Engaging Preservice Teachers in Undergraduate Research

Zoom Room 10

This roundtable presentation session explores strategies to support and encourage preservice teachers in undergraduate research. Practical applications of student-faculty research partnerships will be presented. Specifically, the presenters will describe how they created an undergraduate teacher education research group at their university by incorporating the ten salient practices of undergraduate research mentors identified by Shanahan, et al. (2015) and Walkington, et al. (2020). Information will be shared regarding student recruitment, mentoring responsibilities, student successes, and challenges faced by students and faculty. Additionally, the presenters will examine the benefits for faculty and pre-service teachers when engaged in undergraduate research projects. Benefits related to faculty career development, including publications and presentations, and student professional learning and grant opportunities will be shared. Opportunities for audience participation include discussions related to experiences with undergraduate research as both the student and mentor, sharing models of this research currently in practice, success stories, challenges faced by students and mentors, and suggestions for improved undergraduate research practices.