UROP Project

The Next Generation of Researchers

Education, research, learning, teaching
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Research Mentor: Betsy Staudt Willet, she/her
Department, College, Affiliation: Office of Research, Education, Health, and Human Sciences
Contact Email: betsy.staudtwillet@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: Open to all majors, with a preference for students who have taken a research course in high school, especially at Florida State University Schools
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
  • Day: Monday, August 31
    Start Time: 12:00
    End Time: 12:30
    Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/95922716223

Project Description

We are studying how high school students become researchers in their first research course. My research team partners with high school teachers to understand how research courses like AP Seminar require a different kind of learning experience. Research-focused courses require students to engage in open inquiry processes that include taking initiative and iterative research design. Students need a learning environment that cultivates their curiosity, promotes active engagement, and builds research confidence by developing and applying research skills. Through surveys, focus groups, and monthly journaling, we seek to understand 1) what teachers do differently to help students become successful in research courses, and 2) how students learn and grow as researchers while in high school.

Research Tasks: Data collection, organizing interview and journal data, cleaning and analyzing transcripts and journal entries, conducting interviews, attending research meetings with the FSU team, and with the teacher team.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Communicate and coordinate through email (required)
Digital organizing skills (using OneDrive, Google Drive, spreadsheets) (required)
Ability to take initiative and ask questions (required)
Follow written protocol instructions repeatedly and reliably (required)

Mentoring Philosophy

My mentoring philosophy is to provide an experience that is comfortable enough for you to see through to the end and challenging enough that you will grow in skills, knowledge, and confidence. I cultivate a relationship with my mentees, seeking to understand them and their goals on their own terms. I have a collaborative, strengths-based approach - I like to adapt plans according to my team members' interests, cultures, and needs. Being adaptive and responsive means I communicate regularly and with clarity about expectations. In my experience, being attentive to the learning and development process enables progress toward project goals. I aim to give my mentees ownership and agency within the safety of clear expectations for project tasks. While healthy mentorship relationships take time, they are worthwhile and more productive, leading to personal/professional growth and project completion.

Additional Information

My research team will present the results of this pilot project twice this year, giving UROP students a chance to learn and participate in data analysis and presentations. We are gathering extensive data that can be analyzed further in the future, with the possibility of publishing.

Link to Publications


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