Education Students Present Research at State Capitol

Gwynedd Mercy University Education students traveled to the Harrisburg, PA to present their research at the URC-PA poster Conference at the Capitol.

Julia Bates, Julia Rainer and Nicole Tasey conducted research on the topic "How Cultural Differences of English Learners Affect Their Behavior in the Classroom." They were accompanied by their research advisor and Director for GMercyU's Center for Teaching and Learning SoYoung Kang, PhD.

"I enjoyed presenting at the Undergraduate Conference at the Capitol of Pennsylvania because it allowed me to teach others about the education field and learn from other students about their major by seeing their research," Nicole said.

Conducting research at the undergraduate level gives students the opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom to real-world situations - and what sets GMercyU apart.

"Education majors normally don't conduct research at the undergraduate level so to have the opportunity to network with professors to gain additional experiences that enhance my education has been really impactful," Julia Bates said.

The topic of their research was something the students have witnessed firsthand through GMercyU's Teacher Apprentice Program (TAP), which places Education students in real classrooms from their very first semester.

"Presenting research at the Capitol was an incredible privilege to be given as an undergraduate student, and I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to spread the significance of promoting a culturally inclusive classroom for English Learning students to countless individuals alongside myself and my colleagues," Julia Rainer said.

Learn more about GMercyU's research opportunities here.