On May 10, Stevenson University Online celebrated the research efforts of the Spring 2019 graduates of the Community-Based Education and Leadership (CBEL) and Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) programs at the SUO Graduate Education Research Symposium. This symposium provided students the opportunity to present their Capstone Action Research projects, a culmination of their two years of coursework at Stevenson.
Community-Based Education and Leadership students focused their research on projects that would make a difference in their community. In their capstone course, students examined cultural and environmental factors that influence learner development and conditions that foster positive self-identity and resiliency. Master of Arts in Teaching students aimed to make a contribution to the school environment. After fulfilling a minimum 100-day internship in a secondary classroom, teacher candidates collected data from their students and completed a professional development portfolio.
Action research topics ranged from the importance of the learning environment for reaching urban high-risk high school students to family support for immigrants by promoting Latinx family voices. In addition to on-campus presentations, several students shared their research virtually through a BlueJeans meeting link. These students presented from Guangzhou (China), Massachusetts, New York, and South Carolina.
The SUO Graduate Education Research Symposium marked the end of an intensive internship semester for MAT students and a rigorous research semester for CBEL students. Stevenson University is proud to honor the accomplishments of our first graduating class of the new Community-Based Education and Leadership degree program. They will be joined at Commencement by the MAT teaching candidates who will not only earn their master’s degrees, but also receive their secondary teaching certification in mathematics or science. Congratulations graduates!