Teaching, Learning and Behavior

A University of Kansas-led initiative has received a $2 million award from the National Science Foundation’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM) program to expand educational opportunities for low-income students pursuing careers in computing, engineering and emerging technology fields.

New Roots is a Kansas City-area program that works with resettled refugees, immigrants and English language learners to learn sustainable practices to start agribusinesses. Research from the University of Kansas found the program boosts the mental and physical health of participants while they connect with community, benefiting both the farmers and the areas they serve.

Melissa Green-Blye of KU is principal investigator of two grant projects that will train students to boost Indigenous representation in news media. They will work to build partnerships with students at Haskell Indian Nations university to build journalism networks that move beyond "problem of the day" coverage of topics like mental health for young people.

KU’s Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies presented to the Kansas State Board of Education on July 14 in Topeka, one of two Regents universities selected to speak on how the state trains school and district leaders.

Researchers at the University of Kansas have documented an approach that helps educators address the “know-do gap.” The gap is when teachers and schools know a practice will benefit the students but it is difficult to get started for any number of reasons. The practice helps anticipate obstacles, plan for them and deliver new practices for students.

New research from the University of Kansas uses network science to determine why people make mistakes when lip reading. The research could improve lip-reading training as well as help the advancement of automatic transcription. The results appear in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

Research from KU is examining how aromantic and asexual individuals view intimacy to better understand how they view relationships, to better understand themselves and to improve everything from relationship education, sexual assault prevention and counseling for all people. The improvement could also help address the mental health crisis among young people.

Mary Fry, professor of educational psychology at KU, has co-written two studies that examined mentoring programs. One found that the Strong Girls program benefited those providing the guidance to young girls 10 years after their experience, and another found “sideways mentoring” among peers helped scholars for as long as 20 years.

Ten secondary school science teachers from Kansas will converge this week at the University of Kansas Field Station, just north of Lawrence. They’ll take part in the Ecosystems of Kansas Summer Institute, an annual immersive program that gives secondary educators the chance to work with KU scientists to explore resources and gain new ideas for their classrooms.

In a new book, Deborah Elizabeth Whaley, a professor of American Studies and English at the University of Kansas, introduces compelling creative techniques from multiple disciples that enhance learning and support professional development experiences for college students and faculty alike.