Research and Scholarship

My research agenda centers on elementary teacher learning and instruction, with a particular focus on inclusive pedagogy and inquiry-based pedagogy. Across my first three years, I have pursued a range of collaborative and practitioner-oriented projects that reflect my commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in teacher education. I have intentionally built partnerships with local educators, involved JMU students in research processes, and sought out professional development opportunities that deepen my understanding of justice-oriented scholarship.

My work spans multiple strands: (1) inquiry-based social studies instruction in elementary classrooms, including dual-language immersion contexts; (2) instructional planning and curriculum use among preservice and novice teachers; and (3) teacher learning through practice via multiple modalities, including online modules. These strands are unified by a commitment to understanding how teachers make pedagogical decisions and how teacher education can better support equitable, responsive practice in service of student learning.

I have also prioritized dissemination through multiple channels—peer-reviewed journals, practitioner publications, book chapters, and conference presentations—ensuring that my scholarship reaches both academic and practitioner audiences. My research is grounded in real classrooms and shaped by the voices of teachers and students, reflecting my belief that scholarship should be both rigorous and responsive.

Over the past three years, I have made meaningful contributions to the field of teacher education and elementary pedagogy:

• Publications: I have published seven peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, including work in The Journal of Social Studies Research, Teaching Education, Infant and Child Development, and Social Studies and the Young Learner. My chapters in NCSS/Library of Congress volumes and Hollywood or History? extend my reach into practitioner and curriculum-focused spaces. I also authored a book review in Teachers College Record.

• Grants: I secured a College of Education mini-grant and funding from the Martha B. and Guy M. Jones Education Endowment to support classroom-based research on inquiry instruction in dual-language settings.

• Presentations: I have presented at state, national, and international conferences including AERA, NCSS, CUFA, LRA, TEAN, and VACTE, sharing findings from classroom observations, curriculum analysis, and teacher interviews. I’ve also contributed to local and college-wide events, including a presentation on inclusive teaching for multilingual learners.

• Collaborations: My scholarship is deeply collaborative. I’ve co-authored with undergraduate and graduate students, mentored colleagues through research design and IRB processes, and partnered with teachers in Albemarle County to study curriculum adaptation in dual-language classrooms.

• Professional Development Integration: I’ve consistently used professional development experiences to inform my research. For example, participation in the AAAD/CFI Institute and LAUD Fellowship shaped my inquiry into inclusive curriculum design and assessment. I’ve also attended sessions on academic journal editing, intercultural engagement, and DEI-focused pedagogy.

• DEI Focus: My scholarship explicitly centers diversity, equity, and inclusion. From studying the implementation of a whole-truth history curriculum to analyzing inclusive instructional planning practices, I aim to elevate teacher voices and support pedagogies that affirm all learners.

Broadly, my goals for the next three years are to continue to refine and focus my research agenda and to publish findings from my studies of elementary social studies instruction and teacher learning in top-tier journals. This will require collaboration and intentional decision making about where to focus my time and energy. I also aim to seek external grant funding to support my work to study teacher learning and practice at a larger scale.