources to support undergraduate research are available through the WKU Office of Research and Creative Activity.

Funding Opportunities

Student Funding Opportunities

WKU has funding available to support students who are conducting and presenting research, including the Faculty Student Undergraduate Engagement (FUSE) program. FUSE grants provide funding for undergraduate students to conduct research and present their findings at a national conference. FUSE funds can also be used to support faculty travel to accompany FUSE students to their national conference presentations.

Funding opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students are available through various university and departmental mechanisms. For more information, visit WKU Student Research and The Office of Sponsored Programs.

Faculty Funding Opportunities

WKU’s Research and Creative Activities Program (RCAP) is an internal mechanism for funding faculty research. Two levels of funding ($8,000 and $16,000) are available. See the RCAP website for important due dates and seminar schedules. Contact Jenni Redifer or The Office of Sponsored Programs for more information.

CEBS Quick Turn Around Grant (QTAG) funds are awards of up to $3000 to support critical and immediate research needs. Full-time faculty and instructors are eligible for QTAG funds, which must be spent within 90 days of the award date. See the QTAG FAQ or contact Jenni Redifer for more information.

The Office of Sponsored Programs can help faculty find external funding opportunities! Sign up to be notified of opportunities relevant to your interests here.

Faculty Research Areas & Collaborative Opportunities

Faculty Member	Department	Research Areas	Methodologies used
Brake, Nicholas	Education Leadership Doctoral Program	Education policy focusing on high school to college transitions, the history, structure and reform of high schools, and community college- high school collaborations Role of educational institutions in the economic and civic development of small cities Community leadership, power structures and social capital	Quantitative research Historical research methods Sociological research methods (e.g., social network analysis)
Casale, Ellen	Teacher Education, Leadership & Professional Studies	School principals’ legal knowledge of and preparation for special education Educator preparation for special education legal policies and procedures Parental perceptions of and preparation for special education processes Naïve stakeholder intervention for students with complex behavioral and learning needs	Survey Research Intervention development Mixed methods Single-case & group designs
Derryberry, Pitt	Psychology	Socio-cognitive development during adolescence and the college years Development of moral judgment and self-understanding	Experimental design Survey research
Duffin, Lisa Research webpage: wku.edu/psychology/research/taq	Psychology	Factors that impact academic quality at the K-16 levels, especially within STEM education The power of beliefs within teaching and learning, with an emphasis on impacting change through intervention	Case studies Experimental design Field studies Mixed methods Qualitative studies Survey research
Dye, Lacretia	Counseling & Student Affairs	Multicultural studies/diversity issues Impact of mindfulness on students (K-12, college) Usefulness of yoga/meditation/mindfulness with varied disorders	Grounded theory Mixed methods Phenomenology Qualitative studies
Evans, Sam	Teacher Education	Affective characteristics of effective teachers Transformative educator preparation Student success Leadership Teacher candidate impact on P-12 student learning	Quasi-experimental designs Survey research Document analysis
Everson, Kimberlee	Leadership & Professional Studies	Teacher evaluation and accountability Belief change process Statistical methods	Scale development Latent variable designs Quasi-experimental design Q sorting methodology
Galloway Burke, Monica	Counseling & Student Affairs	Diversity in higher education Career preparation for graduate students Impact of social issues on society Helping skills for working with college students	Experimental design Focus groups Mixed methods Survey research
Grieve, Rick	Psychology	Male body image Sport fan behavior	Experimental design Field studies Focus groups Qualitative studies
Houchens, Gary Research webpage: works.bepress.com/gary-houchens	Leadership & Professional Studies	School leadership School improvement Education policy How teacher perceptions of academic conditions in their schools can be used to predict student achievement outcomes and help shape school improvement efforts	Case studies Qualitative studies Survey research
Huang, Xiaoxia	Teacher Education	Instructional design and technology Designing and evaluating technology-supported learning environments in various settings to facilitate cognitive, affective, and motivational processes in learning.	Experimental studies Survey research Case studies Focus groups Mixed methods
Im, Sungjin Research website: www.tnllaboratory.com	Psychology	Mechanisms of change that underlie post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders, and severe mental illness Efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions on cognitive function Transdiagnostic processes that cut across multiple psychological disorders Integration of multi-method approaches to improving understanding of diagnostic categories and nature of psychopathology	Neurophysiology: electroencephalography (EEG) Physiology: electrocardiography (ECG), impedance cardiography, skin conductance, & electromyography (EMG) Behavior: computerized cognitive tasks Survey & clinical interview
Keesey, Sue	Teacher Education	Literacy instruction for struggling/diverse learners Culturally relevant pedagogy/instruction Behavioral strategies for promoting student learning Phonemic awareness	Single case design
Kirby, Gail	Teacher Education	Response to Intervention English learners with disabilities Online learning & instruction	Single case design Mixed methods
Logsdon, Jeremy	Teacher Education	Educational Technology College Readiness Retention efforts	Qualitative studies Focus groups Survey research
Myers, Carl	Psychology	Assessment of autism Validity of behavior rating scale assessments	Experimental design Single case design Survey research
Noel, Christina	Teacher Education	Positive behavior supports Students with autism spectrum disorders International education experiences	Single case design
Ochs, Sarah	Psychology	Identifying youth at risk for academic, behavioral, and mental health concerns Using technology to improve screening and assessment systems for youth Exploring how assessment systems function differently across diverse populations Crisis intervention and suicide risk assessment	Case Studies Experimental Design Mixed Methods Survey Research
Oigara, James Research webpage: https://www.igi-global.com/affiliate/james-n-oigara/223753	Teacher Education	Educational technology Active learning International education experiences Primary sources for historical research Higher education	Case studies Mixed methods Survey research
Paganelli, Andrea Research website: andreapaganelli.com	Teacher Education	Innovative library practices Technology in teacher education Technology in the classroom Digital storytelling eBooks Makerspaces Coding for kids	Case studies Discourse analysis Qualitative studies
Paquin, Tony	Psychology	Cross-cultural issues related to improving effectiveness in organizations Inter-rater agreement	Experimental design Field studies Focus groups Mixed methods Survey research
Park, Soyoung	Teacher Education	Effective mathematics interventions for students with or at risk of disabilities Teacher expertise in data-based individualization for mathematics intervention	Experimental design Meta-analysis
Pence, Cheryl	Counseling & Student Affairs	Career development College & career readiness Wellness and self-care Diversity and multicultural spirituality Applied research with community members, schools, business leaders, to improve processes and training	Focus groups Grounded theory Mixed methods Survey research
Peters, Christopher	Psychology	Forensic Psychology Using of Support Dogs in the Courtroom Jury Decision Making Criminal Profiling	Trial transcripts Experimental Designs Survey research Live action mock simulations
Redifer, Jenni Research webpage: wku.edu/psychology/research/aml	Psychology	Cognitive strategy instruction Working memory capacity and strategy use Impact of cognitive load on task performance	Experimental design Mixed methods Survey research
Roberts, Julia	Teacher Education	Policy Twice-exceptional students Instructional strategies Attitudes toward gifted students	Survey research Case studies Qualitative research
Sauerheber, Jill	Counseling & Student Affairs	Self-efficacy of counseling trainees Marital satisfaction Relationships among marital satisfaction, political ideology and religious strength	Survey research
Smith, Kandy	Teacher Education	Response to Intervention (K-12) Adolescent literacy	Case studies Focus groups Qualitative studies
Stobaugh, Rebecca	Teacher Education	Integration of technology into P-12 education Critical thinking in P-12 classrooms Teaching strategies High-impact teaching strategies Assessment of learning in P-12 classrooms	Mixed methods Survey research
Szymanski, Antonia	Teacher Education	Teacher professional development Gifted education K-12 student motivation Differentiation	Case studies Focus groups Mixed methods Phenomenology Qualitative studies Survey research
Tarbett, Leslee	Teacher Education	Early childhood literacies Literacy/instructional coaching Culturally sustaining pedagogies	Postqualitative theories/methods Embodied methodologies (e.g., walking methodology) Critical discourse analysis
Tassell, Janet Research webpage: researchgate.net/profile/Janet_Tassell	Teacher Education	Math mindfulness Math anxiety Productive struggle Gifted math children and strategies Real world learning framework Video gaming impact on math achievement Math comic books	Case studies Experimental design
Thornberry, Tim	Psychology	Evidence-based practice of psychology with children and families Analog behavior observations of children and families in clinical settings Factors influencing public health, rural health, and behavioral health initiatives (e.g., smoking cessation, pediatric obesity, substance misuse)	Case studies Experimental design Focus groups Mixed methods Survey research
Torelli, Jessica	Teacher Education	Assessment and intervention for students with persistent challenging behavior Training practitioners on behavioral strategies Reliability and validity of direct measures of behavior Positive behavioral supports	Single case experimental design Group experimental design
Wininger, Steve Research webpage: wku.edu/psychology/research/motivation	Psychology	Stress & performance Goal setting Attentional focus & multi-tasking Myths in psychology, specifically relating to cognition, motivation, & stress	Experimental design Mixed methods Survey research Instrument development
Wright, John	Teacher Education	Early childhood special education Autism Spectrum Disorder Inclusive STEM instructional practices	Single-case experimental design
Zhao, Qin	Psychology	Impact of metacognitive and motivational processes on performance and psychological well-being Cultural differences in metacognitive beliefs and performance outcomes of such differences	Experimental design Survey research Field studies

For additional information about our research, see the faculty profiles in Counseling & Student Affairs, Educational Administration, Leadership, & Research, the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program, Psychology, and Teacher Education. To learn more about research collaboration opportunities in the College of Education & Behavioral Sciences, contact Jenni Redifer, Assistant to the Dean for Research.

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