Undergraduate Research

Expanding HIPS (high impact practices) in teacher education

“This course-embedded undergraduate research project allows teacher candidates to challenge, question, provoke, prod, and deconstruct what it means to teach with/in curriculum guidelines imposed upon today’s preservice teachers,” writes Baker.

“Scott is innovative in giving his students formal training in educational research methods, and I hope his model spreads to other education courses,” says Scott Cooper, UWL Biology professor and director of Undergraduate Research & Creativity.

UW-La Crosse Campus News (September 6, 2019)

Samples of Student-Written Article Titles:

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: Giving Voice to Minority Students
Where Does Inclusion Begin?
What Needs to Be Done to Help LGBTQ+ Students in Schools
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: Native Americans in the Classroom
Teacher Candidates Perspectives on Standardized Testing
Building and Maintaining Sustainable Relationships with Students
Teacher Candidates’ Perceptions: The Effect of Homework on Elementary Students’ Achievement
Require or Eliminate: The Future of Gym Class
Guns in the Classroom: Preservice Teachers say, “No!”
Positive Reinforcement Contingencies within the Classroom: Methods of Using Positive Reinforcement
Frequency Science is taught in Elementary School Classrooms: Preservice Teachers’ Views
Inclusion: How prepared are preservice teachers?
The Impacts of Music in the Classroom from perspectives of Pre-Service Teachers
Extracurriculars: why they are more than “extra”
Pre-Service Teachers’ Views on Curriculum: Working with Low Socioeconomic Students
Pre-Service Teachers Fears within Curriculum
Integrating Play-Based Curriculum into Primary Schools?
Inservice Teachers; Outlook: The Effects of Math Intervention
A Pre-Service Teacher’s Perspective: Diverse Curriculum in Multicultural Classrooms
The Knowledge Teacher Candidates have in connection with Montessori Curriculum
Student-Centered Classrooms: What do Pre-Service Teachers Know?
Preservice Teacher Views on Arts Programs in School
Teacher Candidates’ Reactions to Equitable Practices in STEM Education
Socio Emotional Learning: Inservice Teachers and the Missing Answer in Curriculum
Mental Health and Anxiety Levels of Pre-Service Teachers

At St. Cloud State University, my undergraduate research work has centered on culturally responsive pedagogy with K-12/5-12 secondary students. At UWL, my teaching focus in the Introduction to Curriculum & Pedagogy course, is to provide foundational Early Child & Middle Child (ECMC) and Middle Child & Early Adolescent (MCEA) students. At both universities, my goal is to provide a space and opportunity for future teachers to voice their own ideas/perspectives regarding curriculum, cultural, and pedagogy. Since 2018, over 300 students have conducted undergraduate research projects addressing curriculum, culture, and/or pedagogy. In these courses, research was the platform used to introduce students to a deep investigation of the foundational social justice issues surrounding their future pedagogical practices.

The following scholarship focuses on undergraduate research.

Publications

Baker, J. S. (2022) Headaches and humility: Introducing preservice teachers to undergraduate research. Northwest Journal of Teacher Education, 17(2), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.15760/nwjte.2022.17.2.10

Presentations

Gardner, K., & Baker, J. S. (2024, April). Politics in education: Poetic exploration of preservice teachers' perceptions of legislating classrooms. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA. Accepted.

Baker, J. S., Bloom, E., Forberg, C., Gardner, K., & Reickard, E. (2023, October). Exploring voice: Preservice teachers and polyvocal poetry. Paper presented at the Curriculum & Pedagogy Group Conference.

Baker, J. S., Mosby, C., Murphy, E., Olson, M., & Schimnich, M. (2023, May. Course-embedded undergraduate research: understanding culturally responsive pedagogy with/in poetry. Paper presented at the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (ICQI) Annual Meeting, Urbana-Champaign, IL.

Baker, J. S. (2022, May). Teaching culturally responsive pedagogy through course-embedded research. Paper presented at the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (ICQI) Annual Meeting, Virtual.

Baker, J. S. (2020, October). Poetry in the process: Teacher Candidates' perspectives of undergraduate research. Paper presented at Curriculum & Pedagogy Group Conference, Virtual.

Baker, J. S., & Roberts, C. (2020, March). Curriculum is En(gender)ed:Preservice teachers’ exploration through art. Art Exhibit presented at the UW-La Crosse's Creative Imperatives festival of scholarship.

Baker, J. S., et al. (2019, November). Various posters presented at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Equity in Education Showcase.

Baker, J. S. (2019, August). Lessons learned: Introducing education majors to undergraduate research. Poster presented at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning.

Baker, J. S. (2019, May). Pedagogical lessons learned from Mama Ru: How teacher candidates advocate with/in curriculum. Paper presented at the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Urbana, IL.

Works in Progress:

Baker, J. S. (n.d.). Pedagogical lessons learned from Mama Ru: How teacher candidates advocate with/in curriculum. Under review.

Undergraduate research art show as part of UWL's Creative Imperatives (2020) festival of scholarship.

Select Student Presentations and Publications:

Lewis, O. (2023, March). Support for LGBTQ+ students in high school: Examining pre-service teachers' readiness. Poster presentation at the Minnesota Undergraduate Scholars Posters at St. Paul., St. Paul, MN.

Larson, G. (2022, April). Teacher candidates and their confidence in using mandated texts while implementing culturally responsive pedagogy. Poster presentation at the St. Cloud State University Huskies Showcase, St. Cloud, MN.

Soderholm, A. (2022, April). Culturally responsive pedagogy: Social studies education on incorporating student culture in the classroom. Poster presentation at the St. Cloud State University Huskies Showcase, St. Cloud, MN.

Potocki, E. (2021, April). Native American education: Preservice teachers insight. Poster presentation at the University of Wisconsin System 19th Annual Symposium for Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity (online), Whitewater, WI.

Kopke, P. (2021, April). Teacher candidates’ attitudes towards music in the general classroom. Poster presentation at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Research & Creativity Symposium (online), La Crosse, WI.

Rohman, E. (2020, May). Teacher candidates and their confidence in teaching poverty. Poster presentation at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Research & Creativity Symposium, La Crosse, WI.

Baker, J. S., Roberts, C., Butscher, M., Flugaur, B., Cumbers, M., Rohman, E., Kirven, H., Steckbauer, K., Connors, K., Quinn, G., & Karraman, M. (2020, April). Preservice teachers using undergraduate research as a call to action. Presentation at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Social Justice Week, La Crosse, WI. (Conference canceled).

Baker, J. S., Roberts, C., & fall 2019 EDS 311 students. (2020, March). Curriculum in en(gender)ed. An art installation at the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse Creative Imperatives, La Crosse, WI.

Meyer, L. & Guyette, H. (2020, February). Mental health of teacher candidates: Are teacher candidates getting the resources they need to be successful? Poster presentation at the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Special Education Convention and Expo. Portland, OR.

Michlig, Z. (2019). Understanding Native American education: Preservice teacher focused practices. UWL Journal of Undergraduate Research, 22. https://www.uwlax.edu/urc/jur-online/2019/

University of Wisconsin- La Crosse Research & Creativity Symposium, La Crosse, WI. (2019, April).

Meyer, L. & Guyette, H. Mental health of teacher candidates: Are teacher candidates getting the resources they need to be successful? Poster presentation.

Oudinot, A. Ability groupings effect on student achievement. Poster presentation.

Sasman, Z. Mental health: Preservice teachers voicing their effects from traumatic events. Poster presentation.

Baker, J.S., Krueger, K., Moua, M., Kreis, A., Roth, M., Bauer, E., Turner, K., Stewart, M., Rousemiller, A., &Solberg, J. (2019, April). Giving voice to preservice teachers, so they can give to others. Presentation at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Social Justice Week, La Crosse, WI.

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Equity Day, La Crosse, WI. (2018, November).

Folkers, W. & Handrick, K. Funding in education. Panel discussion.

Kramer, K., Erlandson, H., Miller, J., Anderson, A., Hanson, M. Making standardized testing equitable for all students. Panel discussion.

Krueger, K., Groshek, K., Buechel, E., Kreiter, M., Faivre, T., Tranby, T., Wagner, R., Koepp, M. Special education awareness in the classroom. Panel discussion.

Sersch, J., DeGroot, E., Mashak, J., Niedfeldt, S., Moua, M., Luxton, G., Pietrzak, C., Hammon, B. Pre-service teachers in the diverse/socially just classroom. Panel discussion.

Storms, G., Vinson, M., Sasman, Z., Syring, R., Stenberg, H., Schultz, K., Olson, J. Let's talk about mental health in schools. Panel discussion.

Woehrer, M. & Durkee, M. The importance of learning about student/guardian-parent and parent/guardian-teacher interactions. Panel discussion.