New York, NY – More than 150 faculty members from Teachers College, Columbia University, presented new research at the annual American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, which was held April 21-26, 2022, in San Diego and virtually.
AERA is the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning, and its annual meeting is one of the largest gatherings of education researchers, policymakers and practitioners in the country.
Presentations of new research by 95 members of Teachers College faculty spanned a range of topics related to the 2022 conference theme, “Cultivating Equitable Education Systems for the 21st Century.”
Henry M. Levin, the William Heard Kilpatrick Professor Emeritus of Economics and Education, was a presenting author of the panel session, “Building School Communities for Students Living in Deep Poverty: Strategies for Success,” at which he discussed his research, “The Long-Term Returns on Investing in Educational Equity.” Levin is an authority on curriculum innovations that accelerate learning and the social and economic benefits of providing all students with high quality educational opportunities.
Diana Yang Liu presented her research titled, “Building Racial Solidarity Across Black and Asian Communities in K–20 Education Beyond COVID-19,” on the panel session, “On Solidarity: Expanding Black and Asian Narratives in English Language Arts Classrooms.” Liu's research is rooted in her experience as an English Language Arts (ELA) teacher to predominantly Asian American students. She articulates in her research that teaching Asian American students about the history of solidarity with Black communities can bring not only greater awareness to the issues in Asian movements and communities, but also make positive social change across these communities and beyond.
David Bellard, an AP English teacher at Chalmette High School in St. Bernard Parish, LA, presented his research paper, “Public Schools, Spirituality, and Leadership,” which evaluated how members of his public school community approached educational leadership through the lens of spirituality. Mr. Bellard was a member of Teachers College’s 2017 Summer Principals Academy NOLA, and participated in the Teachers College Spirituality Mind Body Institute’s Self Awareness Training, which explores the role of mindfulness and spirituality in effective leadership.
Paulo Blikstein, Associate Professor of Communications, Media and Learning Technologies Design presented the study, “Ministry of Theory-Building: A President's Dialogues Guiding Political Manipulation and Knowledge Construction,” The research explores the role of education in the battle against disinformation, and analyzed conversations between President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil and his followers. Prof. Blikstein’s preliminary findings show that Bolsonaro employs activators that lead to the impression that the audience is participating in knowledge construction, and that the audience picks up on his clues and corroborates the narratives put forward by the head of state.
In addition, Professor Erica N. Walker, Clifford Brewster Upton Professor of Mathematical Education, was named a 2022 AERA Fellow in recognition of her exceptional scientific or scholarly contributions to education research or the field, in addition to 17 other educators. Walker also serves as TC’s Chair of the Department of Mathematics, Science & Technology, and as Director of the Edmund W. Gordon Institute for Urban and Minority Education (IUME).
To view a list of all Teachers College faculty presenters at AERA, please search for "Teachers College" on the AERA online directory.