Project Background
The newly formed Center for Research on Race, Health Justice, and Public Policy will start official operations in January 2025. The Center will generate research and engage in policy studies as a One U Project to promote a just, equitable, healthy, and productive society, healthy, and productive society. The Center will examine health disparities and health inequalities based on gaps in research and policy formation concerning the social determinants of health and broad socioeconomic factors central to health justice. The Center will conduct and disseminate interdisciplinary research, provide educational opportunities, and engage in policy recommendations to promote a just, equitable, healthy, and productive society. We bridge research on race and social disparities, health, education, and public policy studies, and community-based interventions and practices in Utah and beyond. Goals for the Center are listed below:
1. Conduct and disseminate research on race, health justice, and public policy
2. Solicit national funding to conduct the research and activities of the center, with a goal of fiscal sustainability
3. Collaborate with community-based organizations to promote social change focused on human relations and civic engagement
4. Collate data-driven evidence to establish and sustain equitable educational opportunities for low-income, disadvantaged, gender, class, and geographic groups
5. Recommend policy solutions to address social disparities that impact health equity outcomes
6. Harness cross-disciplinary expertise and talent in the promotion of One-U to solve some of the most pressing social, educational, and health-based problems within Utah.
Student Role
The particular project that students will work on relates to research on Critical Race Theory in K-12 education. Critical Race Theory (CRT) has emerged as the most controversial theoretical body within social sciences. CRT has been used as a method of explaining the realities and vestiges of racism from multiple perspectives including intersectional approaches, institutional changes, the formation of structural inequalities, and as a tool in legal studies to tackle bias in the legal system's maintenance of racial policies and law.
I am curious as to the proliferation of CRT in K-12 education: How wide spread is it? Are K-12 teachers actually using CRT as part of educational curriculum and pedagogical practices?
This research project is based on a scoping review of research literature to answers research questions. "A scoping review is a type of knowledge synthesis that uses a systematic and iterative approach to identify and synthesize an existing or emerging body of literature on a given topic" (online). This project has been taking place since spring 2024 and I have already identified and extrapolated over 6 thousand abstracts as part of the project. Students will work with me and a member of the research team to systematically review the abstracts and selected articles using a tool known as Convidence (https://www.covidence.org/ ). I have been working with a librarian from the Marriott Library on campus as part of this project. This is an excellent project for students to work on and there is plenty of work to be done. Among other touch points, students will meet weekly with me and another member of the research team to review our work.
Student Learning Outcomes and Benefits
In working with the Center, students will gain firsthand information on how the research process works. For my particular project, students will gain an in-dept understanding of how a particular social issue generates research questions and projects that follow. This will include the development of research questions, the parameters of engaging in a literature review, how to develop research hypothesis (selecting independent and dependent variables), how to develop annotated bibliography's, methods for understanding causal relationships among variables, drafting research findings, the development of tables in the interpretation of data, and how to develop conclusions for specific research projects and their limitations. Student will also learn how to work as part of a collaborative research team.
Martell Lee Teasley
Professor
Honors
I strongly believe that good mentoring should include many of the following attributes:
1. It is import to develop and set clear goals and expectations. This should include what the students expects to gain from the mentoring experience as part of a research project. Expectations should be discussed upfront and they should be connected to research activities. Mentors should ensure that students understand their assignment and be prepared to assist students with comprehension of research activities.
2. I will ensure that students are provided multiple ways to understanding project goals and tasks. The key to this is gaining feedback from students as well as giving them a voice as part of the mentorship process. Mentors should encourage questions from mentees and communicate through regular check-ins. Open communication should be part of a supportive process in the mentoring relationship. Good mentors must be good listeners and welcome students' feedback and comments.
3. It is important that student are given step-by-step guidance on the research process in the areas of engaging in literature reviews, the formulation of hypothesis, the development of a data analysis scheme, the interpretation of data analysis, report writing, and drafting conclusions and limitation of the particular approach to the project. The mentor must model behavior for mentees and demonstrate to students how to be professionals in working and collaborating with others. Leading by example mentor and modeling ethnical behaviors in the workplaces and in the research, process is important for students to witness as they develop their professional skills. Good mentor shares their experiences with students to include their learning experiences.