Research
The RISE Lab currently conducts studies to understand ways children’s schooling experiences and academic and social-emotional development is shaped by teachers’ emotions and behaviors and racial bias in schools. With collaborators at universities, the RISE Lab facilitates research projects that aim to understand how the perceptions and emotional language of teachers affect the racial climate of the classroom and the socio-emotional skills and development of their students.
Our Research Projects
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Social-Emotional Expression in Classrooms (SEEC)
In collaboration with Elizabeth King, PhD, at Missouri State University, this study explores teachers’ emotion language and children’s social-emotional skills, and includes a nuanced examination of teachers’ emotion language by child gender and race. SEEC utilizes observations and questionnaires to assess teacher practices and children’s development in classrooms across one school year.
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Promoting a Positive Racial Climate in the K-5th Environment
In collaboration with Amy Halberstadt, PhD, and Carolyn Bird, PhD, at North Carolina State University, this study seeks to develop an understanding of in-service teachers’ perceptions of organizational goals and supports needed to foster a positive racial climate. The study will be based on survey and interview data collected from participating teachers.
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Children’s Social Emotional Development: Teachers’ Emotional Experiences in the Classroom
This project explores ways in-service teachers’ beliefs and emotional experiences in the classroom relate to their teaching practices, interactions with students, and students’ social-emotional and identity development.
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Exploring Teachers’ Beliefs, Emotions, and Classroom Practices on Children’s Social-Emotional Development
In collaboration with Danielle Crosby, PhD, at UNC Greensboro, this project will explore ways pre-service teachers’ emotional experiences in the classroom and emotion regulation practices relate to their interactions with young children. We will utilize survey and observational data from teachers.
