Research Projects
Young Children At-Risk of Being Identified with ADHD
This research project explores early childhood teachers' perspectives on and practices for young children considered to have Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Drawing on a range of theories, including cultural psychology, post-structuralism, and disability studies in education, this study investigates how teachers differentiate between typical and atypical child development and how teachers' perspectives and practices reflect their concern about standards-based accountability reforms in early schooling. The study also critically examines the intersections of race, class, and disability.
Embodiment and Materiality in Early Childhood Robotics Education
In this study, I and a group of formal and current graduate students examine how early childhood robotics education can promote children's inquiry and playful learning. We draw on post-human and new materialist perspectives to explore intra-actions of children, robotic manipulatives, and other human and nonhuman actors. We see robotics as a possible way to bring children's bodies and blocks back into early childhood classrooms and as an area to promote equity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
Voice of Immigrant Children and Their Families
In this project, I and formal graduate students examine issues involved in the education of young immigrant children. In particular, we pay attention to the voices of Korean immigrant children and their families through ethnographic studies. Examples of topics include newly arrived Korean children's peer relationships and adjustment to preschool in the United States and Korean immigrant families' parenting for their child's identity development.
Web-based Case Instruction about Classroom Management
For this project I collaborated with Ikseon Choi, faculty in Learning, Design, and Technology at UGA, to design and implement web-based case instruction for early childhood teacher education. We developed a web tool which allowed preservice teachers to be exposed to various dilemmas practicing teachers face when managing their classrooms. Our goal was to encourage prospective teachers to expand their views of classroom management beyond a set of techniques and toward making ethical decisions by considering each issue from multiple stakeholders' points of view.
Teachers' Cultural Beliefs and Practices
As a former kindergarten teacher from Korea, I have been interested in examining how teachers' teaching reflects their cultural beliefs and practices since my doctoral dissertation study. Drawing on cultural psychology and Jerome Bruner's notions of "folk psychology and folk pedagogy," I focus on investigating both affordances and constraints of teachers' taken-for-granted beliefs and practices in each culture.