In this month’s Corners, the GSTA shared brief research highlights from their ongoing research. While our newsletter typically centers on teaching and pedagogy, we also want to celebrate the rich research culture that informs and inspires our academic community. These snapshots offer a glimpse into the scholarly work taking place alongside their teaching and service — a reminder of the vibrant, multifaceted roles of graduate students involved at STP!

 

Chair: Alexa Sacchi (they/them), University of Toronto - St.George:

When we think back on our past, we can usually reflect on how our values, preferences, and personality have changed over time. However, when looking into the future, most people will say they’ll stay the same. This asymmetry is known as the end of history illusion, and has been replicated in adults across many domains, cross-culturally, and in children as young as four.

In a new series of studies, I’m investigating how broad is this illusion, and can it extend to other areas of the self; such as one’s family legacy. I’m exploring whether there is a “generational”l end of history illusion, in which adults would report more similarity to their children than to their parents. Preliminary findings show there is an illusion! Adults believe that their values and personality are different from their parents (accepting past generational change), but that their children will be similar to them (resisting future generational change).

 

Ashmita Mazumder (she/her), University of Toronto - Scarborough:

One study I’m currently working on explores alternative scoring algorithms for self-report measures. Self-reports are the most commonly used data collection tool in psychology research. However, when scoring these tests, we typically apply unit-weighting to each item in a questionnaire (sums and averages), assuming that the information provided by each item is uniform. In practice, however, this assumption may not hold. Some items are more informative than others, either because they better differentiate between individuals at specific levels of the trait or because they reflect more extreme or meaningful expressions of the construct. My project explores whether scoring algorithms informed by item response styles can increase the predictive utility of self-report measures.

Mel Ceren (she/her), CUNY Graduate Center:

One study I’m working on and excited to share is my proposal titled The Morgan Library and Museum’s Art and Evolution of Storytelling and Language through Historical Literature. This project is being developed in collaboration with the Morgan Library and Museum’s Education Department and is inspired by their exhibition on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

My project explores digital storytelling, using Morgan’s lesson plans and museum materials to highlight STEM topics and demonstrate how historical Gothic literature can support students' reading comprehension and storytelling skills. I’m especially enthusiastic about this work because curricula should engage with local museums and their rich archives, which can enhance classroom content, specifically in English Language Arts.

 

Josh Lovett (he/him), University of Illinois Chicago:

How do researchers measure prosocial behavior (i.e., voluntary acts that benefit others)? I am currently leading a preregistered scoping review of 500 + intervention studies across education, psychology, public health, and other fields. By mapping how each study defines and assesses prosocial behavior, our team aims to make it easier to compare outcomes across future research and move the field toward a more comparable evidence base.

Sherry Nguyen (she/her), University of Alabama:

I have been working with Dr. Pellicioni on a scoping review paper exploring the relationship between students’ effort investment and their performance in mathematics. In this review, we examined a wide range of variables that influence how much effort students put into learning math. We categorized these variables into individual factors such as self-efficacy, mastery goals, math interest, and enjoyment and contextual factors, including culture, classroom climate, and parental involvement. We also discussed the role of effort as a potential mechanism that explains how positive math attitudes can lead to better performance. Finally, we proposed future directions for research and practice, focusing on how these findings can be used to support and enhance students’ effort investment in math learning. Access the full open-access article.