UROP Project

Exploring the Impact of the School Environment on Career Thoughts in Latino Adolescents

Adolescents School Career Thought

Research Mentor: Sabrina Quiroga, She/her
Department, College, Affiliation: Educational psychology and learning systems , Education, Health, and Human Sciences
Contact Email: snq16@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Psychology
Education
Health and Human Sciences
English
STEM majors
Statistics
Social Work
Project Location: remote
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote
Remote or In-person: Fully Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-7, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable

Project Description

Have you ever felt confused or anxious about your future career plans? That's exactly what this research is about! This project explores how high school students think about their future careers, and how their school environment, including relationships with teachers, feelings of safety, and peer interactions, might shape those thoughts. I am especially interested in understanding the experiences of Latino students and how cultural identity plays a role in navigating career choices. I am using real student data to see how things like school support or pressure from family and community might affect how confident students feel about making career choices, or how stuck or conflicted they may feel when making these decisions. The results could help schools better support students from all backgrounds during one of the most important times in their lives.
As a research assistant, you'll get hands-on experience with data analysis and learn about how psychological theory (Cognitive Information Processing Theory) applies to real-world challenges. This is a great opportunity if you're interested in careers in psychology, education, counseling, or just want to understand the behind the scenes of research.

Research Tasks: Assist in editing the proposal and related documents
Potentially help prepare materials for school district and principal approval
Format and organize demographic questionnaires and surveys
Organize consent and opt-out forms for participants
Tracking participant responses and managing data files
Organizing raw data in Excel or statistical software (e.g., SPSS, R)
Cleaning and coding data
Running descriptive and inferential statistics (e.g., t-tests, regression)
Creating data visualizations or summary tables




Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Recommended:
Professional communication (e.g., emailing school staff, maintaining confidentiality)
Interest in education, school psychology, or career development
Required:
Basic understanding of psychological research methods
Comfortable reading and summarizing empirical journal articles
Experience with Excel, Google Sheets, or basic spreadsheet functions
Some familiarity with SPSS (or willingness to learn)
Willingness to assist with coding, cleaning, and organizing data
Timely and dependable — able to meet deadlines and coordinate logistics
Comfortable with Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and PowerPoint
Awareness of cultural considerations, especially in working with Latino students or diverse school populations