Two female Asian students stand in front of a poster presentation.

Undergraduate Research Training Program

Undergraduates have the opportunity to gain invaluable research experience through the College of Education’s Undergraduate Research Training Program (URT).

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Overview

Research Experience

Qualified Purdue sophomores, juniors, or seniors in any academic discipline who are interested in undergraduate research on teaching and learning and have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 are eligible for this program. The program consists of two interrelated parts – research experience and a course on educational research.

Each trainee works with a professor in education for a period of two semesters in much the same manner as a graduate assistant. In assigning trainees to professors, consideration is given to the student’s background and interests as well as to the professor’s needs. The cooperating professors are encouraged to involve their trainees in as many of the tasks related to doing research as possible. These tasks include defining a research problem, creating research materials, collecting data, analyzing data, and writing research reports.

Typically, the amount of time that the trainee will spend on the research tasks will average approximately six hours per week. The stipend for each trainee is $1,500 for the academic year.

Due to the extensive time demands that are typical for those students who are student teaching, it is recommended that students who plan to student teach should not plan to participate in the URT program during the academic year in which they plan to student teach.

Each trainee participates in a weekly seminar for which they receive three credits per semester. Due to the variety of disciplines represented by students in the program, the course takes a broad, interdisciplinary approach in considering the various ways of investigating human behavior.

Selection for the program is based on academic credentials, interest in the program, and in some cases faculty recommendations.

Program at a Glance

  • Eligibility: Qualified sophomores, juniors or seniors
  • Any academic discipline
  • Cumulative GPA: 3.00
  • Size: 12-15 researchers
  • Time: ~6 hours/week
  • Stipend: $1,500
  • Presentation Opportunities: Undergrad Fall Expo (Fall & Spring), Annual Graduate Student Education Research Symposium (AGSERS)

Why Should I Apply to the URT Program?

Two students presenting their research poster titled, "Impact of Freedom Schools For Students K-8"

I really liked the pairing for the possible research team from the URT program as it provided me a chance to learn how research develops and the communication skills within a research group. Also, I think the program gave me a glimpse of what graduate school life is going to be like, and the methodology classes also gave me an idea of the type of research I would be more inclined towards. Overall, the opportunities I gained from this program were very beneficial and helped me a lot with my graduate school applications.

Jueqing Li

General Education Major

A white male student stands in front of a poster presentation with two onlookers.

History of the URT

This interdisciplinary program was developed in the 1960s by faculty in Educational Psychology and was funded by a grant from U.S. Department of Education “to engage undergraduate students in educational research.” Since then, and because of its success, the URT program was institutionalized in the College of Education and has been an option for undergraduates in education and other majors who would like to gain research experience with a focus on education.

Each year, 12-15 students are selected to be in a multidisciplinary URT cohort. The program has included students majoring in education as well as students majoring in other fields, such as engineering, psychology, sociology, political science, speech, language and hearing sciences, and human development. The program includes both coursework in research methods and a research practicum with an education faculty member. It, therefore, offers a unique opportunity for undergraduates to learn about research methodologies used in education while also serving as a member of a research team.

My undergrad research (URT) experience served me well. A formal academic benefit from my URT experience came when I was pursuing my doctorate at Northern Illinois University in the 1980s. I was able to draw from years of polling data for my dissertation titled, “The Attentive Public For Local school Politics.” My URT experience had a huge impact on my career in education.

Paul Leathem

HU ’68, MS ’70
Principal, Maine West High School, Des Plaines, IL (ret.)
Consultant, Illinois State Board of Education (ret.)

Examples of Previous Student Research Projects

  • AI and Word Problems – Luke Braun, Mentor Dr. Laura Bofferding
  • Beyond the School Day – Amanda Ibarra, Mentors Drs. Jasmine Begeske and Jennifer Smith
  • Building Resilience: A Study of Trauma-Informed Support in AAU Preservice Teacher Programs – Joel Berringer, Mentor Dr. Ofelia Schepers
  • Death Education at AAU Universities – Isyss Pranger, Mentor Dr. Heather Servaty-Seib
  • Emotion Labeling to Children with ASD: A Systematic Literature Review – Jessica Wallace, Mentor Dr. Juliana Aguilar
  • A Successful Day-1 with a VR Classroom Management Application – Philiip Godette, Mentor Dr. Wanju Huang
  • Snapshots of the Preservice Teacher Experience – Aimee Zhang, Mentor Dr. Toni Rogat
  • Examining the Effectiveness of an Undergraduate Oral Communication Class in Improving Interpersonal Communication Competence – Qiaoqiao Wang, Mentor Xiang Zhou
  • Expanding Research Opportunities to Undergraduate & Graduate Students Through the Purdue CDF Freedom Schools Program Initiative in 2024 – Teagan Drumm, Mentor Breanya Hogue
  • Language and Storytelling in Shape Composition – Lauren Spedale, Mentor Lauren Bofferding
  • Teachers’ Motivation Regulation in Authentic Field Experiences – Anshi Shastry, Mentor Toni Rogat
  • Poetry in the Classroom – Adeline Waltz, Mentor Mary Ellen Lennon
  • Prepare to Teach Mathematical Model-based Problem Solving (MBPS) – Nicholas Cline, Mentor Yan Ping Xin
  • Professional Development for Educators: Enhancing Instruction with Extended Reality (XR) Experiences for Enhanced Learning – Alexia Striebeck, Mentor Victorial Lowell

I have learned so much about the backbone of research methods. Also, we gained so many practical experiences within our research projects and from presenting our findings at conferences throughout the year. I would recommend this program to anyone wanting to strengthen their knowledge about research.

Addie Waltz

English Education

Frequently Asked Questions

The URT program uses an apprenticeship model to introduce and engage undergraduate students with educational research. It is intended for those interested in developing research knowledge and skills over two semesters through coursework and participation in a research practicum.

The program is available to ALL undergraduates with interests in education. Therefore, Participants in the program come from a variety of majors. These include:

  • Education (e.g., elementary education, special education, social studies education, English education, mathematics education, science education, engineering education) as well as
  • The social sciences (psychology, sociology, law and society, political science, anthropology)
  • Human Development and Family Studies
  • Speech Language, and Hearing Sciences

The URT program is two semesters long. It begins in the Fall and continues in the Spring.

Each year, the number of students selected for the program ranges from 12-15.

The URT program has two components:

  • A research practicum experience that provides the opportunity for a URT to work alongside an education faculty member and his/her research team.
  • A 2-semester course sequence in research methods. The courses in this sequence:
    • Are reserved for the URT cohort.
    • Are graduate level courses (EDPS 53300 in the fall and EDPS 53400 in the spring).
    • Are taught on Wednesdays every week (5:30 – 7:30).
    • Contribute 6 credits toward the 15-credit minor in the Learning Sciences in Educational Studies

Each academic year, during the first week of classes in the fall, a list of research projects for which URTs are eligible will be shared with students admitted to the URT program Previous Student Research Projects (above).

URTs are asked to indicate their top three choices and are then assigned to one of their top three choices.

The stipend for URTs for the academic year is $1,500.

Yes, in the context of the URT course sequence (EDPS 53300 and EDPS 53400), you will have the option to develop your own research project.

URT research is highly visible through presentations in the OUR Fall Expo, AGSERS, and OUR Spring Expo.

URT projects may be individual, collaborative (with another student), or part of the URT research practicum (in consultation with their faculty research mentor).

Support for the development of conference proposals and presentations (posters, research talks, virtual presentations) is provided in the context of the URT coursework.

Fall topics address the following:

  • Ethical Issues in Research
  • Overview of Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods Designs
  • Reviewing the literature and developing research questions
  • Sampling in Quantitative and Qualitative Research
  • Working with Descriptive Statistics
  • Selecting and using Measures in Research

Spring topics are focused on Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods approaches to research. Specifically, we address:

  • Data analytic methods in quantitative studies
  • Survey research methods
  • Group Designs (Correlational, Causal Comparative, and Experimental)
  • Single case designs
  • Data analytic methods in Qualitative studies
  • Qualitative research designs (case studies, narrative inquiry, ethnographic research)
  • Mixed methods research designs, including action research and design-based research.
  • Develop research skills, competencies, knowledge
  • Understand what it means to work with a research team
  • Understand the methods used to produce our knowledge on teaching and learning
  • Work with professors who are leaders in their fields
  • Course sequence contributes to Learning Sciences in Educational Studies Minor
  • Strong preparation for graduate school and beyond